Fortnite Expands to Android, but Epic Skirts Google Play Store With Custom Installer

[MacRumors]

Fortnite, the ultra popular multiplayer battle royale game that's available for iOS devices, consoles, and PCs, is expanding to Android today, but Epic Games is launching Fortnite for Android in a unique way that's worth paying attention to.

As outlined by our sister site TouchArcade, rather than releasing the game on Google Play or another Android marketplace, Epic has created its own Fortnite installer that skirts all fees and eschews the Google Play monopoly on apps, letting Android users install the app outside of Google Play.

Google, like Apple, collects a 30 percent fee for apps (and in-app purchases) released through the Google Play platform, and despite the fees, most developers use Google Play anyway because it's simple, streamlined, and easier in terms of app discovery. But, in contrast to the iOS platform, it is possible for apps to be installed on Android devices without Google Play (or the Amazon Marketplace) and that's what Fortnite has done here.

Fortnite is so popular that Epic doesn't need Google Play to get people to download the game, and thus Google won't be getting a cut of in-app purchases from a mobile game that's already brought more than $100 million in revenue on iOS devices.

Fortnite on Android is being distributed exclusively through Epic's Fortnite Installer, which TouchArcade says is basically a third-party App Store that lets you install one app - Fortnite.

TouchArcade spoke with Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney, and he said that the company was motivated by "economic efficiency." The 30 percent fee charged by open platforms, he says, is "disproportionate" to the services provided.

The 30% store tax is a high cost in a world where game developers' 70% must cover all the cost of developing, operating, and supporting their games. There's a rationale for this on console where there's enormous investment in hardware, often sold below cost, and marketing campaigns in broad partnership with publishers. But on open platforms, 30% is disproportionate to the cost of the services these stores perform, such as payment processing, download bandwidth, and customer service. We're intimately familiar with these costs from our experience operating Fortnite as a direct-to-customer service on PC and Mac.

Sweeney says that right now, Epic Games is focused on Fortnite and there are no current plans for a full Epic App Store that permanently shuts out Google Play, but he didn't rule it out.

Unfortunately for Epic, Apple's mobile platform is more restrictive than Android and there is no way to make a similar move on iOS devices. The only options for skirting the App Store are jailbreaking or distributing outside of the App Store via Xcode, two practices that Apple heavily frowns upon. F.lux, for example, tried using side-loading to release an iOS app back in 2015, and Apple shut it down quickly.

While Epic Games won't be paying fees on Android, Apple will continue getting its 30 percent cut of all Fortnite in-app purchases, at least for now. TouchArcade editor-in-chief Eli Hodapp suggests that this launch has the potential to put pressure on both Google Play and the App Store if Epic Games releases an alternative Android platform that offers more affordable rates. Epic's Unreal Engine Marketplace, for example, offers an 88/12 split, a much better deal than the 30/70 split Apple and Google provide developers.

For more details on how Fortnite for Android will work, make sure to check out TouchArcade's walkthrough following a hands-on demo with the app install process.

Article Link: Fortnite Expands to Android, but Epic Skirts Google Play Store With Custom Installer

 

[bladerunner2000]

Available for Nvidia Shield TV? That would be great...

 

[RyanInBinary]

Damn, I bet el Goog is not happy right now

 

[Andres Cantu]

That’s...epic.

 

[Danoc]

-

 

[sfwalter]

I wonder how long it will be before Google blocks this. Oh wait Google can't simple issue software updates without getting the blessing of all the carriers around the world.

 

[A MacBook lover]

They will probably end up making magnitudes more money on iOS with Apple’s 30% fee anyways! Even if they got 100% profits by skirting the play store.
Sad!

 

[Xgm541]

I wonder how long it will be before Google blocks this. Oh wait Google can't simple issue software updates without getting the blessing of all the carriers around the world.

Moving past the lame (and false) android joke, Google can't "block" it even if they wanted because android allows apps to be installed outside the play store innately.

 

[whyamihere]

I'm looking forward to see how this plays out and how soon others will follow. I'm a bit surprised making users go through extra hoops will be more profitable than just paying Google 30%, but I also have no doubt Epic has ample resources to make that determination.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Interesting approach that could probably only be pulled off by such a popular game. I’m sure other developers would love to follow suit. What is interesting though, is that while I’m sure they’d love to do the same thing to Apple, these games need to get their start somewhere in order to rise to popularity enough to have the clout to stand on their own, independent of any app store model. Since iOS users have been proven to open their pocketbook more than Android users, it is a logical place for developers to aim for that notoriety. If your app gets Fortnite-level attention on the App Store, then maybe you can pull off your independent installer on Android.

All that said, keep in mind that Google is moving more and more of Android into the proprietary Play Services with each new version, so there may eventually be a time where you either won’t be able to install outside the Play Store, or your functionality will be so bad that it won’t be worth it anymore. If you try to kill all Google Services and apps on a modern Android phone today, the phone is almost useless.

 

[Mac-lover3]

Interesting approach that could probably only be pulled off by such a popular game. I’m sure other developers would love to follow suit. What is interesting though, is that while I’m sure they’d love to do the same thing to Apple, these games need to get their start somewhere in order to rise to popularity enough to have the clout to stand on their own, independent of any app store model. Since iOS users have been proven to open their pocketbook more than Android users, it is a logical place for developers to aim for that notoriety. If your app gets Fortnight-level attention on the App Store, then maybe you can pull off your independent installer on Android.

All that said, keep in mind that Google is moving more and more of Android into the proprietary Play Services with each new version, so there may eventually be a time where you either won’t be able to install outside the Play Store, or your functionality will be so bad that it won’t be worth it anymore. If you try to kill all Google Services and apps on a modern Android phone today, the phone is almost useless.

The day that Google does close Android down I feel like Google is threading on very sharp blade. The main factor between iOS and Android is how open it is. If that’s gone (together with rooting devices easily) will be the day the Google will lose out.

 

[dan9700]

So bored about this game its all you hear about

 

[m0sher]

I would love to see an Apple vs Android Fortnite deathmatch!!!!!!!

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

The day that Google does close Android down I feel like Google is threading on very sharp blade. The main factor between iOS and Android is how open it is. If that’s gone (together with rooting devices easily) will be the day the Google will lose out.

I think you’ll always get to pick your default apps on Android, but I can see them thwarting the other things, especially if Fortnite rakes in a few hundred million bucks and dodges the fees and all future big moneymaker apps start doing the same.

 

[heov]

I wonder how long it will be before Google blocks this. Oh wait Google can't simple issue software updates without getting the blessing of all the carriers around the world.

Google can't block this. Android is open-source. You can run any app-store on Android. Google only profits on Android via it's closed source products, like the Play Store, Gmail, Photos, etc. They can only influence OEMs by not allowing their Play Services on the device.

Amazon and China do fine without Play Services. Samsung basically has their own, too, but come equipped with Google in addition.

Android isn not like iOS in this regard. Google maintains AOSP, they do not own it.
[doublepost=1533310709][/doublepost]

They will probably end up making magnitudes more money on iOS with Apple’s 30% fee anyways! Even if they got 100% profits by skirting the play store.
Sad!

I'm not sure about "magnitudes", but they probably will make more on iOS. iOS is huge on the young, game-plauing demographics. And this game will only run on modern hardware.

 

[A MacBook lover]

I think you’ll always get to pick your default apps on Android, but I can see them thwarting the other things, especially if Fortnight rakes in a few hundred million bucks and dodges the fees and all future big moneymaker apps start doing the same.

Apple was smart to have security and tightness as a foundation, then slowly open it up.

Google started open, but security as an afterthought. Now they are closing it up.

Unfortunately, this costed google devices security, performance, and even revenue - as developers begin to skirt around google’s 30% fee.
[doublepost=1533310895][/doublepost]

I'm not sure about "magnitudes", but they probably will make more on iOS. iOS is huge on the young, game-plauing demographics. And this game will only run on modern hardware.

Young and old. People who spend money, and use their devices.

 

[vmistery]

I wonder how many fake installers will appear and how much malware will be installed because of this. Presumably you have to open up some stuff that you wouldn’t usually need to to make this work...

 

[Tokenfreak]

People still play this game lol

 

[urtules]

Am I only one who don’t understand how you can release shooter on touch screen without controller support.

 

[Jimmy James]

Great game. Destroys my battery like nothing else.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I wonder how many fake installers will appear and how much malware will be installed because of this. Presumably you have to open up some stuff that you wouldn’t usually need to to make this work...

I didn’t even think of that problem. Yeah, you’ll see links all over for “Get Fortnite FREE,” and some guy will install a cryptocurrency miner on there with it. Another danger is that it will require you to disable the third party app installer protection, so even if you get this game correctly, you might end up with scams to get other paid apps for free.

 

[pipis2010]

The day that Google does close Android down I feel like Google is threading on very sharp blade. The main factor between iOS and Android is how open it is. If that’s gone (together with rooting devices easily) will be the day the Google will lose out.

Not really, they will just have proven Apple how right they were from the start of their ecosystem... no matter how open a mobile OS wants to be (and I would be the first to support it), year after year it shows that closed ecosystems can be MUCH better supported and perform better - no matter what all the Android fans are saying.

 

[Cosmosent]

It's NOT just the 30% cut, but it ALSO enables App Devs to circumvent the "Stranglehold on App Discovery" that Apple & Google have, which to some of us, is an even BIGGER issue !

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Apple doesn't do crap to help developers sell apps.

You put an app on the app store? Great. It's one of millions. Apple won't do a single thing to help yours. It's just like Apple Music. Apple doesn't care in the slightest about discovery or matching users to things they're interested in. They tell you what's already popular. They tell everyone the same apps. Which inherently means there will be the chosen dozen that everyone will have, and nobody will have the rest of the millions.

If you want to be discovered, you have to do it outside the App Store. Have an ad campaign and pray that it's viral.

There's literally no difference between throwing your app on a website and throwing it on the App Store. Except Apple won't actually allow things to be installed from a website onto the iPhone - the user has to go through the app store, meaning Apple has to have a 30% cut.

I like Epic's point about Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony selling the hardware at breakeven prices. It gives some justification to pay those companies. Plus they actually curate content. I've been talking with Nintendo for a year about publishing my game on their store. Apple would have put it on the App Store 2 years ago, no problem. I'm hopeful I'll reach Nintendo's quality bar within a year. Curation means Nintendo's store only has 1000 other games I'm competing with, instead of millions. It means customers actually might find my game once it's out there.

 

[t.k.dennis]

Am I only one who don’t understand how you can release shooter on touch screen without controller support.

No kidding. The only reason Fortnite on Android OS interests me is the fact that I figure there's some way to use a controller. That being said, if people do start using controllers on Android OS, it will be quite an edge against their enemies .

I would really love controller support for Fortnite on iPad, because it would be quite fun.