Google Pulls Fortnite From Play Store, But Game Remains Available Through Other Android Sources [Update: Epic Games Sues Google]

[dragje]

Epic Games is not the Robin Hood they like to portrait here.

It quickly became clear that the suit, which Epic Games dropped after the game had been removed from both Google's and Apple's app store, was not a spur of the moment decision by Epic, or a simple response to Apple's move. The complaint ran to 60 pages, and one of the lawyers on it was Christine Varney, who ran the Justice Department's antitrust division during the Obama administration. And then Epic added insult to injury, releasing a video parodying Apple's iconic "1984" ad, casting Apple in the role of villain.

This proofs, in my humble opinion, that Epic Games is the opportunist here.

 

[The Man]

And what makes you think that? No one need that. I - as a developer - need an option. I want to give my users a choice.
The same is when you are going to shop - you can choice to pay via mastercard, visa or just a coin. It's up to you, right? So why can't user decide?

Because streaming services have already done that. No more Apple Pay, and only payment through their website. If they can get payment directly from their app without Apple Pay option they will do that in a heartbeat.

 

[bn-7bc]

You can also sideload apps on iOS. This whole argument that apple's system is somehow more restrictive is absurd and untrue. Epic games is panicking because Tencent will soon be banned.

Can you, without a developer acouunt, access toneoutcr cide and a build environment, or a jailbreak?

 

[bn-7bc]

Apple needs to change it’s greedy AppStore policies. They’ve collected more than they will ever be able to spend.

Which is irrelevant, appkes owners want increasing profits every quarter, or the board (who are esensialy selected by said owners) will lose their wery well paid jobs the next time around, snd ofc they don’t want that, so thecapp store poecues stay t keast as greedy as they are untill developers startkeaving the pkatform, or politicians get involved. There us a remote chance ofc that cistuers will change toandroid devices en mass, but hell gas’t frozen yet so....

 

[lantree]

In game currency and loot boxes for cash needs to die anyway.
I never touch any game with this system so it’s no loss.

 

[pioneer9k]

Why is everyone talking about 30% fee for Google and Apple?

Fortnite has been on the App Store and play store for over a year. Both the companies charge 15% after the first year.

This is just Epic being petty. They wanted to install fortnite as a bloatware on One Plus and LG phones until Google came back and said no.

There is only two reason why Epic is taking this stance.

1. They want to have their own Epic Store on the App Store
2. They want game companies to pay them instead of Apple or Google when they launch their store. They did this crap with Steam

Yeah, I feel like some of the people that are 'siding with epic' dont actually realize what epic's real stance or goal is, some just want to point at big companies and say they screw developers out of 30% because it makes them feel like they're fighting the man and doing something good.

 

[bushman4]

Epic trying to flex it’s muscle. It’s all about greed. And who suffers the users
Lawsuits will take a year or more. And who suffers the users but they don’t care
Shame on Epic

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

I am going to open up a stand to sell goods at the mall. If the mall landlord tries to charge me rent... I will sue them!

 

[Arbuthnott]

Just hours after Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store, Google has also pulled the Fortnite app from its Google Play Store [...]

Epic made the same in-app changes in the Google version of the app that it made in the App Store version, allowing players to bypass Google’s in-app purchase system. Subverting the Play Store in-app purchase system is against Google’s rules. [...]

Update: Epic Games has also levied a lawsuit against Google for removing Fortnite from the Google Play Store.

Article Link: Google Pulls Fortnite From Play Store, But Game Remains Available Through Other Android Sources [Update: Epic Games Sues Google]

And what about the user? If anyone were to consult me, I would confirm very strongly that I wholeheartedly approve of the control that Apple imposes on the quality and user security/safety . This activity requires a significant input to time and effort on Apple's part, and I dont begrudge them a fee to do so. If Epic thinks they can make more money out of an environment that does not include App Stores, I would say they would be wrong, if users were given a choice. Even if the App Store versions include the cost of the fee that Apple effectively takes from developers. So no, certainly not in my case, Epic would not make a cent more. So what are their other motives for wanting to break the App Store? The only one I could think of, in the case of Apple's App Store, is that Apple protects users from private information being harvested. Is Epic part of a move to try to forcibly exclude Apple from being able to provide users with this protection? I think we should be told ...

 

[Arbuthnott]

Epic trying to flex it’s muscle. It’s all about greed. And who suffers the users
Lawsuits will take a year or more. And who suffers the users but they don’t care
Shame on Epic

The Greed aspect may be subtle. This may well not be exclusively something about direct revenue from the games, but more about the premium that Epic, and others like them, can get if they can get hold of private user information that advertisers and others are finding increasingly difficult to harvest from the Apple Ecosystem with things tied up by Apple as they are. As a user, I am very pleased that Apple is protecting my privacy and this must not be allowed to change!

 

[dannys1]

Why Apple doesn't introduce tier for their commission? E.g. the higher the revenue is the less % Apple should be taking.

Because that favours only massive companies...

 

[mdridwan47]

Good for Google (and Apple). Epic isn't exactly an underdog. They are pulling this PR sideshow for their own benefit, not the benefit of users.

Why not both?

 

[Jar Jar Abrams]

Why is macrumors running adverts here for Blackpods Pro a Chinsee counterfeit ripoff version Of Apples own, despicable macrumors!

 

[SBlue1]

I can't understand why people are standing for apple and google.

I know - it's apple who build the devices, platform, marketplace. Also google - it's their platform and marketplace.
While on android you actually can distribute app outside of the play store - on iOS you can not. You must you app store. This is monopoly in my definition.

I know - security etc. But still - if someone of you will have an idea for an app somewhere in the future you will get how much the 30% is. In many countries is waaay more than income tax. It's 1/3 of your income - that's A LOT.

We had a new magazine we wanted to get in the stores. The cut they wanted was way over 30%! I don't know after all these years but it may have been 45 or 50%. Now imagine if we said, you know what, that is too much. Can you just host the magazines for free on your shelves and the customers just pay us directly by money transfer and you hand them the magazines once they paid us? Thank you very much.

 

[Wildkraut]

Now a days I see technology like medicine.

As soon any device reaches a bigger audience, there should be laws that prohibits any lockdown and force...

* Accessible boot loaders
* Available hardware development specs
* Limit patent rights to 3-5 years
* Hardware not tied to activation servers
* Non System critical/relevant Application Stores

 

[Murkrage]

Why is macrumors running adverts here for Blackpods Pro a Chinsee counterfeit ripoff version Of Apples own, despicable macrumors!

What are you on about?

 

[AndreeOnline]

Am I correct to assume then, that Epic Games will release tools to allow their players to sell their own versions of V-Bucks and BattlePasses as in-app purchases, considering how high Epic's in game prices are?

I'm sure there are developers who would like to undercut Epics prices by 20-30% or so, if they could sell their product inside Fortnite?

Yes. I'm sure this will happen. Any day now. This is all about 'fairness' and 'openness' after all.

 

[Wanted797]

Epic sent me an email saying they’re discounting all their purchases 20%!

.... 20%. Not 30.

 

[Abazigal]

Why not both?

Because Epic has tried this sort of stunt before.

How Much Does Epic Games Pay Developers for Exclusivity?

Gamers figure out how much developers can get from an Epic Games Store exclusivity deal after digging through the SEC filings of Phoenix Point developer, Snapshot Games.

gamerant.com

Cynicism of Apple aside, Epic has straight out bribed developers to go exclusive to their platform, restricting consumer choice. And now they're complaining about Apple's cut?

The way I see it, this whole thing has absolutely nothing to do with making things better or more competitive for consumers at all (despite what Epic want to get people to believe). It's a power play to take more of the profits, plain and simple. If Epic gets their way, I am willing to bet my last dollar that they will be every bit the tyrant that they claim Apple to be, if not worse, but with only a fraction of the benefits and protection the iOS App Store offers.

Sadly, there are people who can't see through their blind hatred of Apple to realise this and are thus supporting Epic. Their lack of objectivity means they are ripe to be played and manipulated.

 

[Anox]

I like how you talk about it so casually as if it's even remotely the same as side-loading apps on Android, which it most definitely isn't.



They are. The cloud gaming ban is bad for consumers. Stop defending this nonsense.

Well I buy iPhone for locked down experience I don’t want any apps that does not want or try to jump through Apple’s hoops, I don’t want an app Apple doesn’t want

if Android is so better, and Apple is so anti competitive then why do you still buy their products
Why do developers still want to develop for it, because if they just did not develop for it at the end of it android will just force Apple to change no?

 

[Klyster]

Do aliexpress and Banggood and such have the same conditions applied?
Do google and apple take a slice of each purchase through those apps?

 

[Bandaman]

Well I buy iPhone for locked down experience I don’t want any apps that does not want or try to jump through Apple’s hoops, I don’t want an app Apple doesn’t want

if Android is so better, and Apple is so anti competitive then why do you still buy their products
Why do developers still want to develop for it, because if they just did not develop for it at the end of it android will just force Apple to change no?

There's nothing magical or hoopy about cloud gaming. I'm also not suggesting Apple lets up on their secure App Store. I'm suggesting Apple dislodges their heads from their butts and stops putting arbitrary restrictions on gaming apps ... restrictions that don't even apply to other apps that are already allowed on the App Store. This has nothing to do with Android.

 

[Anox]

Don't mistake 30% as benevolence either. It is even more pure greed.

I think you are missing the point the, 30% is for connecting the buyer and the seller, it for ensuring better experience can be developed for the App Store itself, it is to pay tens of thousands of people to make the App Store what it is,

Actually considering that Android have a dominant share of the market I can’t get this at all android is great and all for allowing different routes yet epic is the only big name I heard of that tried it and failed

 

[carlsson]

I think I'm gonna sue every mother effing company on the planet, since they are making a margin on their sales!!! O.M.G.

 

[Ramchi]

I get it the developers think 30% is too high. Perhaps Apple and Google need to come up with a sliding scale based on either total downloads or revenue the app makes. Would this satisfy the developers? Apple and Google still get paid all the work they do on the platform.

30% of revenue without sharing the financial, operational, compliance and other risks & issues, not even business partner gets 30% in any business.

All the risks, hard-work, operational stuff taken care by the developers while Apple collects 30% !

I couldn’t believe that all big corporations,small business, startups have agreed to this terms all these years!

Uber services actually do way more difficult stuff to earn $40 for a ride than just developing apps in App Store to make their earnings!

I feel all developers, small business, big ones must challenge this or drop out of the platform one after the other.