Epic Games CEO Renews Attack on Apple and Calls for Single, Universal App Store

[bousozoku]

Let's face it, Apple is using it's monopoly power to force developers to use their app store in order for them to install apps on user's phone(and have to pay a tax to do so). How Apple got away with this for so long is beyond me. Imagine if MS locked down Windows and Apple iTunes had to pay MS 30% for every music and app store transaction that occurred on MS windows. Woulda been unheard of. iPod may never existed and digital music downloads may be $1.50 per song vs. $0.99/each.

Bottom line, Mobile Phone OS is no different that desktop OS and the restriction imposed for owners of iPhones from being able to install apps outside app store is outrageous and can't last forever.

Remember the ILOVEYOU malware? I was working for a company with around 50,000 workers, mostly in corporate offices. We kept getting e-mails telling us not to click on the link. Every Monday, a small percentage of idiots would click on the link, and we'd all end up with garbage for the rest of the day.

I don't need something like that on my phone. I don't want to need to clean out extra files left by a crappy developer or by malware. If you want to do that for millions of people, for free, that's different.

 

[Wildkraut]

1: I can tell you Apple vs Epic is very likely going to SCOTUS for sure at this rate.

2: What Sweeney is asking for is monopolistic and is very likely will get DOJ involved.

3: After all this is done, Apple will likely ban Epic (as in entire company) from Apple’s development program from life and very likely will ban the company from owning any Apple products for life.

To 3., and thats why we need new laws to control this. Nobody should be able to ban anybody from a platform with a user base size bigger than X(tbd). X needs to be defined, and maybe they have to add more parameters as definition.
That's what Apple will face in the EU with Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, and in the U.S. probably, too.
Not only Apple!

 

[Runequester]

As always Tim "**** Linux" Sweeney wants others to do what he himself refuses to do.

 

[ender78]

There's my proposal how Apple could think about their app store price plans for developers to perhaps shut up this callings for regulations. Then let free market works.

P.S. The numbers may vary.

View attachment 1911683

So I assume you have the App Store P&L (Profit and Loss Statement) as well as the cost of IOS Development Costs in order to come up with this table ? Or are you just picking numbers out of the air.

A small developer, anywhere in the world can write a great app and for $99 a year distribute that App to Billions of consumers. That is one of the reasons why we have an App Economy. If that small developers does not want to make any profit, they can simply pay $99 a year.

Want to sell digital goods or in app content, pay a 30% commission.

 

[Seoras]

What he really wants is to stop Apple policing apps.
A roll back of all the privacy requirements Apple's put in place these last few years.

 

[Runequester]

To 3., and thats why we need new laws to control this. Nobody should be able to ban anybody from a platform with a user base size bigger than X(tbd). X needs to be defined, and maybe they have to add more parameters as definition.
That's what Apple will face in the EU with Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, and in the U.S. probably, too.
Not only Apple!

I look forward to the "The government must force app store owners to allow pornography, scams and hoax apps" act. I'm sure that'll go over well and won't at all have unexpected consequences.

 

[Runequester]

I think you havne't looked at the data recently, Let's talk US marketshare since that is what matters if you live in the US. Apple marketshare is in mid 50%, google has the remaining. So Apple/Google is a Duoploy, which is no differnt than a Monopoly. Compare that to Verizon/ATT/tmobile. They can't go running around screwing users, they are highly regulated private entities.

The notion that wireless carriers are "highly regulated" is absolutely hilarious. Many Americans live in areas where only one carrier provides reliable phone service at all and wireless carriers have been colluding on pricing for decades.

 

[Wildkraut]

Remember the ILOVEYOU malware? I was working for a company with around 50,000 workers, mostly in corporate offices. We kept getting e-mails telling us not to click on the link. Every Monday, a small percentage of idiots would click on the link, and we'd all end up with garbage for the rest of the day.

I don't need something like that on my phone. I don't want to need to clean out extra files left by a crappy developer or by malware. If you want to do that for millions of people, for free, that's different.

That's totally out of context, the LOVELETTER was based on a Windows Bug, an exploit, which can also happen to iOS anytime, and has nothing to do with AppStore's security model. The AppStore adds zero security in regarding this.

Search for iOS exploits and you find many.

 

[toobravetosave]

the internet?

 

[I7guy]

That's totally out of context, the LOVELETTER was based on a Windows Bug, an exploit, which can also happen to iOS anytime, and has nothing to do with AppStore's security model. The AppStore adds zero security in regarding this.

Search for iOS exploits and you find many.

All or nothing thinking here. Many is relative.

 

[bousozoku]

View attachment 1911535

How we ever got stereo sound or digital transmission in television is amazing. I wonder how HD DVD is doing.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

1: I can tell you Apple vs Epic is very likely going to SCOTUS for sure at this rate.

2: What Sweeney is asking for is monopolistic and is very likely will get DOJ involved.

3: After all this is done, Apple will likely ban Epic (as in entire company) from Apple’s development program from life and very likely will ban the company from owning any Apple products for life.

First of all, it’s most definitely not going to the Supreme Court given that Apple versus epic has already reached a verdict. Sure, there’s appeals, but I think the decision is clear.
Apple has to allow for third-party payment services, and epic can go cry about everything else.
Also, epic’s developer account has already been terminated, but there is absolutely no way that Apple could enforce them never using an Apple device ever again ever. That’s just ridiculous.
If Tim wants to own an iPhone, other Tim can’t stop him.

 

[Wildkraut]

I look forward to the "The government must force app store owners to allow pornography, scams and hoax apps" act. I'm sure that'll go over well and won't at all have unexpected consequences.

The AppStore is already full of hoax and in-app and subscription scams, and why not porn if 18+, better than being prude like Flender. Video rental shops also had a porn tapes room where you could just enter with ID and 18+.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

for the most part people have accepted Amazon for selling everything online

Except… Amazon doesn’t sell everything online. They sell a lot of stuff, to be sure, but they absolutely don’t sell everything.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Apple needs "App Discovery" competition first & foremost, as it has three benefits:

Hands up for anyone that uses the App Store and ONLY the App Store for App Discovery.

ok

NOW, hands up for all the rest of you that use YouTube, Reddit, you know, the INTERNET to discover new Apps.

Ok. NOW… second group… could you reach out to those few in the first group and help them out? They’re still typing “App that lets me do taxes” in the App Store search instead of Google.

Baby steps.

2.) Will drive down prices; competition "always" drives down prices !

I LOVE how cheap flying got in the US after there was competition. And the SERVICE has never been better! Why, just last week, I only had to pay less than $5 for a water instead of free!

 

[GSWForever8]

Sideloading? Don’t care. But a universal app store? That’s no choice and that’s bad. Also, who’s going to run it?

 

[WiseAJ]

Except… Amazon doesn’t sell everything online. They sell a lot of stuff, to be sure, but they absolutely don’t sell everything.

If you can't find it on Amazon, you don't need it.

 

[IG88]

So he wants to eliminate competition and have one monopolistic app store.

Yeah it's a dumb idea. I'm definitely not on Apple's side as far as blocking sideloading and their monopolistic practices, but that doesn't mean I'm on Epic's side either.

 

[techfirth]

Epic’s board of directors should’ve removed this idiot at the very beginning. He sounds more and more deranged every time he speaks, and the truth is that he’s cost them millions of dollars in legal fees, millions in lost revenue and has effectively killed off their presence on Apple’s hugely lucrative iOS App Store.

He should’ve been gone YEARS ago, and I’d bet a lot of people at Epic Games think so too. Do your thing, board members!

 

[mi7chy]

From a consumer point of view, I like the universal app store idea. Buy once and use across all ecosystems.

 

[Onelifenofear]

From a consumer point of view, I like the universal app store idea. Buy once and use across all ecosystems.

Expect.. It "can" a ton of money to develop for multiple OSs so yes the end consumer might benefi and the developers are screwed the possibility of making that extra $2 if someone want it on Android or Fire or whatever.

And who wins... Sweeny Todd and his App Store and his cut for everyone.

Screw him. If he had any integrity he would admit he is basically trying to get ALL apples goodwill, client base and Thousands of Man years Development time for free. And if he thinks that's all worthless... off he pop and make his own devices.

 

[Onelifenofear]

Sideloading? Don’t care. But a universal app store? That’s no choice and that’s bad. Also, who’s going to run it?

Tim Sweeny Todd of course.

 

[HughRR]

Turns out Tim Sweeney is Erich Honecker in disguise.

 

[laptech]

Remember the ILOVEYOU malware? I was working for a company with around 50,000 workers, mostly in corporate offices. We kept getting e-mails telling us not to click on the link. Every Monday, a small percentage of idiots would click on the link, and we'd all end up with garbage for the rest of the day.

I don't need something like that on my phone. I don't want to need to clean out extra files left by a crappy developer or by malware. If you want to do that for millions of people, for free, that's different.

I would hope the idiots that kept clicking the link even when told not to, the bosses fired them.

 

[atomwork]

Tim is a very unhappy human being.