Fortnite Introduces Direct Payment Option on iOS Despite Apple's App Store Review Guidelines [Updated]

[davidjytang]

When was the last time you walked into a retail store and when you picked up your merchandise and went to pay for it at the register. The merchandises "vendor" popped out of the floor and said, "Psss, hey pay me here, and I will charge you less for that item! " And the "store" was OK with that?

I'll wait.

Online shopping.

Customers have the choice to buy same thing through other channels. Leave the store and search for better purchase. Of course customers can choose to not to go anywhere else and complete the purchase. To make this happen, iOS would need to open up and allow other ways to install the apps.

Your vendor popping out example is a bit over the top.

 

[cezar.cretzu]

C’mooon. Really? So shopping for a camera lens on bhphoto.com and during my checkout process I have on top of the option to pay, a link to a cheaper online store? Don’t think so :|

and in the same respect I’m not sure canon could force bhphoto.com to put links to canon.com for better price

but here’s the difference: bhphoto does online shopping platforms while canon does photo gear. And they benefit each other in the end. The same way epic does games and Apple does software platforms for those games.

 

[silentdevotion]

there is no such thing as “the App Store monopoly,” any more than walmart has a monopoly in the buildings it has built.

If you want freedom to sell whatever you want, build your own phone and infrastructure.

When you have over 100 million users and there isn't another way to offer your application on that platform it's a monopoly, Apple is in an Anti-Trust lawsuit for a reason. The Anti-Trust hearing asked the very same questions about control and Apple just didn't what they say they wouldn't do.

 

[silentdevotion]

Online shopping.

Customers have the choice to buy same thing through other channels. Leave the store and search for better purchase. Of course customers can choose to not to go anywhere else and complete the purchase. To make this happen, iOS would need to open up and allow other ways to install the apps.

Your vendor popping out example is a bit over the top.

This is what people don't understand, they keep making analogies that don't work. Yes you can go to another store, with IOS there isn't another store.

 

[djphat2000]

Online shopping.

Customers have the choice to buy same thing through other channels. Leave the store and search for better purchase. Of course customers can choose to not to go anywhere else and complete the purchase. To make this happen, iOS would need to open up and allow other ways to install the apps.

Your vendor popping out example is a bit over the top.

I would disagree on the over the top part. They are currently trying to sell you something through the same store (Apple). They would like to sell to you on the same iOS device without going through the AppStore. And like we all know, Apple doesn't allow. For good reason. And my main point is that they went about this the wrong way. They already agreed to to the rules, and BROKE them to prove a point. I can't envision any Judge allowing that to be OK. You broke the rules, you deal with those consequences "first". Then if you have a broader point to make, you can make it. But, not the way in which they did it.

The Apple AppStore is not a monopoly, you have a choice by choosing another platform. You are not forced into doing business ONLY with Apple.

If Apple allowed a lower rate, EVERYONE will want the lower rate. Big or small company. Which is why they kept it simple, 30% apparently IS the going rate for most if not all digital stores not also owned by said company. EPIC charges less, but they also don't PAY anything for their games being sold on their store. They only mention and attack Apple and make no mention of Sony or Microsoft for doing the EXACT SAME THING for their consoles. They only have 1 store on their device, and you have to PAY them for every transaction. Same rules.

 

[djphat2000]

This is what people don't understand, they keep making analogies that don't work. Yes you can go to another store, with IOS there isn't another store.

Yes, there is another store. You can purchase any Google android device you wish. You don't have to purchase Apple. Their is no gun to anyone's head. If you want to play in the walled garden. You pay, and play by the rules. If you don't like those rules. You don't get to dictate how Apple makes their money. You don't like it, you can leave it. Free to go. No strings attached. This isn't "lets make Apple what we want it to be, or else!". If you don't like it, its cool. You have choices. No need to break the rules in protest.

 

[djphat2000]

When you have over 100 million users and there isn't another way to offer your application on that platform it's a monopoly, Apple is in an Anti-Trust lawsuit for a reason. The Anti-Trust hearing asked the very same questions about control and Apple just didn't what they say they wouldn't do.

They are not the only game in town. You have Google and you have Samsung, and whatever China is doing.
The 100 million customers you speak of came with Apple, not the other way around. Apple is bringing customers to the developer. So the developer has someone to sell too. Apple, takes a cut (we can say it is or isn't fair, but again we have rules that are agreed too). If you don't have Apple (at all), developers have to sell their "wares" via some other means. And if you are saying, see exactly, you can't sell to Apples customers without the AppStore = Monopoly. I say no, if you go to any store (physical). You pick up any product/merchandise off the shelf. You go to the cashier to pay. You will NOT be presented with an option to pay the vendor/company of said merchandise directly. Bypassing the store entirely at POS (point of sale).

Even for "Stores within Stores". Apple operates out of BestBuy. You don't purchase Apple products "directly". It still goes through BestBuy. Apple pays "rent" to operate out of BestBuy, and any sales go through BestBuy. They take their cut (whatever that maybe in %) and pass on the remainder to Apple.

This is SO normal it isn't even funny. They are complaining about it, because they view it as intangible items. It's all digital. So, why charge so much at all for just storing bits and bites in a cloud (Datacenter). You already built the infrastructure, and you make plenty. Just charge us less so we can take more money? GTFOH

 

[TarJac333]

Well, look at them now. Tim is crying like a baby is much as ever.

 

[Td1970]

You must not have read his post, or you didn't understand what you quoted...lol

Happens a lot here. Posting with emotion is so silly.

I’m starting to think that Apple has a real problem beginning with the App Store. Remember It’s useless with out apps.

If Apple really want to impress ban Google, Facebook,IG,WHATAPP. But we all know that won’t happen. Sales would crash

 

[Bluetoot-]

Are children still playing Fortnite?

 

[Populus]

Are children still playing Fortnite?

Each time I connect to play, if I don’t mute their mic, they are kids 80% of times. And I don’t have friends who play Fortnite.

 

[kc9hzn]

Yes, but numbers are critical here. Without numbers, all we have are unitless anecdotes. It seems that a lot of Fortnite players feel it has peaked, and the numbers for the more recent seasons have been in decline. From what I’ve seen on YouTube gaming channels, it seems like Epic broke the meta-game in a way that hampers the feel of progression for new players AND that simultaneously screwed up the game for longtime players, and that none of their attempts to rebuild interest have really caught on.