Fortnite Coming Back to iPhone in Australia After Epic's Legal Victory

[MacRumors]

Epic Games has announced that Fortnite will return to iOS in Australia after Apple and Google were found to have broken competition law by banning Epic Games from their app stores.

Federal judge Jonathan Beach found that both companies had broken the law by misusing their market power in the way they run their app stores. Apple was ruled to have engaged in conduct that prevents direct downloading or sideloading of apps and blocks developers from using alternative payment methods. Google was also found to have breached the law for the similar Google Play billing system.

The victory is another win for Epic in its global legal campaign against Apple's App Store policies. Epic began legal proceedings against Apple in Australia in 2020 after it blocked Fortnite updates when Epic attempted to let players make in-app purchases via its own third-party payment service, bypassing Apple's 30% commission. Fortnite is still available in Australia on Android, but only through sideloading via the Epic Games Store.

"This is a win for developers and consumers in Australia," Epic said in a post on X (Twitter), though the company conceded that there were 2,000+ pages of findings that it would "need to dig into to fully understand the details."

Apple said it "strongly disagreed" with the ruling while welcoming the Australian court's rejection of some of Epic's other claims.

The ruling follows similar victories for Epic in the United States, where Fortnite returned to the App Store in May, and the European Union, where the game is available through the Epic Games‌ Store alternative app marketplace. The U.S. version of Fortnite includes an option for players to purchase in-app currency using the ‌Epic Games‌ website as an alternative to in-app purchase. It is not available on the ‌App Store‌ in other countries.

Apple is currently appealing the U.S. court ruling that forced it to change its ‌domestic App Store‌ rules to allow developers to link customers to purchase options available outside of the ‌App Store‌.

Article Link: Fortnite Coming Back to iPhone in Australia After Epic's Legal Victory

 

[spartan1967]

Hopefully this actually will benefit the devs./consumers in the end. Now, on to the O2 sensor on the watch, Apple. Could we get this resolved please?

 

[jlc1978]

As Apple gets forced to allow outside payments that bypass their cut they will have to find a way to make up for the lost revenue. I suspect the next steps are to change the fees they charge for developer access to the store so as to charge more for companies like EPIC that make millions of their apps, much like EPIC does for its engine.

They could get rid of the fee all together and just add upfront, per download and hosting fees but that would seriously hurt small developers who would have to put up cash before they sell anything.

Hopefully this will benefit the consumer in the end & not any of the giants that are clashing.

I doubt it since EPIC is unlikely to lower their price by 30%. This was never about fairness but who gets how much of the pie.

 

[Plutonius]

Hopefully this actually will benefit the devs./consumers in the end.

I'm still waiting for the Epic store to host competitor's apps .

 

[jlc1978]

I'm still waiting for the Epic store to host competitor's apps .

and EPIC being forced to follow the same rules as Apple...

 

[zarmanto]

This all started when Epic broke contracts that had already made them millions. Never forget that. When the bully wins a battle, they don't simply sit back and celebrate... they push forward to the next battle. Epic will never be satisfied. And eventually, they'll push too hard, and the courts will be forced to push back.

Epic's eventual downfall at their own hands is as predictable as the sunrise.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

and EPIC being forced to follow the same rules as Apple...

Epic isn't an ecosystem/OS like iOS or Android, so I don't see why it would. Google and Apple both got equally dinged with this ruling.

This all started when Epic broke contracts that had already made them millions. Never forget that. When the bully wins a battle, they don't sit back and celebrate... they push forward to the next battle. Epic will never be satisfied. And eventually, they'll push too hard, and the courts will be forced to push back.

Epic's eventual downfall at their own hands is as predictable as the sunrise.

Epic being wrong (they often are) doesn't mean Apple is in the right. I absolutely think they (Apple) have too much control and do too much middlemanning. I would rather pay developers directly when possible, even if it doesn't save me any money.

 

[gco212]

This all started when Epic broke contracts that had already made them millions. Never forget that. When the bully wins a battle, they don't simply sit back and celebrate... they push forward to the next battle. Epic will never be satisfied. And eventually, they'll push too hard, and the courts will be forced to push back.

Epic's eventual downfall at their own hands is as predictable as the sunrise.

This all started when Apple illegally used its market position to harm customers and strongarm developers into signing contracts with illegal terms.

 

[KRiWOLF]

Epic isn't an ecosystem/OS like iOS or Android, so I don't see why it would. Google and Apple both got equally dinged with this ruling.



Epic being wrong (they often are) doesn't mean Apple is in the right. I absolutely think they (Apple) have too much control and too much middlemanning.

I'm currently doing work for a game that is targeted for the Epic store, app store, play, and windows- I can easily say that Epic is way more ****** than Apple to deal with. Apple has a bigger cut, sure, but they do more for our marketing and our revenue is higher. Apple has more control, but seemingly has a more legitimate reason for doing so, at least compared to other platforms which say one thing and mean something entirely else.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

IMO…..no one cares.

 

[123]

They could get rid of the fee all together and just add upfront, per download and hosting fees but that would seriously hurt small developers who would have to put up cash before they sell anything.

It can simply be:

• use our system for payment etc. -> no fee
• use your own -> download fee

Entirely up to the developer to choose the model.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

It can simply be:

• use our system for payment etc. -> no fee
• use your own -> download fee

Entirely up to the developer to choose the model.

Third option. Let me load apps from outside the App store.

 

[User 6502]

This all started when Epic broke contracts that had already made them millions. Never forget that. When the bully wins a battle, they don't simply sit back and celebrate... they push forward to the next battle. Epic will never be satisfied. And eventually, they'll push too hard, and the courts will be forced to push back.

Epic's eventual downfall at their own hands is as predictable as the sunrise.

I’d say it is Apple who pushed too hard and eventually had to capitulate. And there’s not reason to predict anything, it has already happened in the EU, in the United States, now in Australia and who knows in how many other countries. It had some awful predatory tactics that are now rightfully being dismantled by courts all over the world.

 

[ksec]

While it has die down a bit for a few years, from my understanding the current Macrumors comments would suggest Apple to pull out of Australia.

 

[zarmanto]

This all started when Apple illegally used its market position to harm customers and strongarm developers into signing contracts with illegal terms.

Seems to me you're putting the cart before the horse. Nothing Apple did was "illegal" until Epic conned a bunch of government regulators into writing new laws that advantaged Epic.

 

[GertjeD]

As a EU citizen I feel well served because it’s a nice game especially now that they have a mobile friendly Blitz variant.
Also it’s good that the ridiculous power concentration at Big Tech is slightly counterbalanced. It’s a world of greed and arrogantly knowing what’s good for stupid mortals

 

[Kr0019]

Third option. Let me load apps from outside the App store.

How about you buy into a device platform that allows you to do what you want in the first place instead of knowingly buying into a platform that doesn’t, then complain like a ten year old because it’s doesn’t let you do what you want. The freedom of choice begins when you choose which system you want, not the one you know that doesn’t let you have what you want, but you’ll continue to complain anyway. Many want a secure, closed platform, if you want an open one, go there. This is why we can’t have good things, everyone wants what they know they cannot get, but demand the right to whinge about it endlessly.

 

[Plutonius]

While it has die down a bit for a few years, from my understanding the current Macrumors comments would suggest Apple to pull out of Australia.

I may be wrong but the "pull out of xxx country" is driven by the country in question applying massive fines to Apple. In most cases, many people believe that these fines are just a way for said country to make money.

I don't believe that Australia has fined Apple so you will not hear the "get out of Australia" except for maybe a few.

 

[MilaM]

Yet another court deciding that Google and Apple are abusing their power. It surely must be some kind of conspiracy.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

How about you buy into a device platform that allows you to do what you want in the first place instead of knowingly buying into a platform that doesn’t, then complain like a ten year old because it’s doesn’t let you do what you want. The freedom of choice begins when you choose which system you want, not the one you know that doesn’t let you have what you want, but you’ll continue to complain anyway. Many want a secure, closed platform, if you want an open one, go there. This is why we can’t have good things, everyone wants what they know they cannot get, but demand the right to whinge about it endlessly.

Request =/= complain. I didn't demand anything. 🙄

I've spent multiple thousands with Apple over the years, but even I hadn't, I can still make my thoughts heard. No one listens to those who aren't talking.

 

[Dr Nobody Important]

And yet they are continuing to promote rule-breaking, so sad.

 

[ChamomileTea]

Epic Games has announced that Fortnite will return to iOS in Australia after Apple and Google were found to have broken competition law by banning Epic Games from their app stores.

Federal judge Jonathan Beach found that both companies had broken the law by misusing their market power in the way they run their app stores. Apple was ruled to have engaged in conduct that prevents direct downloading or sideloading of apps and blocks developers from using alternative payment methods. Google was also found to have breached the law for the similar Google Play billing system.

The victory is another win for Epic in its global legal campaign against Apple's App Store policies. Epic began legal proceedings against Apple in Australia in 2020 after it blocked Fortnite updates when Epic attempted to let players make in-app purchases via its own third-party payment service, bypassing Apple's 30% commission. Fortnite is still available in Australia on Android, but only through sideloading or through the Samsung store.

"This is a win for developers and consumers in Australia," Epic said in a post on X (Twitter), though the company conceded that there were 2,000+ pages of findings that it would "need to dig into to fully understand the details."

Apple said it "strongly disagreed" with the ruling while welcoming the Australian court's rejection of some of Epic's other claims.

The ruling follows similar victories for Epic in the United States, where Fortnite returned to the App Store in May, and the European Union, where the game is available through the Epic Games‌ Store alternative app marketplace. The U.S. version of Fortnite includes an option for players to purchase in-app currency using the ‌Epic Games‌ website as an alternative to in-app purchase. It is not available on the ‌App Store‌ in other countries.

Apple is currently appealing the U.S. court ruling that forced it to change its ‌domestic App Store‌ rules to allow developers to link customers to purchase options available outside of the ‌App Store‌.

Article Link: Fortnite Coming Back to iPhone in Australia After Epic's Legal Victory

Name one small-scale developer that got benefited from this court decision.

Name just one!

I’m an iOS developer, part of my work I do for a company and make some side-business with AppStore Apps.

Nobody uses those third-party stores, nobody! Most apps available are apps that are somewhat related to piracy that Apple doesn’t allow in their store (like torrent clients)

Other than that is a version UTM with JIT, the only legitimate app, which is 100% free.

EPIC is done for.

Fortnite lost the crown to Valve’s Counter Strike 2 and Lego’s ROBLOX.

Older Minecraft has now more active users.

Their game’s engine, once cherished by game developers is now shunned because it’s becoming more and more bloated and less performant, requiring more and more expensive hardware. Sony’s DECIMA engine, developed in Netherlands now is now the envy of every games developer, Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2 used it and is probably the best looking game in this generation of consoles. And the soon to be opened Capcom’s REX engine will surely attract developers. Just look at games like Resident Evil 4 Remake. Looks stunning on every platform, the best looking game you can play on a (e.g.) M4 MacBook Air, because it’s so resource efficient and doesn’t rely heavily on AI upscalling and framegen.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

And yet they are continuing to promote rule-breaking, so sad.

The Aus government is saying that Apple's (and Google's) rules are illegal.

 

[gco212]

Seems to me you're putting the cart before the horse. Nothing Apple did was "illegal" until Epic conned a bunch of government regulators into writing new laws that advantaged Epic.

I’d suggest you read the Apple v Epic decision where Apple was found to be in violation of preexisting laws.

 

[turbineseaplane]

This all started when Epic broke contracts that had already made them millions. Never forget that. When the bully wins a battle, they don't simply sit back and celebrate... they push forward to the next battle. Epic will never be satisfied. And eventually, they'll push too hard, and the courts will be forced to push back.

Epic's eventual downfall at their own hands is as predictable as the sunrise.

One could swap in "Apple" for "Epic" nearly perfectly here, omitting the first sentence.
(tl;dr big companies are all the same)


When the bully wins a battle, they don't simply sit back and celebrate... they push forward to the next battle. Apple will never be satisfied. And eventually, they'll push too hard, and the courts will be forced to push back.

Apple's eventual downfall at their own hands is as predictable as the sunrise.