Oh wow! This is awesome! Epic is pretty much taunting Apple to ban Fortnite. If this happens, it will spark outrage among Gen-Zs. You don't wanna upset the "Snowflakes".
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Fortnite Introduces Direct Payment Option on iOS Despite Apple's App Store Review Guidelines [Updated]
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I don't agree with many of Apple's App Store guidelines, but this is one I'm enormously thankful for. Nothing could be worse than having to put in payment info separately for every app you use just so you can save the developer some money. Obviously this rule is meant to make Apple more money, but it also makes for an inarguably better experience.
Maybe that would encourage developers to release smaller and more efficient apps...
I have an app on the store that is under 10MB, if I had used one of the popular App toolkits it probably would've been 100MB at minimum, probably even more than that.
There's no evidence that developers/publishers would be charging less if they didn't have to pay Apple 30%. And there's actually evidence right here to the contrary: Fortnite is charging only 20% less for direct payments, meaning they're pocketing the 10% difference.
This is going to be very interesting. Fortnite is huge, ejecting them from the AppStore would cost Epic dearly in the beginning but could cost Apple a lot more in the long run.
Any solution would most likely result in offering an alternate payment option along side of Apple’s IAP. Then consumers can choose which they prefer. My guess is some would choose to stick with Apple’s IAP.
Consumers would figure it out pretty quick if the non-Apple IAP price wasn’t cheaper, especially if the two options were side by side. Do we know that the $9.99 price is 30% more than what Epic would normally charge?
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I’m a millennial and play Fortnite as well. I like it, it is a game where you can win using your reflexes and ability to aim if you play using “action”, or you can win using patience and strategy, leveling up your weapons while the others kill themselves, and trying to attack using stealth. And, I don’t know, it is fun.
I’m gonna install the latest version because Apple is going to ban the app from the App Store as soon as they realize
Games like Fortnite are precisely why Apple’s In-App Purchases system exists, in order to prevent the exact kind of abuses I’m sure Epic is going to try to pull off! In game currency is the exact opposite of real world goods and services and pretty much the whole reason the In-App Purchase system was introduced back in iPhoneOS 3. Already we hear about kids spending exorbitant amounts of money on Fortnite and other freemium games, how do Epic’s lockout controls address those concerns? IIRC, with Apple, you’ve got Apple’s parental controls to lock out IAP purchases and whatnot.
Actually the evidence is right here. Fortnite IS charging less. Just because it is not the full 30% markup is charging doesn't matter. The consumer is still paying less.
I dont know. There are Apps I felt dont deserve the 30% Cut.
But not Gaming though.
Before Apple even split the App Store into Apps and Games Section, I have always been advocating lowering the App Store Tax for Apps. Leave the 30% for Games. And 15% for Apps, 10% for Subscription.
It was estimated 80% of App Store revenue comes from Gaming. So Apple is only lowering their 30% cut for 20% of their revenue, or roughly 10% lower in Total App Store Revenue.
I think that is a fair deal.
But not Gaming though.
Before Apple even split the App Store into Apps and Games Section, I have always been advocating lowering the App Store Tax for Apps. Leave the 30% for Games. And 15% for Apps, 10% for Subscription.
It was estimated 80% of App Store revenue comes from Gaming. So Apple is only lowering their 30% cut for 20% of their revenue, or roughly 10% lower in Total App Store Revenue.
I think that is a fair deal.
I didn’t, probably because I vaguely remember Epic before Tencent even existed. But it explains so much about Fortnite that I’m not surprised. Their freemium model is basically the same one all the questionable freemium MMORPGs used 10 years ago.
Which is also partially owned by Tencent. Sheesh, I’m not even that anti-China and yet, I think it’s ridiculous just how much Tencent has its tentacles in various popular games.
This is a very thoughtful take: Since it’s a stupid game the Correct outcome is obvious. Combine that with the argument that might makes right and you’re good to go
Or - It’s such an important thing that there are other powerful companies to challenge Apple even it’s a little messy in the short run; all companies are trying to screw us; Apple sucks as much as they all do.
A lot of people here like to point out that Apple's cost of running the app store, servers, bandwidth etc are very low compared to what they earn from the app store, but I've never seen any actual proof of it or the opposite, does anyone happen to have a link to prove it either way?
From what I can tell, that option is not being taken away from you.
Just like Samsung...and probably other MNCs that I am not aware of.
No need to be anti-China to point this out. It's basically late stage capitalism.
Sorta like to good old days of DRM downloads from the iTunes Store.
You can take Apple or the developer's word for it. But both sides haven't given data.
So no, you can't trust both of them to be honest about this.
Do keep in mind that it’s not like developers want to seriously get rid of that 30% cut and take all the profits while publishing their game on iOS for free. It is more like a stance telling Apple they do not like 30% cut. Remember at one point Apple wanted to charge 40% of all revenue going through in app purchases? What if that is the number we have here? As customer, you really need to learn a whole lot more than just “yeah it’s Apple who makes all this happen so it is fair”. Running a business is no joke, both for Apple and for developer.
How about another approach though? All in-app purchases on iOS is 30% higher than on Android because developer passes Apple’s 30% App Store fee to us customers? Sure, some will lose customers, but what if that was the case from the very beginning? Would customers be happy about directly paying Apple 30% cut for the convenience etc? I certainly would not like to pay 30% more just to enjoy the same service or buy the same stuff in a game simply because I am using iOS devices. So why developers need to pay 30% of their supposed income to Apple instead of 15% or lower? Enough is enough. Apple is in such good position (Too big to fail apparently) that they can do whatever they want. I hope Apple can one day realise they CANNOT do whatever they want without consequences.
How about another approach though? All in-app purchases on iOS is 30% higher than on Android because developer passes Apple’s 30% App Store fee to us customers? Sure, some will lose customers, but what if that was the case from the very beginning? Would customers be happy about directly paying Apple 30% cut for the convenience etc? I certainly would not like to pay 30% more just to enjoy the same service or buy the same stuff in a game simply because I am using iOS devices. So why developers need to pay 30% of their supposed income to Apple instead of 15% or lower? Enough is enough. Apple is in such good position (Too big to fail apparently) that they can do whatever they want. I hope Apple can one day realise they CANNOT do whatever they want without consequences.
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