Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store • Hacker News Board

Re: Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store

#431

Post by IncRnd » Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 2:16 PM UTC

tomnipotent wrote: post #287

IncRnd wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Possibly, but when Janet Reno "had the goods" on Microsoft, she suddenly settled. Mind you, that was a lengthy case with the explicit purpose of splitting up Microsoft. Then, when it was all but cinched, she suddenly reversed and settled for just about ... no concessions. All Microsoft had to do was share APIs. Even the judge in the case said that Microsoft executives had "proved, time and time again, to be inaccurat…

> Even the judge This was Judge Jackson, who had his decision overturned by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Also "the appeals court judges accused him of unethical conduct." A lot of grandiose things were said by people during these trials, many looking to enrich their careers.

Yes, but none of the findings of fact were overturned. The judge had been interviewed, which was the issue, not that the facts were in dispute. In the settlement, Microsoft also allowed PC manufacturers to adopt non-Microsoft software.

Re: Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store

#432

Post by pjmlp » Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 2:26 PM UTC

IncRnd wrote: post #421

pjmlp wrote: post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, all PCs came with Windows and OEMs willing to sell alternative computers didn't had volume discounts. It was a choice, but most decided to cave in and only sell PCs. Here that isn't the case, most shops selling iPhones also have other brands available. Customers aren't forced into buying iPhones.

You raised the bar that is required. It is more appropriate to look whether iPhones are a dominant brand, not whether they are the only brand.

Which they are not.

Re: Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store

#433

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 2:26 PM UTC

solarkraft wrote: post #223

bushbaba wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s likely the payoff is also to prevent apple from building its own search engine to compete. As googles payoff is so lucrative

There have been reports and speculation that they’re doing just that. Of course it’s worth it for the negotiation threat alone, but Apple also really doesn’t seem to like depending on Google. I personally can’t see them switching any time soon, as DuckDuckGo’s search results are something between worse to terrible and I’m not sure they can do much better without collecting more data.

[deleted]

Re: Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store

#434

Post by pyrale » Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 2:29 PM UTC

tsimionescu wrote: post #349

Santosh83 wrote: post #12

Cartelization is nothing unexpected. Just like governments cut all sorts of deals to form geopolitical blocks, so do leading companies in any industry. It's win-win for them. As for "regulators", they tend to drag their feet for a long time, take even longer to build a case, and after all that time, their action tends to be more show than substance. I wonder why that is. True decentralization is impossible without dr…

> Specifically w.r.t software, I can't for the life of me not figure out why major nation states are not heavily investing in home grown software (easier than home grown hardware), and instead of placing all their eggs into a few megacorps established under foreign laws and subject to control by foreign govts, like Iran's software situation illustrates well. I have also wondered the same, especially seeing not just t…

Every time European countries so much as hint that they may look at US tech corporations the wrong way, the whole US administration threatens a trade war.

So yeah, that's the reason.

Re: Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store

#435

Post by happymellon » Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 2:29 PM UTC

Renaud wrote: post #288

solarkraft wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There have been reports and speculation that they’re doing just that. Of course it’s worth it for the negotiation threat alone, but Apple also really doesn’t seem to like depending on Google. I personally can’t see them switching any time soon, as DuckDuckGo’s search results are something between worse to terrible and I’m not sure they can do much better without collecting more data.

>DuckDuckGo’s search results are something between worse to terrible I would like someone to make some objective research on that. My experience is the reverse, so I strongly suspect our reticence is just one of changing our habit more than an real thing. I switched to DDG years ago and it took a few weeks to wean out the tendency to compare searches, usually brought on by the fear of missing out something. I very ra…

I'm sure it is fine for English (American). I'll try it again, but as someone who is English (British) it was awful, and never could get UK localised searches correct.

Re: Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store

#436

Post by 127 » Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 2:50 PM UTC

jakecopp wrote: post #9

> After another meeting between Apple and Google senior executives, notes showed that the execs agreed: "Our vision is that we work as if we are one company." ... > This unredacted graf shows that telcos get up to 25% of Google's app sales to keep them from developing rival app stores on the smartphones they sell and service. Insane reading.

What's going on in America and why is there no actual antitrust enforcement action?

Re: Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store

#437

Post by elliekelly » Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 2:54 PM UTC

oldgradstudent wrote: post #371

jakecopp wrote: post #9

> After another meeting between Apple and Google senior executives, notes showed that the execs agreed: "Our vision is that we work as if we are one company." ... > This unredacted graf shows that telcos get up to 25% of Google's app sales to keep them from developing rival app stores on the smartphones they sell and service. Insane reading.

Enforce the Sherman Antitrust Act. > Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is declared to be illegal. > Every person who shall make any contract or engage in any combination or conspiracy hereby declared to be illegal shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be puni…

Has anyone ever actually gone to prison under the Sherman Act?

Re: Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store

#438

Post by ryan93 » Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 2:55 PM UTC

ryan93 wrote: post #259

CrimsonRain wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just like the majority of users choose to use Windows back in the day? They didn't had to. Linux was always a choice.

No it wasn’t. Android is a consumer friendly replacement Linux wasn’t

Why am I getting downvoted. Are people surprised its hard to compete with apple and android size organizations. You arent entitled to as many sophisticated phone OS's as you want

Re: Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store

#439

Post by pyrale » Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 2:59 PM UTC

hypertele-Xii wrote: post #384

H8crilA wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean Apple's monopoly position is even stronger because they can put roadblocks at the hardware level? :)

But the contrarian opinion would amount to forcing companies to interoperate, which is a massive endeavour of standards and committees - usually only undertaken for natural monopolies to avoid tragedy of the commons. Are smartphones a natural monopoly? And at what levels? Hardware (including plugs and jacks, physical button locations and functions?), software, data federation? Like where do you draw the line? If smar…

> If smartphones must allow alternatives, then why not gaming consoles?

One may argue that people rarely need a gaming console to pursue job opportunities, for instance. A smartphone, on the other hand, has become practically mandatory in many industries.

Re: Google’s ‘Project Hug’ paid out huge sums to keep game devs in the Play Store

#440

Post by wilde » Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 3:01 PM UTC

127 wrote: post #436

jakecopp wrote: post #9

> After another meeting between Apple and Google senior executives, notes showed that the execs agreed: "Our vision is that we work as if we are one company." ... > This unredacted graf shows that telcos get up to 25% of Google's app sales to keep them from developing rival app stores on the smartphones they sell and service. Insane reading.

What's going on in America and why is there no actual antitrust enforcement action?

The Consumer Welfare Standard. You have to show that the cartel actually caused an increase in prices for end consumers. This is hard.

Here’s an FTC commissioner explaining the history of it and why we should probably change it. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements...