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Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

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Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

#131
post #106
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

30% is extremely high by any reasonable standard for any marketplace

FWIW brick and mortar stores usually take 40%.

Doesn't seem a fair comparison given the far more substantial costs of brick and mortar. Brick and mortar retailers do not, traditionally, have very large margins when all is said and done, whereas I think the App Store has quite significant margins for Apple.

Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

#132
post #78
post #27

Apple platform is closed like gaming consoles. Epic almost certainly knew this was going to happen. I think they are trying to build a case for regulatory intervention. US Antitrust is still in the 80's Chicago School era where antitrust is solely based on consumer benefit and and efficiency. EU has more broad approach where economic power in the public interest is important. It may be up to the EU to change how Appl…

If Epic is planning to rely on US anti-trust intervention, they will be waiting a very long time, even in a best-case scenario situation. Unless they know something the public doesn't about a prior case file, this stuff takes a long time to be fully investigated and go through the courts.

That's why I think it's up to the EU.

Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

#133
post #46
post #8

Fortnite of course expected this: seems like they’ve prepared a short video mocking Apple’s old super bowl ad 1984 to premiere in an hour https://twitter.com/fortnitegame/status/1293984290326433792?...

Doesn’t Epic take a cut out of every single purchase made of a game built with Unreal Engine? Seems kinda hypocritical that they’re taking this stance when their licensing model is arguably just as burdensome on developers. In my opinion, Epic should not put their app on the App Store if they don’t like the terms, just as they would tell a developer to not use their engine if they don’t like the terms.

It's not even remotely the same. They don't require you to distribute on the epic store. Moreover you don't owe them a penny for using the game engine until lifetime gross revenues exceed $1MM.

Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

#134
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn’t Epic take a cut out of every single purchase made of a game built with Unreal Engine? Seems kinda hypocritical that they’re taking this stance when their licensing model is arguably just as burdensome on developers. In my opinion, Epic should not put their app on the App Store if they don’t like the terms, just as they would tell a developer to not use their engine if they don’t like the terms.

If a developer doesn't like Unreal's terms, there are other game engines. If a developer doesn't like Apple's terms, there are no viable alternatives for iOS distribution.

I think a more apt comparison would be... If a developer doesn't like Xbox's terms, there are other gaming platforms...

Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and I'd actually be happier if Apple took over more of my relationships. I’m really curious what you mean by this. Which additional transactions do you wish Apple would take a 30% cut on? You DoorDash orders, your rent, your salary?

> Which additional transactions do you wish Apple would take a 30% cut on? That's not what they said. Apple already handles payment processing via Apple Pay for real world goods (Amazon, Food delivery, Wish), and does not take a cut of the transaction. Some people see Apple controlling payments for many companies as monopolistic and overreaching, but some (like the parent poster and myself to a degree) see it as a sa…

Apple takes 0.15% of every transaction that used Apple Pay, though- https://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/12/more-apple-pay-details/

They haven’t developed it to not make money off of it.

Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

#136

Apple and Google are able to gatekeep what you can install on entire generations of devices, from smartphones to tablets. Their power to gatekeep billion dollar markets needs to be looked at through the lens of antitrust legislation.

More people in the world use mobile devices than PCs by a huge margin. These two corporations essentially decide what apps humanity is allowed to use and how all software and services are built. That is a lot of power and it shouldn't be used for the benefit of a single corporation.

Pardon my hyperbole but this is nearing the level of a human rights issue. The freedom to run the apps and services you want to is so core to the way our society works that most people don't think about it. Having one corporation dictate how all apps for the entire world work is not compatible with a free society and actively harms innovation. This is becoming a big problem and regulations are being very slow to react to it.

Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

#137
post #46
post #8

Fortnite of course expected this: seems like they’ve prepared a short video mocking Apple’s old super bowl ad 1984 to premiere in an hour https://twitter.com/fortnitegame/status/1293984290326433792?...

Doesn’t Epic take a cut out of every single purchase made of a game built with Unreal Engine? Seems kinda hypocritical that they’re taking this stance when their licensing model is arguably just as burdensome on developers. In my opinion, Epic should not put their app on the App Store if they don’t like the terms, just as they would tell a developer to not use their engine if they don’t like the terms.

Maybe when you have a product anyone wants, you can decide what metagame to use to get it distributed.

Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

#138
post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it meant my work processes were as streamlined and organized as Apple's operating standard? Political antics gone? Safety and security with no negotiation? Tempting... (Just experimenting with the idea, not that I actually agree with this line of thought.)

Would you be willing to pay a 30% "Apple" fee on all transactions because what Apple is doing prevents companies from passing on saving to consumers.

Companies pay 30% of an employee's salary to strealine their hiring efforts - doesn't seem far fetch to me to expand that payment pattern to a consumer level where one is paying 30% on transactions and in return receiving a streamlined process for discovering, managing and reversing them through a centralized gateway.

Again, not that I agree with this...just playing devil's advocate here.

I don't want to pay 30% on any transactions!

Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

#139
post #71
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn’t Epic take a cut out of every single purchase made of a game built with Unreal Engine? Seems kinda hypocritical that they’re taking this stance when their licensing model is arguably just as burdensome on developers. In my opinion, Epic should not put their app on the App Store if they don’t like the terms, just as they would tell a developer to not use their engine if they don’t like the terms.

> Doesn’t Epic take a cut out of every single purchase made of a game built with Unreal Engine? Only those that make >$1mil lifetime gross.

Note that $1mil lifetime revenue is a very low boundary. A very small consulting operation of 2 or 3 people could easily hit that in a year or two. A single freelancer could probably hit it in 4 or 5 years. It's easy to read "a million dollars!" And think "we're rich!", but running any business has a lot of overhead.

Re: Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

#140
post #25

What is Apple’s end game here? It seems like they’re fighting a losing battle and digging their own antitrust grave. Pretty clever on Epic’s part to specifically highlight how Apple’s app store fee hits the user directly. Pretty short-sighted of Apple to immediately pull an app for providing consumers with additional disclosure about where their money is going.

Good lord - on HN the monopoly comments are so crazy sometimes. What is the monopoly issue Apple has? Use android if you don't like Apple's product line. Apple is at 22% share.

In Sweden iOS is at ~50%.
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