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Google will lose $50M or more in 2018 from Fortnite bypassing the Play Store

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Re: Google will lose $50M or more in 2018 from Fortnite bypassing the Play Store

#71

Post by grenoire »

miguelrochefort wrote: post #65
mkhalil wrote: post #43

I wonder if this becomes a norm in the Android freemium gaming community, will they start advertising more Android ads to iPhone users. Maybe even start offering free "trade-up" program if they spend enough. If a user spends $1000, and 30% goes to Apple, that's $300 that could of bought the user a dedicated gaming device that will allow them to avoid that 30% tax. I love Apple, but 30% for in-app purchases is somethi…

> If a user spends $1000, and 30% goes to Apple, that's $300 that could of bought the user a dedicated gaming device that will allow them to avoid that 30% tax. How many iOS users willing to invest $300 on a low-end Android device to play Fortnite in order to start saving 30% after spending over $700 in in-app purchases do you think exist in the world?

Enough to pay off more than a few annual developer salaries.

Re: Google will lose $50M or more in 2018 from Fortnite bypassing the Play Store

#72

Post by Drakim »

kodablah wrote: post #44
Drakim wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand the framing of this conversation. Does other companies owe Google money by merely existing?

Depending on who you ask and how they feel about their platform, the answer is "yes, on that platform".

Android is based on Linux, Google doesn't get to make that sort of ownership claim.

Re: Google will lose $50M or more in 2018 from Fortnite bypassing the Play Store

#73

Post by redbeard0x0a »

lucisferre wrote: post #35
lucideer wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's (unfortunately) not illegal anywhere to have non-open platforms. It is illegal in the EU to use the dominant market position of one product to push another product in an anticompetitive manner. The latter is what Google got done for in the EU. You might think what Apple does is worse, and should be illegal, but that would be a separate hypothetical law.

Is this not what happens with the bundling of Mail, Calendar and Music in iOS and the fact that many default actions and integrations for these apps in iOS are not available to alternatives?

No, Google got in trouble for mandating other companies/products to include Google products (gmail, chrome, etc) in their products (Samsung Galaxy 9, LG whatever phone, etc).

Apple doesn't mandate any other company to change something with their product (Apple installs mail, calendar, music on their own iPhone, iPad, etc). They aren't using their market position to coerce another company to do something in Apple's favor. (as far as Android vs. iOS and the associated hardware phones and tablets).

Re: Google will lose $50M or more in 2018 from Fortnite bypassing the Play Store

#74

Post by ocdtrekkie »

lucisferre wrote: post #35
lucideer wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's (unfortunately) not illegal anywhere to have non-open platforms. It is illegal in the EU to use the dominant market position of one product to push another product in an anticompetitive manner. The latter is what Google got done for in the EU. You might think what Apple does is worse, and should be illegal, but that would be a separate hypothetical law.

Is this not what happens with the bundling of Mail, Calendar and Music in iOS and the fact that many default actions and integrations for these apps in iOS are not available to alternatives?

The primary concern is that Apple puts it's own software and features on it's own devices. That's fine, and what Google does on the Pixel line is also fine and not under scrutiny.

The issue is that Google uses blatantly illegal terms to force bundling of various apps upon other manufacturers, and this is illegal in both the US and the EU and most other jurisdictions.

This is a business-to-business issue, not a business-to-consumer issue. Hence why Apple putting it's own software on it's own hardware is not similar. (Also, Apple is not even approaching being a monopoly, Google already is one.)

Re: Google will lose $50M or more in 2018 from Fortnite bypassing the Play Store

#76

Post by kodablah »

Drakim wrote: post #72
kodablah wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depending on who you ask and how they feel about their platform, the answer is "yes, on that platform".

Android is based on Linux, Google doesn't get to make that sort of ownership claim.

Those people I was talking about that think that some money should be paid for existing on their platform, their reasoning is unrelated to what the OS is based on.

Re: Google will lose $50M or more in 2018 from Fortnite bypassing the Play Store

#77

Post by jdietrich »

asdkhadsj wrote: post #23
vosper wrote: post #2

> In the process, it’s costing Google around $50 million this year in platform fees, according to a new report. It's not costing Google anything, and they're not losing money on this either. It's revenue that they might have expected to earn, which they're now not going to be earning.

Also, what solution would there be? Allow other companies to bypass Google's revenue system in this area? How much will they lose from other companies who want to be treated equal to Fortnite. edit : This is a question folks, I'm not sure why you're down voting a question.. ya'll are touchy as hell lol. To put it differently, since I think my first attempt just confused you all in mass: If Google were to lower it's t…

Anyone can provide an APK download from their website and bypass the Play Store. Unlike iOS, Android is not a walled garden. For most app developers, the ease of discovery, installation and payment provided by the Play Store is worth the 30% fee. Epic Games clearly think that Fortnite is in such high demand that it isn't worth paying the Play Store tax; Fortnite players will make the effort to find the app, install it manually and provide their credit card details for in-app purchases.

Android freely allows you to circumvent the Play Store via manual installation or a third-party app store, which is an advantage in terms of user choice but less secure than the iOS walled garden. Google decide what can go on the Play Store, but they don't control what users can install. I personally prefer the Android approach, but there are merits to both.

Re: Google will lose $50M or more in 2018 from Fortnite bypassing the Play Store

#78

Post by ocdtrekkie »

izacus wrote: post #48
plicense wrote: post #3

"Unlike Apple, which only allows apps to be downloaded from its own storefront, Google’s platform is more open." Oh the irony. Android is more open than iOS and yet its Google that EU found to be at fault with Android. How is this not a classic example that, if anything, Android provides a more open platform?

EU's document says that iOS does not compete in the same market as Android, so it was entirely excluded from consideration. Funny isn't it? :)

This is because iOS is not an Android competitor. iOS is not licensed to manufacturers, it is not even in the market. Android, on the other hand, is. Licensing to third parties is the key issue at hand. (Windows Mobile was arguably Android's last viable competitor, and it's dead.)

Re: Google will lose $50M or more in 2018 from Fortnite bypassing the Play Store

#79

Post by SonnyWortzik »

windows_tips wrote: post #4

That's a strange definition of lose. A third party doesn't contract with someone for their product launch, and that is considered a loss of money?

If the distributor was given an intent (open a google play account) to distribute through their platform then yea, you can say that google was expecting to rent some property but the tenants found a better place.

Re: Google will lose $50M or more in 2018 from Fortnite bypassing the Play Store

#80

Post by lern_too_spel »

jaxondu wrote: post #34

Just curious why in China there are several app stores for Android (Tencent, 360, Baidu etc), while the rest of the world uses mainly Google Play Store?

The Google Play Store is outside the great firewall and therefore probably unusable in China. Phone makers aren't going to ship phones with unusable app stores, so they need to use alternatives. It's the same reason UC Browser and QQ Browser are so popular in China.
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