Google follows Apple's lead, boots Fortnite from Play Store [u: sued]

Posted:
in General Discussion edited August 2020
Google on Thursday followed Apple's lead to pull Fortnite from the Play Store, a decision made after developer Epic Games updated the title to skirt app store fees with the implementation of direct in-app payments.




Epic's update, which was pushed out to both iOS and Android versions of Fortnite, integrated methods for users to bypass App Store and Play Store in-app payment mechanisms. Apple and Google maintain store policies that strictly prohibit such behavior.

Apple responded by removing Fortnite from the App Store within hours. Google has since followed suit and is no longer offering the game through its Play Store, though the Android version is still available through the Epic Games app and other third-party stores.






Google issued a statement detailing its decision to The Verge.
The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores. For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users. While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play.
Whether Epic intends to level a lawsuit against Google, as it did Apple, remains unclear.

Shortly after Apple yanked Fortnite from the App Store, Epic filed a private antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant over App Store fees, restrictions on third-party app stores and other policies. The developer also launched a social media campaign to drum up support from users and the general public, going so far as to prepare a parody video of Apple's famous "1984" ad.

Update: Epic has sued Google over alleged anticompetitive practices. Like its fight with Apple, the developer paints a picture of duplicity -- mocking Google's already ridiculed "Don't Be Evil" motto -- in its suit. A corresponding parody video was not released.
magman1979h2pSpamSandwich
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 31
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    HA HA HA!!
    civasailorpaulwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 31
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    Get the fu** outta here!!
    ForumPostmagman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 31
    castcorecastcore Posts: 141member
    ‪Should we all sue @EpicGames and CEO @TimSweeneyEpic for forcing us to pay for stuff on @FortniteGame ? We want it for free, everything! If you are asking @Apple @tim_cook to let you be on @AppStore for nothing , you cannot charge either! Same with @Spotify @eldsjal!All FREE NOW!‬
    h2pflyingdpBeatscivarazorpitdoozydozenchiawilliamlondonuraharamwhite
  • Reply 4 of 31
    Apparently Samsung join the boot Fortnite Party.  Gizmodo Exclusive: Samsung Has Also Removed Fortnite from the Galaxy Store
    civadoozydozenwilliamlondonsailorpaulrandominternetpersonmwhiteaderuttermagman1979h2pjony0
  • Reply 5 of 31
    Lol fornite sucked anyways. I couldn’t stand that game. 
    civacastcorewatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 31
    anomeanome Posts: 1,533member
    This is interesting. I suspect Google, and now Samsung, are looking at the Apple situation as a test case. They're wondering if Epic is successful here, will they go after them next?

    But why should they? They allow side-loading, don't they? Do they also block in-app purchases that don't go through Google Play or whatever Samsung's store is called?

    Can we sue Epic for not allowing me to buy my Fortnite in-app items from Rockstar or someone? Do they have a monopoly on purchases made in Fortnite?
    Beatsdoozydozencastcoreuraharacat52jahbladejony0watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 31
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    ajminnj said:
    Apparently Samsung join the boot Fortnite Party.  Gizmodo Exclusive: Samsung Has Also Removed Fortnite from the Galaxy Store

    lol the knockoff App Store. Epic will sue them too.
    doozydozenmagman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 31
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    anome said:
    This is interesting. I suspect Google, and now Samsung, are looking at the Apple situation as a test case. They're wondering if Epic is successful here, will they go after them next?

    But why should they? They allow side-loading, don't they? Do they also block in-app purchases that don't go through Google Play or whatever Samsung's store is called?

    Can we sue Epic for not allowing me to buy my Fortnite in-app items from Rockstar or someone? Do they have a monopoly on purchases made in Fortnite?

    Epic has a store too. We should sue them for being "anti-consumer" and not allowing 3rd party games to sell there for free.
    ForumPostaaarrrggghdoozydozencastcorewilliamlondonsailorpaulsdw2001mwhiteaderuttercat52
  • Reply 9 of 31
    castcorecastcore Posts: 141member
    I will be going to Costco and Safeway tomorrow  and ask them to clear up shelf space for me to sell my home made lemonade for free. After, I will goto local steakhouse and ask them to give me a free steak because they are the biggest and most profitable steak house in town!
    Beatsdewmesailorpaulsdw2001uraharacat52MisterKitjcs2305magman1979Gaby
  • Reply 10 of 31
    ajminnj said:
    Apparently Samsung join the boot Fortnite Party.  Gizmodo Exclusive: Samsung Has Also Removed Fortnite from the Galaxy Store
    …or not. Read the article again.
  • Reply 11 of 31
    You can side load on Google but if you use the Google Play Store it's 30% like Apple. 
    This will be interesting but Epic will lose.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 31
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Gerry-A said:
    You can side load on Google but if you use the Google Play Store it's 30% like Apple. 
    This will be interesting but Epic will lose.
    Originally (August of 2018) Epic bragged about keeping Fortnite off Google Play saying they were popular enough to go it alone and would thumb their nose at Google taking any cut from them. On iOS they had no choice but I'd assume if they had they would have given it a try there too. So what's the complaint now?


    chiamagman1979
  • Reply 13 of 31
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,015member
    Going against Apple and Google is like Hitler fighting America and Russia simultaneously.  I imagine there will be a similar result.  
    h2pwatto_cobrabadmonk
  • Reply 14 of 31
    9.99 x 0.7=6.99 (30% Route)

    9.99x0.20=7.99 (“Awesome 20%” by going direct)

    if they are sooo outrage about the decade old 30% from Apple why in the process of cutting Apple their revenue increase $1

    I would have slightly care if they say: we aren’t paying apple the 30% you can buy direct for 6.99 

    but causing a s*t storm for Apple being greedy or a monopoly while you pocket an extra $1 of ton of users...sure this is about fairness 

    30% is industry standard. App Store give them access to millions of users yet they want it for free...unbelievable 


    aderuttermagman1979williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 31
    anome said:
    This is interesting. I suspect Google, and now Samsung, are looking at the Apple situation as a test case. They're wondering if Epic is successful here, will they go after them next?

    But why should they? They allow side-loading, don't they? Do they also block in-app purchases that don't go through Google Play or whatever Samsung's store is called?

    Can we sue Epic for not allowing me to buy my Fortnite in-app items from Rockstar or someone? Do they have a monopoly on purchases made in Fortnite?
    I expect Google looks at their TOS and determined that Epic’s move violated those TOS and therefore, as spelled out in that contract, they removed the violating app from the store. Sure Apple doing it first gave them PR cover, but I expect they would have done this either way. You either enforce the terms in a contract or you don’t. And this condition isn’t some trivial edge case. If they allow Epic to do this, every game company with in-app purchases would follow suit. 
    aderutterwatto_cobraanome
  • Reply 16 of 31
    Personally, I’m a little worried about this as a test case. It’s good that Google interprets their contract the same as Apple does, but it paints a clear contrast between the “open” android ecosystem and the “closed” iOS/iPadOS one. Now Apple will be fighting this publicly on two fronts: federal regulation and a major private suit (and that’s just in the US).

     Disclaimer, as are many of you, I have a significant financial investment in AAPL. However, I’m more interested in this because I worry about the usability and security consequences of Apple having to (potentially, if it loses) change it’s approach than the financial implications. 

     By the way, can anyone show me how I can buy third-party items in-game in Fortnite? Having to pay $10 for a weapon or upgrade seems like exorbitant pricing of a monopolist. Surely there must be a way to bypass that, right? Epic can’t be hypocritical, can they?
    edited August 2020 aderutterSpamSandwichGabywatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 31
    castcore said:
    I will be going to Costco and Safeway tomorrow  and ask them to clear up shelf space for me to sell my home made lemonade for free. After, I will goto local steakhouse and ask them to give me a free steak because they are the biggest and most profitable steak house in town!

    You can sell your lemonade anywhere you want.   You can make a website and sell it and distribute it directly.  You can sell it from your home.  You can sell it at a farmers market in your town.  Or you can check other stores to get a lower rate to sell your lemonade.  You have that freedom. 

    If your city had a law that said you cannot sell any goods in the town anywhere (not even online) except one city-run store, and that store demanded a 30% cut, wouldn't you think that is unfair?

    The problem is, there is NO OTHER WAY to sell apps for i-devices than Apple's App Store as their own rules (and devices) restrict it.  Because of that, it does seem unfair to me that apps can't accept payment through other means than the App Store.  Maybe the app itself shouldn't be free so that Apple gets it's money, but once the app is sold, why should Apple continue to get revenue for everything purchased in the app?  Since you like analogies, how about you buy a car so that you can start making money doing Uber, Dashpass, etc.  But the car dealer demands a 30% cut of everything you make while you are driving the car they sold you?  Same thing.
    edited August 2020 williamlondon
  • Reply 18 of 31
    You’re wrong. Anyone can make and sell a web-app product and sell it putside the app-store for free.
    The problem is, these greedy devleopers like Spotify and Ms S for xCloud etc. don’t want to have to do any marketing etc. 
    They know they won’t get any downloads unless they use the app-store.
    But they could just create web-apps like Steve originally intended.
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 31
     Just booted Fartnite from my game store (er…all my devices)…… lawsuit and "flashy" ad (that took at least 2 weeks to produce) to follow. That's what these opportunist grandstanding epic idiots did to Apple, and will likely do to Google. Any company that would go to these lengths are not making a statement, their insidious actions serve only to prop up an often failing company. Transparent premeditation. Fail! Go back to level one.
    edited August 2020 williamlondonh2pwatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 31
    uraharaurahara Posts: 733member
    castcore said:
    I will be going to Costco and Safeway tomorrow  and ask them to clear up shelf space for me to sell my home made lemonade for free. After, I will goto local steakhouse and ask them to give me a free steak because they are the biggest and most profitable steak house in town!
    Great idea. Let’s do so!
    magman1979watto_cobra
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