A 30% cut isn't greedy?

If Apple's actions really do violate antitrust laws, Epic is in the right. We'll see how their case plays out.

I'm afraid no amount of Fortnite money can keep up with Apple's and Google's endless cash reserves. When the dust settles the real winners will be the lawyers.

***since no laws or court cases exist (To my knowledge) about digital monopoly's this is going to be a very large and vital case for setting precedent going forward.***

That's not true. Even Microsoft's own case for attempting to force all windows 10 apps through their store settled this. A closed system can have its own storefront but Windows is sold as an OS in an open market with no closed system, so it doesn't equate to that. Microsoft tried reversing time and in doing so validated Android/iOS closed systems and invalidated their own system due to it being open.

And just last year they had a civil suit that they won for the same thing. They've also faced lawsuits for things like https://www.politico.com/st...

Like I say to everyone siding with Epic. Until Epic unbans everyone who broke Agreements in Fortnite, they need to shut it and follow the rules. You can't play both sides of the fence. They just want to cut Apple out of profit from fortnite with a virtual currency they decide the price on. Just like they initially did on android which is dirty af. Making players download though a APK because you Don't want to share lol? Naw

You know for fact even if Epic somehow wins, Apple will just pull the leash harder on their OS to prevent anyone from attempting this again. You can't exactly argue as a victim when you broke the rules first. They are not helping anyone but themselves with this stunt.

I’m an app developer who uses UE4. In my opinion Epic is to blame for circumventing Apples policy. However I think Apple is even more to blame for their reaction in revoking Epics Unreal Editor licensees like myself.

@NovusTerminus Dont worry the Eu smells blood in the water they will make a special law just for apple.

@jukins
I did two mobile games. I understand perfectly well how much money Apple and Google are taking. Not sure where is this coming from, though. I will be really surprised if they pull the plug on whole content created on Unreal. Sounds a bit...unreal.

You do realize that Apple is a 1 TRILLION dollar company right? Epic is a 17 billion dollar company, guess who is going to win this fist fight? I'm not an apple shill but Epic is just trying to tangle with something far larger than itself.

Games and movies are two different products, so they dont have to be treated the same.

They have agreements. You follow. Epic will ban you without hesitation for violating terms. So no. This apple is being unfair bs, no. Epic is breaking rules and Apple is just following the rules they've set.

@rain
"Games and movies are two different products, so they dont have to be treated the same."

Except Apple claims that all developers/apps have to follow the same rules. But that's factually untrue. Apple does not equally enforce their own rules.

@ jukins

Doesn't Epic treat developers differently regarding their store front? I recall reading articles about games being denied on the Epic Store (and thus the potential higher profit margins due to the Epic agreement on profit splits) for the developer refusing exclusivity. Seems like these indie developers are being treated differently than developers that accept Epic's agreements, as well as AAA publishers. Seems like Epic has no right to complain about Apple not allowing them on the Apple Store for now following agreements, while they themselves deny developers from the Epic Store for not accepting their agreements.

@r2ob

The higher margins are calculated based on what the developer is willing to do to get within various tiers for revenue splits. Games aren't denied because they won't go exclusive, they just denied those games going into the tiers that pay the higher percentages. To get the highest percentage, you have to agree to a term of exclusivity....which is how Epic actually got most of it's exclusives....not paying for them as some people like to say. You also get more of a cut if you are using the unreal engine.

@porkchop

Where does apple say that all products have to follow the same rules? Every type of app, whether game, streaming service, general apps, etc, all that their own requirements for being approved on the store.

I won't deny that Apple is by far the most strict when it comes to their rules, but outside of some of the anti-trust things they have done, which mostly revolve around removing or marginalizing apps or other things which they come to have a business interest in, I haven't noticed that they are being unequal in how they handle these different categories. They all suck to be honest, but whether they are acceptable policies or not is a different matter to if Epic did the right thing in how they're handling this, and I do believe that what Apple is doing here by banning Epic is using a part of their TOS to try and put pressure on Epic to concede....which isn't illegal, but does border on anti-trust given the circumstances.