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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

#91

Post by miguelrochefort »

skeetmtp wrote: post #22
Skunkleton wrote: post #5

I can't imagine that 100% of the people interested in fortnite for android are willing to sideload the apk. I would be surprised if this wasn't having a net-negative impact on the total number of android users. I wonder if this is just to avoid paying a percentage on in-app purchases? What else could it be?

It will be available on samsung galaxy apps store, so for all Samsung users (quite a lot) no need to side install an apk.

Probably less discoverable there than on Fortnite's website to be honest.

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

#92

Post by learc83 »

Teknoman117 wrote: post #75

Amazon Video / Prime Video takes the exact same approach. You have to sideload Amazon's app store to install the player.

Looks like it's on google play right now, and I have it installed and don't remember sideloading.

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

#93

Post by scarface74 »

jdietrich wrote: post #77
asdkhadsj wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 i…

Android is only a walled garden to OEMs that want to make both Google sanctioned Android phones and phones based on Android forks....

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

#94

Post by bena »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #51
dragonwriter wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Discovery, ratings, etc., and managing payments are services with value, especially for small players with apps that don't have an established fan base before they are released for the paltform. Charging for these services is reasonable. Allowing people to get apps that don't need these services elsewhere is also a good idea.

Charging a reasonable fee for these services would be reasonable. 30% is extortion.

How do you come to that conclusion?

What percentage would not be extortion to you?

Why that percentage? What are the costs for all the services these storefronts provide?

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

#95

Post by asdkhadsj »

TremendousJudge wrote: post #49
asdkhadsj wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

losing out on potential earnings isn't the same as losing money

Correct, and grass is green, water is wet, etc. Is there a point here? I never made the claim that they're "losing" money, so why are you citing it here?

I made the question that, if Google were to make a pricing change to support Epic, would it gain them money? Or lose money due to other companies also giving less (since hypothetically that's what Epic wants, less cut taken by Google).

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

#96

Post by scarface74 »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #51
dragonwriter wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Discovery, ratings, etc., and managing payments are services with value, especially for small players with apps that don't have an established fan base before they are released for the paltform. Charging for these services is reasonable. Allowing people to get apps that don't need these services elsewhere is also a good idea.

Charging a reasonable fee for these services would be reasonable. 30% is extortion.

Try selling a game at retail where the whole seller and the reseller get a cut.....

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

#97

Post by learc83 »

PunchTornado wrote: post #31

Can't google just block installs from websites in a future android update? I don't want my kid to install apps from websites...

You can use Google's parent control app (Family Link) to disable sideloading on your kid's phones.

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

#98

Post by Someguywhatever »

asdkhadsj wrote: post #84
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?

I think you misunderstand me. In other words, the claim is that Google is "losing" money by their choices which cause Fortnite to choose to not use them. But it's those same choices which make Google money. So if Google were to, for example, take less of a cut - they might get Fortnite onto their system. But how much would they loose from all the other companies currently using Google at the current rate?

What Google really should have done was allowed FortNite onto the play store at a reduced cut, as a one-off discount that only applies to this title and nobody else. Some percentage of 50M is better than 0%.

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

#99

Post by miguelrochefort »

charlesdm wrote: post #69
miguelrochefort wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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?

Probably a significant amount

If you're rich enough to spend $1000 on mobile games, you probably don't care about a 30% saving.

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

#100

Post by arminiusreturns »

scarface74 wrote: post #86
gkoberger wrote: post #11

The framing of this article feels weird to me. Google offers a service (distribution), and it just so happens Fortnite doesn't need it. It also completely ignores how much Fortnite will lose from people who don't install it because they can't figure out how. A better way would be "Fortnite is big enough to bypass Google and still make $180MM", rather than acting like this is Google's fault. I mean, the fact that phon…

How is this any more or less insane than every console maker getting a cut of every game distributed either physically or digitally? For you to sell a physical game disk, you still have to have a cryptographic signature issued by the console maker.

Because consoles are proprietary closed source boxen and android isn't?
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