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

Apple Will Not Reinstate Epic’s Fortnite Developer Account

daringfireball.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

191–200 of 468 posts

Re: Apple Will Not Reinstate Epic’s Fortnite Developer Account

#191

Post by vibrato2 »

Razengan wrote: post #175
maxsilver wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with this logic, is that Apple isn't really a "business" in this case. Epic and Apple aren't really "business partners". Apple is an unregulated privately-owned quasi-government entity with none of the responsibilities or checks on authority that a real government has. You can sue the Post Office, lose your case, and know they can't retaliate by stealing all your mail forever. You can sue the Department o…

> Apple is an unregulated privately-owned quasi-government entity JFC Apple allows 3rd-party shit on Macs. The App Store is a store, just like Google Play and Steam etc. And iPhones and iPads are a platform, just like the PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch etc. Show us one instance where someone violated the T&C of any other store or platform and were still allowed to continue to do business there.

United States federal interstate system

Re: Apple Will Not Reinstate Epic’s Fortnite Developer Account

#192

Post by chrisfinazzo »

jasode wrote: post #8

It's interesting to compare the situation Epic got itself into with previous episodes of Facebook & Google breaking Apple's rules. When Facebook and Google misused Developer Enterprise certificates to go beyond internal testing and distribute apps to end-consumers , Apple revoked their accounts. Both Facebook & Google simply admitted they screwed up and Apple reinstated their accounts.[1] No lawsuits. Epic broke Appl…

Not to put too fine a point on it, but for all practical purposes Apple can't boot Facebook or Google from the App Store, regardless of what they do.

Tim Cook's head would end up on the chopping block if several billion users suddently left iOS because FB, Instagram and the rest weren't available.

With Google, the userbase is potentially even bigger and some of what they do really is fundamental to most people's experience of the web. Users would certainly revolt.

The same might be true of Fortnite, but despite the fact that we now know most App Store revenue comes from games, Epic is still one of many, regardless of how popular their titles are.

Re: Apple Will Not Reinstate Epic’s Fortnite Developer Account

#193

Post by mattcantstop »

I understand Apple's decision to do this. They want to stick it to Epic. Completely understandable desire on Apple's part. But, sadly, Apple is letting their desire to get vengeance outweigh the interests of their users in having all the games they want to play on their devices.

I have been realizing lately that my loyalty to Apple has been waning over the years after having invested heavily in the ecosystem. This is another representation to me of how Apple's ecosystem is something you have no control over, and you are at the whim of Apple's legal team in situations like that to be able to play the games you want to play on your devices.

Apple remembered their corporate games they were playing and forgot who their real customer and focus should be: the end users. This decision doesn't benefit their end users in any meaningful way. It hurts end users to score points in their feud with Epic.

Re: Apple Will Not Reinstate Epic’s Fortnite Developer Account

#194

Post by Jensson »

abduhl wrote: post #186
maxsilver wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with this logic, is that Apple isn't really a "business" in this case. Epic and Apple aren't really "business partners". Apple is an unregulated privately-owned quasi-government entity with none of the responsibilities or checks on authority that a real government has. You can sue the Post Office, lose your case, and know they can't retaliate by stealing all your mail forever. You can sue the Department o…

>> Apple is acting like a Government, Apple is ruling like a Government, but Apple has none of the oversight or accountability we'd demand from any reasonable Government. You just listed how Apple is not acting like a government: they’re retaliating. I don’t understand how you can say “Apple’s retaliatory and discriminatory practices in choosing who to do business with is the touchstone of government” at the same tim…

> You just listed how Apple is not acting like a government: they’re retaliating.

Responsible governments doesn't retaliate, oppressive governments tend to retaliate a lot. So you are right, Apple isn't acting like a responsible government, but the argument was that it is acting like an oppressive one.

Re: Apple Will Not Reinstate Epic’s Fortnite Developer Account

#195

Post by howinteresting »

Razengan wrote: post #170
LanceH wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet, you're only allowed to install what they authorize. It's a nice cell.

There’s nothing I want to install on an iPhone or iPad that’s not on the App Store.

Torrent remotes? Utilities that sync with other OSes like KDE Connect? A real browser with real uBlock Origin?

Re: Apple Will Not Reinstate Epic’s Fortnite Developer Account

#197

Post by abduhl »

Jensson wrote: post #194
abduhl wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> Apple is acting like a Government, Apple is ruling like a Government, but Apple has none of the oversight or accountability we'd demand from any reasonable Government. You just listed how Apple is not acting like a government: they’re retaliating. I don’t understand how you can say “Apple’s retaliatory and discriminatory practices in choosing who to do business with is the touchstone of government” at the same tim…

> You just listed how Apple is not acting like a government: they’re retaliating. Responsible governments doesn't retaliate, oppressive governments tend to retaliate a lot. So you are right, Apple isn't acting like a responsible government, but the argument was that it is acting like an oppressive one.

Somehow acting like Not-X makes you X? If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, is organized under state laws explicitly as a duck, and sits on top of the water like a duck, it’s an eagle?

Re: Apple Will Not Reinstate Epic’s Fortnite Developer Account

#199

Post by vxNsr »

chrisfinazzo wrote: post #192
jasode wrote: post #8

It's interesting to compare the situation Epic got itself into with previous episodes of Facebook & Google breaking Apple's rules. When Facebook and Google misused Developer Enterprise certificates to go beyond internal testing and distribute apps to end-consumers , Apple revoked their accounts. Both Facebook & Google simply admitted they screwed up and Apple reinstated their accounts.[1] No lawsuits. Epic broke Appl…

Not to put too fine a point on it, but for all practical purposes Apple can't boot Facebook or Google from the App Store, regardless of what they do. Tim Cook's head would end up on the chopping block if several billion users suddently left iOS because FB, Instagram and the rest weren't available. With Google, the userbase is potentially even bigger and some of what they do really is fundamental to most people's expe…

Additionally epic wants to stop paying apple, so essentially it’s 0 lost revenue either way.

Re: Apple Will Not Reinstate Epic’s Fortnite Developer Account

#200

Post by Paianni »

mattcantstop wrote: post #193

I understand Apple's decision to do this. They want to stick it to Epic. Completely understandable desire on Apple's part. But, sadly, Apple is letting their desire to get vengeance outweigh the interests of their users in having all the games they want to play on their devices. I have been realizing lately that my loyalty to Apple has been waning over the years after having invested heavily in the ecosystem. This is…

How do Epic's games benefit users in meaningful ways over any of the other non-exploitative games on the App Store?
Post reply on HN