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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

#511

Post by andersa »

samatman wrote: post #371
andersa wrote: post #40

The fines Apple is going to collect for intentionally failing to comply with the DMA are going to be of Epic proportions, exceeding any profit they could have gotten by continuing to steal 30% from society. Ready your popcorn buckets for the next few months/years. They will likely be making an example out of Apple - after all Apple and Google are the reason for this legislation to exist in the first place. > In the n…

Sounds like Apple should exit the European market then. No one is forcing them to do business there, and it only accounts for 10% of their revenue.

That would be a monumentally stupid decision when they could instead simply comply with the law and continue making slightly fewer billions of revenue. Investors won't let them do that, heads would roll.

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

#513

Post by kyriakos »

repelsteeltje wrote: post #382
etimberg wrote: post #364

Sounds like the EU needs to give Apple the Microsoft treatment and threaten to split it apart. Have the App store business be completely separate from everything else

Last I heard, Microsoft is doing great and still in one piece.

After changing course cause of legal troubles they caused by believing they are above the law

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

#514

Post by yokoprime »

hizanberg wrote: post #18

If I had a Customer that spent years relentlessly complaining about my Company, I know I wouldn't want to have them as a Customer. It does present an interesting question on whether a Company can be forced to have a bad actor as a Customer, I guess this will be decided in the lawsuits to come.

If someone spends years badmouthing Microsoft, would you say its ok for Microsoft to block their apps from Windows?

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

#515

Post by notaustinpowers »

Eric_WVGG wrote: post #404
015a wrote: post #378

This is egregious and deeply disturbing behavior from Apple. At this point it feels wrong to own an iPhone. I'm at a loss for words describing what Tim and their leadership team has done to this company that I used to admire so much.

I just don't understand what Apple expects out of the situation at this point. What's the best-case scenario here, that the EU will say "yeah that checks out" and let Apple have their way after all? This is going to backfire horribly.

The only thing I can think of is that Apple is trying to do whatever it can to continue to generate income from developers to make sure its quarterly reports look good until it has another plan.

In 2023, they processed $89.3bn in IAP, a 2.8% increase from 2022. Their top-grossing app was TikTok with $1.9bn in IAP. At a 30% split that's $520m to Apple. And that's just from one app that doesn't really push IAP as egregiously as games like Fortnite.

I think Apple is trying to ensure a new product cough Apple Vision Pro cough to offset losses from the alternative app stores.

They know the EU won't ever allow them to do what they're currently doing to "comply" with the DMA. But all they have to do is stonewall long enough to Vision Pro or some new service/product/etc to replace the revenue lost from the DMA.

A company failing to meet revenue goals due to governmental compliance? No investor wants to take that sort of gamble, their stock would take a massive hit.

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

#516

Post by twoodfin »

archagon wrote: post #113
twoodfin wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what sense did the submarine delivery of functionality clearly in violation of their contract with Apple—the inspiring incident for all this drama—represent integrity?

It was very obviously intended as a launch pad for the lawsuit, not a genuine attempt to skirt App Store rules.

If my contractual partners were to violate agreements I had entered into in good faith in order to gain PR advantage in a pre-planned legal dispute, I wouldn't tend to think of them as displaying integrity.

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

#517

Post by davely »

harrisi wrote: post #462
davely wrote: post #394

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find that Gruber occasionally has some interesting insight but it’s often hard to take him seriously these days — he’s effectively an unofficial PR outlet for Apple. (Fun fact: he co-created Markdown with Aaron Swartz) Edit: Swartz not Schwartz

Swartz. Aaron Schwartz was in Mighty Ducks and Heavyweights.

Thank you. That’s an embarrassing mistake.

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

#518

Post by yokoprime »

arthurofbabylon wrote: post #481

At first I was surprised Epic's shareholders tolerate CEO Tim Sweeney – Epic had this all wrapped up, they got a large portion of what they wanted, but Sweeney just couldn't help but keep the drama going, at risk of their business. But then I realized that Tim Sweeney owns more than half of Epic. If he wants to risk his company for a fracas/kerfuffle, then that is between him and his minority shareholder.

I don't think he's risking anything other than having to pay his team of lawyers. Apple is not a major platform for Epic, in fact earnings from sales outside of Windows and consoles is probably so tiny they wouldn't notice it if it disappeared.

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

#519

Post by jimmySixDOF »

scarface_74 wrote: post #374
andersa wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Epic doesn't care whether Apple shows "grace", or needs them to, they are going in by force with the backing of the EU legislation. It might just take a year or two longer to get through the courts. They can hold out that long without any problems, preparing their store in the background.

That’s very much a Pyrrhic victory if Eoic doesn’t have access to the US market. The court ruling in the US said that Apple has the right to terminate their account. From the linked article > This judgment stated that “Apple has the contractual right to terminate its DPLA with any or all of Epic Games’ wholly owned subsidiaries, affiliates, and/or other entities under Epic Games’ control at any time and at Apple’s so…

Apple Terminates Epic Games' Developer Account (USA)(2020) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24309632
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