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Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

(www.theverge.com)
1704 points ardit33 | 2 comments | 13 Aug 20 19:03 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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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.

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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%.
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ernst_klim ◴[13 Aug 20 22:07 UTC] No.24150094[source]▶
If you don't like the service or product, don't buy it. There are Android, Sailfish, Postmarket, Mer.

It's extremely unethical in my opinion to force some service provider to adjust the service to your needs/preferences.

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013a ◴[13 Aug 20 22:37 UTC] No.24150446{3}[source]▶
These proceedings are not about users having no choice (though, they really don't: Has anyone here except you even heard of "mer"?)

They're about developers not having any choice. Developers have to release on iOS. There's no other option, because that's where most users are. Apple has a captive audience, and they're using that captive audience to abuse developers, who have no recourse.

The issue with many armchair commentators on HackerNews is that we look at the philosophy of the situation, and not the reality. The philosophy is "its Apple's platform, it's their right to run it however they want." The reality is "a billion people use this thing." The rules change when you get that big; its not about philosophy, its about doing what's best for everyone. To some degree, Apple does have a right to run their platform how they want: Fuck Their Rights.

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ernst_klim ◴[13 Aug 20 22:46 UTC] No.24150567{4}[source]▶
> They're about developers not having any choice. Developers have to release on iOS. There's no other option, because that's where most users are.

They do have a choice. You target Apple users and agree upon Apple's terms, or you don't, and publish your app in F-droid/Jolla store, hoping somebody would pay.

The reality is that apple has built an infrastructure which allow you to gain profits and deliver to a huge amount of customers.

> The reality is "a billion people use this thing.

Because Apple put quite a lot of resources to build it. It's their right to operate it as they do.

> Fuck Their Rights

Sure, but let's start with turning your home into a shelter for homeless people for the sake of the society, Fucking your Right, and then we'll fuck theirs. People are always quick to deprive others of their rights as I see.

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1. sabellito ◴[13 Aug 20 23:07 UTC] No.24150797{5}[source]▶
> Sure, but let's start with turning your home into a shelter for homeless people for the sake of the society

And here, a perfect example of slippery slope. You are doing exactly what 013a called as "armchair commentators", and not looking at reality.

The reality is that there are two OSs for phones, and two stores. This arrangement is detrimental to developers and consumers, and, as it stands, there's no getting out of it without resources that no one, apart from Amazon, has.

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2. ernst_klim ◴[13 Aug 20 23:30 UTC] No.24151104[source]▶
>The reality is that there are two OSs for phones, and two stores.

Nope. In reality I've owned n900, n9, Jolla 1 and now iphone. I've owned phones with 4 different OS (not counting symbian).

And of course there are various stores for Android, at least some of my friends live well enough with AOSPs without Gapps.

If you don't like iphone, don't develop for it, you are free to leave.

> there's no getting out of it without resources that no one, apart from Amazon, has.

There is no getting out because people try to force apple to fit their needs instead of giving other platform chance.

Apple is dominating because it's good enough and provides some good merits which other vendors don't (like long term support). As Microsoft's attempt to enter the market has shown, you can't just beat it having the resources, devs and customers need a reason to switch.

I would prefer apple to become less convenient forcing the developers and customers to seek for alternatives and develop for good and more free platforms like Sailfish, making the market more diverse.

Anyways as Windows phone and Sailfish examples have shown, a 30% fee is not a good enough reason to start to support another platform. And if so, I don't see why we should go the authoritarian way forcing apple to change their fees.

30% seems a fair price for using the infrastructure they've built, if it's not a good reason to switch to any other infrastructure, which existed and still do.