Fortnite Takes Top Spot on App Store Charts

[sw1tcher]

Just hours after Fortnite returned to the U.S. App Store, the game made it to the top of the App Store charts. As of right now, Fortnite is the number one free game.

I don't understand how it can be the #1 free game on the App Store after we were told no one wants the game back because no one plays it anymore.

Does anyone here on MacRumors play Fortnite?

has anyone actually asked if anyone wants to play Fortnite on an iPhone or even iPad?

Very strange.

 

[Delivered]

This is such a bad take. More competition isn't always better, in most cases it actually leads to massive fragmentation (streaming services for example).

Tim Sweeny bullied and sued his way to be able to get around App Store rules while maintaining rules for his companies own App Store, how is that a good thing?

Streaming competitors is the only reason they aren’t charging 60$/mo yet. But as they consolidate they soon will. Streaming frag may not be the best example. Fragmentation in android early led to a lot of problems. Yes there was competition but companies like LG and HTC which made great phones ended up being forced out bc Samsung was such a marketing behemoth. Sadly since that happened and huwawei and xaiomi got banned :forced back android has been falling behind even iOS.

 

[canadianreader]

when you are on the appstore, transactions go through the appstore anyway, so the 30% is mandatory.

so why did they have to ban them? if epic didn't agree but kept the game up , every purchase would still go partially in apple pockets. if they didn't publish it because of it...well, no need to ban.

i just dont get the ban

If I recall Epic kept submitting app updates that violated the App Store rules and got banned. IMO Apple should have made a deal with Epic like the one they did with Amazon back in 2020 to avoid the 30% tax.

 

[Michael Scrip]

You can find V-Bucks gift cards at every gas station and grocery store. Epic has always done this.

That's a great way for Epic to avoid paying Apple's 30%

 

[@Brett]

The kids just want to game! Let the kids game Apple ! 🎮

Problem is Epic is known for shady practices when it comes to kids.

 

[applefan8254]

cool. can Get Set Games please bring back Mega Run: Redford's Adventure? thank you

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox consoles might come with Steam and Epic Games Store integrated into their system https://www.vice.com/en/article/nex...y-this-would-help-microsoft-beat-playstation/

wow that's crazy if true. gotta see the compatiblity list, but this could really but an endgame

 

[ThailandToo]

Epic Games is a dishonest company, they need to fire Tim Sweeney, Epic Games is what's wrong with corporate America. #boycottfortnite #timsweeneylooser #firetimsweeney

AAPL is far worse for America than Epic Games. It’s not even close or debatable. Geez. I love Apple products but hate Tim’s greed focused AAPL only seeking shareholder value not innovation and improving the company for anyone other than the shareholders and Tim himself is a big one - worst of all building products by essential slaves, not to mention anticompetitive behavior.

 

[DocMultimedia]

AAPL is far worse for America than Epic Games. It’s not even close or debatable. Geez. I love Apple products but hate Tim’s greed focused AAPL only seeking shareholder value not innovation and improving the company for anyone other than the shareholders and Tim himself is a big one - worst of all building products by essential slaves, not to mention anticompetitive behavior.

So do you think Epic wants to make less money than Apple, so they are better for America? Why doesn't Epic just make a phone so people will buy that with the game installed? Or perhaps let anyone sell products in their game via another payment system.

Of course the entire goal of Epic is to get children to use the credit cards of their parents. Guess that's good for America, or at least better than Apple.

Lol. Epic is no better or worse than any other company. They want to make money. The bad part is they target children for money. Like all game companies.

 

[thefrost]

Microsoft said increased choice, innovation, and competition will be "best served" by enforcing the injunction through Apple's appeal.

When was the last time Microsoft innovated?

 

[User 6502]

Fortnite was through the EU account, which had agreed to the first annual install $0.50 charge. Every download costs Epic $0.50 a year. Apple is probably taking notice of the high amount of money those downloads are making Apple (since Fortnite is now the most downloaded app right now) and Apple likely is considering making all apps on the App Store part of the first annual install $0.50 charge… it technically wouldn’t violate the order too.

I don’t think epic pays $0.50 charge as that was meant for apps on third party stores in the eh as far as I remember. And even in the eu that was deemed illegal if I remember correctly.

 

[Piggie]

Good for you…? You just suck at playing it and would rather whine about it and prove that you’re somehow part of an important movement.
Touch grass.

Indeed.
I plan on buying a car later from a manufacturer I don't like (because I have mental health issues)
And as soon as I take ownership of it I'm going to crash it into a wall just to show everyone how bad the car is.
That will show them all and prove my point

 

[DrWojtek]

The problem was never Apple getting a cut. The problem was the cut was 30%. Should have been 5-10%.

 

[yabeweb]

Downloaded to rate it 1 star obviously

Very mature.

People said they wouldn't sell anymore as Fortnite is old stuff....

People were proven wrong.

 

[Muzzakus]

And Tim Apple getting $0 is hilarious

 

[Marty80]

Oh the irony it was only a ‘fortnight’ ago that Apple was defeated in the courts by Epic.

 

[1BadManVan]

so it is only in the US? I don’t see it for the App Store in Canada?

 

[Madonepro]

It's pretty simple. The judge ordered Apple to file a written brief and to send a relevant executive to court to explain why Epic's app (Fortnite) was still excluded from the U.S. App Store. If the reason was solely because Fortnite offers in-app purchase options via Web links, and/or because Epic Games sued Apple to resolve that issue, then that reason would clearly violate the judge's orders. Apple lost that issue at trial and in appeals. Apple cannot exclude apps solely on that basis — or on the basis that a party sued Apple to resolve that particular point of contention. If Apple has some other valid, legal reason to exclude a developer's app from the App Store, that's a different matter.

Apple apparently didn't have some other valid reason to exclude Fortnite from the U.S. App Store, or at least Apple wasn't prepared to explain what other valid reason(s) it has if it has one. It has to treat Epic Games (Sweden) just as it would treat Developer XYZ — and consistent with the court's rulings. Apple's lawyers presumably advised Apple's management they needed a "damn good reason" to exclude Fortnite that's unrelated to the in-app purchase issue and also unrelated to any legal actions Epic Games took related to resolving that particular issue. I can't think of any "damn good reason," and it seems neither could Apple's management.

Interestingly the European Union has helped Epic Games maintain a developer presence in Apple's App Store, so it's that much easier for Epic Games to get back in. But that's Apple's fault, really. Apple already cancelled Epic Games' previous developer account. But since Apple violated EU competition laws it had to let Epic Games (Sweden) in. Now Apple apparently doesn't have a valid, legal reason to exclude a Fortnite submission from Epic Games (Sweden) in the U.S. App Store. In short, don't violate laws. If you do, bad things may happen (from your corporate point of view).

I think people are missing the point. You don't have an exclusive right to have a developer account, and it's that account, that Apple banned. They could quite simply, ban all Epic's account, without any recourse.
There are so many examples of this, in my facets. Is Tim Sweeny going to take on NYRR in an attempt to insist that he has a place in the next New York Marathon, or take the owners of Augusta to court to become a member, or Donald Trump to become a member at Mar-a-Lago?
It's little different to knocking on a strangers door, and insisting you are allowed in, and then aggrieved when the dogs attack you.

P.S. Gotta love those that leave down votes. yet don't wish to contribute to the discussion, just want to be right.

 

[Madonepro]

I don't understand how it can be the #1 free game on the App Store after we were told no one wants the game back because no one plays it anymore.




Very strange.

The word is 'popular'. So when people visit the site to look at the app, or download it to either use it, or give it a bad rating, they are increasing the views/hits/downloads. That makes it popular.

 

[Velli]

I often defend Apple when people are making stupid or outrageous claims about them or their products. But not this time. Apple could have avoided all of this if they had allowed link-outs, but left everything else as-is. That was clearly the right path here. Look up John Gruber’s take, I fully agree with that. I sincerely hope Apple learns from it, but sadly I’m not optimistic about that.

This doesn’t stop me from loathing Tim Sweeney and the way he has conducted himself on this matter. It is irrelevant to me how his products arrive on iOS devices, because I will not be using them.

 

[Madonepro]

Very mature.

People said they wouldn't sell anymore as Fortnite is old stuff....

People were proven wrong.

The popularity of the app, is no reflection of any profit. It's free, so no one is making money from the download. So people are not proven wrong!

 

[Velli]

I don't understand how it can be the #1 free game on the App Store after we were told no one wants the game back because no one plays it anymore.

Just one more example that the users of this forum is not representative of the broader public. If you (the royal you, I understand that YOU get it…) don’t see the impact Fortnite still has today, you need to lift your nose from your keyboard.

 

[Madonepro]

I often defend Apple when people are making stupid or outrageous claims about them or their products. But not this time. Apple could have avoided all of this if they had allowed link-outs, but left everything else as-is. That was clearly the right path here. Look up John Gruber’s take, I fully agree with that. I sincerely hope Apple learns from it, but sadly I’m not optimistic about that.

This doesn’t stop me from loathing Tim Sweeney and the way he has conducted himself on this matter. It is irrelevant to me how his products arrive on iOS devices, because I will not be using them.

You can understand why Apple took this course. A petulant child, attempted to belittle and abuse the very mouth that allowed them to eat, by not following the rules that they had agreed to. If you don't like it, then commence a legal case, and get it changed. A renter, cannot not pay the rent, if they don't like what the landlord has done to the property, they have to follow due process.
I can clearly see, Apple amending its App Store, to only allow 'partners' access to the platform to market their products. I'd imagine many 'company' developers jumping ship, and creating their own payment methods, and Apple could simple amend the developer agreement to non-hosting of apps, that have external payment systems. Alongside amending warranty to exclude issues created by third party app's from being diagnosed and repaired, under warranty.

 

[AppliedMicro]

so it is only in the US? I don’t see it for the App Store in Canada?

It’s available in jurisdictions where they can provide external purchases from the app (so EU and U.S.).

 

[Oblivious.Robot]

Apple Defence Force be like - WWHHHyyy! lol