This is more of Epic trying to play the victim. They should take their win and work in a civil manner to get it in the US… this is just them, once again, doing something they know will fail and then crying that mean old Apple is picking on them.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Says Fortnite for iOS Isn't Blocked Worldwide, Just the U.S.
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Gotta say Fortnite is probably not the best example for "what is right". Half (or more) of everyone seems to think it is total garbage. As a gamer for 40 years now I have to say they've moved well past the "reasonable DLC" stage into just ripping people off. Unfortunately a lot of parents just let their children burn way too much of their money.
But I gotta say I just don't understand Epic here - they need Apple just as much as they need the console makers. This is in the sense that if they are not going to make their own hardware they need people to make hardware that helps them make money. Apple could very easily change their focus to making units that are for games and units that aren't for games - charging way more for one than the other. This hurts Epic more than it hurts Apple. The people out there that don't play games could care less if their phone/tablet/watch has ray-tracing or not...
And I'm fairly certain we all agree some platform fee is reasonable - we just disagree on how much that should be. Normally the free market would decide that. It's certainly not Apples fault their hardware is so good that others have trouble competing.
But I gotta say I just don't understand Epic here - they need Apple just as much as they need the console makers. This is in the sense that if they are not going to make their own hardware they need people to make hardware that helps them make money. Apple could very easily change their focus to making units that are for games and units that aren't for games - charging way more for one than the other. This hurts Epic more than it hurts Apple. The people out there that don't play games could care less if their phone/tablet/watch has ray-tracing or not...
And I'm fairly certain we all agree some platform fee is reasonable - we just disagree on how much that should be. Normally the free market would decide that. It's certainly not Apples fault their hardware is so good that others have trouble competing.
The thing most people forget is, Apple has created this amazing way (through easy to use api's) for virtually anyone to be able to create an experience on a device that hundreds of millions of people use every single day. Apple hosts, vets for safety, helps advertise (at times) and continually is there to assist you through the entire process. That is worth something. You can say IAP costs Apple nil, that isn't true. Ongoing R&D, updating api's, hardware and software backend development and hosting are just some of the costs involved.
If it's super easy to do what Apple does but it's all about the money, why aren't dozens of companies popping up, creating smartphones that run on completely open sourced software and allow you to install anything you want anytime you want. Oh wait, I think I hear something . . . Android? What? Well, ok. 😊 Go buy an Android and hop on that bus.
Apple has been successful because their phones generally work very well. Android has improved greatly over the years, but they were terrible at the beginning and people who wanted things to just work, got an iPhone.
I will agree that change is indeed needed. Users can buy a different device. Apple doesn't need to change anything!
Fortnite hasn’t been on iPhone for 5 years. If that game was a priority to you I’d think you would have switched years ago. Your statement feels disingenuous
Apple not allowing Epic onto the US storefront is basically telling developers that Apple can ban apps for no reason in the US. Yikes. Especially since those terms they allegedly violated (ie other payment source) are now permissible. Very excited for Epic’s ads to not buy an iPhone if the millions of Fortnite players want to play on the go. Bad business decision Apple when it is another reason to buy an android over iPhone for most gamers.
Last edited:
That’s a fair observation, but I hadn’t upgraded my phone in five years and made do by playing the older version of Fortnite or streaming it through Xbox Game Pass. Neither experience came close to having the up-to-date native app. Fortnite was a small factor in my decision, but it’s very nice to have access to it again. Not everyone has the disposable income to switch devices easily, but when I finally upgraded in January, I went with Android and have been really happy with that choice.
I don’t like his communication style, but putting his money (he’s the controlling shareholder) where his mouth is, is something to be applauded. Much better than profit maximization.
I’m getting really tired of this dick measuring contest. I wish they would just kiss and make up already.
It wasn’t for no reason, unless you consider trying to defraud Apple….”no reason”.
Not going to make a difference, imo. Just like the Samsung vs iPhone ads etc. any publicity, even bad publicity is good… so they say.
Last edited:
I support Epic’s attempts to break down the walled garden and give those who want it greater choice and flexibility.
WWSD? Jobs would probably have made this far more personal "Pending litigation at the time we will no entertain any submissions from any companies affiliated with, or owned by Tim Sweeny for any AppStore Globally."
There is a much easier way, one with much less friction.
You really should 😆
Beyond Earth into Space! Honda and JAXA Take on Challenges to Expand the Realm of Human Activity
This interview will take you behind-the-scenes of the development of a “circulative renewable energy system,” which began in 2020 with a joint research project with JAXA. Honda is pursuing this project to expand its field of challenges into space.
global.honda
Pushing isn't the same thing as forcing. And every (decently run) government has courts to fight the legality of any legislation.
Microsoft is still the most widely used operating system for desktop users. So it pays to fight it seems.
It's not pettiness. It's business. And there was cooperation, right up until EPIC stopped cooperating.
This kind of proves the point that EPIC is in it for themselves, and NOT for the consumer OR developer they are claiming they fight for.
YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssSIR indeeeeed!
IMHO, EPIC had a point and they should have fought in the courts behind the scenes, not this publicity stunt. They would have ended up exactly where they wanted to be with the Link-Out option. Never lost one red cent or whatever it's called in the EU. AND gotten MORE once this ruling came in. Now, they are looking to lose out all over again.
As for Apple. They came up with the 70/30 split for the AppStore. EVERYONE that signed up agreed to the rules. How many WWDC's did we have with EPIC games there and others showing off their new stuff. No complaints to be had.
I still can’t buy Kindle books in the Kindle UK app. Is this change only available in the US or EU?
The US judge's recent ruling only applied to the US App Store, not worldwide. Would assume any DMA-required changes are also geolocked to the EU.
They were banned for violating the Terms of Service. The judge upheld their right to ban them for violating the TOS and that they are under no obligation to allow them back into the store.
Way to oversimplify this as just an issue of more choice for the consumer.
If you owned a book shop, should Barnes and Noble be allowed to setup a stand inside your store to sell their books? After all, the consumers in your store would have more choice.
Epic should never be allowed back in the US App Store. And Apple being forced to give away services is unconstitutional and the ruling will likely be overturned.
Sweeny wants a free pass to use Apple’s resources to build his own single App Store for everything where all purchases go through Epic. He is just mad he cannot steal and cheat to do it. Games have never been allowed to be free developed for a game console platform. There are always licensing fees.
Unconstitutional? You want to cite what part of the constitution that this ruling violates?
You may disagree with it, and that's fine, but the anti-steering ruling was already appealed to the Supreme Court, by Apple, and they declined to review it. It stands.
Additionally, every single developer on the App Store has paid to be there. No one is on there for free.
I’m getting tired of Apple telling me what I can and cannot install on MY iPhone, and I’m tired of my iPad being stunted by iPad OS.
Apple today clarified that it has not blocked Epic Games from updating the iOS Fortnite app in the European Union, but it is not planning to allow Epic Games to offer Fortnite in the United States App Store at the current time.
In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple said that Epic Games tied its U.S. App Store submission to the update that was also being submitted to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Apple told Epic Games to resubmit the update without the U.S. component.
This morning, Epic Games claimed that Apple blocked its Fortnite submission worldwide. "Apple blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union," Epic Games said. The company went on to claim that Fortnite on iOS will be "offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."
Given Apple's clarification, it sounds like Epic Games has decided to take Fortnite offline in the European Union rather than submitting an update that does not include Fortnite for the U.S. App Store. By tying the updates together and suggesting Apple is denying Fortnite's distribution worldwide, Epic Games could rally lawmakers and customers to push back at Apple's attempt to "block" Fortnite in the U.S.
Fortnite gets weekly updates, and the updates need to go out for all platforms at the same time. Apple didn't remove Fortnite from the iOS Epic Games Store in the European Union, but by denying the Fortnite submission, the EU version of the game won't get the update on time. Epic Games could remove the U.S. App Store version of Fortnite from its app submission in order to update the EU version and keep it functional, but it's not yet clear if Epic plans to do so.
Fortnite has been banned from the U.S. App Store since 2020, and Epic Games does not have a valid U.S. developer account. Last year, to distribute Fortnite in the European Union using an alternative app marketplace, Epic Games created a subsidiary, Epic Games Sweden. Because Epic Games has no U.S. developer account, the company used Epic Games Sweden to submit Fortnite to the U.S. App Store.
In the Epic Games vs. Apple lawsuit, Apple was at no point forced to allow Fortnite back in the App Store, and it was made clear that Apple does not have an obligation to distribute Fortnite.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said ahead of Apple's decision that he would be "very surprised" if Apple "decided to brave the geopolitical storm of blocking a major app from iOS," but the reality is that Fortnite hasn't been available through the iPhone and iPad App Store for the last five years.
Apple was recently ordered to change its App Store rules to allow developers to direct customers to purchase options outside of the App Store in the U.S., which is why Epic Games thought it would be able to bring Fortnite back to the U.S. App Store, but Apple is upholding the ban. There is nothing in the order that changes the situation with Fortnite.
Article Link: Apple Says Fortnite for iOS Isn't Blocked Worldwide, Just the U.S.
I’m about to switch my daily driver to Android. I’ve been an Apple loyalist since I was a kid, but the “you will own nothing and be happy” sentiment companies are pushing on us - degrading our ownership rights in the name of protecting a revenue stream - is getting out of hand! That’s what this about … OWNERSHIP!
This isn’t Apple VS Epic… It’s Apple vs Consumers - the people who just want to use OUR devices the way we want!