Looks like the similarities to console market places is being picked up on by the media outlets now.
I think Epic are banking on most people not looking into this too closely, and instead relying on the rather toxic outrage culture to direct their outrage towards Apple for removing their favourite game in the hope to influence change.
Based on how long that is, it is probably safe to assume that they had challenges with Apple, some of which are probably Apple’s fault.
The part that I do not understand is around the assumed privilege that Apple should give API access to everyone on day 1 for any new hardware that they release: HomePod or Watch. Just because other companies do that (Amazon, Google), it does not mean that it should be like that.
Apple is more focused on the user experience of their ecosystem than any other company in the tech space. Over the years, they have shown they have a vision for the future and that they are progressing every year towards that.
I don’t see what the issue is with Apple charging 30% fees for in app purchases…
Apple provides Epic and all developers with the developer tools, API’s and Xcode to create games like Fortnite, Apple also provides a userbase and platform of more than 1,000,000,000 (1b) users. For this Apple takes 30% of revenue.
Why should Apple be any different to the Playstation store and Xbox store that also take 30% who only have around 1/5 of a userbase ?
I don’t really see why some people are siding with Epic here, when they originally signed up to add their game to the App Store they knew Apple took 30%, if they was not happy with that, they shouldn’t have signed up. They broke Apples terms and Apple did the right thing removing them from the App Store.
The App Store is a safe platform for all of Apples 1b users, payments are protected and the app developer doesn’t get to see the users card details. By using Apples API’s the payment details are obscured. If Epic was allowed to get away with charging via a different method, then so should all other developers, but this would make a less safe environment for App Store users.
In my eyes, there’s two separate arguments in this debate.
The first is “is a 30% cut too high?”.
In my opinion, I don’t think it is. Even for physical sales that often have a cost of goods, you’d expect to pay 30% to a retailer to list your goods. Heck even if I was Nike selling in Sports Direct, I’d be expecting to pay 30%. There are a lot of hidden costs to retail (physical and digital).
In Apple’s case, they include:
To be clear, I know the App Store has secondary benefits for Apple, helping keep their phones competitive, ecosystem lock in and otherwise, I just wanted to point out some things that have to be paid for one way or another.
The second argument is “shouldn’t Apple let developers publish apps to iOS users outside of the App Store?”.
Again, in my opinion, this is a no.
iOS will be less secure and more people will fall victim to the sort of scams that exist on Android now - like downloading a cloned version of an app. & If the binaries aren’t signed by Apple and ran through the same stringent approval process they are now, it exposes attack vectors that involve using system-only API’s to perform something malicious, like stealing data.
I think it’s easy to see how iOS would be less secure right out of the box.
Another thing, they’re framing this as better for the customer.
V-bucks have no value. Zero. They are just zeros and ones.
“Because of Apple/Google we have to price them higher”
No you do not! 1 v-buck could be 5p, 50p or £500. It makes zero difference. They have priced them at what the market will bare, nothing else. If they thought they’d sell more than twice as many at half the price, they would half the price. This is nothing to do with saving a customer money and all about them making more money.
A real FU to Apple would have been to make v-bucks free. Then Apple makes zero from Epic (Aside from $99 a year), they’ll host and distribute millions of copies of this game and not make a single penny. But that would harm them, so they won’t do that.
This should just be the reply to end replies. Excellently put.
Apple undoubtedly make great hardware, but more and more it is clear as day that they are focussed on making money, often at the detriment of the user experience.
Oh wow this Hey app looks really cool, oh wait Apple won’t let me use it on iOS.
I just finished reading Harry Potter, let me buy another Kindle book… oh shit.
This Xcloud looks like the future of gaming… just not on my iPhone.
What’s the big deal about this Netflix? It’s an app with a login screen but I can’t do anything.
People are going on about iOS being Apple’s platform and their right to make money. But it’s like they don’t use these devices every day. There are so many shitty experiences like the above which are dictated by Apple’s relentless pursuit of services revenue. And in the meantime Apple already make more money than literally any company in history.
These are all tiny paper cuts but eventually it’ll reach a point where people actually will move off the platform.
I couldn’t give a shit about Epic. But I do think that something needs to change, and if this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back than bravo Tim Sweeney.
One could argue this experience is due to developers depriving users of the choice to buy via Apple in pursuit of higher revenue at the cost of user experience.
Not Apple. Greedy company doesn’t want to pay 30% for selling on the biggest marketplace.
Not Apple. Greedy company doesn’t want to pay 30% for selling on the biggest marketplace.
Should apple get 30% for every purchase made via safari on iOS?
Sure. Basecamp, that gigantic greedy trillion dollar company, that doesn’t actually want Apple’s help to sell their service but need to provide their users’ with an app. Like every single company does.
And while Amazon aren’t minnows, there obviously isn’t 30% to give to Apple on the sale of a book where there are various other parties that have to be paid. It’s literally unviable.
Epic, is a special case where they don’t actually have any marginal costs and do just want more gravy for themselves.
Regardless, the end result is a shitty experience on Apple’s ecosystem, which they are implicitly endorsing through their rules and regulations.
We’ve been waiting 13 years so far.
I’m happy for the EU to come in at this point and address Apple’s anticompetitive behaviour.
Amazon keeps anywhere between 65% and 30% of the royalties on any Kindle book sold. To get the highest royalty (the publisher gets 70%) a number of criteria have to be met, and Amazon charge for each download at a rate of 15/cent per MB.
In contrast, Apple charge a flat fee of 30% regardless for the iBook Store, with all costs included. Not such a terrible deal in comparison.
I think you’re talking about Kindle published books but not sure.
I was referring to “normal” books, which are now generally sold on the wholesale model as a result of Apple’s illegal collusion with publishers to raise ebook prices.
I’m confused that you may believe there are no switching costs involved in moving between platforms.
I guess a trend has started
From the original article: “To support small businesses and creators, Facebook will not collect any fees from paid online events for at least the next year”. Reading this, you realise that what Facebook offers here is not a free service overall (marketing, payment and live video), they just do not want to take a fee for now. So even if the Android version is “free” now (because they use Facebook Pay, presumably), soon they will take a cut.
How is that different than Apple?
Have people just lost their mind when they heard Apple reached a market cap of $2 trillion?
Facebook? A company with immense integrity if there ever were one. 
This is an excellent article which sums up the current issues.
I am not that young anymore but even I am now tempted to consider a switch to Android so I wouldn’t have to upgrade my console. And the Fold 2 looks like it could actually replace my iPhone and iPad
Issues like this, if they continue to fester and multiply are the sort of things that would drive me away from a platform.
Apple’s platforms are still right now, far more appealing to me than the alternatives, so this alone is not something that would prompt me to consider leaving. I can already stream my Xbox games to my Apple devices via OneCast, so long as they’re already installed on my Xbox, and I can settle with that despite being hugely disappointed that xCloud streaming will be missing, and I very much hope it can come to iOS sooner, rather than later, because a time will come when I get fed up of missing out and be tempted to see what’s out there for me on Android.
Do any android manufacturers match Apple in terms of software support longevity? Or in their approach to security and privacy? Or offer that ‘it just works’ experience?
I’ve tried galaxy devices, 1+, and pixel devices, and been unsatisfied with all of them, so those are non-starters for me.