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Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th

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Re: Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th

#31
post #2

This clearly and unambiguously crosses the line into abuse of market power. Apple's actions before? Maybe? Sort of? Apple needed that 30 percent cut to monitor for fraud and quality or something, going above-and-beyond other payment processors. This? This has absolutely no basis in anything. It's simple retaliation designed to kneecap Epic from Apple's dominant control of a market. Apple can refuse to let Epic releas…

I personally thought they were already in abuse of market power.

But on this latest development, I want to hear Apple's argument first. That said, I didn't find their argument on the first action compelling so not optimistic. But maybe they discovered some abuse, for one random, made-up example -- my point isn't to trust Apple but just to see what the reasoning is first. This tweet doesn't say if they were given any reasoning for the latest action.

Re: Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th

#32
post #7

Seems pretty straightforward to me. If you sue me, and go out of your way to publically attack me, I'm not willing to do business with you until it's settled, if ever again.

But can you be banned from doing business with millions of other people for offending the gatekeeper?

Re: Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th

#35
post #3

It's fascinating to see the replies to the tweets. It appears most people don't care. They just want their game to work. A lesson in how your customers don't care about how your product is made.

That's right. Epic is trying to use it's user-base as pawns against Apple, but it isn't working. Is Epic planning on lowering the cost of games on iOS by 30% if the fee goes away? I don't believe they are.

Edit: Thank you save_ferris for for correcting me. Here is the blog post announcing the discount. https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/news/the-fortnite-m...

Re: Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th

#36
Is it bad that I hope they do kill Epic's account?

Epic launches a preconceived plan with media attacks and the most ridiculous 1984 reference that actually doesn't make sense in the current context against Apple. If I'm Apple, even if this is a straight up attack on me, I just follow the rules in my TOS and block them like I do others who don't follow the TOS. If you don't like the TOS, fine you don't have to be on my platform and have access to my users. It's as simple as that. The fact that so many are rebelling against this, is actually good for consumers in the long run, they may flock to other platforms albeit there's now only two viable platforms, Apple and Android. Windows got bit by the dust, but I do wish they were still around to create a healthy three ecosystem battle.

Epic's a billion dollar company with huge resources fighting another billion dollar company. It's kind of hilarious watching this pan out, with Epic pretending to be some small indie corporation fighting a huge conglomerate.

Re: Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th

#37
Epic is trying to shine a spotlight on what they think is unfair, and I flat out disagree. They want to now sue the same company that provides them tools to develop, as if it’s some inherent right? Apple owns the Apple store, and they can choose to charge what they want. Epic can choose to raise their pricing if they feel the millions they’re already making isn’t enough.

Re: Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th

#38
post #18
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? I got the opposite impression. Apple's tonedeafness and developer hostility is finally being challenged by a (comparative) underdog.

Do you think that Google, Microsoft, and Sony are also hostile and tone-deaf, then? One assumes so. All those platforms extract the same kinds of fees from Epic that Apple does. But mysteriously, Epic only wants to go after Apple.

They are suing both Google and Apple

Re: Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th

#39
post #25
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's more like, why did Epic decide to file a spurious legal action when their situation with Apple is exactly the same as their situation with Microsoft (for XBox) and with Sony (for PlayStation) and with Google (for Android). The only difference is that Sony just invested $250M in Epic. I'm sure that minor fact has no relevance here, though. (sarcasm most certainly intended)

Are the various cuts (both sale, and in-game) for each platform known, either informally or publicly?

Everyone is 30%, always has been

Xbox, Playstation, Steam, Google, Apple, they're all 30%.

Re: Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th

#40
post #2

This clearly and unambiguously crosses the line into abuse of market power. Apple's actions before? Maybe? Sort of? Apple needed that 30 percent cut to monitor for fraud and quality or something, going above-and-beyond other payment processors. This? This has absolutely no basis in anything. It's simple retaliation designed to kneecap Epic from Apple's dominant control of a market. Apple can refuse to let Epic releas…

On the contrary, there is a very solid basis. Epic has access to Apple's platform and dev tools because it has (or had) an agreement with Apple whereby it paid a percentage of profits earned in exchange for said access.

Epic, btw, has the exact same kind of agreement with Sony, Microsoft, and Google, for access to their gaming platforms. All three of those companies are extracting the same 30% fee that Apple is.

But now Epic has decided to grandstand and pretend that Apple has a "monopoly" and protest paying Apple, while still happily paying the exact same fees to its other gaming partners, including to Sony (for PlayStation), which just invested $250M in Epic.

So to say that there is "absolutely no basis" for Apple's action just isn't true.

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