Apple Threatens to Terminate Epic Games' Developer Accounts on August 28

[Piggie]

Will be interesting to see how this goes.
To all those saying great, get rid of all the games.

Do you really think Apple will benefit long term to be known by teenagers and 20 year olds who love gaming as the worst place to go and the worst hardware to buy if you love gaming?
Sure perhaps you hat gaming and don't care, but be realistic many kids/teens love gaming, and want to play the BIG titles.
If they get to learn Apple is not the pace to go then that could well be another long term lost customer for Apple.

 

[TiggrToo]

And according to Tim Cook 84% of apps on iOS pay nothing. How is it fair that some small indie developer is probably subsidizing Netflix and Spotify?

Irrelevant. And welcome to the world today.

 

[I7guy]

Somehow I don't think this is an off-the-cuff reaction on Apple's part. External and/or internal counsel probably gave them the "OK" on this.

 

[cmaier]

You mean like giving Amazon a 50% discount off the 30% store fee?

Apple got the additional 15% in other ways (via sales of hardware through Amazon and support for SDK features that apple wanted them to support). If I had something apple really wanted I’m sure they’d cut me a discount in exchange, too. So what?

 

[PC_tech]

Fortunately, it's not. Its bases on the definition of a monopoly. The market they are in is smart phones. 14% does not equal monopoly. The only way to even remotely consider them a monopoly is if you all of a sudden decided that their own platform is considered a market. Which is rediculous. That would mean every company making any product would instantly have a monopoly on their products. Epic has 100% market share of fortnight therefore they are a monopoly. I should be entitled to sell my outfits within fortnight on my own in app store where they get nothing. Please enlighten me on why Apple is a monopoly so I can be educated.

Even from some obscure chance they were determined a monopoly, which is not against the law, it would need to be determined that they are abusing their monopoly. Apple has never changes their rates since there were 0 developers on board. When was this magic light switch of abuse turned on after they were able to go from 0 to millions of developers with the same agreement.

Clearly the government has a problem with them at the moment regarding being a monopoly and they are continuing to prove it. Stop the defense of Apple, it’s gross.

 

[russell_314]

It’s funny how so many people hate on TikTok for being under the thumb of the Chinese government but love Epic games. I got it some people don’t like Apple but does your dislike of Apple make that go away? The enemy of your enemy is your friend? 😂😂

 

[I7guy]

Will be interesting to see how this goes.
To all those saying great, get rid of all the games.

Do you really think Apple will benefit long term to be known by teenagers and 20 year olds who love gaming as the worst place to go and the worst hardware to buy if you love gaming?
Sure perhaps you hat gaming and don't care, but be realistic many kids/teens love gaming, and want to play the BIG titles.
If they get to learn Apple is not the pace to go then that could well be another long term lost customer for Apple.

Gaming won't stop. New app/game development will. So where will these teenagers go if google does the same thing?

 

[TiggrToo]

FYI

So, would it still be a monopoly if Apple had just 1% of the Smartphone market?

You can’t go around just blindly applying terms without seeing the bigger picture.

Are Trader Joe’s operating a monopoly if they’re the only ones selling Trader Joe’s food?

 

[macsimcon]

Apple should be viewed like your phone company — because that’s literally what they are. Imagine AT&T before regulation and the antitrust case, but also with the power to cut off service if you displease them, or don’t do everything they dictate in their nebulous and overbearing Terms of Service. That’s modern Apple to developers.

No, with AT&T owning the phone system, consumers had no choice. Apple controls somewhere between 14% and 40% of the smartphone market. If their wares are too expensive, or the company too onerous, buy an Android phone instead. I'm not crazy about a duopoly smartphone business, but that's where we are right now. AT&T was a monopoly, illegally using their monopoly power. Apple isn't even a monopoly.

 

[hans1972]

Apple has pulled multiple apps over the years from hundreds of different developers because of of disagreeing over IAP payment terms, including apps from Facebook, Microsoft and Google. It's never, ever terminated the developer tools in those cases. They are not treating developers equally, and you are lying.

How do you know Apple didn't have communication with these companies about their breach and they complied?

 

[Wildkraut]

I couldn't care less if there was no games on Apple's devices. Honestly. The games on it is beyond crap anyways, and have always been. No loss really. I have always used dedicated consoles and a gaming PC for gaming. My apple devices are purely for communication and productivity - that's where they shine.

Yeah, It's easy to look at something from just your point of view.
But without games, Apple devices would slowly become unattractive for any kind of game and app development, and another platform would shine up. Simply because most Endusers move on, and devs would primary focus to this newer more attractive platform, with more potential customers. And who assures that these leftover apple devs aren't the next ones to get insulted, bossed, deactivated or even kicked out.

So, it would also indirectly affect you too, even if you don't play games.
Except you're happy with just a handful of original apple apps, most users won't.

From many developers perpective, Apples reputation is already F'ed Up... this will give them rest.
Devs teams together.

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

I really don’t get all the people saying “good for Apple” here. How so? They are being attacked from all sides. Microsoft, Facebook, numerous smaller developers, Epic, and even Congress and EU looking into things. I promise you...PROMISE you, that with that much momentum against them, something will change.

Additionally, Apple could literally lose market share over this. It would take years, but Epic could come along and create a new platform that starts stealing users. I am sure a lot of you are laughing hysterically right now at that notion, but things do change, and companies can lose market share and relevance. All it takes is a reason for people to start walking away and a competitor to take advantage of that.

Remember...once upon a time, Microsoft was where it was at and Apple was just some guys working in a garage with a hobby computer. Things change people. Things change. Even Apple is not immune to this possibility. Nothing is forever.

 

[ossifer]

Modern Apple is a Fortune 1 company [...]

Not exactly. Fortune's list is based on revenue, not market cap. Walmart is your Fortune 1 company this year...

Apple should be viewed like your phone company — because that’s literally what they are. Imagine AT&T before regulation and the antitrust case, but also with the power to cut off service if you displease them, or don’t do everything they dictate in their nebulous and overbearing Terms of Service. That’s modern Apple to developers.

The analogy fails as Apple has no legislated monopoly (nor a de facto one). If I furthered your analogy, I would say that "modern developers" have phone lines from multiple providers in their neighborhoods...

 

[macsimcon]

Epic's point is that the rules are unfair, not that they didn't break the rules.

I don't like that I can't run Microsoft Office on my Apple TV. I don't like that I can't run Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 on macOS. So because I dislike something, the developer should be forced to do my bidding? How is that fair?

If you think a contract is unfair, don't sign it. Or move to another platform. Awwww, but you can't, can you? Because nobody on Android buys anything, whereas iPhone users buy a ton of software. Apple created an attractive marketplace for their minority-share product. They can do with it what they want.

 

[TrevorR90]

This would hurt Epic more than Apple, how many of their fortnite players were on IOS?

 

[techwhiz]

No matter how you cut it 30% is an obscene take.
Either Apple needs to allow side loading, so I don't have to use their platform OR they need to come up with some better terms.
You don't get to completely control access to the platform and then charge obscene fees.
Google fits into the same boat, almost. You can side load apps on a Google/Android device.
There is no requirement that you use their store.

 

[cmaier]

Clearly the government has a problem with them at the moment regarding being a monopoly and they are continuing to prove it. Stop the defense of Apple, it’s gross.

What government is that? Has the government taken any action against them?

 

[theotherphil]

Looks like Apple just raised the ante, few were expecting that. Good on them in this case, not saying their charges are right, but Epic are hypocrites when it comes to the commission on their store.

I was expecting that because it’s in the developer agreement. If your app isn’t in compliance you are given a time frame to come into compliance or your account is terminated. Apple will work with the dev to achieve this if they choose to partake.

 

[PC_tech]

Nonsense



And more nonsense, developers don't go into app development without knowing what the rules are. Some just feel they are too big to follow the rules that (mostly) everyone else has to follow and want to try and test the waters by breaking the rules.

Again, those shouting about how right Epic is in doing this need to take a look at the way they run their own store and how they give discounted fees to developers using their engine, not uncompetitive at all..

It’s not JUST epic that has a problem with this, you really need to pay attention 🙄

 

[iGMX]

Apple is just being petty at this point.

And Epic is not? Just go use an Android and PC already.

 

[RebeccaL]

Apple is as bad as MS of their era.

The amount of pro-Apple bias, even on a fan site like MR is unbelievable.

The same people would have rooted against the MS monopoly of past, now rooting for the Apple monopoly (cause Apple is somehow their friend).

That Apple can even cut out a company that displeases them shows how artificially locked-down their devices are. No consumer wins from that.

Displeasing is not remotely the same as violating an already accepted TOS agreement.

 

[hans1972]

No one wants it for free. But developers should have a choice where they distribute their goods and how they are paid for.

The CEO of Hey believes Apple should get $0.

 

[jole]

Congratulations Unity. Looks like there will be only one choice for game engine that is optimized on all relevant platforms.

 

[RebeccaL]

And Epic is not? Just go use an Android and PC already.

Google also removed Fornite from
Their play store.

 

[cmaier]

But developers should have a choice where they distribute their goods and how they are paid for.

Why?

If a developer wants to distribute their goods from my garage, do I have to let them? Where does this inalienable right you have declared actually come from?