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Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

techcrunch.com

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Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#341

Post by pvg »

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #326
Brian_K_White wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Steve hated industry standards. The only time he ever said anything else was when every web site in the world ran on flash and iphone couldn't do flash. Every iphone user was reminded daily about how kneecapped it is when they can't pull up the web site for the restaursnt to check hours or call up for a reservation. That kind of life experience was his entire focus and his showpiece product failed utterly at it. And…

> Steve hated industry standards. > The only time he ever said anything else was when every web site in the world ran on flash and iphone couldn't do flash. NeXTSTEP, the Steve Jobs thing that got renamed as Mac OS X when Apple bought it, was based on BSD Unix. In the early 2000s, Apple produced and used a lot of open standards. "Darwin" was open source. Bonjour is mDNS. Apple developed CUPS and open sourced it. Then…

The BSD use in there wasn't because of love of standards but permissive licensing. Apple didn't develop CUPS. Apple's relationship with 'standards' has always been pretty complicated although it's mostly worked out for them.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#342

Post by screamingninja »

askonomm wrote: post #99
_fat_santa wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The key difference I see in Apple's app store business is that it's a monopolistic marketplace model. If Apple allowed an alternative to the app store then this wouldn't be an issue. Take Microsoft and Windows as an example, they have the Microsoft store which operates as a marketplace with rules but they don't get the same scrutiny because there are alternatives. Don't like what MS is doing with their app store? Fin…

But as of iOS 17.4 they do allow alternative app stores in EU.

Here are some articles that specifically discuss what is wrong with Apple's approach in allowing alternative app stores.

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/06/spoil-the-bunch/

https://proton.me/blog/apple-dma-compliance-plan-trap

> Introducing the Core Technology Fee (CTF), a junk fee that serves no purpose other than trapping popular apps in Apple’s current shakedown scheme. By charging a €.50 fee for each install after the first 1 million, Apple effectively uses a popular app’s scale against it to prevent it from using an alternative payment system or app store.

> If you decide to use anything other than Apple’s in-app purchase system, you’re forced to display a “scare screen” designed by Apple, which you cannot modify.

> Once you choose which policy you want to implement — the current App Store policy or Apple’s proposed new policy — your decision is permanent. So if you decide to take the risk of trying out alternative payments and it ends up working worse for your business, Apple doesn’t allow you to go back and instead traps you permanently.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#343

Post by cuban-frisbee »

AnonC wrote: post #166

Though I’m in favor of forcing Apple to do certain things (right to repair, sideloading apps, and more), this is one case where I can’t take a side. Epic (and actually Tim Sweeney), for all its bravado and underdog pretense, is a bad actor, a loose cannon and a dishonest player. Epic Games and Tim Sweeney thrive on drama and theatrics, and somehow seem to be driven solely against Apple while not batting an eyelid whe…

Sweeney is the only one that seems to have the guts, the smarts and is willing to put his money where his mouth is against Apple and other bad actors. Whataboutism about console gaming is frankly laughable as is the notion that they have to fix all problems by the themselves at once or none of them count.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#344

Post by AnthonyMouse »

mckn1ght wrote: post #321
lxgr wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies in quite a few industries have a duty to do business with you, with very few limitations. For example, in some countries/cities, taxis generally can't refuse transportation to you, assuming you're able to pay and not endangering the driver. Having publicly and repeatedly expressed a dislike for taxis, or even wearing a t-shirt saying "taxis in $city are an overpriced monopoly" would not be a valid reason to…

Taxis in many cities operate under the authority of a government institution [0], so it makes more sense that they have a duty to do business with the public. Whereas one can often experience waiting for a Lyft/Uber where drivers repeatedly decline service after initially accepting. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi_medallion

This doesn't really have anything to do with licensing. There are laws that prohibit businesses from e.g. refusing customers on the basis of race or sex and it doesn't matter if you're a restaurant or a hardware store or a flower shop.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#345

Post by JumpCrisscross »

munk-a wrote: post #303
dmitrygr wrote: post #65

Epic is learning the lesson that Nvidia had to learn. Apple holds grudges. Honestly, it was idiotic of them to expect anything else. Maybe they thought that they were more Samsung-like and after being a huge pain to apple, life will resume normalcy. Apple needed Samsung. They do not need Epic.

Grudges are unproductive and bring no benefit to the shareholder - this move is almost certainly going to result in a lawsuit that Epic would be in a good position in (assuming there aren't massive skeletons in the closet). This is an irrational move - especially in an election year when politicians have a lot to gain by demonizing late stage capitalism.

> late stage capitalism

The folks who were using this term are being successfully primaried.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#346

Post by sircastor »

wigster wrote: post #161
mountainriver wrote: post #84

I may get rid of my iPhone, this is just horrible continued behavior on Apple’s part. Nothing can be worth the damage this is doing to their reputation

apple cars, vr, losing out big time in china. cheerio tim time?

Tim Cook has overseen Apple's most profitable years - It makes and continues to make obscene piles of money. Why would the board or the shareholders vote him out?

If things go sideways, sure. But things haven't gone sideways. Day traders freak out about news stories, but the stock price has been a pretty solid to-the-right-and-up.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#347

Post by rvense »

charcircuit wrote: post #60
SteveNuts wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Free speech" is all about the government not persecuting an individual for something they say. It offers no protection in a case like this between two non-government entities.

You are talking about the US's first ammendment. That doesn't exist in the EU.

I don't think it applies in this case for the exact reasons stated, but the EU does indeed have a charter on fundamental rights that covers freedom of expression, among other things.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_of_Fundamental_Rights_...

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#348

Post by actionfromafar »

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #326
Brian_K_White wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Steve hated industry standards. The only time he ever said anything else was when every web site in the world ran on flash and iphone couldn't do flash. Every iphone user was reminded daily about how kneecapped it is when they can't pull up the web site for the restaursnt to check hours or call up for a reservation. That kind of life experience was his entire focus and his showpiece product failed utterly at it. And…

> Steve hated industry standards. > The only time he ever said anything else was when every web site in the world ran on flash and iphone couldn't do flash. NeXTSTEP, the Steve Jobs thing that got renamed as Mac OS X when Apple bought it, was based on BSD Unix. In the early 2000s, Apple produced and used a lot of open standards. "Darwin" was open source. Bonjour is mDNS. Apple developed CUPS and open sourced it. Then…

Could just as well say they stopped being desperate. They cobbled together what they needed from where they could.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#349

Post by codingcodingboy »

lozenge wrote: post #226
askonomm wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But as of iOS 17.4 they do allow alternative app stores in EU.

You still need a developer account to notarise apps that are published on alternative app stores. Plus you need to agree to pay Apple the Core Technology Fee.

Why didn't the EU force the removal of those requirements? Apple will keep playing games to make alternative stores uncompetitive and keep away unwanted developers.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#350

Post by mckn1ght »

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #344
mckn1ght wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Taxis in many cities operate under the authority of a government institution [0], so it makes more sense that they have a duty to do business with the public. Whereas one can often experience waiting for a Lyft/Uber where drivers repeatedly decline service after initially accepting. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi_medallion

This doesn't really have anything to do with licensing. There are laws that prohibit businesses from e.g. refusing customers on the basis of race or sex and it doesn't matter if you're a restaurant or a hardware store or a flower shop.

That's true, but is there any reason to believe Apple is acting in such a discriminatory fashion against a protected class of citizen?
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