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Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

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Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#981

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a tangent within a tangent, but it's basically a political strategy. Abortion bans are deeply unpopular, even in many Republican-majority states. By framing it "after six weeks", they're attempting to project the image that they're the reasonable ones. After all, women would have had six whole weeks to make up their mind! And it will allow an escape hatch for women in rape or incest situations. As a practical…

Why are politicians trying to pass a law that is, "deeply unpopular?" Do they want to lose elections, or something?

> Why are politicians trying to pass a law that is, "deeply unpopular?" Do they want to lose elections, or something?

That is an interesting question which may have something to do with Game Theory and Prisoner's Dilemma. Even though Republicans as a whole will lose votes because of this, each individual Republican candidate will stand to gain an advantage over their primaries rivals by being perceived as more uncompromising, more principled.

And it is curious if not silly, 6 weeks is seen as, conceived to be "more principled", than 7 weeks.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#983
Don't get me started on Adsense and internet ads. Ok you got me started, my developer tools site helps people develop Chrome extensions webfiddle.net

I had my entire adsense account including all of my other games cancelled because it's against Google's terms of service to advertise on other people's content... well that's exactly Google's business model. Think about it?

Banned me for life too, if they want to crush people on the internet it's in their DNA and don't think they won't.

Meanwhile the people allowed to run internet ads are selling v iol e nce, pi lls, se gs, addictive gam bli ng games etc on my kids YouTube videos.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#984

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While they carry almost the same name, Google Play Services are not the same as the Play Store, though. You can use the former without using the latter.

I highly doubt that a manufacturer can release an Android phone that does not have Google Play Store app but does use Google Play Services. We have evidence that Google prohibits even releasing other models w/out Google Play store if it wants to make Androids with Google Play.

Oh absolutely!

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#985
post #882

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The average person needs safeguards to prevent them from being tricked into installing malware by seemingly trustworthy black hats. They should not be given devices that lack safeguards. That means having a gatekeeper that curates things. Be it Apple or Google, a gate keeper is a necessity for security. Even for non-average people, gatekeepers like Gentoo's or Debian's package maintainer(s) do a great deal of good.

The idea that only these 2 companies can provide a platform for secure apps is patently absurd. What's stopping another company other than these companies' stranglehold? If you want to say resources, I guarantee I'm not alone in a desire to use smaller vendors if they had a good track record of hosting secure apps. I lean WAY left and still agree the free market would have solved this ages ago.

These 2 companies having a stranglehold is the free market. Antitrust legislation is what would allow other companies to compete with these 2, and antitrust legislation doesn't exist in a free market.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#986

Looks like Epic is getting almost everything they wanted from both Google and Apple, given that EU is giving their hands to do all the jobs necessary for the Apple's case. Those two stores will remain dominant (>95% share) for a foreseeable future, but at least customers will have a choice. Now I wonder what if Google/Apple decided to decrease their cut to a more reasonable level, around 10~15%? App store/Play store…

Apple makes a TRUCKLOAD of money off of their 30%.

For accuracy all apps under $1M in revenue can get 15% since 2020: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program...

Also, subscriptions are charged at 30% for the first year, which then drops to 15% for subsequent years.

When we sold software through resellers years before the App Store we often paid 40%-45%. We found it absurd at first too, but we learned that large businesses only bought from certain resellers or the resellers could sell into businesses we couldn’t reach (a sales staff in business or marketing to consumers). In some rare cases we negotiated to 30% so I don't find these fees out of the norm.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#987
post #877

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” — Jeremiah 1:5

If anything, that sounds like it's saying life begins _before_ conception, not at conception. By that logic, it's also murder to wear a condom or pull out

> life begins _before_ conception

In other words reincarnation.

In a way we were set up before birth as said by Jeremiah above, because our DNA existed before we became the fertilized egg. Our DNA was in two parts which were then combined by the act of conception.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#988
post #882

I consider HN users to be smarter and rational than average internet crowd. Surprised to see folks here comparing the Google Apple store to other business models like Starbucks, Donut shops, Restaurants? does not make sense to me. Consumers have a choice to switch all other businesses but not the mobile app stores. I can live without Starbucks or Netflix if I want to, or switch to different providers if needed. But t…

The average person needs safeguards to prevent them from being tricked into installing malware by seemingly trustworthy black hats. They should not be given devices that lack safeguards. That means having a gatekeeper that curates things. Be it Apple or Google, a gate keeper is a necessity for security. Even for non-average people, gatekeepers like Gentoo's or Debian's package maintainer(s) do a great deal of good.

Exactly - the fundamental problem is that it takes an above average person to understand this. Tech is something that most lawmakers, judges, attorneys and jurors don't get and asking them to regulate it is a mistake.

They'll open up the floodgates and average people will end up dealing with fake Epic apps. A decade from now maybe that same courtroom would better appreciate the value of a trusted gatekeeper.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#989

I consider HN users to be smarter and rational than average internet crowd. Surprised to see folks here comparing the Google Apple store to other business models like Starbucks, Donut shops, Restaurants? does not make sense to me. Consumers have a choice to switch all other businesses but not the mobile app stores. I can live without Starbucks or Netflix if I want to, or switch to different providers if needed. But t…

TBF Google does have alternative app stores. That's why people who didn't read the article or lawsuit are confused that this lawsuit succeeded but Apple failed. Of course all this fails to take into account why Google actually loss. it was using that monopolistic pressure to push away OEM deals. That's defintiely where the monopoly was being used anti-competitively.

But yea, really would like both mobile OS's to open up more. Apple is especially bad because they can effectively ban stuff of an entire OS if it doesn't follow store policies. no 18+ apps, no emulators, no file explorers (tho these two were loosened overtime), no alternate browsers unless it's a safari skin. Can't imagine Microsoft getting away with this on Windows at any time.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#990

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Shouldn’t your friend be monitoring his kid’s usage? Why is everything always some government/capitalist entity’s responsibility?

Gambling is closer to smoking than regular gaming. All the boy’s friends play the game and similar games. It’s an uphill battle and an extraordinary pressure on the parents to control each game that gets played and micromanage to that extend - to the detriment of their relationship with the child, because fighting these intentionally instilled addictive patterns will create upset in the child and tension in the relat…

I agree with you in spirit, but I also can't help but think that most other internet denizens won't be satisfied with just banning the loobox aspects. most of the AAA games industry already moved past that and into battlepasses or flooding a store with direct purchase cosmetics.

It's more the nickle and diming people hate, not the actual gambling. And I don't know if we can or should regulate that.

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