Without a word of warning to players or the developer Nimblebit, Star Wars: Tiny Death Star and Star Wars Assault Team were recently pulled by Disney from the Google Play Store as well as the Apple App Store. Both titles were under a year old, with Tiny Death Star reaching us last November and Assault Team launching in March.
Whether the games will be missed or not isn’t exactly the issue –the real problem is how poorly it was handled. In an email conversation with GameSpot, NimbleBit co-founder Ian Marsh noted that their first indication that the games had been removed was a tweet directed their way asking why they could no longer be found.
If you already had the games installed, you are in luck as they are still playable –but how long they can be supported is a mystery. Not only are the developers losing a revenue stream, there is also a feeling that their reputation is now tarnished by Disney’s decision.
A little research suggests that the reason for the removals may be due to a focus on newer Star Wars-themed mobile games (like Star Wars: Commander for Android or the soon to be released Star Wars: Galactic Defense), but no definitive answer has been given.
Jillian Koskie is an experienced software developer, content writer, project manager and usability design expert. With over 17 years in these roles, Jillian has enjoyed applying her skill-set to assist clients and users across a wide variety of sectors including: legal, health, and financial services. Combining these professional opportunities with a love of technology, Jillian is pleased to contribute articles, opinions, and advice to numerous news outlets, websites, and publications.
