I can understand the desire for google to want devs to recompile their apps, but I don't see the need to dump old apps from the app store... who cares if an old app that works wastes 12k if it only needs a single 4k page?
replies(7):
It could be that Google explicitly wants to dump un(der) maintained apps. Sure some might be clean and basic utilities that will work till the end of time, but many are probably abandonware or crummy demos and hello-world apps that look old and dated. They went on a whole purge recently already.
The App Store market is changing as Google/Apple grapple with efforts to end their monopolies. Maybe they're seeing that change and trying to use their dying advantage to frame themselves as the curated and reputable stores with high-quality maintained and up to date apps. When distribution is available from other places, they can chose their customers.