Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account

macrumors.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

361–370 of 1001 posts

Re: Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account

#361

Post by manfredo »

bitxbit wrote: post #111
leptoniscool wrote: post #24

Apple is a monopoly. When Microsoft was investigated and fined for anti-trust behaviors, it hasn't engaged in this level of abuse.

Might be an unpopular opinion but I don’t think they are acting to the level of MSFT in the 90s. What MSFT did would be equivalent to Apple forcing everyone to use its apps and not allow any competing apps. Also recall that Jobs was pretty adamant about allowing third-party apps in the beginning. Now, do I think 30% is ridiculous in 2020? Yes. But it made sense a decade ago when having a half decent working app almos…

> What MSFT did would be equivalent to Apple forcing everyone to use its apps and not allow any competing apps.

Did I read this right? My understanding was that Microsoft was penalized for bundling Windows with IE. Windows never forbade users from installing other web browsers.

Apple situation today would be more like if Windows did not allow users to install word processors other than Office, didn't allow browsers other than IE, etc.

Re: Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account

#362

Post by colatkinson »

Gwypaas wrote: post #235
microtherion wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Tinder, Microsoft, Facebook, Spotify have all openly backed Epic Oh, it's going to be so much fun when Epic wins and Taylor Swift decides to apply the same legal reasoning to the cut she pays Spotify for her music…

The difference would be that the same iPhone has access to Taylor Swift through Spotify, Apple Music, Play Music (does that even exist anymore?) and so on. Put the app store on the same level of competition and level the playing field of Spotify vs Apple Music in regards to the 30% subscription fee.

Play Music recently got merged into Youtube Music (formerly Youtube Red).

They kept all the features of Play, like uploading your own library, so honestly the least bad Google product death I've seen so far.

Re: Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account

#363

Post by nxc18 »

Fej wrote: post #357
notfried wrote: post #289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t need apps on my iPhone to do 100% of all things that apps can do. I am fine with some restrictions, so long as there’s enough reliability, consistency, privacy and security. If there are alternate app stores, I am sure others would make their apps exclusive there and demand you download them through these stores: 1. Facebook will want a store that allows them to build an app that has no ad or data collection…

But Android exists, and has multiple noteworthy alternative app stores (including, relevant here, the Epic Games App) and this has not come to pass; every mass-market app is on the Google Play Store, excepting now Fortnite. Epic previously tried to build out a Fortnite playerbase on Android outside of the Play Store and was unsuccessful in drawing in players, so they had to upload it to the Play Store (which has now…

Google is also being sued for not going far enough in allowing Epic to do what they want to do. I think that is the proof positive that Epic doesn't just want additional app stores and sideloading, but that they want concessions that will enable Epic to be successful in forcing users onto their own store.

Re: Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account

#364

Post by sjwright »

chmaynard wrote: post #81

This is a blunder. Epic will do just fine without Apple, but Apple is alienating people like me who use their products and are predisposed to support them. Our eyes are opening to their true nature. Full disclosure: I worked for Apple for almost 20 years.

Apple have been exceedingly clear about their App Store policies for a long time. And they’re not so out of step with Google, Sony and Microsoft stores. What true nature is being revealed?

Re: Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account

#365

Post by Dylan16807 »

filoleg wrote: post #282
jasonlotito wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Instead you have sideload... the Epic Games Store! I remember when Valve did that with HL2 and Steam. The outrage was similar [1]. Look how it turned out for Valve. [1] https://games.slashdot.org/story/04/10/23/0812224/half-life-...

Valve was introducing a new kind of an experience with their store, because there were no digital stores for games before that (that were actually used; because no doubt someone in the comments will point out to some obscure digital game store that existed at that time, but no one has heard of or used). Valve was not fighting an existing store using "stores are bad" as an argument, only to introduce another store. Wh…

Their argument is closer to "30 percent cuts are bad" and they are not hypocrites there. Probably something about monocultures too.

Re: Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account

#366

Post by [deleted] »

gowld wrote: post #356
akira2501 wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No matter what opinion one holds on mobile store rules, they are their rules and so far you have the choice of following them (which is also somewhat iffy) or not being on the store. A valid opinion is that those rules are illegal under current federal statue. Another one is that although they currently aren't, they should be. > Separate the issues and angles and see it for what it is: just a bunch of legal departm…

> Yes, but the only reason they get to adjudicate it in tax payer funded courts is precisely _because_ the decision will have a major impact on consumers and developers as as whole. That's not right. Civil tort suits are for any citizens to seek justice for themselves.

[deleted]

Re: Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account

#367

Post by hrktb »

chipotle_coyote wrote: post #192
gameswithgo wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

people familiar with Tim Sweeny’s life and ideology know that it is an actual important issues to him that platforms be open. your cynical take is often very true but there are sometimes real human ideals behind things.

Tim Sweeney may be a wonderful man who loves open platforms, apple pie, and kittens, but: - Android is clearly more open than iOS, but Epic is also suing Google. So is this really about sideloading? From that suit, it sure doesn't sound like it. - When you do sideload Fortnite on your Android device, from what I understand, you can't actually sideload Fortnite directly. Instead you have sideload... the Epic Games Sto…

Two week’s ago’s The Verge coverture was pretty thorough and interesting.

Also Epic’s filled surprisingly readable lawsuits, covering your points and more.

> from that suit

Google’s lawsuit is a different one, with specific arguments. It includes for instance Google blocking makers from directly pre-installing Fortnite on devices, which would be bypassing the Store altogether.

> Epic Game Store

Not related to the lawsuits, but an issue with straight side-loading was how to auto-update the game itself (not just the content). For that you need a mechanism, I’d expect the Epic Store to be it.

Re: Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account

#368

Post by carabiner »

oneplane wrote: post #20

Not sure why people are surprised or consider it giant news. > The court recommended that Epic follow the App Store’s guidelines and policies while the case is in progress – the rules they followed over the past ten years until they created the current situation themselves. Epic refused. Well duh, this is a show match court fight of Epic Games not liking the rules and not getting the special treatment they want. No m…

I'm tired of these comments stating that the headline should not be surprising. Can you just accept that not everyone's life is fixated on the subject at hand, and that this still constitutes "news" for them?

Re: Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account

#370

Post by Dylan16807 »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #9
system2 wrote: post #2

I wish every damn micro transaction app gets removed one day. Of course no one will do it but I simply hate everything about these apps forcing parents to pay small fees for stupid pixels because their kids begs them to do it. Sorry, nothing else new to add to the topic, just venting and have absolutely no sympathy to apps tricking kids to spend money on tiny cellphone games. My niece begged her mother to buy a roblo…

FWIW, Epic removing the gambling aspect to loot boxes a lot on Fortnite: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47039090 I am alright with cosmetic microtransactions, but I think "loot boxes" should be relegated to rewards for play. Microtransactions should be to buy specific items... but leave loot boxes as a way to get random ones for free through normal play.

"The loot llamas are available to buy in the Save The World game mode. The more popular Battle Royale mode does not have loot boxes for sale."

So those are irrelevant anyway?

Post reply on HN