Dear User,
Recently, my 2048 game on Google Play Store has undergone a helpless and regrettable change. In order to avoid being removed from the store by Google, I was forced to modify the icon and name of the app. Now, my game has been renamed from “2048” to “1024 Puzzle Numbers Game”, which is a change made under the mandatory requirements of the Google Policy team.
Background Story
The game 2048 was first created by Italian developer Gabriele Cirulli. This is a single-player sliding tile puzzle game written in JavaScript and CSS, and was released on GitHub as free open source software under the MIT license on March 9, 2014. For details of the original 2048 game, please refer to the Wikipedia page.
However, as the game became popular, various imitation versions quickly emerged. Among them, Ketchapp released its own version of 2048 and successfully attracted a large number of users. Ketchapp’s android version of 2048 released on Jun 13, 2017. On April 5, 2015, Ubisoft acquired Ketchapp and applied for a trademark for 2048. This means that they have obtained the exclusive right to use the name “2048”.
Our History
My 2048 app was released on the Google Play Store on March 29, 2014, and was one of the first 2048 imitation apps released. Although it is based on the original 2048 imitation, I have been committed to improving the user experience through continuous updates and improvements. Based on user feedback and performance issues counted by Google Play Console, I added many new features, such as five undo operations, different board sizes (3×3, 5×5, 6×6, 8×8), support for cross-device migration of game progress, and continuous performance optimization.
Over the years, I have been working hard to make my 2048 app more perfect, and plan to continue to update and improve this game in the future. However, at the end of April this year, the Google Policy team notified me that there was a problem with my app icon and it was suspected of being vaguely associated with the “2048 Original” app. This was very confusing to me because they were reluctant to disclose which specific 2048 app had filed the complaint.
Helpless Change
In order to ensure that my app could continue to exist on the Google Play Store, I was forced to change the icon and name. This change not only made me feel helpless, but also brought inconvenience to loyal users. I know this change may confuse and make people uncomfortable, but this is a decision I have to make to ensure that the app is not removed from the shelves.
I hope everyone can understand and continue to support “1024 Puzzle Numbers Game”. Although the name and icon have changed, the core experience and gameplay of the game itself remain unchanged. I will continue to pay attention to user feedback, continue to improve and update the game, and strive to provide the best user experience.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please feel free to contact me.
Best wishes,
Number Games Developer