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Epic direct payment on mobile

epicgames.com

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Re: Epic direct payment on mobile

#31

Post by hugey010 »

Hamuko wrote: post #16
riq_ wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the announcement, V-Bucks are 20% cheaper (... when purchased from epicstore I guess...). So, you use your browser, login to epicstore with your account, purchase v-bucks at 20% discount and you use those v-bucks in all Epic Games regardless the platform.

It's not an issue that [insert digital good here] is cheaper on the seller's website than in the Apple App Store. What Apple prohibits you from is telling your client that the [insert digital good here] is available for purchase somewhere else or that there's a special kind of a markup on the App Store option.

I don't think that's entirely true. Apps can use SMS or open the OS browser to accept payments and not be in direct violation of the guidelines.

Re: Epic direct payment on mobile

#32

Post by rurounijones »

gsich wrote: post #23
superkuh wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, another monopolist trying to fill their garden. Epic is literally buying the companies behind long established games, removing game support for alternative OSes, and eventually only allowing access from "the epic store". No matter who wins between Epic and Apple human people lose. They're both walled garden monopolists.

Epic has no "walled garden". The PC is an open platform. An iPhone is not. If I don't like the Epic store, I can install software from other sources just fine. Good luck with that on iOS.

> I can install software from other sources just fine

Not when Epic paid the devs to make them exclusive (either permanently or time-limited): https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/Epic-games-store-exclusives

Unless you are referring to warez as the other source, of coursse

Re: Epic direct payment on mobile

#34

Post by krisgee »

dingdongding wrote: post #4

Yeah I wonder they did a backroom deal with Apple and Google. These backroom deals that Apple/Google are doing is so anti competitive for small app developers and they keep on stressing that they are helping millions of developers. If this is not unfair I don't know what is.

Even if they did this is now an argument that the app store review process is not "fairly applied" which will be noticed in the current environment.

Re: Epic direct payment on mobile

#35

Post by gsich »

rurounijones wrote: post #32
gsich wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Epic has no "walled garden". The PC is an open platform. An iPhone is not. If I don't like the Epic store, I can install software from other sources just fine. Good luck with that on iOS.

> I can install software from other sources just fine Not when Epic paid the devs to make them exclusive (either permanently or time-limited): https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/Epic-games-store-exclusives Unless you are referring to warez as the other source, of coursse

I can install software from other sources just fine. Doesn't have to be the same software. But why is having the Epic store such a problem?

Re: Epic direct payment on mobile

#36

Post by krisgee »

dannyr wrote: post #7
safog wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably pushing it intentionally given the recent antitrust discussions. Worst case for them, they get banned from the store for a bit until they take that option down.

Sadly, it's gonna take a while before actual legislation is enacted. If Fortnite gets banned, they'll stay that way for a long time unless they remove direct payment.

I'd assume that the move would be to take the option out then file an anti-trust suit.

Re: Epic direct payment on mobile

#37

Post by CreepGin »

dgellow wrote: post #15
epaga wrote: post #3

My money is on Apple cracking down hard on this. It looks clearly as if Epic remotely activated this direct payment option, thereby bypassing Apple's App Review. Apple will not take kindly to this. Best case scenario for Epic (and Fortnite players): they invite Sweeney in for some hard negotiations. Worst case: Fortnite ends up getting removed from iOS for this.

> It looks clearly as if Epic remotely activated this direct payment option, thereby bypassing Apple's App Review. Is that against Apple's store terms? Because that's a common feature of ReactNative based app, you can update them by deploying new JS files without having to pass by a new app store release.

Yes, it's directly against the terms, but in practice it's not always enforceable. I deployed multiple apps to the App Store using RN and PhoneGap in the past. Some were rejected for basically using these web based technologies. So my experience is that if you're using web-based tech and left clues in the UX that gives away the fact that you might be loading some external code, the reviewer may catch it and reject.

Re: Epic direct payment on mobile

#38

Post by chrismeller »

u10 wrote: post #28
superkuh wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, another monopolist trying to fill their garden. Epic is literally buying the companies behind long established games, removing game support for alternative OSes, and eventually only allowing access from "the epic store". No matter who wins between Epic and Apple human people lose. They're both walled garden monopolists.

For a monopolist they provide pretty compelling terms compared to Steam. If anything they are a healthy competitor to Steam, not only for developers but for consumers as well.

Isn’t that usually how monopolies start? They don’t lure you in with the slogan “you can only get it from us now”... The competition today is great, but they could easily become the next App Store tomorrow.

I don’t personally have a problem with Apple taking a cut - they are doing work, after all, but I think it should be more along the lines of covering the transaction fees and less “we’re taking a third of your hard work”.

Re: Epic direct payment on mobile

#39

Post by philliphaydon »

meheleventyone wrote: post #8
bdz wrote: post #2

Curious how this will play out because they explicitly bypass both Google and Apple

That’s the point right? It’s a direct swing at a topic Tim Sweeney has been very vocal about.

He’s only vocal because he wants to be valve. He plays his dirty to win market share.
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