Apple removes Epic's developer account

[Hush9300]

You just didn't understand or didn't want to understand - so I thought maybe you needed a bit of education on the topics that you like to comment on without understanding

Did you read the link or just commenting on the few points ?
You should read before you comment?

I read the whole thing and I'm well aware of these issues but they don't provide a basis for comparison in their rant or more aptly put their PR campaign against Apple. Why don't they list their Google Play store app rejections and reasons as well?

This notion that Spotify or whoever should be allowed uninhibited access to users simply because the hardware was purchased is misguided. It is Apple's platform, the end users do not own it and neither should developers who monetise the platform be allowed free use of it.

Should Spotify be allowed to link out to their own web payment system? Yes, and currently App Store rules allow for this but with certain rules like no additional user info being passed via the link, that your app - not the link - contains no price info and that developers put up a screen explaining that any purchases are not being made via Apple.

 

[Dolby]

I read the whole thing and I'm well aware of these issues but they don't provide a basis for comparison in their rant or more aptly put their PR campaign against Apple. Why don't they list their Google Play store app rejections and reasons as well?

This notion that Spotify or whoever should be allowed uninhibited access to users simply because the hardware was purchased is misguided. It is Apple's platform, the end users do not own it and neither should developers who monetise the platform be allowed free use of it.

Should Spotify be allowed to link out to their own web payment system? Yes, and currently App Store rules allow for this but with certain rules like no additional user info being passed via the link, that your app - not the link - contains no price info and that developers put up a screen explaining that any purchases are not being made via Apple.

I see

 

[FiestaST]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1766170533920694756

 

[Rouxenator]

Apple 1994 :

Epic 1994 :

 

[noxibox]

Whaaa? No one forced them to sign anything...they did not have to release their stuff on iOS. And there's nothing from stopping Timmy and his merry band of sour billionaires to create their own phone and do with it what they want. Besides, US courts ruled in Apple's favour regarding TOS agreements, you simply can't just sign it, willingly break it, and then play injured bird like Timmy does.

Not this nonsense angle again.

 

[noxibox]

Apple Music is by far easier to use and ties into the Apple ecosystem very well. Spotify is not bad, i'll give them their due they may one day be similar to Apple although Apple Music just keeps on getting better year on year.

Apple Music is much worse than Spotify. The Apple Music MacOS application is particularly bad.

 

[Swa]

It’s not really just about that.

Read this with an open mind and ask yourself if it makes sense that they should get nothing out of it.

The App Store, Spotify, and Europe’s thriving digital music market

Today, the European Commission announced a decision about the App Store and competition in the digital music market.

www.apple.com

So why should Apple spend resources to help them get away with everything for free and then make a huge profit off it.

They need to find their own way of doing it without Apple…that is what they wanted after all.

Well maybe from the devices they sell like every other hardware maker?

It's more than that. It's one thing if they choose to use them but Apple takes it one step further. It's insisting that you use them as a payment gateway and not implement your own where you're capable. It's insisting that you don't undercut yourself where you don't use their platform. It's stopping side-loading (now fixed, and it didn't create a major security hole as claimed).

Yes Google is guilty of some of this as well and being looked into for that. The point is it's a two way street. If it wasn't for the apps the store would be worthless for them so what about all the apps that made Iphone popular off which Apple scored a free ride? This is exactly the same as open peering.

It's also not like all of this doesn't come at a premium for exactly the same hardware. Ask yourself how Apple rocketed to all those billions and if it would have been the case if they implemented competitive practices.

 

[Swa]

I think you are trying to infer WebKit, but it goes beyond just the render engine. Every browser on iphone is Safari.

Think it's something to do with messaging.

 

[FiestaST]

The Epic Games Store is coming to iOS and Android later this year

Epic has confirmed that its Games Store is coming to both iOS and Android later this year. This is the same EGS that distributes games on Windows, as an alternative to Steam.

Epic says that its Games Store will offer the same fair terms to all developers, on a true multi-platform store. That means that devs will get to keep 88% of their revenue and Epic will get 12%. In comparison, Google gets a 15% cut on the first $1 million in revenue, and whopping 30% after that.

Epic also says that devs can leverage to keep 100% of their revenue if they use their own payments for in-app purchases.

The Epic Games Store is coming to iOS and Android later this year

It will offer the same 12%/88% Epic/developer revenue split as on Windows. Epic has confirmed that its Games Store is coming to both iOS and Android later...

www.gsmarena.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1770500825166545305

 

[backstreetboy]

The Epic Games Store is coming to iOS and Android later this year

Epic has confirmed that its Games Store is coming to both iOS and Android later this year. This is the same EGS that distributes games on Windows, as an alternative to Steam.

Epic says that its Games Store will offer the same fair terms to all developers, on a true multi-platform store. That means that devs will get to keep 88% of their revenue and Epic will get 12%. In comparison, Google gets a 15% cut on the first $1 million in revenue, and whopping 30% after that.

Epic also says that devs can leverage to keep 100% of their revenue if they use their own payments for in-app purchases.

The Epic Games Store is coming to iOS and Android later this year

It will offer the same 12%/88% Epic/developer revenue split as on Windows. Epic has confirmed that its Games Store is coming to both iOS and Android later...

www.gsmarena.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1770500825166545305

So 12% instead of 15% Apple currently gets. Tim Sweeney is a hypocrite.

 

[Swa]

So 12% instead of 15% Apple currently gets. Tim Sweeney is a hypocrite.

Dude it's the same game store they have on the PC so you're not really comparing like for like here and it was more about offering the same alternative. In comparison Steam actually takes 30%.

 

[Hush9300]

Dude it's the same game store they have on the PC so you're not really comparing like for like here and it was more about offering the same alternative. In comparison Steam actually takes 30%.

Epic’s issue was not offering an alternative store it was about not paying Apple commission as evidenced by their flagrant offering of a third party payment option in an update.

That said, Apples share of IAP is 30%… The 15% relates to subscriptions which enter into subsequent years.

Where Epic is being disingenuous is in the 5% royalty they collect from developers using their engine over $1,000,000. This is akin to Apple’s new Core Technology Fee in the EU which has attracted the ire of many.

 

[Swa]

Epic’s issue was not offering an alternative store it was about not paying Apple commission as evidenced by their flagrant offering of a third party payment option in an update.

That said, Apples share of IAP is 30%… The 15% relates to subscriptions which enter into subsequent years.

Where Epic is being disingenuous is in the 5% royalty they collect from developers using their engine over $1,000,000. This is akin to Apple’s new Core Technology Fee in the EU which has attracted the ire of many.

Epic does allow developers to use a third party payment system and this was one of the issues where Epic could also not offer the store or their own apps on the same terms. He makes it sound though like this is just over a 3% difference when it is about much more.

I also don't think the last bit is entirely relatable.

 

[Hush9300]

Epic does allow developers to use a third party payment system and this was one of the issues where Epic could also not offer the store or their own apps on the same terms. He makes it sound though like this is just over a 3% difference when it is about much more.

I also don't think the last bit is entirely relatable.

I agree that Apple should allow third party payments. The point regarding the last bit is that Epic feels they should profit off their IP while they fight Apple tooth and nail for a free ride.

If I were Apple, I’d allow third party payments and drop the IAP commission but increase the price of a developer account by orders of magnitude for large developers like Spotify and Epic. Make them pay large amounts of money for access to the installed base.

 

[Swa]

I agree that Apple should allow third party payments. The point regarding the last bit is that Epic feels they should profit off their IP while they fight Apple tooth and nail for a free ride.

If I were Apple, I’d allow third party payments and drop the IAP commission but increase the price of a developer account by orders of magnitude for large developers like Spotify and Epic. Make them pay large amounts of money for access to the installed base.

There is a bit of difference. One you don't really have much of a choice if you're using the platform, the other it's completely up to you what engine you're using on the platform.

We can keep arguing over the last bit but if not allowing a separate channel on the platform it's simply dictating what everyone should use and not in line with a free market. If you do allow other channels then well, they're not going to get away with such fees.

 

[Hush9300]

There is a bit of difference. One you don't really have much of a choice if you're using the platform, the other it's completely up to you what engine you're using on the platform.

We can keep arguing over the last bit but if not allowing a separate channel on the platform it's simply dictating what everyone should use and not in line with a free market. If you do allow other channels then well, they're not going to get away with such fees.

This makes no sense... Even with third party marketplaces, developers would still have to use Apple's API's to ensure the software runs on the device as intended. I'm sorry, but idea that Apple should allow unabated use of their API's free of charge to foster competition is misguided. Who do you think develops, maintains and updates these API's?

Now, you could argue that Apple should open up ALL API's to all developers and refrain from "privatising" the NFC API for example but then they should be allowed to seek compensation for it's use as Epic and Unity do for their rendering engines.

 

[Swa]

This makes no sense... Even with third party marketplaces, developers would still have to use Apple's API's to ensure the software runs on the device as intended. I'm sorry, but idea that Apple should allow unabated use of their API's free of charge to foster competition is misguided. Who do you think develops, maintains and updates these API's?

Now, you could argue that Apple should open up ALL API's to all developers and refrain from "privatising" the NFC API for example but then they should be allowed to seek compensation for it's use as Epic and Unity do for their rendering engines.

Exactly. You don't have much choice where you have every choice to either use Epic's engine or not so there's no comparison. As for the API, you realise Apple is just as dependant on developers to help sell its hardware as developers are on them. This is the peering issue repeating itself.