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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

#141
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Doesn't like every online "platform" take 30% cut? Google play, playstation store, steam, xbox store, nintendo store?

bad argument since Apple set the precedent and everyone else followed.

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

#142
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And they operate within the legal framework of various jurisdictions, which can and will force Apple to change their behavior.

Yeah! Get that government boot on their necks!! /s

Apple's marketcap exceeds the GDP of most countries, it's hard to feel sympathetic given its size.

https://www.investopedia.com/news/apple-now-bigger-these-5-t...

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

#143
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.

Okay, but imagine that Fortnite used Unreal but wasn’t created by the creators of Unreal. Do you think that Fortnite would be more comfortable playing chicken with the App Store and risking getting banned like this, or playing chicken with the game engine that their entire game is implemented with? In practice I would say a game engine has more leverage over a game developer than a single distribution platform.

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

#144
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.

If you read into anti-trust laws for more than 10 seconds, you'll realize that it covers much more than just monopolies.

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

#145
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But there are other Smartphone platforms with their own store, correct? I don’t know why people feel it’s their undeniable right to be able to provide an app to iOS users.

Isn’t it the other way around that iOS users should be able to shop in competing stores for their apps? It’s just very few users have any real ability to affect that sort of change.

I wouldn’t be opposed to this but Apple could make a case that using a competing app store voids warranty or care because they can no longer guarantee the software is ‘safe’ for iOS.

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

#146
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.

Epic only takes a cut when revenue exceeds one million dollars and then only 5% which is considerably less than 30% on every transaction. I don’t think Epic are against fees so much as against ones as high as in the App Store.

That's right, but the basis of comparison is different.

Apple has a monopoly on 1/2 of Smartphones users in the US, Android the other.

This is a totally different scenario that 'choosing component vendors'.

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

#147

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.)

If what I hear from people who work for Apple is true, I wouldn’t be so optimistic.

Hah, touché. I meant more mac/iOS UX, less Apple employee experience.

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

#148
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%.

The infrastructure cost is 100000x than that for the storage and network of one file.

Downloadable is nominal outside of store. I had millions of downloads back in 2005 timeframe and we never even looked at file hosting cost.

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

#149
In all this dick-measuring, the people that lose out are the consumers.

Apple maintaining a stupid and unjustifiable premium forced higher prices.

Companies retaliating with this sort of posturing from Epic forces App Store removals and worse.

Epic are hypocrites. Apple are greedy. I’ll back the horse that’s neither

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

#150
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Doesn't like every online "platform" take 30% cut? Google play, playstation store, steam, xbox store, nintendo store?

Steam changed a while back: https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/30/18120577/valve-steam-gam...

It's now 30% for the first $10 million, 25% for $10-$50 million, and 20% thereafter.

Also relevant here would be Epic Games Store, which is 12%. Also relevant here, is payment processors are way, way less than 30%, which is all that's used/needed for in-app purchases.

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