Sweeney would know a lot about Junk Fees. 🙄
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Epic Games and Spotify Say Apple's Latest DMA Changes Are 'Illegal' and 'Deliberately Confusing'
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I’m shocked Apple hasn’t told eu to go @&$# themselves and just pull out of eu since there share of market is pretty low
If app devs have to pay a fee, ultimately it's *us* who end up paying more. Defending Apple in this scenario is ridiculous.
The iPhone, iPad and every other personal electronic device that is purchased by the customer needs to be completely unlocked. I own that phone and what applications and software I put on it is my business, not Apple's. If people want "muh security", then simply don't sideload or use third party app stores. Simple solution. This is ridiculous and I hope the DOJ gets involved and checks these greedy capitalist pigs. If you believe this is in the interest of your security, then I admire your glass half full perspective. I wish I could see things so positively, and I really wish this were truly about security, but it's not. Imagine if you had to use the AppStore on your Macs. People would come unglued. But it's always been this way, so no one realizes how ridiculous it is.
For Epic and Spotify it will be never enough, they made a business model out of complaining about the AppStore so that’s the only reason why they will be always against.
Maybe Spotify can start by paying the artists more, they are the least paying streaming service out there and they don’t deserve to be the Robin Hood in this hole EU joke.
Maybe Spotify can start by paying the artists more, they are the least paying streaming service out there and they don’t deserve to be the Robin Hood in this hole EU joke.
22% of iPhone sales in the EU is pretty low?? If iPhone sales dropped by 22% in one quarter, the stock would quit literally fall through the floor and Timmy wouldn't get his bonus. This is not counting other devices and Appstore sales.
When do Spotify and Epic NOT complain. I mean, let's be honest here. I'm honestly tired of seeing them in the news. Then again, who knows how much money they slid the EU to get the DMA signed into law in the first place. Guess they want to see their bribes have the expected payoff
Everyone wants to be a freeloader these days. Billionaires more than anyone else apparently.
Big corps do so much shady stuff which is a given but it seems like Sweeney is only in it for himself and not exactly fighting the fight. No one likes constant whining on Twitter.
Big corps do so much shady stuff which is a given but it seems like Sweeney is only in it for himself and not exactly fighting the fight. No one likes constant whining on Twitter.
I can't believe anybody would defend Apple in this situation.
Comparison to consoles. Consoles are sold at a hardware loss. The hardware is subsidised so they can get licensing fees from them. Game companies understand this and are essentially subsidising the hardware to get more people into that consoles ecosystem and sharing the cost with the console owner for it's development etc. to make it easier to get into gaming. Apple products are sold at a premium with industry leading profits, more akin to buying a computer than a subsidised console.
The issue is, if you sign up to say Netflix on your iPhone, do you think Apple deserves 30% of that? Or do you think you should have to pay 30% more just because you're an iPhone user than other platforms?
It's ludicrous to double dip, lock the iPhone down, and try to take 15-30% of the entire economy on hardware that has been bought and paid for by the consumer.
I understand and have supported them in the past that mobile devices are fundamentally different than computers like a mac, and therefore maybe should be more secure, but this is just absolute greed. It's one thing to tax candy crush, it's entirely another to want 30% of every audiobook you listen to on Audible, or 30% of your software you use for your accounting like Xero just because Apple feels like they own you.
Comparison to consoles. Consoles are sold at a hardware loss. The hardware is subsidised so they can get licensing fees from them. Game companies understand this and are essentially subsidising the hardware to get more people into that consoles ecosystem and sharing the cost with the console owner for it's development etc. to make it easier to get into gaming. Apple products are sold at a premium with industry leading profits, more akin to buying a computer than a subsidised console.
The issue is, if you sign up to say Netflix on your iPhone, do you think Apple deserves 30% of that? Or do you think you should have to pay 30% more just because you're an iPhone user than other platforms?
It's ludicrous to double dip, lock the iPhone down, and try to take 15-30% of the entire economy on hardware that has been bought and paid for by the consumer.
I understand and have supported them in the past that mobile devices are fundamentally different than computers like a mac, and therefore maybe should be more secure, but this is just absolute greed. It's one thing to tax candy crush, it's entirely another to want 30% of every audiobook you listen to on Audible, or 30% of your software you use for your accounting like Xero just because Apple feels like they own you.
Surprise surprise. The two biggest freeloaders on the App Store aren't happy with something Apple's done. I really wish Apple had a CEO who had the balls to tell both Epic/Spotify and the EU to pound sand. This is getting absurd
Says the guy that said "Find My" is a violation of a thief's right to privacy? LMAO.
I don’t remember hearing anything against Epic actually running their store on Mac, they just chose to pull it out because they got upset over iOS.
I guess my point is - so?
From a developer's standpoint, they are still paying 30% to Sony or Nintendo. You are telling me that they are not supposed to have an issue paying Nintendo 30% of revenue from a $60 game, but evidently have issues paying Apple the same cut (or even less, depending on whether they are on the small developer programme)? I don't see Tim Sweeney petitioning to get Steam or Epic Games Store side loaded onto my Nintendo Switch, where he gets to keep 100% of Fortnite revenue, while also hosting other developers' apps and charging them a commission.
And I too can argue that Apple has aggregated the best customers in the world thanks to the premium pricing of their products. This means that iOS users have more disposable income and possess a higher propensity to spend, meaning more potential revenue for iOS developers. In this context, it does not seem unreasonable for Apple to expect a cut for their role in growing the overall pie for developers, and for facilitating the purchase process (iTunes, biometric authentication, trust and ease in downloading apps), all of which add up to result in more apps being sold overall (and consequently, more revenue for them, even after the 30% cut).
So it's not that different from your argument that Sony and Nintendo intentionally sell cheap hardware to grow their user base. Both have their own ways of juicing app sales; they just go about it in different ways, and if one party is entitled to a cut for their efforts, then surely the other is too.
People are just too quick to scream "unfair!!!" when they really just mean "not to my benefit".
It's good to know Epic's CEO is an authority on legal interpretation and can declare what Apple did as "illegal". Who needs elected officials, lawyers, and judges when you have a corporation's CEO?
Also, are Spotify and Epic complaining to the EU about a confusing law? If a law is explicitly clear, there is little wiggle room for creative approaches to following the law. What it looks like happened is the EU passed a law that's so convoluted and incomprehensible that Apple has many options to follow it. They do something and some in the EU and a few CEOs throw fits, "Wait, that's not what we wanted!"
If you want some particular outcome then pass a specific law. Don't pass some mess of a law and expect to get what you think you want at a particular moment in time.
Also a note for those saying Apple's solutions are malicious compliance. That's an overused term without any real legal definition. It is also not well defined in any case and nearly impossible to prove.
Also, are Spotify and Epic complaining to the EU about a confusing law? If a law is explicitly clear, there is little wiggle room for creative approaches to following the law. What it looks like happened is the EU passed a law that's so convoluted and incomprehensible that Apple has many options to follow it. They do something and some in the EU and a few CEOs throw fits, "Wait, that's not what we wanted!"
If you want some particular outcome then pass a specific law. Don't pass some mess of a law and expect to get what you think you want at a particular moment in time.
Also a note for those saying Apple's solutions are malicious compliance. That's an overused term without any real legal definition. It is also not well defined in any case and nearly impossible to prove.
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Spotify can complain about Apple’s business practices just as soon as Spotify fixes the huge number of customer and artist complaints. Get your house in order before you tell other people how to maintain theirs’.
Tim Sweeney, the guy who says that the Find My app is “Creepy” since it allows one to track down your stolen Apple gear, is a POS. I mean, yeah, Apple sometimes pisses me off too, but Sweeney is really a piece of work. The leader of a crappy gaming company with no ethics is really one to talk.
If Sweeney ran Apple we would probably have a Freemium OS.
I really have no sympathy for any of the tech companies who try to say that they get screwed by Apple. Spotify screws artists and has a mediocre UI. I have subscribed to Spotify twice and if I wanted to use a player that is built around playlists I would have maybe actually have liked it. I like listening to albums, perhaps because I am no longer young, but whatever, the UI sucked. Plus, Apple music is just the latest version of the iPhone Music app. Guess what? That app existed prior to Spotify.
If Sweeney ran Apple we would probably have a Freemium OS.
I really have no sympathy for any of the tech companies who try to say that they get screwed by Apple. Spotify screws artists and has a mediocre UI. I have subscribed to Spotify twice and if I wanted to use a player that is built around playlists I would have maybe actually have liked it. I like listening to albums, perhaps because I am no longer young, but whatever, the UI sucked. Plus, Apple music is just the latest version of the iPhone Music app. Guess what? That app existed prior to Spotify.
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Two failing companies who bleat a lot to distract from the fact that they're basket cases.
Till today, I am still tickled that Spotify, the de-facto streaming music giant in the industry, continues to blame Apple for their woes despite:
1) their app being available on both android and iOS, and iOS only being a small percentage of smartphone market share
2) Spotify famously not needing to pay Google a cut (they negotiated a 0% commission), while disabling IAPs in their iOS app (meaning they are already not paying any platform anything)
3) Paying artists a lower cut compared to Tidal and Apple Music
4) complaining of double standards while continuing to not support the latest iOS hardware and features
Zero compassion for them.
1) their app being available on both android and iOS, and iOS only being a small percentage of smartphone market share
2) Spotify famously not needing to pay Google a cut (they negotiated a 0% commission), while disabling IAPs in their iOS app (meaning they are already not paying any platform anything)
3) Paying artists a lower cut compared to Tidal and Apple Music
4) complaining of double standards while continuing to not support the latest iOS hardware and features
Zero compassion for them.
While these companies have proven to only have their best interests in mind, so has Apple under Tim Cook. As CEO, he should be a great spokesperson not an anticompetitive bully only caring about his money… I would normally side with Apple against these two, but I realize that’s cognitive dissonance.
Agreed. I don't buy AMD GPUs and complain I can't utilize CUDA workflows.
These two companies suck and I am tired of hearing their executives cry. How much are these idiots paid to cry like children.