Epic are actually lucky that Apple is giving them warning and a timeline given their infractions. To be clear, this would not affect existing apps built using Unreal. it would prevent Fortnite or any other app by Epic working if you had already got it on a device.
It could though inhibit Epic advancing the Mac and iOS versions of Unreal that developers use going forward but they could probably find a way round this if they wanted to keep providing new versions of Unreal for Mac/iOS. I would expect Unity to be more popular than Unreal for mobile development but could be wrong. This whole scenario of Epic’s doing and Epic’s choice, no sympathy for them, they are a disgrace.
"Upon further review of the activity associated with your Apple Developer Program membership, we have identified several violations of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. Therefore, your Apple Developer Program account will be terminated if the violations set forth below are not cured within 14 days."
"Upon further review of the activity associated with your Apple Developer Program membership, we have identified several violations of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. Therefore, your Apple Developer Program account will be terminated if the violations set forth below are not cured within 14 days."
Lol good. Don’t want their crappy games in the App Store anyway. I’m sorry, but those App Store rules are in place for a reason - to protect our way of life. If any of you have seen the mess that is the google play store, you will know what I mean...
Actually Epic sells through the Google Play store and pays Google 30%. They tried selling direct to Android users and it didn't work well.
I do think, though, that Apple is too stubborn in some ways. For example, letting big players sell digital content direct would improve the iOS user experience.
I believe besides IOS and Android platforms; others(Microsoft XBOX,Sony PlayStation,Nintendo,etc) charges similar 30% to Epic than what seems a problem with Apple ?
Every Digital Distribution channel with the exception of Humble Games and Epic charges 30%.
This is not an issue of "freedom for developers" it is an issue of money for Epic. If Epic can convince Apple to reduce their fee's, the rest of the industry will follow. Fight one front and have an entire industry follow suit would be an incredible win for Epic. They will do anything, say anything to curry favour and influence the courts.
There goes (estimated) 30% of your revenue, morons.
Also to the morons who say "Epic doesn't need Apple and Apple is not responsible for it's success".
Epic disagrees. From the lawsuit:
""The iOS userbase is enormous. There are nearly a billion iPhone users worldwide and over 1.5 billion active iOS devices, including both iPhones and iPads.
"Typically, these users will use only iOS devices and will not also use mobile devices with a different OS. In addition to its size, the iOS user base is also uniquely valuable in that its user base spends twice as much money on apps as Android users.
"This is consistent with Epic's experience, as the average iOS Fortnite user spends significantly more on in-app purchases than the average Android Fortnite user. iOS users are therefore a "must have" market for app developers to compete in; an app developer that chooses to develop apps for Android but not iOS forgoes the opportunity to reach over one billion high-paying app users."
Lol good. Don’t want their crappy games in the App Store anyway. I’m sorry, but those App Store rules are in place for a reason - to protect our way of life. If any of you have seen the mess that is the google play store, you will know what I mean...
Actually Epic sells through the Google Play store and pays Google 30%. They tried selling direct to Android users and it didn't work well.
I do think, though, that Apple is too stubborn in some ways. For example, letting big players sell digital content direct would improve the iOS user experience.
So only multi-billion dollar corporations deserve special treatment?
Please note that I am an Apple fanboy and I am not a gamer. Never played Fornite or anything since Popeye on the Nintendo arcades of the 80s. (Crossy Road maybe the only exception).
But escalating this is nonsensical for Apple. Great job showing non-monopolistic behavior, Apple.
Removing Epic dev license will backfire. Indeed.
This might get a pass in the USA but Apple will get a giant slap in the hand by EU regulators. But worse, beyond the Apple cheerleaders that we all are, Apple will start being seeing as the dark force. Count on Epic to pose as the victim here. They seem to have this well planned.
And in the medium term, Apple will start losing customers, losing public goodwill, losing its ability to attract the best developers.
C'mon Tim. Settle this nasty distraction before it is too late.
Please note that I am an Apple fanboy and I am not a gamer. Never played Fornite or anything since Popeye on the Nintendo arcades of the 80s. (Crossy Road maybe the only exception).
But escalating this is nonsensical for Apple. Great job showing non-monopolistic behavior, Apple.
Removing Epic dev license will backfire. Indeed.
This might get a pass in the USA but Apple will get a giant slap in the hand by EU regulators. But worse, beyond the Apple cheerleaders that we all are, Apple will start being seeing as the dark force. Count on Epic to pose as the victim here. They seem to have this well planned.
And in the medium term, Apple will start losing customers, losing public goodwill, losing its ability to attract the best developers.
C'mon Tim. Settle this nasty distraction before it is too late.
Please. Epic can end their “plight” by following the rules. If they want to sell in-game crap at a lower cost to customers, they can LOWER WHAT THEY CHARGE.
We know what this is really about. They thought they could play poker with Apple by bluffing and instead they got themselves banned from the casino.
Please note that I am an Apple fanboy and I am not a gamer. Never played Fornite or anything since Popeye on the Nintendo arcades of the 80s. (Crossy Road maybe the only exception).
But escalating this is nonsensical for Apple. Great job showing non-monopolistic behavior, Apple.
Removing Epic dev license will backfire. Indeed.
This might get a pass in the USA but Apple will get a giant slap in the hand by EU regulators. But worse, beyond the Apple cheerleaders that we all are, Apple will start being seeing as the dark force. Count on Epic to pose as the victim here. They seem to have this well planned.
And in the medium term, Apple will start losing customers, losing public goodwill, losing its ability to attract the best developers.
C'mon Tim. Settle this nasty distraction before it is too late.
The problem is that Epic can't stick to a contract and it seems that other games are also in violation also.
Lol good. Don’t want their crappy games in the App Store anyway. I’m sorry, but those App Store rules are in place for a reason - to protect our way of life. If any of you have seen the mess that is the google play store, you will know what I mean...
Actually Epic sells through the Google Play store and pays Google 30%. They tried selling direct to Android users and it didn't work well.
I do think, though, that Apple is too stubborn in some ways. For example, letting big players sell digital content direct would improve the iOS user experience.
Lol good. Don’t want their crappy games in the App Store anyway. I’m sorry, but those App Store rules are in place for a reason - to protect our way of life. If any of you have seen the mess that is the google play store, you will know what I mean...
Actually Epic sells through the Google Play store and pays Google 30%. They tried selling direct to Android users and it didn't work well.
I do think, though, that Apple is too stubborn in some ways. For example, letting big players sell digital content direct would improve the iOS user experience.
And if it makes ios unstable, who gets the blame.
Apple gets blamed for everything. From scum developers violating their contracts to a 3rd party bug.
Interesting. This may impact iOS/macOS gaming even further, potentially making third party developers choose to drop support of iOS/macOS or find a new game engine.
It told Epic that by August 28, Apple will cut off Epic’s access to all development tools necessary to create software for Apple’s platforms—including for the Unreal Engine Epic offers to third-party developers, which Apple has never claimed violated any Apple policy. Not content simply to remove Fortnite from the App Store, Apple is attacking Epic’s entire business in unrelated areas.
If the Unreal Engine can no longer support Apple platforms, the software developers that use it will be forced to use alternatives.
Apple would lose out on Unreal Engine 5 as well it sounds like.
A recent mainstream game for the Mac is Borderlands 3, but it requires a graphics card of 8 GB on the Mac ! What a game engine is that !
So not many people will miss them once they are gone, and the whole affair will be forgotten in a couple of months even in the blogosphere that feeds it and life will continue as usual...
The Wikipedia article is just showing a few examples. There are 1000s of games using the engine. It is very popular for both Indies and big studios.
I wonder what Epic charges for an Unreal license? Is it (mostly) free if the licensee doesn’t charge for the software using Unreal? Is it a % of sales if the resulting software is purchased?
Comments
To be clear, this would not affect existing apps built using Unreal.
it would prevent Fortnite or any other app by Epic working if you had already got it on a device.
I would expect Unity to be more popular than Unreal for mobile development but could be wrong.
This whole scenario of Epic’s doing and Epic’s choice, no sympathy for them, they are a disgrace.
Epic broke the rules of The App Store. Apple is fully within their right to cancel their accounts.
Epic can correct the situation (modify Fortnite) and Apple can reinstate their accounts.
Apple has become an arrogant behemoth and their monopolistic behavior needs to be stopped.
I do think, though, that Apple is too stubborn in some ways. For example, letting big players sell digital content direct would improve the iOS user experience.
So only multi-billion dollar corporations deserve special treatment?
And if it makes ios unstable, who gets the blame.
Apple gets blamed for everything. From scum developers violating their contracts to a 3rd party bug.