←back to thread

Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

(www.theverge.com)
1704 points ardit33 | 7 comments | 13 Aug 20 19:03 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source | bottom
Show context
nodesocket ◴[13 Aug 20 21:35 UTC] No.24149647[source]▶
I don't see the problem, Epic explicitly went around the app store's payment process and terms of service. It's within Apple's right to pull Fortnite. They are also suing Apple as well.

Why should Epic get a “special arrangement” from all other developers?

If you don't like the terms, then don't be on the Apple App store, but of course your missing a huge swath of the population thus the 30% fee. Being on the App store is essentially unlimited marketing and exposure for your app. Cost of doing business.

replies(3): >>24149773 #>>24150043 #>>24150093 #
kqvamxurcagg ◴[13 Aug 20 21:44 UTC] No.24149773[source]▶
As a consumer, why can't there be an alternative App Store on IoS if I don't like the Apple terms? Apple shouldn't force consumers and developers to provide them with 30%.
replies(3): >>24149901 #>>24150094 #>>24150687 #
ntsplnkv2 ◴[13 Aug 20 21:54 UTC] No.24149901[source]▶
There is - buy the more popular, larger market share Android phone and your problem is solved.
replies(2): >>24149988 #>>24150068 #
1. kqvamxurcagg ◴[13 Aug 20 22:05 UTC] No.24150068{3}[source]▶
I don't want to change my phone. I want to change my App Store. Why can't I? Because the App Store is a monopoly.
replies(1): >>24150173 #
2. ntsplnkv2 ◴[13 Aug 20 22:12 UTC] No.24150173[source]▶
It can easily be argued that the app store is just as much the product as the A13 chip.
replies(2): >>24150287 #>>24151925 #
3. kqvamxurcagg ◴[13 Aug 20 22:21 UTC] No.24150287[source]▶
I would say it's actually quite hard to argue that. Consumers upgrade their phone primarily based on hardware specifications.
replies(1): >>24150386 #
4. ntsplnkv2 ◴[13 Aug 20 22:31 UTC] No.24150386{3}[source]▶
This simply isn't true, the market is too diverse to make any assumption like you just did. Some do upgrade based on "hardware specs." Go ask your mom what mhz are. Yea, I'll wait.

iOS is the large reason people choose iPhones over Android. The phone is simply a portal to iOS.

Without the OS the phone is essentially a brick. To argue the hardware is the only product is an absolute falsehood.

replies(1): >>24150950 #
5. hug ◴[13 Aug 20 23:19 UTC] No.24150950{4}[source]▶
I agree with you that iOS is the product, but I agree with the GP that the capital-letters App Store has very little to do with it.

To re-use your mom as the argument:

* Go grab her phone and point at any given app, and ask if it's available on Android too.

* Ask her if she knows the differences are between the Play Store and the App Store.

* Ask her if she thinks there is any material difference between getting applications onto an Android phone versus an iPhone.

She presumably doesn't know anything about these things, makes the assumption that apps are apps, and leaves it at that.

replies(1): >>24157776 #
6. summerlight ◴[14 Aug 20 00:55 UTC] No.24151925[source]▶
Except it isn't. There is no fundamental technical limitation that prohibits Apple from allowing third party app store. It's only because of their arbitrary policy.
7. ntsplnkv2 ◴[14 Aug 20 13:39 UTC] No.24157776{5}[source]▶
The App Store didn't exist before iOS, it was created for it. It is not a separate product.

None of these questions get you anywhere. You made the claim that hardware was why people upgraded - which is false because of the diversity of the market and the fact that the hardware is only a portal to what they want. You haven't dealt with the argument - that the App Store is a separate product from an iPhone. It isn't.