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

Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

481–490 of 1001 posts

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

#481

Post by marmaduke »

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…

You can buy pasta at a few different stores, a caulk gun at a few different stores, clothes etc etc. Why would software be different?

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

#482

Post by pwinnski »

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…

Right, it's a monopoly for app developers, much more than for users.

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

#483

Post by ryandrake »

BillinghamJ wrote: post #389
CivBase wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My gaming computer is already filled with like 8 different app stores each completely different then the other and a variety of privacy/security issues on each. Do you honestly think this is a worse scenario than having to buy all of your apps/games through Microsoft's app store? Can you imagine using macOS without homebrew because everything has to come from Apple's app store? Can you imagine using Ubuntu without…

Absolutely yes. As a user, I really wish Microsoft required the use of their store. Having a single place to go is a lot easier

Same here. As a user, I would rather have direct download/installation, aka sideloading. But absent that, I would much prefer to have all my applciations available on one store. Having to download multiple stores in order to get multiple applications is pretty much the worst outcome.

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

#484

Post by joshuaissac »

nxc18 wrote: post #397
zionic wrote: post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Of course not. Not immediately. Just like you wouldn’t move cities if the police announced they’d no longer enforce traffic laws or investigate/attempt to prevent gun violence. Then after the homicide rate doubles, there’s shootings almost daily, and you can’t get from point A to point B without a reckless driver risking your life, you might get stressed. At first you’d consider moving to the suburb, but you can’t, b…

How exactly would opening up app purchases on the iPhone to competition bring about the scenario that you describe?

You gave an example with reckless driving and homicides but it is not clear how that applies to app store competition.

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

#485

Post by ntsplnkv2 »

efdee wrote: post #437
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.

There is no choice being taken away - you don't have a choice at this point - you must use "the" App Store whether you like it or not. Maybe the Apple App Store can get it's shit together and present a less hostile environment so these companies are able/willing to distribute on the Apple App Store again, and then you'll actually have a choice.

You make that choice when you buy the phone.

You are not buying an iPhone and the software separately. It is one product. The App Store is the product.

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

#486

Post by ArkanExplorer »

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…

If Apple charged a reasonable commission level - say 5-15% - these problems would not occur.

30% is completely uneconomic and drives all of the profit to the platform owner. That's why were seeing so many acquisitions.

The problem here is with the 30%.

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

#487

Post by neogodless »

jvzr wrote: post #464
mdoms wrote: post #387

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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 lat…

> This is how life is as a PC gamer and it's.... actually good. Who cares if you need to open multiple stores? I do. I hate it with passion. Launchers have to be updated, games have to be updated; they all have different UX, work better or worse than the other. Let me have just Steam and regulate Valve so that they don't abuse their position, and I'll be fine thank you.

> just Steam and regulate Valve

Welcome to the world where you can only use government approved software!

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

#488

Post by tomc1985 »

the_af wrote: post #446
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.

There are alternative stores for the same game on the desktop. A trivial example is that some games can be installed directly by downloading a file from the developer, or via Humble Bundle, GOG or Steam. So this business model is possible. And it's the friendliest to end users, too.

When things work that way, then great!

But a number of high-profile publishers (Rockstar, Ubisoft, EA) force you to use their app platform even if you purchased the game on Steam. I bought Far Cry 5 on Steam, and running it first launches Ubisoft's launcher, which usually needs to update (why????), then I can launch the game. GTA Online freebie in Epic Store, first has to start Rockstar Social Club (which also usually needs to update), then finally runs the game. FIFA on Steam forces Origin, and so on.

It's a lot easier to deal with if you use a game launcher like Playnite, or should I say a launcher launcher, but with the rigarmarole you have to go through just to start one game suddenly your launcher launcher is now a launcher launcher launcher.

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

#489

Post by colejohnson66 »

marmaduke wrote: post #481
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…

You can buy pasta at a few different stores, a caulk gun at a few different stores, clothes etc etc. Why would software be different?

Food exclusives aren’t that much a thing. Sure, I can’t buy Good & Gather or Up & Up (Target brands) at Walmart, but Up & Up napkins work just as well as Great Value (Walmart) napkins. An Epic exclusive requires the Epic Store. Maybe for things like flashlight apps or Flappy Bird clones you’d be easily able to find a version on your favorite store, but AAA games are different. For example, if GTA VI (whenever it comes out) is an Epic exclusive, I’m not finding a GTA VI copy of the same caliber on Steam.

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

#490

Post by ntsplnkv2 »

reader_mode wrote: post #224
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.

Meh - eventually things work out for the best of the consumers most of the time - for eg. epic game store just gave a bunch of titles free no strings attached a while ago, EA store used to have free stuff as well. End of the day you have to have enough value to get people to inconvenience themselves - I'd rather that this value gets shelled out to users as enticement to install some app store than Apple capturing tha…

This is short-sighted.

The App Store is good because it is closed and curated. That's a main driver of the product experience. Removing the App Store irrecoverably damages the iPhone - a curated, non-malware infested, high quality phone with a consistent experience.

I have yet to see any argument how the App Store harms consumers. It helps developers make more money (Play Store revenue is half that of the App store's apps), it helps consumers stay protected from malware infested applications and is easy to use.

Where, exactly, is the harm? Now Epic with their gambling games will be able to rip off kids even more in their own store? Fantastic.

Post reply on HN