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

[DeepIn2U]

You can sell through the Mac App Store as well, and it will cost you the same. You can also do it independently, but it's on you, the developer, to get your product out to the Mac customer base, in terms of marketing, hosting, and payment processing. What does all THAT cost you?

I'm not so much defending Apple, but I do sympathize in such a way that if I were the owner of the storefront and was blindsided like this when a vendor just decides to breach our contract AND smear my name in the process, I would not be happy about it. We all look at corporations like they somehow should act differently because they have more money. No, they have to make more than they spend in order to stay open, and they have just as much right to defend themselves when someone violates an agreement as an individual. If I financed a car from you and just one day stopped paying you because you are more "well off" than I am, am I not in the wrong? Do you come get the car back? What if I said you were a greedy fool to everyone who will listen? It's bush league.

If Epic has an issue, this is not how to handle it. What they've proven is that they won't honor agreements, and they do it by pretending like they are watching out for the little guys. That's not a company I would want to keep doing business with. On the same token, if Apple just laid over and took it, would I want to do business with a company that doesn't enforce their policies with developers? If so, then what assurance do I have that Apple's privacy policy is also being enforced? This is all about ethics, IMO. This strong-arm hissy-fit approach is a lot of what's wrong these days.

its like everyone - business and leaders of the world (nothing new) all decided at once to pee in each other’s coffee and cereal over the last few years. It’s getting annoying, tiring and just leaves a bad taste in all the bystanders mouths (like we caught the spray) lol.

 

[Bandaman]

Obviously an orchestrated media event to drum up anti-apple app-store policy support and exposure.

Which is what Apple has been in court for in the first place.

 

[drcre8tive]

This is how most auction houses operate with their buyer and seller premiums. The idea is you don't stiff your big consigners for selling their goods, because you WANT to sell their goods.

exposure

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

I meant as a bracket thing
E.g.

first 10k at 30%
Next 40k at 20%
Next 50k at 15% and so on

 

[Andropov]

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

I meant as a bracket thing
E.g.

first 10k at 30%
Next 40k at 20%
Next 50k at 15% and so on

So small indie developers should have to pay twice as much comission from their earnings than billion dollar companies?

 

[joshwithachance]

It's very cool to see Google standing with Apple on this...

 

[dtrj787]

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.

Agreed. They are trying to be the champion of the 'little guys'. Epic is not little. Their estimate worth is $18 Billion. All of this was premeditated. The promo video, both law suits were created/written in advance. This just makes them look greedy. They make it sound like they want to save the gamers money by charging less due to Apple's fee being removed. The price is still the same. They will still receive the same amount, but people will buy more because they think they are getting a deal with their advertised 20% off discount.

Apple focuses on security, hence the fee. So, when Epic gets hacked and your credit card information is exposed. Don't come crying.

 

[ader42]

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

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.

Let’s get some perspective. If I earn £100 working.
The government takes 30% in income taxes. Leaves me with £70.
I want to spend my money on product A.

An importer imports product A and pays £1 per unit to do so.
The importer sells product A to a warehouse for £1.50 per unit.
The warehouse sells product A to a retail unit for £2.50 per unit.
The retailer sells the product to customers like me for £4 plus sales tax/VAT of £1.
So I get to buy 14 units of product A for £100 of work, and the government gets £44.

(btw the government gets 30% income tax and 20% income tax off each business too, basically most of the £100 goes to the government).

Let’s say the importer decides to become a developer instead.
With the appstore, Apple earns 30% but they provide all the warehouses, the retail shops and direct access to all the best customers. And the importer (the developer) can sell their product at any price they choose, even give it away and Apple will earn zero. If they sell it at £1.50, they pay Apple £0.50 and break even as their costs were £1. If they sell it at the usual retail price of £5, they pay Apple £1.65 and keep £3.35 (£2.35 profit) which is way more than they used to get as an importer (£1.50 with £0.50 profit).

 

[bb9]

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. From Google’s guidelines:Google in a statement to The Verge said that it has policies about in-app purchases that are designed to keep the Play Store safe for users. The statement is very similar to Apple’s, in fact.According to The Verge, Google clarified that it has no issue with Epic distributing the game on Android devices through other channels, but the rules for the Play Store must be followed for the app to be available through it.

Even though the app has been removed from the Play Store, it can still be used on Android. Fortnite can be downloaded through the Epic Games app or through the Samsung Galaxy Store.

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]

Not giving my credit card info to EPIC, that simple.

 

[icolove]

This is going to be relatively easy for Epic Games to win. I'm very much looking forward to the celebration.

 

[TrevorR90]

Lol, first Apple now Google? Somethings up and it doesn’t look like this is going to look good for Epic.

 

[icolove]

Let’s get some perspective. If I earn £100 working.
The government takes 30% in income taxes. Leaves me with £70.
I want to spend my money on product A.

An importer imports product A and pays £1 per unit to do so.
The importer sells product A to a warehouse for £1.50 per unit.
The warehouse sells product A to a retail unit for £2.50 per unit.
The retailer sells the product to customers like me for £4 plus sales tax/VAT of £1.
So I get to buy 14 units of product A for £100 of work, and the government gets £44.

(btw the government gets 30% income tax and 20% income tax off each business too, basically most of the £100 goes to the government).

Let’s say the importer decides to become a developer instead.
With the appstore, Apple earns 30% but they provide all the warehouses, the retail shops and direct access to all the best customers. And the importer (the developer) can sell their product at any price they choose, even give it away and Apple will earn zero. If they sell it at £1.50, they pay Apple £0.50 and break even as their costs were £1. If they sell it at the usual retail price of £5, they pay Apple £1.65 and keep £3.35 (£2.35 profit) which is way more than they used to get as an importer (£1.50 with £0.50 profit).

You obviously haven't read the complaint, you should have used the time it took you to write this nonsensical essay to do so.

 

[Cosmosent]

IMO, the best outcome would be the creation of a 2nd iOS App Store, that would produce NOT ONLY Price competition with the existing iOS App Store, but ALSO "App Discovery" competition !

BIG companies complain about Apple's Pricing, but "Apple's Stranglehold on App Discovery" affects many more App Developers !

 

[quatermass]

I assume this has been posted here already, but I can’t be bothered searching:

Gotta admit, it’s pretty good! Apple certainly can’t claim to be the revolutionaries anymore.

Hmmm... that Apple thing on the screen looks awfully like the Apple logo... a lot closer than that Pear logo there was all that fuss about recently... Apple should sue Epic, just for that!

 

[icolove]

Lol, first Apple now Google? Somethings up and it doesn’t look like this is going to look good for Epic.

Quite the contrary, Epic knew this was coming, and are going to win in the court of public opinion.

 

[SDJim]

Give it 10 minutes, Epic launches another prepared lawsuit and video lmao.

THE PROPHET

 

[ArPe]

Not giving my credit card info to EPIC, that simple.

Exactly.

If apps bypassed the payment system, it’s a very slippery slope.

Then all app developers will want direct payments and store your credit card details. The amount of developers around the world who could get hacked or run away with your money means cybercrime would shoot through the roof.

Apple and Google won’t be able to police it. The banks will have a headache with it.

This stinks of sabotage by the CCP and Tencent as retribution for WeChat and TikTok bans.

Developers and gamers need to act responsibly and use their heads instead of defending Epic. Think!

 

[robertosh]

This is a disaster for Epic, what a bad move !!! Seems that they don't know that the vast majority of their user base are just kids, if the app is not available in the main stores of the devices they will simply go for another game to waste the time. This move will cost more to Epic than the commission they give to Apple.

 

[ader42]

I was a developer in the 1990s when we shipped software on CD, sold it in stores, we got to keep about 20% of the retail price.

I remember the mess before iPhone where java apps and games were trash, cost far more than they do now. Selling “apps” on symbian phones for example was a whole lot harder and costlier, with expensive licenses needed and tiny margins for developers, we couldn’t dream of getting to keep 70% of the revenue. Epic know this but are trying to act like they are a tiny startup outfit. The reality is the other end of the scale.

 

[nylonsteel]

what ever happened to - you buy a good game and dont have to pay to get extras
its nuts if you pay $60 for aaa game then pay $200 late for dlc and microtransactions
these companies should just produce a next generation followup game the next year without having us pay for add ons

 

[icolove]

Exactly.

If apps bypassed the payment system, it’s a very slippery slope.

Then all app developers will want direct payments and store your credit card details. The amount of developers around the world who could get hacked or run away with your money means cybercrime would shoot through the roof.

Apple and Google won’t be able to police it. The banks will have a headache with it.

This stinks of sabotage by the CCP and Tencent as retribution for WeChat and TikTok bans.

Developers and gamers need to act responsibly and use their heads instead of defending Epic. Think!

Lol, what?

Apple already has an ecosystem where anyone can collect payments for services and software, it's called macOS. We're already on this "very slippery slope" and the world hasn't burned.

 

[topdrawer]

Let’s get some perspective. If I earn £100 working.
The government takes 30% in income taxes. Leaves me with £70.
I want to spend my money on product A.

An importer imports product A and pays £1 per unit to do so.
The importer sells product A to a warehouse for £1.50 per unit.
The warehouse sells product A to a retail unit for £2.50 per unit.
The retailer sells the product to customers like me for £4 plus sales tax/VAT of £1.
So I get to buy 14 units of product A for £100 of work, and the government gets £44.

(btw the government gets 30% income tax and 20% income tax off each business too, basically most of the £100 goes to the government).

Let’s say the importer decides to become a developer instead.
With the appstore, Apple earns 30% but they provide all the warehouses, the retail shops and direct access to all the best customers. And the importer (the developer) can sell their product at any price they choose, even give it away and Apple will earn zero. If they sell it at £1.50, they pay Apple £0.50 and break even as their costs were £1. If they sell it at the usual retail price of £5, they pay Apple £1.65 and keep £3.35 (£2.35 profit) which is way more than they used to get as an importer (£1.50 with £0.50 profit).

more perspective.

if i make $100 bucks, i pay no taxes because there is a treshold at which i start paying taxes and it is not $100
I also don't have to pay $100 dollars to the government per year for the privilege of working for them
I also don't have to purchase the Government's expensive equipment so I can work for them and stay up to date every year to provide updates to my clients

If I provide a non profit service then I am Tax exempt.
With apple I still get charged 100 bucks per year whether i make money or not. and when I do i get taxed 30% at any bracket.

with the government i can apply for unemployment if my business fails.
with apple i'm **** out of luck

 

[StellarVixen]

Boom! Gone!


Apple haters probably don't know what to think now when their beloved green robot did the same.

 

[icolove]

Boom! Gone!


Apple haters probably don't know what to think now when their beloved green robot did the same.

Android users won't care, they'll just download the game directly from Epic Games without violating the Android TOS.

See below.

Epic Games' Fortnite

The Action Building game where you team up with other players to build massive forts and battle against hordes of monsters, all while crafting and looting in giant worlds where no two games are ever the same.

www.epicgames.com

 

[StellarVixen]

Android users won't care, they'll just download the game directly from Epic Games without violating the Android TOS.

See below.

Epic Games' Fortnite

The Action Building game where you team up with other players to build massive forts and battle against hordes of monsters, all while crafting and looting in giant worlds where no two games are ever the same.

www.epicgames.com

this is not about game, if you can download it or not. This is about company policies. Apple has been forever labeled as a “bad guy” and everyone else was good or at least not as bad as Apple. Hypocrisy here is unimaginable.

 

[icolove]

this is not about game, if you can download it or not. This is about company policies. Apple has been forever labeled as a “bad guy” and everyone else was good or at least not as bad as Apple. Hypocrisy here is unimaginable.

I don't understand what you're saying. A lot of people choose Android because they can install whatever software they want on their devices without Google having oversight. If that's not for you, that's ok. Android users have always had more choice in what they can do with their devices, so no... Android users don't care one iota about the Google Play Store.

Apple's way of controlling how consumers, businesses and developers use iOS really does turn some people off.