End-of-life information for THE PICKLE INDEX and THE NEW WORLD
They are no longer available for new users, but should continue working for existing users.

November 13, 2020

It is with leaden hearts that we announce the end of The Pickle Index and The New World on iOS and iPadOS.

Apple’s current policy is to remove apps from the App Store that have not been updated in a significant amount of time. The Pickle Index and The New World were both released in 2015 and while they continue to run on newer iPhones and iPads, they do not take advantage of modern screen sizes and other fancy technological wonders.

Unfortunately, sales of these apps have slowed to such a level that it’s just not worth our time updating them to comply with Apple’s latest rules and regulations. Therefore, they have succumbed to their bit-rot fate—a poignant reminder of the futility of making digital art!

They were removed from sale on November 13th, 2020.

Some good news, however, if you already own The Pickle Index or The New World, you will be unaffected by this change! The apps will remain fully functional—at least until some future version of iOS breaks them forever—and you’ll even be able to re-download them when restoring from an iCloud backup.

Thank you for all your support over the years!

Russell and Eli 😢

FAQ

Q. What’s happening?
Apple removed The Pickle Index and The New World from the App Store on November 13th, 2020.

Q. Why is Apple doing this?
The apps hadn’t been updated in “a significant amount of time” and, unfortunately, we sold so few near the end that we couldn’t justify the work to modernize them.

Q. Does this affect your other apps?
This affects The Pickle Index and The New World. Our THREE FUTURES OF STORYTELLING bundle, which included these apps alongside The Silent History, is also now unavailable.

The Silent History, Touch Sensitive, and Typing Writer are currently not affected by these changes and will remain available on the App Store. Although, they too will no doubt suffer the same fate in the not-too-distant future.

Additionally, the printed versions of these books are unaffected.

Q. Do The Pickle Index and The New World still work?
They both still run on modern iPhones and iPads. They don’t always take full advantage of larger screen sizes and there might be some little glitches and quirks here and there, but they are still usable and—some might say—fun! We will keep the server running that The Pickle Index uses for updates, as long as there is still meaningful traffic. The New World does not require a server backend.

Q. I don’t own either. Is there any way for me to get them?
They have been removed from the App Store and there is no way for you to buy them. Sorry.

Q. I already own one or both of these apps. How does this affect me?
In Apple’s words: “Your app will remain fully functional for current users. They will experience no interruption to services, will still be able to buy in-app purchases, and can re-download the app while restoring from an iCloud backup.”

However, it’s likely that updates to iOS will make the apps unusable at some point. This might be in a year. It might be in five years; maybe ten! We don’t know.

Q. I have another question…
Email us at support@suddenoak.com