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Epic Games vs. Apple: Timeline of Events Surrounding Fortnite's Removal From App Store
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You can always make up reasons why things should be, doesn't mean its right
I am. Developers need to understand that this isn't their store. How Apple doesn't include a line that says failure to respect the spirit of the app store provides apple the right to make your submitted app free for all users is beyond me.
Well that's not true and its irrelevant. There is not upper limit on how much people should be able to profit from their work.
Apple already has a problem with bad developers. You want to make it easier for the app store to get flooded with low quality apps?
How much Apple makes has nothing to do with how much they can charge.
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Should macOS be locked down more? Maybe. We might get to see it with the new ARM macs.
you're thinking of monopolistic competition but that's another thing I'm sorry.
just like Standard Oil operated in the market for "oil", Apple operates in the market for "smartphones" and its complementary market for "apps" and is a huge player in both cases.
the mcdonalds analogy also doesn't hold because mcdonalds does not have market power in the fast food chain market, nor does it have market power in the larger restaurant market, nor in the market made of "sellers of Dr Pepper"
If MacOS is locked down, Mac is dead
I'm done arguing with you, you are just making things up
Studios spent a decade trying to copy Pixar. The only thing Pixar had a monopoly on was people's interest in animated film. But as Pixar made new movies other studios tried to copy them. Just because a company might have a monopoly doesn't mean it's bad, or needs regulation.
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I'm making things up? You claimed to own Apple devices and be a developer.
We note that TenCent owns a significant part of EPIC. Interestingly TenCent owns 9.1% of Spotify. Wikipedia passes on the accusation from some users that playing one of EPIC’s games resulted in their Netflix and Spotify accounts being hacked.
Apple has faced increasing scrutiny over its App Store practices from both developers and regulators in recent months. One particularly vocal critic has been Fortnite creator Epic Games, which has repeatedly referred to the App Store as a monopoly.
In August 2020, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store after Epic Games introduced a direct payment option in the app for its in-game currency V-Bucks, defying the App Store rules. In what appears to have been an orchestrated move, Epic Games promptly filed a lawsuit against Apple, accusing the company of anti-competitive actions.
Below, we've put together a timeline of the Epic Games vs. Apple saga.
June 16
June 23
- Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney tells The Washington Post that "the iOS App Store's monopoly protects only Apple profit, not device security."
- Sweeney quote tweets The Washington Post's story: "Here Apple speaks of a level playing field. To me, this means: All iOS developers are free to process payments directly, all users are free to install software from any source. In this endeavor, Epic won't seek nor accept a special deal just for ourselves."
July 24
- Sweeney tweets: "Opening iOS and Android up as truly open platforms with a genuinely level playing field between first party and third party apps and stores is the only way to ensure a competitive, healthy, and fair app economy."
July 28
- Sweeney tells CNBC that the App Store is an "absolute monopoly," arguing that "Apple has locked down and crippled the ecosystem by inventing an absolute monopoly on the distribution of software, on the monetization of software."
August 1
- Sweeney tweets: "It pains me to complain about Apple in this way. Apple is one of the greatest companies that has ever existed, perhaps the greatest. But they're fundamentally wrong in blocking competition and choice on devices they make, and that holds up entire fields of technological progress."
- Sweeney tweets: "This is a critical consideration in these 30% store fees. They come off the top, before funding any developer costs. As a result, Apple and Google make more profit from most developers' games than the developers themselves. That is terribly unfair and exploitative."
August 13
- Sweeney tweets: "Apple's intentional anti-competitive strategy has been running for much longer than most realize. Here they are in 2011 muscling Kindle purchases off of iPhone by demanding 30% of e-book revenue, 'which we acknowledge is prohibitive for many things.'"
We will keep this timeline updated as further developments unfold in the Epic Games vs. Apple saga, so keep this page bookmarked to stay up to date.
- Epic Games introduces a direct payment option in the Fortnite app for iPhone and iPad, allowing players to purchase in-game V-Bucks at a 20 percent discount by sidestepping Apple's in-app purchase mechanism. This functionality violates Apple's App Store Review Guidelines, which indicate that apps offering in-game currency must use Apple's in-app purchase mechanism only.
- The direct payment option is also added to the Fortnite app on Android in violation of Google's Play Store rules.
- Epic Games describes Apple's and Google's 30 percent cut on in-app purchases as "exorbitant." Epic also notes that apps that offer real-life goods and services like Uber, DoorDash, and StubHub are not required to use Apple's in-app purchase mechanism, a rule that it believes should apply to all developers.
- Apple removes Fortnite from the App Store. In a statement shared with MacRumors, the company said that "Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users." The full statement is below.
- Epic Games files a lawsuit [PDF] against Apple in California, describing the company as a "monopoly power" and accusing it of "unfair and anti-competitive actions." The complaint alleges that "Apple has become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation."
- Epic Games shares a video called "Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite," parodying Apple's iconic "1984" ad. Whereas Apple's ad portrayed IBM as the evil "Big Brother," Epic Games aims to show that Apple is now the dominant power. "Epic Games has defied the App Store Monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices. Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming '1984.'"
- In a blog post, Epic Games encourages Fortnite players to fight against Apple's "app tax" by using the hashtag #FreeFortnite on social platforms.
- In an FAQ, Epic Games says that "all mobile developers and consumers have the right to choose alternate payment providers that charge less, as is the norm on all other general-purpose computing platforms, including Web, Windows, and Mac." Epic adds that "Apple even allows Amazon Prime Video to process payments directly as a special deal while holding other apps to a different standard."
- Spotify sides with Epic Games.
- Google removes Fortnite from the Play Store.
- Epic Games files a similar anti-competitive lawsuit against Google.
- Sweeney tweets: "Today, Apple said Epic is seeking a special deal, but that's not true. We're fighting for open platforms and policy changes equally benefiting all developers. And it'll be a hell of a fight!"
Article Link: Epic Games vs. Apple: Timeline of Events Surrounding Fortnite's Removal From App Store
is there a pattern here? Is the challenge to the security of Apple’s App Store process a Trojan Horse for yet more Chinese Shinanigens?
You want me to tell you everything from Apple I have owned?
3 XServe G4s
2 XServe G5s
1 XServe Raid
4 Mac Minis
5 iMacs
5 MacBooks
3 Apple Watches
~10 iPhones
4 iPads
4 AppleTVs
Final Cut Pro bundle (late 2000s)
FCPX
Motion
Logic Pro X
Every paid version of MacOS
And yes, I am a developer
OK.
1. That's no where near how many Apple devices I have touched. Most people likely touched more than that.
2. It sounds like you are listing your bosses hardware. So what apps do you develop? What studio do you represent?
Yes, its always great when you are the boss.
Why do i need to represent anyone?
You are the one accusing me of wanting to destroy iOS/Apple
Self-publish on Amazon and you keep 70%. Make it a paperback and it’s only 60%. Shall we sue? Has anyone?
N.B. Actually, someone did try to break that monopoly and was rewarded with an antitrust lawsuit. That company was Apple.
But if you are so proud of what you make you should be happy to attach your brand with claims that you should be able to take more from Apple's customers.
Mac is in no way secure if someone really doesn’t understand basic computer safety. My grandma is proof of that downloading anything and everything possible.
The only reason Macs are "thought" to be more secure is because Windows has about 90% of the market. What OS would you write malware for huh?
I have contractual obligations, I run contract development work. I'm not bringing any clients into my arguments with you
Why would your clients be upset for being associated with your opinions? You do have their best interests at heart. Right? Not your own. Theirs.
Of course it is. Which part of the term "Developer Partners" are you having difficulties understanding? – it's been in use since the days of Mike Boich.
I emphasised the important parts.
Now the question comes along of "what do you to dith a company who puropsely and intentionally broke the rules just to be harmed"
Can I sue someone for shooting me if my whole intent was breaking into their house in the hopes I would be shot?
I think the answer to this and what Apple did is, is this a fair and reasonable response to someone breaking the rules?
It's actually less after everything is factored in. However your point still rings true. You get more as a developer from your store on the App Store or Eshop or whatever than you do having your game in gamestop.
If you agreed to have your app on the App store or google play store then you agreed to it by signing the developer agreements.
The whole "I don't agree to what I signed up for" doesn't work, especially in the law courts.
This is assuming the developer had ample time to peruse the developer contrat. "Ample time" is not an approximation, it's actually specified in law.
Apple doesn’t hold market power in “smartphones”, that‘s Android. Android’s so large that Apple has to respond to the broader market pressures driven by Android innovation (higher resolution, larger screens). They also don’t hold market power in “apps” because there’s EVERYTHING else... Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, etc. Apple cannot prevent an app from finding a market in the same way that Standard oil could prevent any other producer of oil from finding a market. They ONLY control ”apps on iOS” and, again, ”apps on iOS” is not a market, it’s a product of Apple’s efforts.
Unless you are indicating that, from day one, when Apple’s App Store started up, Apple should have been regulated... perhaps even BEFORE they started business?
I agree. This is like saying Microsoft holds market power in video games because they control games on Xbox.
They make 12% on their store because they were the last to the Game Store party. The rest charge 30%. Notice how they didn't pull this BS on Fortnite for the PS4. That's because their engine can be de-certified for the PS5. Sony takes 30% as well. They are not fighting for the consumer. As a gamer I hope they never overtake Steam.