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Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

reuters.com

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Re: Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

#181

Post by Dylan16807 »

nottorp wrote: post #74
DEADMINCE wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

None of that matters. The owner of a game doesn't dictate whether the game is predatory or not, the behavior of the game does. The free to play model isn't inherently predatory, either, although certain companies certainly are. Call of Duty seems especially predatory.

Let me translate “it’s only cosmetic” for you, because it’s probably what you think when you say there are non predatory IAPs. It means “keep the players playing until they get bored and buy some cosmetics”. They design the game to not only fleece you for money, but to waste your time until you do.

Listen to yourself, you're calling "keep the players playing" an inherently bad thing.

They're right, some free to play models are predatory and some of them aren't.

Free to play doesn't imply whales, either.

Re: Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

#182

Post by RealStickman_ »

sadeshmukh wrote: post #155
johnnyanmac wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"free to go anywhere else" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in a state/province with 2 "cities". Google isn't being hit as hard by the DMA, but they didn't get off scot-free either.

But you can sideload on Android no? I've sideloaded a few apps that I needed and there really are no problems.

Until Android 12 or 13 alternative stores couldn't update apps automatically in the background. And you still need to click "install" for new apps, which isn't the case with Google Play.

Re: Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

#183

Post by talldayo »

Scion9066 wrote: post #172
archagon wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What argument is there not to apply the same gatekeeping policy to macOS, then?

Historical inertia. macOS has implemented code signing and only allowing apps from the App Store or trusted developers as default for quite a while now but people still find a way to turn it off or bypass it and then get infected by malware/spyware/adware. Because it's expected that you can run any app on a desktop/laptop platform though, they can't just fully restrict it, and it shows.

> but people still find a way to turn it off or bypass it and then get infected by malware/spyware/adware.

Or they leave it on, and install malware/spyware/adware anyways: https://www.pcmag.com/news/beware-theres-a-fake-lastpass-app...

So suffice to say, their whole security scheme leaves a bit to be desired.

Re: Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

#184

Post by Dylan16807 »

DEADMINCEDOS wrote: post #106
nottorp wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you do care about privacy and having control of your own hardware, Google is the only choice, and that should be very obvious. Google is an ad company so it's totally not obvious to me. > Not because Android is so much better, but because you have a lot of options, even using a custom rom if you want. Oh, and can I pay with my phone when using those custom roms, for example?

> Google is an ad company so it's totally not obvious to me. Google being an ad company is irrelevant here. I wasn't clear in my wording, I should have said 'Android as a platform' and not Google, is the only choice, and it is. Sure, there are disadvantages and it's not perfect, but it doesn't matter. If you care about privacy, using something like Graphene or eOS on a Fairphone is your best option. > Oh, and can I p…

Help change that how?

If trying to get enough public support to push for structural change is the idea, then iOS is currently moving toward being less locked down, while Android has been getting more locked down.

Re: Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

#185

Post by Dylan16807 »

carlosjobim wrote: post #151
halayli wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Consumers buy these devices. Apple doesn't give them away for free. A consumer should be able to run whatever they want on the devices they have purchased. We are a long way from achieving this basic goal.

> A consumer should be able to run whatever they want on the devices they have purchased. That has probably never been the case for any product in any category. Your car can't fly, even though you think that the customer is always right.

That has zero connection to running the code of your choice on your car. Which you can do.

Re: Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

#186

Post by dzonga »

cafed00d wrote: post #148
cafed00d wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why can’t a business be built solely without giving Apple a dime? The web is free — as in freedom and as in gratis. It has a developer tools system funded by hundreds of companies, developers and community members. There’s hardly any order of dipping, if any. Why doesn’t the web compete away Apple’s “dips”?

Reading the comments is convincing enough to believe there is no viable business to be built on the mobile web. It's great technology, sure; but not a great business. Mobile web apps won't pay the bills for people who build them. It seems worth everyone's time to have those mobile web devs instead build native apps. Ergo, Apple's "dips" are justified costs of doing business.

on the web - people forget there's google tax.

i.e ads or search engine placement.

countless of public companies have it in their reports that mobile app users generate more revenue compared to web whether desktop or mobile.

and i'm not talking about game companies.

Re: Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

#187

Post by audunw »

halayli wrote: post #73
hk__2 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Whats the difference between mobsters owning a city , demanding money from all shops and Apple? Apple produces and sells the device. Without Apple, you wouldn’t be able to build these apps; whereas the shops would exist without the mobsters. (not trying to defend Apple, just answering the question)

Consumers buy these devices. Apple doesn't give them away for free. A consumer should be able to run whatever they want on the devices they have purchased. We are a long way from achieving this basic goal.

I don’t want to buy a device that can run any code, even if it’s apparently (hacking or force can be a factor) by my own choice. Especially for a device that I also use for contactless payment.

I want full confidence that I can buy a second hand device without any malicious software installed (even if I’m not smart enough to know how to properly and fully reset it). And I want people that buy my second hand phone to have full confidence in that device so I get a good resale value for it. Maintaining this resale value is also important to avoid e-waste, since if people don’t get a good price for their phone it just gets left in a drawer.

Apple provides this product. So I buy it. If you don’t want these guarantees for a device you’re buying, just don’t buy an iPhone.

I think we’re going about lack of choice completely wrong. Yeah, it may be hard to get certain apps that don’t rely on iOS or Google Play Services. So legislation should target that problem instead: government and key public service apps should be published in an open app format that can be run on any device that implements the open standard.

Re: Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

#188

Post by awelxtr »

deutschepost wrote: post #2

Although this is good news, Epic will still have to pay Apples Core Technology Fee. For most developers this will be a deal breaker, because it also applies to free software which most of the time is only supported by donations.

I love Anki, but it is a tough sell to Apple users because it costs 20 frigging bucks where on other OSs is free

Re: Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

#189

Post by macintux »

archagon wrote: post #168
macintux wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the potential damage. Smartphones are radically more personal than a PC ever was.

My Mac contains exactly the same personal data as my iPhone.

Your Mac doesn’t know where you are at all times, whether you’re walking or running or in a vehicle. I also suspect it doesn’t know your social media habits as well, although everyone’s different in that regard.

Re: Apple okays Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

#190

Post by maxhille »

DEADMINCE wrote: post #69
immibis wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's Apple blatantly violating the Digital Markets Act, because it thinks it is above the law (and to be fair, in the USA, it is). The EU has acknowledged this and is currently preparing a truly massive punishment for Apple. Apple, being unaccustomed to having rules apply to it, seems to be ignoring this.

I mean, if it's too much, they will just pull out of the EU and sell to Europeans via online only. EU citizens will still be Apple customers, just without any EU protections. To be fair, the EU is being a bit ridiculous sometimes. Apple decided not to compete in the EU because of the restrictions, and the EU seemingly wanted to penalize that decision also.

I guess most Iphones are sold in a bundle with a carrier contract. Those bundles would become impossible. Without this scheme, most Iphone users would notice how overpriced their shiny status symbol actually is.
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