I was thinking the exact same thing. Plenty data out there saying iOS user spend way more in the app store than users of any other platform. Apple’s brand loyalty should have been considered by Epic before picking this fight as well. Most of all, Epic’s investors should also consider how quickly gamers (And people in general) can move on to the next big app/game. When you loose customers, you usually don’t get them back, and they have opened the door for lots of customers to start looking for what’s next. Terrible gamble on Epics part. Even if they win the lawsuit, it won’t matter if nobody comes back to buy anything. The reward is nowhere near the risk.
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Fortnite for iOS and macOS Will No Longer Be Cross-Platform When New Season Launches
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No, which is why they should pay more. They cost Apple many millions of dollars per year in transfer for their free apps that generate essentially no revenue for Apple, which is why Apple charges 30% (or 15% in some cases) commission to small independent developers to make up the difference. And that's before taxes.
Finally, someone who gets it. Thank you! If you take into account Fortnite’s user base demographics, all but the most hardcore streamers who make a living off of it – i.e. the adults, who run it on kitted out PC towers anyway – will basically be told by their parents, who own the plastic, to suck it up and switch to another game (and they will grumble, and try to bargain – yes, the most hardcore fans might try to get their parents to buy them an Android phone –, but they’ll eventually move on; we all did way back when for a number of reasons, usually once the new shiny thing came about, so I don’t see why it’ll be any different now, as it’s just human nature, group dynamics, consumerism, etc.).
To suggest otherwise, that kids will suddenly band together around, of all things, a frivolous objective like defending a multi-million-dollar corporation from another multi-million-dollar corporation says a lot about the posters themselves (single – or at least childless –, younger dudes who never gave a thought about parenting; I do fit that demographic, generally speaking, but I’ve been diverging from that profile on the latter, crucial detail for some years now, and I guarantee you that’s exactly what I would do, temper tantrums notwithstanding). And it’s also insulting to the kids themselves, who are likely more worried about whether they’ll have a survivable, let alone inhabitable planet to live on once they reach middle age.
Anyway, onto Apple: even with all their privacy-preserving measures, they know this all too well, as they have a treasure trove of data – anonymized as it may be, sure –, including exactly how many iCloud family plans there are and how many of them installed and spent money on Fortnite. As for Epic, I’m not entirely sure what data they have and how certain they are of their odds, because their moves look like more of a crazed gamble than a game of chess. The simple fact that they were so blatantly obnoxious towards Apple – by violating the App Store TOS – and its users – by needlessly cutting them off –, and cavalier towards UE-based game developers – by embroiling them in something that’s none of their business and potentially jeopardizing their livelihood –, makes me think they’re full of hubris.
Basically, Epic and Sweeney think that Fortnite and their app store are better products in their respective markets than the iPhone lineup, Apple services, and the entire ecosystem. I think Epic is completely screwed, and will get so savagely destroyed in court and dropped by everyone with even half a brain that it won’t even be funny enough for us to feel Schadenfreude. And hey, maybe a more sensible and stable company will end up buying the UE team and IP. I won’t bet money on any of those scenarios (because, unlike Sweeney, I don’t enjoy the very idea of gambling, ha), but I’ll be here to say “toldja” and see you all eat claim chowder.
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Glad Epic is standing their ground. This will only hurt Apple. Those who are addicted to Epic’s game will leave the Apple platform.
Epic basically wants their own store and is citing anti competitive practices
They have a case there, which is why this is going to court as well as why Apple Is under scrutiny, court will decide if they win or not
Ultimately though, it’s just about $$$. Epic wants more $$$ by having their own store front and not giving up that 30% cut to Apple and Google
30% does fund all developer resources along with Apple pocketing the difference. Based on quarterly financials and analyst data, I estimate running the App Store and all of the developer resources cost Apple about $5b in 2019.
App developers can save more by paying 30% instead of 15% + $10k-$20k to Google using Google Maps by using Apple Maps for free instead.
Free apps can benefit from this too, keeping the service free for end users. By having 1 app store, all apps have access to the 500 million visitors per week traffic. It's a win-win-win situation.
Or the players will sell their Macs, buy much more powerful PCs for that money and will be playing their favorite games on PCs.
People are not buying Macs primarily to game. They will likely just end up getting a secondary gaming device like a console, switch or gaming PC.
Are you implying that people *gasp* actually have a choice?
Kids who own iPhones and are addicted to Epic games will see their friends with Androids having the new game. What will they do? They will sell their iPhones and get an Android. There’s nothing they will be missing on the Android. Kids are not going to stick with Apple when their favorite fix is taken away from them.
I’m sure that they use a messaging service other than the iMessage because not every kid has an iPhone. So, there’s absolutely nothing they will be missing if they leave the iPhone.
Apple needs to be taught a lesson.
And those that are annoyed at epic might leave their games as well. I think it works both ways.
kids don't have money. Nowhere near enough for a phone. They'll take what their parents buy them and like it. Older kids who may have money don't care about fortnite. They've moved on to the new flavor of the month.
I asked my kids, they tell me no one plays fortnite on mobile. It's dumb.
That is totally irrelevant. The conversation here is regarding the app store and the services it provides. Apple says it uses 30% revenue to keep App Store running and hosting all the apps on it. The services provided refer to integration like Apple Pay, Analytics, etc. It's not apple's duty to keep frameworks for all literally everything ever imaginable.
We are talking about different kinds of people. Adults may not switch away from Apple. Kids will switch, as they can switch platforms much more easily, and they don’t have the allegiances that the adults do. Kids will choose the platform based on its merits. If Apple can’t cover their needs, they will find a platform that does.
oh. Than we agree. LOL. I thought you were saying small developers should pay less.
Epic are trying to vilify Apple as much as possible here, when they're the ones originally in the wrong.
I'm sure Cupertino is quaking at the thought of a horde Gen-Z's (and millennial virgins) grinding their teeth at them from their parent's houses.
I'm sure Cupertino is quaking at the thought of a horde Gen-Z's (and millennial virgins) grinding their teeth at them from their parent's houses.
Well, then good for your kids. Personally, I’ll never allow my kids to get near Fortnight. Nonetheless, I support Epic here.
I don't know why. Epic is wrong on this one. Every platform they're on charges the same 30% to them and everyone else and doesn't allow them to run their own store on those platforms. They want a special exemption just for them and they've gotten greedy.
Now if we were talking about apple and xcloud/stadia I'd say apple is wrong on those.
Thanks for this. YOU are the first person to lay it out in terms that make sense... their play against MacOS seemed malicious at first... but now I get it. Thanks for that. Some (correction... ALL) of the journalists I've read so far have failed to articulate this point.