Epic Games' CEO responds to Apple's countersuit in Twitter thread

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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Tim Sweeney, Epic Games' CEO, took to Twitter to explain why, in his view, Apple was missing the bigger point of Epic's actions.




In a Twitter thread posted on September 9, Sweeney fired back against Apple's countersuit. He stated that Apple was oversimplifying Epic's actions -- potentially deliberately -- in regards to Epic's battle against Apple and its App Store.

Presumably they're just posturing for the court, but if Apple truly believes the fight over the App Store's distribution and payment monopoly is a "basic disagreement over money," then they've lost all sight of the tech industry's founding principles.https://t.co/349RHLqKYa

-- Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic)


In its court filing Tuesday, Apple said that the Epic lawsuit is "nothing more than a basic disagreement over money." However, Sweeney disagrees.

He claims that Apple has overextended its reach when it comes to consumers' devices. He claims that all users should be able to install software freely and that all developers should be able to create and share apps as they wish.

"Your device isn't lorded over by some all-powerful corporation," Sweeney said in the thread. "This is EXACTLY what Apple's 1984 commercial was all about. Making computing personal, overcoming the awful precedent of IBM mainframes where computer owners were reduced to essentially just leasing devices controlled by an all-powerful company."





He continues by saying that Epic's controversial Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite video is also about striking back against an unfair system. He posits that Apple is now the all-powerful corporation they had worried about nearly three decades prior. He alleges that Apple infringes on both consumer and developer rights by acting as an "intermediary between creators and users, and using that position to exert control and extract money."

The rights of users and creators are the FOUNDATION of this dispute. Money is several layers removed, as the medium of exchange between users who choose to buy digital items, and the creators who made them. Epic isn't even seeking monetary damages. We are fighting for change!

-- Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic)


In his Tweet volley, Sweeney neglected to mention that Epic stands in violation of a contract with Apple, that it agreed upon. He also isn't mentioning that Apple has explicitly said that Fortnite will be returned to the App Store, should Epic decide to remove its own payment processing option from the game.

While he claims that Epic is fighting for change, it should be noted that Apple had produced three emails in which Epic asked for an individual arrangement with Apple for special treatment. The company had wanted the ability to implement direct payment systems to bypass App Store fees solely for Fortnite.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 46
    j2fusionj2fusion Posts: 153member
    The irony here is that it is Mr. Sweeney who is trying to force something on consumers. He’s right in that consumers should be able to get apps and services from wherever they want. That option already exists. It’s called Android. Yet consumers have time and time again voted with their wallet.  They want a secure curated system where they don’t have to worry that some email link will direct them to an offshore store full of malware. Mr Sweeney would seek to destroy the security Apple has built for a few extra dollars. Sad really. I hope the court hands him his a$$ in a handbasket. 
    edited September 2020 williamlondonmwhiteStrangeDayschaickadysamoriaaderutterchiad_2bageljoeyGilliam_Bates
  • Reply 2 of 46
    appletechspotappletechspot Posts: 48member
    So basically he is saying that he always had a problem with the concept of the App Store Because nothing has changed to speak of in these policies since Epic first joined the App Store? Yeah no one really believes that! Apple is right it’s just about the money since Epics goal is just to be the one getting the 30% cut rather than giving it. It is disingenuous at best to act like Epic is fighting for anyone’s freedom except their own to make more money.
    williamlondoncornchipdysamoriaaderutteruraharalolliversuperklotonroundaboutnowwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 46
    carnegiecarnegie Posts: 1,078member
    I might be more inclined to credit Mr. Sweenery’s comments if his company wasn’t, as we speak, stealing money from Apple. Epic could have reverted Fortnite to a compliant version, its failing to do so doesn’t really help Epic’s legal arguments. The only likely reasons for not fixing the app were so Epic could continue to avoid paying Apple the commission it is due and to try to make Apple look bad to, among others, Fortnite users.
    edited September 2020 williamlondonmwhiteaderutterd_2watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 46
    hammeroftruthhammeroftruth Posts: 1,309member
    What a laughable statement to make. 

    If it wasn’t about money, then why didn’t he just
    make everything free on the App Store?

    Don’t let this snake fool you. It’s always about money. 

    What freedom has Apple prevented you from doing on your iPhone?

    The freedom from loading an app that snoops around your device and phones home whatever information they can get off of it?

    The freedom from the app deciding that it
    can turn itself into malware/ransomware if it wants to?

    If you want to control every detail about your device, buy an Android phone.

    the irony is that if Apple had a minority share of the market, Sweeney wouldn’t give a shit what Apple does as it doesn’t pull in enough money for him to care. 

    It was always about the money.  
    williamlondonmwhitecornchipdysamoriaaderutterchiad_2lolliverFileMakerFellersuperkloton
  • Reply 5 of 46
    EsquireCatsEsquireCats Posts: 1,268member
    I don't see him making this complaint to nintendo et. al.

    Maybe that's because Epic derives their lion share of their revenue from those platforms, and it is indeed entirely about money.
    williamlondoncornchipdysamoriaapplguybageljoeycivasuperklotonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 46
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,571member
    Someone (eg, Apple) needs to ask Sweeney this question, "Mr Sweeney, if Apple allowed users to install Android and thereby permit side loading, would that be good enough for you? Is your problem really the inability for users to load their own software, or is your problem that iOS doesn't allow people to load their own software?"

    His answer would contradict what he has said so far. That's because so far he has only said he wants people to be able to load their own software. He has not actually said he wants iOS users to be able to load their own software.

    This is an ace Apple has up its sleeve. It actually could allow users to replace iOS with Android, and that way no government could complain that Apple isn't giving iPhone users full control over their hardware. Frankly it wouldn't be a big issue for Apple, because less that 1% of users would do that.
    edited September 2020 cornchipaderutterGilliam_Bateslolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 46
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member
    According to Gruber, Epic itself uses an app store to distribute Fortnite on other devices — their own app store. They don’t want to eliminate app stores, they want to be the corporation running the app stores. To be another Steam. 
    dysamoriaaderutterchiamacpluspluslolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 46
    cornchipcornchip Posts: 1,949member

    Tim Sweeney said:
    ...”the tech industry's founding principles.”

    I’m sorry… what? What is he talking about? 
    dysamorialolliversuperklotonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 46
    flydogflydog Posts: 1,123member
    When was the tech industry “founded,” who came up with these “principles” (which apparently override any contracts), and where can I get a copy?
    dysamoriaaderutterchiad_2Gilliam_Bateslolliversuperklotonroundaboutnowwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 46
    qwerty52qwerty52 Posts: 367member

    Mr. Sweeney said:

    Presumably they're just posturing for the court, but if Apple truly believes the fight over the App Store's distribution and payment monopoly is a "basic disagreement over money," then they've lost all sight of the tech industry's founding principles.https://t.co/349RHLqKYa

    -- Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) 


    Mr. Sweeney you forgot again, that the AppStore belongs to Apple and not to Epic. So don’t fight over this store!
    It is you, who asked Apple, to allow you to use AppStore, not opposite around.
    It is you, who signed the contract to confirm that you are agree with rules of AppStore. Since that moment and now, 
    nothing has change in this rules. What do you want then?
    The louder you yell, it's not about money, the clearer it is: It's about money
    If you weren’t the CEO of your own company, you would be already fired for all mistakes you did 

    Beatslolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 46
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,093member
    OMG, now I just want Epic to fail.  
    jimh2d_2igorskyBeatslolliversuperklotonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 46
    chaickachaicka Posts: 257member
    j2fusion said:
    The irony here is that it is Mr. Sweeney who is trying to force something on consumers. He’s right in that consumers should be able to get apps and services from wherever they want. That option already exists. It’s called Android. Yet consumers have time and time again voted with their wallet.  They want a secure curated system where they don’t have to worry that some email link will direct them to an offshore store full of malware. Mr Sweeney would seek to destroy the security Apple has built for a few extra dollars. Sad really. I hope the court hands him his a$$ in a handbasket. 
    For me and family and any extended family within my influence/manage (Yes, I running centralised manage with the explosion of devices and madness of them come running to me to fix their problem as though I am their IT Support), if one day iOS App Store becomes like Android Play Store, or the platform loses it curated and secured commercing appeal, I will make sure none of the mobile devices store any credit card, medical, etc sensitive information. I HAD enough of the rubbish phishing, spamming, personal info theft, etc just for sake of advertising revenue (to someone else's pocket, not mine).
    dysamoriainTIMidatorlolliverFileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 46
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    This guy is Epically full of shit. I almost feel like tweeting back at him, but what would it accomplish? He’s probably got that account managed by some executive assistant anyway. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 46
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,362member
    You lost me at “Twitter,” the megaphone for morons.
    MplsPigorskylolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 46
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,925member
    I saw another story detailing how Epic lost it 60% of it's iOS users, something like 20 % of total users and $29M per month over the App Store dispute. I wonder if they're having second thoughts? I'm guessing this blew up in a way they either weren't expecting, were hoping to avoid or weren't totally prepared for but now they're obligated to plow forward because they can't go back.
    llamawatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 46
    aderutteraderutter Posts: 604member
    Epic have also by their actions highlighted the danger in what they want to acheive.
    They put an app in Apple’s app-store that had a trojan horse in it! and Epic are 40% chinese owned... 
    If they get to bypass Apple’s review process what else will they put in their games?

    chiawinston2010lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 46
    winston2010winston2010 Posts: 98member
    Sorry, but consumers don't want to go back to the days of going to local grocery stores to rent movies on tape.
    lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 46
    flippyschflippysch Posts: 29member

    Don’t let this snake fool you. It’s always about money. 

     
    I read even as a kid he undercut lawn service companies to make money.
    edited September 2020 lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 46
    winston2010winston2010 Posts: 98member
    Also the real story behind it was Tencent, the Chinese parent company wanted use WeChat Pay for payments.   To use WeChat Pay, you have to have money in a Chinese bank!
    FileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 46
    JinTechJinTech Posts: 1,022member
    It's all one big publicity stunt that completely back fired on Epic. They were hoping Apple would nudge, they knew they wouldn't, the launch this campaign against Apple hoping they will just willy nilly allow them back on the App Store, and then their users will be so happy that the game is back and their users will spend even more money! But, that's not how this is going down, at all and Epic is losing in court and spending lots of money on legal fees at that. Bye bye Epic!
    lolliverwatto_cobra
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