Fortnite for iOS and macOS Will No Longer Be Cross-Platform When New Season Launches

[Colonel Blimp]

I hope that will finally lead Apple to stop limiting us to their stupid Apple Arcade. I want to play real games on a couple of my iOS devices.

Are you for real? You surely cannot be ignorant of the fact that Apple do no such thing.

 

[Colonel Blimp]

Sure. I bet there is one macos fortnite player.

Desperate enough to play Fortnite to sell his or her Mac? 😂

 

[topdrawer]

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.

how is it irrelevant? apple's own frameworks to make games aren't being updated, scenekit still only runs on single core.

 

[Naraxus]

Good. Stand your ground Epic! The world supports you and your fight!

 

[MacBH928]

Remember when Epic and Apple worked together to releasing astonishing games like Infinity Blade?
pepperidge farm remembers

 

[dukebound85]

epic values that 30% more than the 70%

 

[grover5]

Good. Stand your ground Epic! The world supports you and your fight!

No. Just no.

 

[rictus007]

Honest question.... Is Fornite a good game? Should I try it?

 

[portland_bill]

Than’s a very good point, but in fact the situation may be even more dire than you suppose.

Three weeks ago, Apple accidentally suspended the developer account of Charlie Monroe Software, with which all of his apps (e.g. Downie and Permute) had been codesigned. As soon as his account was suspended, they all stopped working, and there was no simple workaround. Option-clicking on his apps to open them did not offer the option to bypass Gatekeeper. (Apple corrected their mistake 24 hours later and apologized for their error.)

While we’ve always been able to run software that has never been code-signed in macOS, it appears that software that has been signed with a suspended or terminated developer account just won’t run (at least not in Mojave or Catalina).

So I guess there’s no point in releasing an update for an app that’s going to stop working entirely in two days.

BOOO! It’s far more fun to be an airhead Apple fan and claim it’s cOz EpIC iS cRyInG.

The lack of knowledge on here this week does not paint Apple fans* in a very good light.

*Used on purpose. Consumers or customers would imply some level of discerning and non-bias.

 

[Colonel Blimp]

While we’ve always been able to run software that has never been code-signed in macOS, it appears that software that has been signed with a suspended or terminated developer account just won’t run (at least not in Mojave or Catalina).

So I guess there’s no point in releasing an update for an app that’s going to stop working entirely in two days.

BOOO! It’s far more fun to be an airhead Apple fan and claim it’s cOz EpIC iS cRyInG....

It occurs to me that there appears to be nothing to stop Epic from releasing a new update to the Fortnite app for macOS without codesigning it, so that users can run it by option-clicking it and choosing to bypass Gatekeeper.

So I guess Epic really are just crying and taking their ball home after all.

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

Yet, the 30% does not at all fund the developer resources. With this 30%, Apple makes a disproportionate amount of profit above and beyond what you'd otherwise imagine. What hurts indie developers the most is the inequality they face with the current 15/30 split given to companies / industries of choice or to those that choose to go down the God-awful "subscription on all things" business route.

Epic's push for less gouging by online stores benefits developers of all sizes (most particularly indies) because they'll be getting more money per sale. Not many people seem to think about that. I'm all for anything that makes the (largely brutal) game developer lifestyle more sustainable for the people producing innovative games/tools/software/entertainment.

 

[BGPL]

Epic is the winner here. Apple loses 100% of the revenue from Epic, and Fortnite players will just play on PC rather than PC and iOS. The people that buy skins and v-bucks won't just stop playing, they'll move with Epic and they know that.

Good for Epic.

 

[BGPL]

I'm guessing once the laundry is done and Epic investors see how much money is lost in iOS revenue, Epic's CEO will get sh*t-canned for engaging in such a reckless strategy.

They only need 70% of the revenue from iOS to come over to PC to break even. Most players are on both platforms since v-bucks and skins are universal. I would be surprised if earnings showed anything. The players will just play full-time on console or PC and ditch the phone. Or they'll go Android but I doubt it.

 

[bousozoku]

It would make zero sense for Epic to declare war on Apple if they pay the same percentage to other platforms. Zero sense.

I’m not a gamer, but can’t they sell their games on DVDs and bypass the platform’s fee altogether?

It's just that there are so many Fortnite players on iOS that they want even more. Every kid with a phone (from the parents, of course) can play Fortnite without having a huge investment in video cards, etc. with a desktop machine.

 

[Giovannizn]

It’s their choice of course, but Epic treating Fortnite players as pawns in their little stunt shows just how little Epic care about them.

It also shows how the communists treat people.

 

[DragonX]

Are you for real? You surely cannot be ignorant of the fact that Apple do no such thing.

Yes I am for real. Apple is clearly limiting us by not allowing Parsec, Stadia, MS xCloud, NVidia Now etc. on their devices. Apple Arcade just cannot provide the same experience because Apple's GPUs are very slow, so the only option is game streaming. Now they limit it as well. I'll be soon ready to switch to Android because of this greedy limitation.

 

[CarlJ]

12 year olds will be raging... Apple must be absolutely devastated.

What do you want to bet that Epic chose now because it’s a month or so out from the release of new iPhones and iPads, and they want to gets lots of 12 year olds to decide against iOS devices.

 

[Giovannizn]

What will the financial hit be to AAPL ?

Specifically, how much influence does a Flagship Game App like Fortnite have ?

I'm starting to think that Epic may actually win this !

Might take 9-12 months BEFORE AAPL gives in, however.

How many flagship games came and gone in the past 5 years?

 

[Rogifan]

Connected podcast discussed this issue. I agree with Myke Hurley and Federico Viticci. Especially their comments around IAP and security. Sometimes with Apple and it’s defenders its as if the internet commerce didn‘t exist prior to IAP or doesn’t exist outside the App Store. Yet people are buying stuff in the browser all the time. People are buying physical goods in-app all the time. Where are the security issues?

 

[archer75]

Yes I am for real. Apple is clearly limiting us by not allowing Parsec, Stadia, MS xCloud, NVidia Now etc. on their devices. Apple Arcade just cannot provide the same experience because Apple's GPUs are very slow, so the only option is game streaming. Now they limit it as well. I'll be soon ready to switch to Android because of this greedy limitation.

Well that’s just wrong on many levels. Apple Arcade has nothing to do with this. It’s not a competitor to those streaming services. It’s not even a streaming service.
And those streaming services aren’t even part of the article you’re commenting on. Or the lawsuit. That’s a completely separate issue.
And the Apple gpu in mobile is the most powerful out of any mobile platform. More powerful then the switch. And the 2 year old iPad Pro was on par with the Xbox one s.

 

[Giovannizn]

Unlike Apple, Google doesn't have overbearing control of your device to disrupt apps and services since they provide a way to side load apps. For the case of Fortnite side loaded app it will continue to be updated and purchases made direct from Epic. Only thing you're giving up is the convenience of Google Play Store. Similar to paying by cash without fee or credit with reasonable fee analogy at gas stations.

Nobody has the obligation to buy an Apple product. So I can’t see the monopoly here. Can you buy a Ford and sue them because the dealer refuses to fit a Chevrolet engine?

 

[Tucom]

It’s their choice of course, but Epic treating Fortnite players as pawns in their little stunt shows just how little Epic care about them.

This is the fullest, colossal crap from Epic.

 

[archer75]

Connected podcast discussed this issue. I agree with Myke Hurley and Federico Viticci. Especially their comments around IAP and security. Sometimes with Apple and it’s defenders its as if the internet commerce didn‘t exist prior to IAP or doesn’t exist outside the App Store. Yet people are buying stuff in the browser all the time. People are buying physical goods in-app all the time. Where are the security issues?

Ask google. Or Microsoft. Or Sony. Or Nintendo. They all have the same policy and charge the same amount. Keep in mind epic is suing google too.

 

[Colonel Blimp]

Yes I am for real. Apple is clearly limiting us by not allowing Parsec, Stadia, MS xCloud, NVidia Now etc. on their devices. Apple Arcade just cannot provide the same experience because Apple's GPUs are very slow, so the only option is game streaming. Now they limit it as well. I'll be soon ready to switch to Android because of this greedy limitation.

Yes, Apple do limit their users, but not to games available only through Apple Arcade. While Apple’s restriction of game-streaming services may be a legitimate issue, there are tens of thousands of games (at least) on the App Store for iOS.

 

[sirozha]

I can’t answer that. The last game I recently bought was a digital download as I needed some distraction for shelter in place. I haven’t bought a game prior in 15 years.

But I do not believe a DVD will mitigate the loss of their developer account for iOS or Mac. (But someone will chime in if I’m wrong)

I was talking about bying a game on DVD for a game console. Every game I buy for my son, I buy it on DVD.