Apple has been under pressure from regulators, lawmakers, and developers to make its App Store more open and fair. The company has faced antitrust investigations, lawsuits, and criticism for its tight control over the distribution and monetization of apps on its platform. Apple has recently announced some changes to its App Store policies that aim to address some of these concerns and improve the experience for both developers and users.
One of the major changes is that Apple will allow developers to communicate with their customers outside of the App Store and offer alternative payment methods. This means that developers can avoid paying Apple’s 15% or 30% commission on in-app purchases and subscriptions, which has been a source of contention for many app makers. Apple will also let developers appeal its decisions on app rejections and suggest changes to its guidelines.
Another change is that Apple will reduce its commission rate to 15% for news publishers who participate in its Apple News service. This is part of a broader effort by Apple to support quality journalism and combat misinformation on its platform. Apple will also provide more transparency and data on how its editorial team selects and features stories on Apple News.
These changes are significant for Apple, which has historically been reluctant to loosen its grip on its App Store ecosystem. They are also a response to the changing market dynamics and consumer preferences, as more people use multiple devices and platforms, and as more services move to the cloud and web. Apple is trying to balance its interests as a platform owner, a service provider, and a device maker, while also maintaining its reputation for quality, security, and privacy.
Apple’s App Store is still one of the most lucrative and influential platforms in the tech industry, with over 1.8 million apps and over $64 billion in revenue in 2020. By opening up its App Store, Apple is hoping to foster more innovation, competition, and trust among its developers and users, and to ensure its long-term success in the digital economy.
Epic Games, producers of popular game Fornite, yesterday took on Apple and Google in what might spark an app store revolution.
Something very interesting happened yesterday. News broke out that Apple has removed Fortnite from the iOS App Store. Referencing that the game company had violated its App Store guidelines. It wasn’t long before Google did the same. Since then Epic has filed a lawsuit against Apple. In what it says is to “end Apple’s anti-competitive restrictions on mobile device marketplaces“.
So this is what started it all. Epic Games introduced its own payment system, Epic direct payment, on iOS and Google. Knowing very well that this move will violate both the Goole Play and Apple App store rules. This, however, will offer users a 20% discount on the usual in-app purchases in the Apple and Google Play stores. That is where the store violation comes into play. Apple says they are using their own in-app payment option. Whereas when it comes to Google that isn’t an issue till the app in question is a game.
The game company sort of had it all figured out, knowing Apple and Google will come after them and they were ready for them. That’s because they released a 65-page lawsuit just moments after Apple removed their app from the app store. This, Business Insider says, “Fortnite set an antitrust trap for Apple and Tim Cook walked right into it“.
They also released a video mimicking Apple’s 1984 Macintosh commercial that introduced the Mac PC. Check it out below.
The Epic Games War
Epic Games is staging a fight that is bigger than them and concerns the wider 3rd party developer community in relation to the App Store. Most of these developers have complained to Apple but the giant seems to have its way. In recent times, Microsoft has been unable to bring its xCloud gaming service to Xbox users on iOS becuase of such issues. Epic calls it a monopoly in its lawsuit.
The question is will Epic succeed where others have failed? Will it encounter the same hurdles others faced and decide they have no choice but to play to Apple and Google’s tunes? When Epic wins this will it apply to the wider 3rd party community or will it be a special treatment as Apple notes.
We will find out soon enough i guess. What do you think?
More to come …
Update :
iDevice Care reports that Apple says it will not be making an exception for Epic. In Apple’s remarks, Epic created a problem for itself. Noting this “problem can be easily fixed if they send an update of their app that restores it to comply with the guidelines again.”
