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Apple allegedly pressured Yahoo to go slow on App Store rival in Japan

Japan's Fair Trade Commission is looking into the matter, tied to Yahoo's game streaming platform.

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Apple has been accused of putting Yahoo Japan under pressure to cut back development on its game streaming service.

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Apple allegedly pressured Yahoo Japan to cut back development of its game platform, a report says.

The Fair Trade Commission, Japan's antitrust watchdog, is investigating reports that Apple interfered with the potential App Store competitor, according to Nikkei.

Yahoo's Game Plus platform, launched in July 2017, lets people play games without needing to download apps.

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It attracted 52 developers -- including Final Fantasy owner Square Enix -- since it was less restrictive than Apple's platform when it came to sales, fees and software updates, the financial outlet notes.

However, the company slashed the budget for Game Plus last fall, promotion for the platform dwindled and Square Enix also removed the platform-exclusive game Antique Carnevale in April.

Yahoo reportedly told business partners that the cuts were the result of pressure from Apple, and the Fair Trade Commission started getting reports about it.

Neither Apple, Yahoo nor the FTC immediately responded to requests for comment.

Apple caught the FTC's gaze last month for requiring Japanese carriers to sell iPhones at a lower cost than its competition. It escaped punishment after it agreed to alter this practice and revise its contracts with service providers.