Why should you care?
Well because it’s one of the best games ever created for an iOS device, ever.
It was used on the original advert for the second generation iPod touch, which you can see here, it was really an early precursor to Guitar Hero and all of those rock games which were subsequently released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (what a flash in the pan those were).
It was also one of the first games released for the iPod and iPhone when Apple first unveiled the “App Store” to the public in 2008. It was new and refreshing, download free tracks to your device (funded by advertising between tracks on menus), and then tap along to the beats and sounds coming down the screen.
Subsequent versions were released, and even included Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Coldplay special editions of the apps. The Born This Way album by Lady Gaga actually was released alongside a special “Born This Way Revenge” edition. Yet by the beginning of February 2014 the apps won’t work properly anymore.
Tapulous, the company which owns the Tap Tap franchise, was bought by Disney and now finds it no longer viable in “a changing music environment”.
The apps will be “sunset” from the App Store, and you will no longer be able to download new songs or restore old ones from within the apps if you get a new iOS device.
Shame.
I’m not a gamer, but I always found these games were a great little time killer when on planes and the like, and I’ll be sad to see them go.
RIP Tap Tap Revenge, you were wonderful, and lived for a very respectable five years on the App Store in various reincarnations.
One should ask why they retired the game. The reason they gave – the ever changing mobile and music sphere – makes no sense. Do you have an idea what really happened?
At the risk of sounding incredibly cynical, I would imagine that Disney bought the company at a time when it was very popular, two or so years ago, then noticed the lack of uptake in the most recent apps, particularly “Tap Tap Revenge World Tour”. Plus, I don’t actually think that many people really bought songs from the “Tap Tap Store”, and there’s only so much money you can make from ads and sponsored songs…
That’s my guess anyway.