Fortnite: Apple Ban Sparks Court Action From Epic Games
Fortnite: Apple ban sparks court action from Epic Games
13 August 2020
Apple has taken down Fortnite from its App Store, which has prevented players from installing one the most played games in the world on iPhones.
It was released following an Fortnite update that let players buy in-game currency at a lower cost if they bought direct from the creator Epic Games - bypassing Apple.
Epic appeared to be aware of the ban and announced that it had filed a complaint within minutes.
Apple takes a standard 30 percent share of its sales from its compulsory payment system.
A few hours later, Google also appeared to remove the app from its Google Play Store however it's still available on Android phones via other methods, such as Epic Games' own launcher.
The App Store is the only legal way to legally load apps onto iOS. However, Apple stated that Epic had taken the "unfortunate step of violating App Store guidelines".
The guidelines prohibit any payment system other than Apple's, and has been the subject of a number of major disputes between developers and Apple.
Epic stated that iPhone players with the app installed should be able to continue playing until the game's next update comes out. After that, they will lose some features.
Users who use an Apple Mac computer won't be affected since they don't use the iOS App Store.
Epic tweeted the California court filing and announced that it was going to screen a short film called Nineteen Eighty Fortnite. This is a play on George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.
The novel depicts an unimaginative society in which citizens are controlled and tolerate no dissent. Apple also referenced the novel in a television ad from 1984 when it claimed to be fighting IBM.
According to court documents, Apple has a monopoly in deciding which apps can be downloaded on iPhones and also on requesting its own payment system. This is with a 30 percent cut.
Piers Harding-Rolls, games research director at Ampere Analysis, said Epic's update breaking the rules "was made to make Apple remove the app".
The titan launcher
"Removing Fortnite from the App Store will create an overwhelming amount of support for Epic, something it is working to achieve."
And he added that iPhones aren't the best platform for Fortnite, but Epic will still be aware of its absence - the iOS version "generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue every month on Apple platforms" He said.
Clash of titans
This is not a popular option by developers. A 30% reduction in profits is viewed as a shakedown by many developers.
One app developer One app developer compared Apple to the mafia last month. This is a fundamentally anti-competition argument.
Google and Apple control the operating systems that run on almost all phones around the globe. That means they get to choose who can run apps on their stores, and who won't.
They can also set the fees. This is a duopoly, claim some developers.
In Epic Games though, Apple has a rival that isn't wanted.
Fortnite is insanely profitable. Epic Games has the money to pay Apple. The way it has been carried out by passing the savings onto the consumer - is clearly a tactic. Epic Games wants to bring this fight to the open.
This attention is vital for Apple because the EU and the US Congress are closely monitoring its business practices.
Epic stated in a court filing that it was not seeking financial compensation.
It was stated that Epic is seeking injunctive relief in order to allow fair competition in two important markets that directly impact hundreds of millions of users and thousands, if not thousands, of third-party app developers.
These documents also hint at a larger purpose.
"But in the event of Apple's illegal restrictions, Epic would provide a competing app store on iOS devices," it says.
Epic Games launched its Epic Games Store to change the PC gaming industry. It's goal is to draw gamers away from Steam by offering games for free that are popular and highly evaluated.
Piers Harding-Rolls said the row was reminiscent of the previous battle - Epic's store charges game developers 12% on PC games, compared to Steam's 30 percent.
He stated that Apple and Google were a long-term target of Epic CEO Tim Sweeney's anger as he believes that the 30 percent revenue share they charge for in-game monetization and app sales is excessive.
"However, taking down Apple is a different task that in the PC market, as it's not possible for third-party storefronts to be built on iOS or to monetise apps beyond the App Store."
Google's Android system utilizes the payment system of Google to purchase apps. Google takes a cut however, Android allows developers and users to use other payment options.
In a statement, Apple said the rules were equally applied to all developer and they claimed that Epic had modified their game "with the explicit intent of breaking the App Store guidelines".
"Epic has been a part of the App Store for a decade, and has been able to benefit from the App Store ecosystem," it said.
"The fact that their business interests lead them to push for a particular arrangement does not mean the fact that these guidelines provide an equal playing field for all developers and make the store safer for all users."
It added that it would collaborate with Epic to bring Fortnite back.
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