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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

#711

Post by archagon »

zengid wrote: post #663

This is some spicy shit from Apple: > “In the past, Epic has entered into agreements with Apple and then broken them,” Schiller reminds the game maker in the letter dated February 23, 2024. “You also testified that Epic deliberately violated Apple’s rules, to make a point and for financial gain. More recently, you have described our DMA compliance as ‘hot garbage,’ a ‘horror show,’ and a ‘devious new instance of Mali…

If I'm an app developer, am I not allowed to complain about Apple's policies on social media?

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

#712

Post by z3dd »

Seanambers wrote: post #602
mdhb wrote: post #559

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No but a lot will start building PWAs wherever they can instead because they no longer need to write an entire second copy of their app that only runs in one place and can’t share code and they don’t have to just pay 30% of their revenue to someone for no good reason. Trust me, Apple pissing off developers is absolutely going to have serious implications for them.

Then they should just code for Android, stay there and leave us in the Apple Ecosystem alone. I have no effin need for a second store, or a third or a fifth.

Well then, with that argument you can also stay with apple store and leave those second, third and fifth stores alone for those who want them.

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

#713

Post by onlyrealcuzzo »

zmmmmm wrote: post #707

In some ways it makes me question if it's impossible to have one without the other - can you have a company that is as obsessive about quality as Apple at the same time as one that won't attempt to exert monopolistic control over its whole ecosystem? Are these two sides of the same coin? I'd like to embrace something like the Vision Pro. But as long as it's an iPad strapped to your face fully locked to this controlle…

But this isn't about quality at all.

It's about Apple trying to milk the system for all it's worth.

You can absolutely build a great product w/o trying to maximize profits to the extreme. That's just frowned upon in the current business world.

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

#714

Post by InsomniacL »

sircastor wrote: post #207
__loam wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple has been dragged kicking and screaming into more consumer friendly positions since the iPhone was released. It took years for them to simply switch to a more open charging port standard.

While I think they should've switched earlier, it's often forgotten how angry people got when Apple switched from the 30 pin connector to Lightning. There were piles and piles of devices that used the 30 pin connector - it had been on every iPod, iPad and iPhone for nearly a decade. Entire hotel chains had iPod Docks in every room. Switching cost isn't limited to just goes in the device. It doesn't surprise me that A…

Transfer speeds by year 2001 USB: 480Mb/s

    2012 Lightening 480Mb/s

    2023 USB 80,000 Mb/s

    2023 Lightening 480 Mb/s
Apple wasn't hesitant, they knew it was an inevitable switch so never invested in to Lightening.

They were quite happy knowing once you bought Apple, you kept Apple or you lost all your accessories.

They're still playing the same game now. My Airpods work grate on iPhone, but they only connect to some non-apple devices over bluetooth (not PS5), and when they do connect, if the mic is on the audio is awful.

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

#715

Post by throwaway-blaze »

ApolloFortyNine wrote: post #463
SllX wrote: post #419

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Epic also intentionally broke agreements with Apple before. Non-discriminatory doesn’t mean they have no grounds to terminate Epic’s developer accounts, and Epic is continuing to make themselves look untrustworthy by trying to publicly and explicitly shank Apple. Spotify is also trying to shank Apple in all the same places Epic is, but they also didn’t go behind Apple’s back to deceive the prior review process in con…

>Epic also intentionally broke agreements with Apple before. This is funny to point out since they did it specifically to sue over it (you pretty much can't other wise). So Apple has their draconian 30% cut or there's literally no other way to have an application run on iOS policy, you can't challenge it without breaking it so you can sue, and because you broke it to sue you are now permanently barred from every maki…

It's not 49% of the phone market in the EU. More like 36%, and in some markets like Italy and Spain, far far smaller.

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

#716

Post by mvdtnz »

zmmmmm wrote: post #707

In some ways it makes me question if it's impossible to have one without the other - can you have a company that is as obsessive about quality as Apple at the same time as one that won't attempt to exert monopolistic control over its whole ecosystem? Are these two sides of the same coin? I'd like to embrace something like the Vision Pro. But as long as it's an iPad strapped to your face fully locked to this controlle…

Quality and openness are not in tension at all. I can buy cheap third party brake pads for a BMW, it doesn't make the OEM any less "obsessive" about quality.

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

#717

Post by dwaite »

Phrodo_00 wrote: post #393
lelandfe wrote: post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Publishing a Chrome browser extension more-or-less requires being a customer of the Chrome Web Store. There are plenty of other examples, folks tend to give Playstation/Xbox/Switch stores in these conversations as well.

> Publishing a Chrome browser extension more-or-less requires being a customer of the Chrome Web Store Emphasis on more-or-less, though. You can use Chrome developer mode (which is NOT a paid option and doesn't require an account) to import extensions from files. You can't do that in iOS. That's Epic's point.

Do you think this is a viable distribution model for web extensions, e.g. an alternative to the Chrome Web Store?

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

#718

Post by pompino »

gopher_space wrote: post #472
_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…

> Don't like what MS is doing with their app store? Fine just release the binary yourself. Whip up a small windows binary and send it to your mom. See if she can run it without any help from you. MS is doing the same thing from a different angle.

Not even close. MS is allowing the end user alternate means of installing software. Apple is trying to rob each iOS developer of 30% of their sales.

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

#719

Post by bonestamp2 »

ApolloFortyNine wrote: post #463
SllX wrote: post #419

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Epic also intentionally broke agreements with Apple before. Non-discriminatory doesn’t mean they have no grounds to terminate Epic’s developer accounts, and Epic is continuing to make themselves look untrustworthy by trying to publicly and explicitly shank Apple. Spotify is also trying to shank Apple in all the same places Epic is, but they also didn’t go behind Apple’s back to deceive the prior review process in con…

>Epic also intentionally broke agreements with Apple before. This is funny to point out since they did it specifically to sue over it (you pretty much can't other wise). So Apple has their draconian 30% cut or there's literally no other way to have an application run on iOS policy, you can't challenge it without breaking it so you can sue, and because you broke it to sue you are now permanently barred from every maki…

I'm not a lawyer so please excuse this potentially dumb question, but why do they have to break the agreement to sue them?

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

#720

Post by etchalon »

LightHugger wrote: post #429
etchalon wrote: post #411

Apple is just acting increasingly stupid. There's no word for it.

I feel strange having watched from afar as apple abused their users over and over, and then see apple users be surprised and horrified at this more recent behavior. They have not changed one bit. This was always apple, behavior which everyone who purchased their status symbol focused products at insane markups supported.

Hard disagree on basically everyone you said beyond this move not being too surprising. Apple holds grudges. Always has.

But this is just asking for trouble without any real benefit.

Maybe they want the fight, I guess. But it's a dumb fight.

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