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Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

reuters.com

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Re: Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

#331

Post by croes »

dubcanada wrote: post #184

I can hardly wait to use Amazon App Store to install Amazon and then open up the Epic Game Store to install random game and then open up EA Game Store to install random game and then open up Facebook App Store to install Facebook and then open up the Apple App Store to install the Blizzard App Store to install Hearthstone and then go back to the Apple App Store and update the Blizzard App Store so I can get the lates…

So you prefer the console situation? A game is PS or Xbox exclusive so instead of just another store you need a completely other hardware for hundreds of dollars.

Re: Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

#332

Post by rebuilder »

dubcanada wrote: post #316
rebuilder wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Optimistically, someone will make a metastore that provides search across all the different stores. Sure, you'll have to sign up for each separately, but that should be a one-time deal. I mean, we kind of had that already before "software" became "apps" - the WWW where any publisher could sell their software on their very own website, free of interference.

Then you end up at step 1, lol, same thing with TV. Channels are bad and too restrictive -> added cable TV "stores" to buy movies/stuff -> Netflix -> Prime/Hulu/Disney Plus/etc -> App to allow you to search through "channels" -> welcome to TV from the 1990's with the added benefit of millions or channels vs 1000's.

Edit for funniness:

It's like the wheel that took a self-help course on how to reinvent oneself.

Re: Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

#333

Post by llbeansandrice »

StavrosK wrote: post #279
jwagenet wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have the choice to not use iOS and not use the Apple App Store. You might not like Apple’s attitude around their operation of the App Store so you don’t use their devices. You might have missed some great apps, but there are still many great alternatives on Android.

So it's either a choice between "not running some specific game/app whose publisher made their own app store" and "not running any iOS app because my only option is to not have an iPhone"? I know which one gives me more choice.

Why is more choice necessarily good, besides simplified theory about capitalism? Brands have built their entire success off of providing less choice to consumers and they, in general seem to be successful. See Apple and Trader Joe's.

Choice is good when there's direct competition. Companies will compete to have better app stores if I can choose which app store I want to use. I as a consumer will get to choose what games I want to play. It's bad for me as a consumer that I also have to choose which app store I'm using to download that game.

Also both things can be bad, but I personally feel that the model where people like Apple due to the "ecosystem" seems to have worked pretty well for a lot of consumers. I don't think "more choice" is a good metric here at all because it's false. I don't care about having more choice in app stores(and I'm not getting to chose which app store I use under either model anyway), I care about my choice of apps. Which isn't really changing, companies will get their product to consumers.

Re: Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

#335

Post by stewx »

dubcanada wrote: post #184

I can hardly wait to use Amazon App Store to install Amazon and then open up the Epic Game Store to install random game and then open up EA Game Store to install random game and then open up Facebook App Store to install Facebook and then open up the Apple App Store to install the Blizzard App Store to install Hearthstone and then go back to the Apple App Store and update the Blizzard App Store so I can get the lates…

I recently discovered Playnite, an open source PC game library manager. It connects to all the stores and aggregates them in one place. You can also configure your own emulators for older games, etc. I can now view my DOSBox games and Steam/Origin/Epic games in one place.

https://playnite.link/

Re: Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

#336

Post by babypuncher »

georgeecollins wrote: post #298
BrianGragg wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is the choice is taken away from you though. Just like he said with the game market. If you want to play Game A, you go and download/install Game A's publishing app store. If you want to then play Game B, rinse and repeat. You will be forced to use so many different app stores and won't have a choice to NOT use their app store "IF" it progresses like it has on the desktop. No proof it will/won't either.

The entity that makes Game A has a choice where the app is sold. So, for Example, EA sells games on Origin but also Steam. There are lots of apps that are in many stores. On an iOS device, the entity that makes the app has no choice of what store to be in, they must be in Apple's. That is a monopoly. As many have pointed out, if you only want to get your apps from one store-- like Apple's-- you could chose that. But…

If that choice of app store actually matters to you, then you have the option to choose an Android phone instead of an iPhone. You're not being relegated to some obscure platform with no app support like people who didn't want to use Wintel in the '00s.

Re: Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

#337

Post by Retric »

StavrosK wrote: post #279
jwagenet wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have the choice to not use iOS and not use the Apple App Store. You might not like Apple’s attitude around their operation of the App Store so you don’t use their devices. You might have missed some great apps, but there are still many great alternatives on Android.

So it's either a choice between "not running some specific game/app whose publisher made their own app store" and "not running any iOS app because my only option is to not have an iPhone"? I know which one gives me more choice.

We have more choice today, because currently Android and iOS have different models. Break up the App Store and your left with a single model.

What nobody is talking about is Epic could completely avoid the premium their complaining about by using a website for all transactions. Just like the Kindle App or Netflix etc. The only thing they get from this lawsuit is in app micro transactions. As such it’s really a question of business models not consumer choice.

Re: Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

#338

Post by ClumsyPilot »

cma wrote: post #327
dubcanada wrote: post #184

I can hardly wait to use Amazon App Store to install Amazon and then open up the Epic Game Store to install random game and then open up EA Game Store to install random game and then open up Facebook App Store to install Facebook and then open up the Apple App Store to install the Blizzard App Store to install Hearthstone and then go back to the Apple App Store and update the Blizzard App Store so I can get the lates…

One solution is Apple could add a feature where you voluntarily pay $50 to not be able to use other stores, and you could purchase it.

I would like to see that experiment play out.

Somehow the locked down 'S' version of windows is not very popular.

Re: Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

#339

Post by zepto »

chungus_khan wrote: post #325
zepto wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This keeps getting repeated but is false. New stores will pay for exclusives rights to popular apps just as video streaming platforms do for video. Users will have no choice but to use a jumble of different stores.

Then why hasn't it happened? Android has always had sideloading and this is not the case. Just asserting it to be false isn't convincing.

Why doesn’t Epic have an Android App Store?

If they want an independent store, there is no reason for them not to create one for Android.

If Android was a model for what Epic wants, they would have built a store there.

It’s pretty obvious that this is just about them going where the money is.

Re: Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

#340

Post by zionic »

cesarvarela wrote: post #262
ralmidani wrote: post #249

I avoid being a persistent fanboy/hater toward any company, and try to consider each case on its merits. Some of the concerns regarding multiple app stores on the device (which raises issues of security, privacy, and even storage space) are valid. But they fail to address a huge problem: Apple's draconian policy on in-app purchases. If IAP were to be opened up and become more competitive, I might stick with Apple's j…

I think if you open up what you want you lose the security and convenience that would make you stick with Apple too.

I doubt any significant volume of people who sell their iPhones and go android if Apple allowed other app stores.
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