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Apple Has 'Lost Sight of the Tech Industry's Founding Principles,' Says Epic Games CEO
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Saying Epic can sell its stuff at other retailers misses the basic point that iOS users can’t purchase apps/digital goods at any other retailer. So in reality when it comes to iOS users, Epic (and other developers) cannot sell their goods anywhere except through Apple as the middleman (who takes a 30 percent cut). However, MacBooks, iPads, other Apple gear are available from multiple retailers besides Apple( like Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy etc). Epic is trying to open up the marketplace with respect to where iOS users purchase our apps/digital goods from.
Also,FWIW, I agree that there is a cost to Apple for running the App Store, and that developers should not per se be given a free ride. But I disagree that the cost of running the App Store is 30 percent of the billions of dollars of digital revenue generated. If it is, I’d like to see the receipts that explain why. I’m not arguing that Apple isn’t owed any money, but 30 a percent cut of every transaction seems like robbery. Especially since apps that deal with physical goods don’t have the same limitation. say I make an in-app purchase of $10.00, apple gets $3.00. If I make a $1.00 purchase, Apple gets 30 cents. Do we really believe that the $10.00 transaction cost Apple $3.00 but the $1.00 transaction only cost Apple 30 cents?? I believe both transactions have the same cost...Something seems arbitrary and capricious with Apple’s scheme.
I believe that if the in-app purchases market opened up to other suppliers (besides Apple), costs will come down.
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Epic looks pretty ridiculous here. It’s that simple. I sort of feel sorry for them, they seem to think they are something other than they are. They are not social justice crusaders. And games are most often fads. I think they hurried the death of FN along.
I was around and a computer user in those days. Anything beyond text based games weren’t practical to download for 99% of computer users. Your download speed was 300 baud. That’s 300 bits per second. A low res picture would take hours to download. A simple graphic based game unless all of the graphics were formula generated would take forever to download.
Dude , your game only way of making money is by selling virtual coins to kids by targeting them relentlessly to spend money , talking about lost sight of the tech industry....... abusing kids are the good guys of the tech world ? getting moral lectures from him is crazy.
If its not about money Epic then remove the Direct Payment and restore IAP to Fortnite and Apple will let you back into the App Store and your developer account.
Until they do this, Epic's claim that this is about a fight for change and not money is complete *******.
#TeamApple #FreeUnrealEngineFromEpic
Until they do this, Epic's claim that this is about a fight for change and not money is complete *******.
#TeamApple #FreeUnrealEngineFromEpic
I swear, it’s like he’s trying to alienate Epic from every partner that runs a platform. I can’t wait for somebody to use these quotes against paying Epic a portion of their games sales using their engine.
Here's the issue...what Apple is doing is in no way ILLEGAL. All you are saying, is - I don't like it. That is far different than "What they are doing is illegal." It passes not one test for being a monopoly unless you consider the words an author chooses to put in a book a monopoly. You can say, "I don't like that Apple does this." An then go buy a different phone. All of this drama is made-up and supported by companies like Epic that are just fighting a business fight. And they are clouding the issues trying to make it look like a legal issue. Think about what you are actually saying - in real terms, in the reality of business and you will easily see a million contradictions. What you should say is "I don't like how they are running this, I will choose a different platform." There is NO legal case here anymore than me being angry with what supplier LG uses for the glass in their TV set. I want to add that consumers can and do vote with what they buy. If iPhone becomes unprofitable, Apple can consider ways to change their business plan. That's how the market should work if you embrace a capitalist market driven economy.
Mobile developer here.
It's astounding how many people do not get Tim Sweeney and where he's coming from, assuming everything just has to be about the money. It doesn't. He just doesn't want a future where every computing device (mobile or not) is a ****ing walled garden with the gatekeeper taking 30% of sales for eternity (1.5 billions per month currently for the app store !), also dictating rules on what is allowed to run and what is not. He considers consoles as a special case as they are sold at a loss and the manufacturer makes up for it with games sales, although do not believe a minute that Epic is paying 30% to Sony and Microsoft and you can bet they have negotiated something better.
Also Epic is taking only 12% on the Epic Game Store (on PC) for not hammering game developers whose life is already difficult. They are a game developer, thus know the difficulties of that industry.
It's easy to hate on Epic but people are really missing the point... Maybe the day Apple Silicon devices are locked to hell iOS style, people will start to understand.
It's astounding how many people do not get Tim Sweeney and where he's coming from, assuming everything just has to be about the money. It doesn't. He just doesn't want a future where every computing device (mobile or not) is a ****ing walled garden with the gatekeeper taking 30% of sales for eternity (1.5 billions per month currently for the app store !), also dictating rules on what is allowed to run and what is not. He considers consoles as a special case as they are sold at a loss and the manufacturer makes up for it with games sales, although do not believe a minute that Epic is paying 30% to Sony and Microsoft and you can bet they have negotiated something better.
Also Epic is taking only 12% on the Epic Game Store (on PC) for not hammering game developers whose life is already difficult. They are a game developer, thus know the difficulties of that industry.
It's easy to hate on Epic but people are really missing the point... Maybe the day Apple Silicon devices are locked to hell iOS style, people will start to understand.
Epic own store works the same i.e take % of each sell , the same for every other store , so they wont be doing anything different , Epic want to be a new middleman thats it , if you think this will benefit consumers I believe you are wrong , it will help developers , thats probably true , but it wont help consumers , having doezns of stores is going to be annoying (why would other developer go to any store but its own) , you will get tracking back on apps , along with porn and gambling that are currently off limit.
I suggest you do pro`s and con`s for the consumer , i can give cons a plenty , can you show some of the pros for CONSUMERS (not developers).
Nope. It's a hardware platform. A phone isn't mandated by law. You don't NEED a phone and you have plenty of other choices like since 80% of the market that isn't iPhones! This isn't a LEGAL issue. It's a business issue. What's good for a consumer isn't a legal basis unless you prove monopoly issues and that is simply impossible in this situation. Impossible. You know what else isn't good for consumers - ALL KINDS OF STUFF!But it's not 'illegal'. I get that many people don't like this. Then say you don't like this and purchase outside that environment. And PC Gaming has been dying for 15 years. Not a great example.
Consumer Pros and Cons most often have nothing to do with what's legal and illegal except in a monopoly when the consumer loses choice. But the iPhone isn't even 30% of the total mobile phone market. It's only 100% of the iPhone market. This is a silly series of arguments and I think we all know Apple never loses this case or any 'monopoly' style case. So it's simply about other companies wanting more money. And that is what the market is all about.
Every computing device isn't a walled garden. That is why there is Android/Windows etc. macOS also isn't really a walled garden either. Its pretty much just iOS and it's iPad/watch/tv branches that is a mainstream walled garden apart from every single game console.
Wish he would stop trying to ruin consumers from having the choice of a Walled Garden OS vs a Open OS.
Will that be a new meme: "Epic Sweeney"? Mr. Sweeney would be much more credible if he had removed his app from the store and then filed his action. As it stands, this now looks like an extortion attempt gone wrong. As it stands, whatever moral high ground he claims has crumbled into dust.
Consoles are sold at a loss for a short time, but make it up over the next 3-5-7+ years of its lifetime. Nintendo is the exception as they ALWAYS make money off each unit sold.
Apple also releases new iPhones/iPads every year, unlike Game consoles. So while they make "profit", they continue to release new hardware which costs money.
It's like you don't know Nintendo/MS/Sony also get a 30% digital cut, plus more on physical copies, plus license fees etc.
And really, this is about Epic wanting to get their own ****** store on iOS and bypass Apple 100%. It has nothing to do with YOU, a developer. They don't give a crap about YOU unless they can pay YOU out and make your game exclusive to their app like they have done time and time again.
And look how safe that was. Think of all the money these companies waste today on unnecessary things like cyber security, Identity Access Management, Hardening workstations... Didn’t need that junk in the 80s so shouldn’t need it today. 🤦♂️
I don't play fortnight and am an Apple loyal (products and stocks) but I don't understand everyone's hate against Epic. Why would you be against a change which would on balance be beneficial to consumers (choice, price, etc). Makes little sense to me.
I love walled in garden stores! I have someone else like Apple taking care of compatibility and security of software on my device. I don’t have to worry about software not working like you see on android or apps with malware or virus. How many people pay for security software on PC,s and Android devices to make sure their computer does not get destroyed.
Competition would be healthy if Epic invested in it's own infrastructure, r&d, programming staff, data centers and what not to support another app store. Otherwise the "competition" is freeloading off of Apples infrastructure.
Robin Hood wasn’t a classless multibillionaire. Go blow it out your ask, Sweeney.
It's amazing that Epic's board signed off on this stunt. Epic has been booted from the main app stores and the lawsuit will take years to resolve.
How does this benefit Epic's customers? Epic's customers had no issues paying for Epic's IAPs.
What was the real plan and expectation? I doubt the Epic board expected to be shut down.
How does this benefit Epic's customers? Epic's customers had no issues paying for Epic's IAPs.
What was the real plan and expectation? I doubt the Epic board expected to be shut down.
The real plan was Epic was hoping the judge would force Apple to keep Fortnite on the App store while this crap dragged out and they could continue with their hotfix. That didn't happen and now Epic is lowing tens of millions each month while they try and clim people play Fortnite because of COVID and have no other way of communicating. It's hysterical since most kids just use discord to chat.
