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Fortnite to Return to iOS in Europe Following App Store Changes

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Epic Games plans to bring its Epic Games Store to the iPhone and the iPad under Apple's new alternative app store policy in the European Union, Epic Games announced today.

fortnite_apple_featured.jpg

The Epic Games Store will include popular game Fortnite, which means iPhone and iPad users will be able to install and play the title without having to use a cloud gaming service. Fortnite has been banned from the iOS App Store for the last several years due to the legal dispute between Apple and Epic Games.


Even as Epic is planning for an Epic Games app store on iOS, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has been criticizing Apple's planned changes. Sweeney said that Apple's App Store changes are a "devious new instance of malicious compliance" and are aimed at thwarting the Digital Markets Act.


Apple is charging an 0.50 euro fee per user per year for apps installed outside of the App Store (and in the App Store for developers who opt in to the new terms and also still choose to use Apple's system), but there are no App Store commissions or in-app fees. While Apple is waiving fees for the first one million installs, the 0.50 per user fee will cost app developers like Epic Games a notable amount of money. Sweeney called Apple's payment "junk fees."

Sweeney also criticizes Apple for the notarization process that will potentially allow it to reject alternative app stores from iOS. He claims that Apple could block Epic from launching an Epic Games Store and distributing Fortnite through it, but there have been no signs that Apple would do so.

Epic Games is "determined" to launch on iOS and compete with the App Store, said Sweeney, and while Epic Games is planning for a store on iOS, the company says it will continue to "argue to the courts and regulators that Apple is breaking the law."

Article Link: Fortnite to Return to iOS in Europe Following App Store Changes
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/01/25/fortnite-returning-to-ios-in-europe/
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flyingember

macrumors member
Feb 16, 2011
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I'm going to guess that like alternate payment methods in the US that hosting a store requires giving a share of the revenue from all customers who downloaded the app from it. Failure to comply will mean the entire store is blocked rather than just one app.

We've seen Spotify complain about rates when they pay pennies on the dollars to artists.

Epic hosts an in game store to nickel and dime customers.

They're all exactly the same.
 
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contacos

contacos

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How will Apple know how many installs an app by a 3rd party has? Let’s say I want to rely on a 3rd party store (I personally won’t) and don’t want my data to be shared with Apple in the name of privacy like this should be between me (the customer) and the vendor (the 3rd party store) ESPECIALLY as someone living in privacy „paranoid“ Germany.

This is just spitballing here, I personally don’t care and have no need for other stores
 
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TakeOFF250

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Sep 25, 2019
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Does this mean that soon in Europe, on iOS, you will have to download 10 different stores, each with exclusive games not available in other stores or the App Store, and that each of these stores will have different types of currencies like V-Bucks? Different price for the same game?

Will we soon see the a 'megastore' that enables people to search across all stores to find better prices or the games they want? Would this store then earn a referral fee? lol
 
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flyingember

macrumors member
Feb 16, 2011
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contacos said:
How will Apple know how many installs an app by a 3rd party has? Let’s say I want to rely on a 3rd party store (I personally won’t) and don’t want my data to be shared with Apple in the name of privacy like this should be between me (the customer) and the vendor (the 3rd party store) ESPECIALLY as someone living in privacy „paranoid“ Germany.

This is just spitballing here, I personally don’t care and have no need for other stores
Click to expand...
Mandatory information sharing. the company hosting the app store could be required to do this in order to be an authorized app store

they don't need to share your information, they need to share corporate information about how well they're doing.
 
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Krizoitz

Krizoitz

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erikkfi said:
That Core Technology Fee is BS and I hope the EU forces Apple to knock it off. We the consumers pay Apple's Core Technology Fee when we buy expensive devices at 35-45% markup. That's enough.
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So stop buying the “expensive” devices then. No one is forcing you. You CHOOSE to buy Apple products. If you don’t like that choice go buy any of a number of Android devices.

Just like no one forced Epic to make or sell their game on iOS. If they don’t like Apples terms, too bad. Apple doesn’t have a monopoly so Epic has other options.

The EU’s whole position here is both ludicrous AND hypocritical.
 
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fernelius

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Mar 24, 2007
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I don’t know what the future is for an Epic Store. In that Epic blatantly violated terms of the developer agreement, I’m not sure they would be allowed in as an app store. They might, or the EU might force Apple to do so. It seems Apple would have one or more avenues to try to deny them.
 
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BrownyQ

BrownyQ

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Dec 13, 2021
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Honest question: is Fortnite even still relevant or popular these days?

Felt like it was on its way out years ago, but I confess I never cared to try the game because wasn't my cup of tea.

I also will never understand this man's obsession with putting his leech of a company on Apple hardware.
 
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Salvor Hardin

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Jun 24, 2013
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TakeOFF250 said:
Does this mean that soon in Europe, on iOS, you will have to download 10 different stores, each with exclusive games not available in other stores or the App Store, and that each of these stores will have different types of currencies like V-Bucks? Different price for the same game?

Will we soon see the a 'megastore' that enables people to search across all stores to find better prices or the games they want? Would this store then earn a referral fee? lol
Click to expand...
It could turn into a big ******** like it’s been on PC especially if Epic tries to buy exclusivity like they do on there for their garbage store app but for this to really effectively happen they’ll need more regions than EU and no limits imposed by Apple.
 
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