Epic Games Aiming to Recruit 'Coalition of Apple Critics' to Fight App Store Policies

[5232152]

Can't be against this.
Good luck boys. Let's free the systems!

 

[waydabber]

I think it would makes sense to allow alternate app stores to exist on iOS and also give power users the option to install/sideload custom apps without any hacks. All these are possible on the Mac and obviously can be done in a secure and sustainable manner. The single app store policy was a great step a decade ago but tablets and phones are now very powerful universal devices, limiting and locking them down they way Apple does is not sustainable anymore.

 

[Spectrum]

This is ridiculous. 30% may (or may not) seem high, but at least it is applied fairly across all developers. If Epic are allowed their own store, this will *harm* smaller developers that do not have the resources that Epic does to have their own store.

 

[aaadktda]

I don't understand why Epic (or any other developer) doesn't charge what it needs/wants and add 30% to that amount. Let the users pay those fees just like they pay $1000 or more for a phone. Want to be part of the iOS ecosystem and enjoy all the benefits from using Apple hardware and software? Pay up! Don't like it? Switch to the alternatives that Apple keeps mentioning when they claim they do not have a monopoly on the market.

 

[Wanted797]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many MR members stand up for Apple 😂

 

[Ramchi]

Ah yes, bow down to Tim Cook
iPhone wouldn't be where it is today without its ecosystem of apps, who should learn their place?

That’s unfortunate truth. Had all these developers abandoned iOS towards other platforms in 2010-14 like Blackberry, Windows Mobile etc....may be iOS would have met same fate like the other two.
If developers choose to ignore a platform then that platform goes for a toss.
Windows actually provided many incentives but developers did not invest their time, effort.

 

[m11rphy]

I’ve used Windows 98, Me, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, maOS since Panther up to Catalina, iOS since 3.0, all flavors of Linux, Android since the beginning... I’ve never had a virus or any meaningful security issue in those 20+ years on any of those platforms, and nobody in my tech circle, friends circle, or family has either.

I take that back. I know one guy who used to download dodgy pirated software from KaZaA, and he got something. So yeah, maybe don’t do stuff like that. Common sense.

You are totally missing the point, the point is people feel safe in apples ecosystem and happy to pay extra for apple products as a result. What you want to do is to take that away from them so they no longer have an alternative to how android does things or windows and Mac OS does things. Right now iOS gives us an a different option, yet you want it to be the same. Where do you expect people who like apples walled garden to go?

If we and up with 10 different app stores I have to sign up to in order to get access to all the software I currently enjoy, how does that benefit me the consumer? If epic gets what they want they wont sell their app in the Apple App Store, they will sell it in their own store, so there isn't more choice its still one place to get that app its just a different store, the price wont be cheaper it will still be $10 epic will simply make more money, Yes they they did their app update and set the price as $8 of course they did, they are trying to prove a point and play the hero. As soon as they have their own store it will be 10 bucks again.

Please tell me how how this helps anyone but epic? How are you the consumer going to benefit?

 

[russell_314]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many MR members stand up for Apple 😂

True but expect them to be quickly outnumbered by the 50 cent party 😂

 

[fokmik]

Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, aggravation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Bang bang, shot dead
Everybody's gone mad

All I want to say is that
They don't really care about us

 

[kesennnnn]

Getting some🍿 to enjoy the show

Don’t forget Nachos lol

 

[mrcloaked]

That scenario exists.

 

[Abazigal]

This and the recent XCloud situation are really limiting iOS as a gaming platform. Unless of course you are contented with Apple Arcade. Personally for me XCloud is a big loss and was really disappointed to hear that it would only be available to the Android platform.

I have a Nintendo Switch. At worst, I am prepared to migrate all my gaming over to the switch. Losing gaming on my apple devices is really the lowest of my priorities right now, especially when I don't have much time or inclination to game these days.

 

[travelsheep]

This is such a stupid hill to die on. Do like Kindle and only let people buy in a browser

Finally I know why I can't purchase Kindle books on my iPhone. I was wondering about this for years. Thanks, big mystery solved!!

 

[Glideslope]

This is such a stupid hill to die on. Do like Kindle and only let people buy in a browser so you don't have to give Apple a cut or do some third degree price discrimination. Charge one price on iOS devices and charge a cheaper price on your website for people who are willing to take the extra step to save a couple of bucks.

Excellent analogy for those who do not remember such events.

Epic needs an army not just a coalition to take on Apple, but Apple and Google. Make no mistake, Apple and Google will hold hands on this one. Epic shot all their rounds in the first few days. Now they are desperately looking for a new ammunition supplier to help try and put a slug into Apple and Google.

Good luck on that one.

 

[sirozha]

You want Apple to close the App Store for everyone? This is how you get Apple to close the App Store for everyone. This is what I would do, and I’m sure Steve would urge the company to do the same.

Who in the world would buy another iPhone then?

 

[macmanHEG]

You are totally missing the point, the point is people feel safe in apples ecosystem and happy to pay extra for apple products as a result. What you want to do is to take that away from them so they no longer have an alternative to how android does things or windows and Mac OS does things. Right now iOS gives us an a different option, yet you want it to be the same. Where do you expect people who like apples walled garden to go?

If we and up with 10 different app stores I have to sign up to in order to get access to all the software I currently enjoy, how does that benefit me the consumer? If epic gets what they want they wont sell their app in the Apple App Store, they will sell it in their own store, so there isn't more choice its still one place to get that app its just a different store, the price wont be cheaper it will still be $10 epic will simply make more money, Yes they they did their app update and set the price as $8 of course they did, they are trying to prove a point and play the hero. As soon as they have their own store it will be 10 bucks again.

Please tell me how how this helps anyone but epic? How are you the consumer going to benefit?

I think you are missing the point, a platform that is open does not necessarily lead to malware and security risks. I for one don't care much for the 30% being the sticking point I care about the ability to do what I want with my devices. It is not hard to by default lock a device down but give the user the keys to do what they want. Most of Apple's security comes from a secure by design OS, the app store is only a small part of it. It has been proven that many apps can function outside the app store with no jailbreaks using only official API's. Apple keep pushing how powerful their phones and tablets are yet the limitations are great, the ipad isn't going to replace my computer, hell even my android tablet until we get to be big boys and pick our own risks instead of missing out on cool apps.

No XCloud, No stadia, no emulation apps, virtual machines and countless other apps that apple get the say on and thats that. Thankfully there are non jailbreak methods to get some apps on iOS but a big company like microsoft isn't going to release an app that way.

I for one do not care what happens in regards to the % cut Apple take, I just don't buy things through apple if its cheaper on the apps website etc. But I do want the walled garden to fall so I can enjoy Apples superior OS and hardware instead of having to choose between crap or limited apps.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Kill them off, Apple! The sooner Fortnite dies the better.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Do you even know what Apple's rules are?

IF you are using Apple's payment processing you give Apple 30%. But you cannot have a higher price for it. So you can add additional payment options, but the Apple one has to be just as good of a deal. Apple is simply taking advantage of their monopoly to dictate unfair terms.

'Unfair terms'? I ran a business, and when we got a 'merchant account', the ability to take credit cards, I found out why so many businesses didn't take American Express. They charge a lot more for the 'privilege' of accepting their cards. More than double what the other cards charged. But American Express offers their 'members' a lot for carrying and using their cards. So it's a trade off. I only carry an Amex card. Apple has a lot of devoted fans and users. If Epic can't see the value of being on the Apple, and now Google, app stores, then they have a problem. If Apple is taken down over this, if their app store is decimated by judicial extremism, if the life guards are called out of the pool that insure the safety of the apps they supply, it's going to drag every Apple user into the abyss of malware and trash apps. Hip hip hurray!!!

Epic is out for Apple's App Store. If it goes, we all lose, and I doubt Epic actually wins, so why are they doing this? The undertow on this is huge...

 

[mrcloaked]

Look a bit closer.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

who’s the 3rd store besides apples and googles?

Samsung

 

[Remy149]

I don't think PS or Xbox charge developers 30 percent per sale and then 30 percent per transaction.

You can’t buy dlc or micro transaction in game on consoles. They process everything in the digital stores where they take 30%

 

[Ethosik]

Let capitalism work? How naive are you? Capitalism does not work on its own.
It never did.
That’s why we have entire states and parliaments to create rules so capitalism does not implode es quickly as if we “let it work”.

Then like I said, let Apple cause the iPhone to die while Android reaches 100% marketshare.

 

[m11rphy]

Oh, it’s all about feelings! Those gooey, squishy feelings, gotcha. Those clean lines, those Apple vibes. It just feels good, and that’s what’s important.

You already have to deal with multiple sign-up nonsense if you use third party apps like Netflix and Spotify, because you can’t pay for those in the App Store. The scenario you’re painting already exists today.

So again I ask the question how does what Epic is proposing help either of us as a consumer? How will epic having its own store help you?

 

[mrcloaked]

It gives me access.

 

[m11rphy]

I think you are missing the point, a platform that is open does not necessarily lead to malware and security risks. I for one don't care much for the 30% being the sticking point I care about the ability to do what I want with my devices. It is not hard to by default lock a device down but give the user the keys to do what they want. Most of Apple's security comes from a secure by design OS, the app store is only a small part of it. It has been proven that many apps can function outside the app store with no jailbreaks using only official API's. Apple keep pushing how powerful their phones and tablets are yet the limitations are great, the ipad isn't going to replace my computer, hell even my android tablet until we get to be big boys and pick our own risks instead of missing out on cool apps.

No XCloud, No stadia, no emulation apps, virtual machines and countless other apps that apple get the say on and thats that. Thankfully there are non jailbreak methods to get some apps on iOS but a big company like microsoft isn't going to release an app that way.

I for one do not care what happens in regards to the % cut Apple take, I just don't buy things through apple if its cheaper on the apps website etc. But I do want the walled garden to fall so I can enjoy Apples superior OS and hardware instead of having to choose between crap or limited apps.

I don't make you wrong about XCloud, I actually think Apple should allow XCloud because Microsoft can be trusted, The fair thing would be to allow XCloud on the App Store and I can subscribe through apple and apple can take their 30/15% of my subscription that would be great and I would sign up day one.

What would be very bad for the consumer is that we end up with 10 different App Stores, developers remove their Apps from the Apple App Store, for example Fornite because an epic store exclusive and now we all have to sign up to 10 different App Store, give out details to 10 different companies and yet still pay the same price. I fail to see why anyone would think thats a positive for the consumer