Epic CEO fears Apple's influence over the metaverse

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Epic CEO Tim Sweeney believes Apple is a major "roadblock in the way of Epic's vision for a metaverse."

Credit: Epic Games
Credit: Epic Games


On Thursday, Epic Games discussed its plans for the metaverse at the Game Developers Conference 2023. The company believes the metaverse should be open and that "it can't be another walled garden."

The "walled garden" statement is a direct jab at Apple. Sweeney has routinely expressed this sentiment during Epic's long battle against Apple's App Store policies.

In an interview with GameIndustry, Sweeney expanded on his concerns.

"[Apple will] either try to crush the metaverse, or extract all the profit from it. One or the other. Apple doesn't let you use a competing browser engine. So they can do the same thing with the metaverse, so [they] can say, 'you must use Apple's limited metaverse engine, you can't build your own, you can't use Unreal."

It's not clear why Sweeney believes that the Unreal Engine won't be allowed on any AR or VR implementation by Apple. It is used in iPhone and Mac development now, and it seems unlikely that it will be disallowed going forward.

"If we just build this thing in an open environment then companies can live on their merits," Sweeney added. "We very much like that because we have a history of winning on the merits when given the chance and we're terribly frustrated at markets like iOS where you just can't make an Epic Games Store for iOS because Apple says 'You can't compete with us'!"

He says that he believes robust antitrust laws are the only way forward and that Epic would lead the charge against Apple's influence on the market.

"We see them as utterly dominating this business if they're allowed to use their market power and hardware to do so. So we're fighting that. The other challenges I think can all be overcome."

Sweeney has spoken out against Apple for some time now, but his feud escalated after Fortnite got removed from the App Store. It was removed after Epic violated their developer agreement by implementing a way that users could sidestep the 30% commission fee.

Apple's mixed reality headset is rumored to launch at WWDC 2023. The yet-unannounced headset is anticipated to be a wearable visor with mixed-reality software. It would be an at-home computer capable of transporting the user to different locations for work or play.

Read on AppleInsider
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 49
    I don't think Apple is their risk factor.

    I think the fact that people are is interested in VR as they were in 3D television is the risk factor.

    The number of people who want this crap in any near future is a rounding error.
    DAalsethlkruppmike1Anilu_777ravnorodomJFC_PAzeus423baconstanguraharaBart Y
  • Reply 2 of 49
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 1,989member
    Sweeney's real fear is that Apple could stand in the way of his ability to screw over his own customers. 

    Epic must pay $245M after luring customers into 'Fortnite' purchases

    williamlondonlkrupproundaboutnowgenovellemike1chasmAnilu_777lolliverravnorodompulseimages
  • Reply 3 of 49
    larryjwlarryjw Posts: 1,031member
    The major factor is metaverse. Buzzword compliant. Nonsense repeated is still nonsense.

    lkruppmike1iOS_Guy80danoxuraharaBart Ywatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 4 of 49
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    I fear Epic’s influence on the metaverse. But my opinion doesn’t matter either. 
    edited March 2023 Anilu_777lollivercoolfactorzeus423baconstanguraharamattinozBart Ywatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 5 of 49
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    Epic has a Meteverse strategy? Sounds more like this decade’s management buzzword. 

    And let’s be honest, with the quarter billion dollar fine Epic just got hit with for deceptive and abusive practices in Fortnight, it seems to me that they are the ones most likely to try to “ extract all the profit from it”. They are the ones with the history of deceit and abuse.
    roundaboutnowgenovelleAnilu_777lolliverJFC_PARonnyDaddyzeus423radarthekatbaconstangBart Y
  • Reply 6 of 49
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Tim Sweeney can't compete. period. So he complains.
    Anilu_777lolliverravnorodomzeus423radarthekatbaconstangBart Ywilliamlondonwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 7 of 49
    r_marir_mari Posts: 12member
    EPIC's CEO is an idiot.

    The Metaverse will not exist without Apple's participation.
    Apple will create the Metaverse that people want to use.
    Only Apple can create the glasses that people will want to use to access the Metaverse.

    Even Facebook has given up on the Metaverse.
    They realize that they cannot do it alone without Apple's help.
    lolliveriOS_Guy80ravnorodomradarthekatBart Ywatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 8 of 49
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    This from the CEO of a company who just had to pay a $245 million fine for tricking children into running up charges on its games. What a twat!
    JapheyclemynxAnilu_777dhawkins541iOS_Guy80JFC_PAravnorodomRonnyDaddyzeus423StrangeDays
  • Reply 9 of 49
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,462member
    Oh the irony. Sweeney is such a hypocrite
    Anilu_777lolliverCesar Battistini MazierobageljoeyravnorodomradarthekatbaconstanguraharaBart Ywilliamlondon
  • Reply 10 of 49
    genovellegenovelle Posts: 1,480member
    If this looser didn’t keep Apple’s name in his mouth every time he gets a microphone in front of him, we would have never heard of him or would have long forgotten him. 
    Anilu_777Japheyzeus423fastasleepradarthekaturaharaBart Ywilliamlondonwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 11 of 49
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    Poor guy, still using the term Metaverse. 
    No one will ever actually call it that. 
    Cesar Battistini Mazieroravnorodomradarthekaturaharawatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 12 of 49
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    I don't think Apple is their risk factor.

    I think the fact that people are is interested in VR as they were in 3D television is the risk factor.

    The number of people who want this crap in any near future is a rounding error.
    That’s a really ignorant take. VR is amazing for many types of videogames for example. 
    ravnorodomfastasleepwilliamlondon
  • Reply 13 of 49
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,275member
    Seriously, who cares what this corrupt manchild thinks.
    Anilu_777lolliverravnorodomradarthekatbaconstanguraharaBart Ywilliamlondonwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 14 of 49
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    Epic CEO fears Apple's influence over will prevent him from scamming children in the metaverse
    Fixed that
    Anilu_777ravnorodomzeus423badmonkradarthekatjfabula1watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 15 of 49
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 1,999member
    Oh the irony. Sweeney is such a hypocrite
    That’s rather diplomatic of you.  

    I prefer what others have said in this thread.  “Twat” and “idiot”.  



    zeus423radarthekatbaconstangjfabula1Bart Ywilliamlondonwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 16 of 49
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 1,999member
    clemynx said:
    I don't think Apple is their risk factor.

    I think the fact that people are is interested in VR as they were in 3D television is the risk factor.

    The number of people who want this crap in any near future is a rounding error.
    That’s a really ignorant take. VR is amazing for many types of videogames for example. 
    That’s not an ignorant take.  As an overarching interface to the next gen internet it is spot on. Besides Zuckerberg I don’t know of anyone besides Sweeney who thinks this is a good idea.   We’re not talking about dedicated game use — no problem with that.  And we’re not talking vertical market use for specialty needs.  That is all fine.  We’re talking about the idea that people want to interact with each other regularly on the network through VR.   No one is asking for that or cares about it.  
    JFC_PAradarthekatbaconstangwilliamlondonwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 17 of 49
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    This guy should seek professional help.

    Unless of course his entire existence is a deep fake. 
    Cesar Battistini Mazieroravnorodomjfabula1Bart Ywilliamlondonwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 18 of 49
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,624member
    r_mari said:
    EPIC's CEO is an idiot.

    The Metaverse will not exist without Apple's participation.
    Apple will create the Metaverse that people want to use.
    Only Apple can create the glasses that people will want to use to access the Metaverse.

    Even Facebook has given up on the Metaverse.
    They realize that they cannot do it alone without Apple's help.
    I can guarantee you that the metaverse can exist without Apple. The baby steps have already been taken but the goal of a seamless metaverse cannot exist without 5.5G and some serious grunt on the part of the carriers and infrastructure providers. It's not going anywhere without that. MWC2023 had some great examples of ultra-high bandwidth, low latency interaction using backbone technologies that are coming to market. 

    The question beyond that is if you want multiple metaverses (AKA Apple metaverse) or something standardised.

    An Apple metaverse would be quite limited as it is a terminal device manufacturer and the notion of a true metaverse really depends on data (content) and moving it around in quantity, at speed and keeping latency very low.

    That data should ideally be universal so I hope things move forward following standards and preferably open standards. 

    No blue vs green avatars. LOL. 


    ravnorodom
  • Reply 19 of 49
    avon b7 said:

    No blue vs green avatars. LOL. 


    And all their datas belongs to us.
    Cesar Battistini MazierocoolfactorDooofuswatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 49
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    avon b7 said:
    r_mari said:
    EPIC's CEO is an idiot.

    The Metaverse will not exist without Apple's participation.
    Apple will create the Metaverse that people want to use.
    Only Apple can create the glasses that people will want to use to access the Metaverse.

    Even Facebook has given up on the Metaverse.
    They realize that they cannot do it alone without Apple's help.
    I can guarantee you that the metaverse can exist without Apple. The baby steps have already been taken but the goal of a seamless metaverse cannot exist without 5.5G and some serious grunt on the part of the carriers and infrastructure providers. It's not going anywhere without that. MWC2023 had some great examples of ultra-high bandwidth, low latency interaction using backbone technologies that are coming to market. 

    The question beyond that is if you want multiple metaverses (AKA Apple metaverse) or something standardised.

    An Apple metaverse would be quite limited as it is a terminal device manufacturer and the notion of a true metaverse really depends on data (content) and moving it around in quantity, at speed and keeping latency very low.
    Nothing in that statement would be limited by Apple, should they choose to be involved. They're not the ones who cut corners on using high quality hardware (and optimizing their software for that hardware) to ensure a smooth experience.

    That data should ideally be universal so I hope things move forward following standards and preferably open standards. 

    No blue vs green avatars. LOL. 
    Apple will use open standards where it makes sense to do so. I mean, it's not like they rolled their own TCP/IP stack for networking or came up with their own version of HTML for the web.

    That said, they'll protect the areas where they invest in R&D heavily and come up with things which companies/people who are only fixated on technical details instead of the human experience wouldn't (but will be quick to dismiss as obvious or not as important). They're not an advertising company masquerading as a technology company who can give away their work and fund it via data harvesting. And they're also not the type of company which waits for everyone else to do the hard work and then cries that it should be open source and/or finds a way to clone and own it.

    I know that it's difficult for the people whose minds only see algorithms and technical details to comprehend, but there's more to creating a great technology than the sum of its parts. Those insights into the human experience which differentiate truly great products from good ones aren't just obvious details. But I can see how it's easy for some to be envious and want to belittle it.
    bageljoeyfastasleepbadmonkradarthekatchadbagbloggerblogBart Ywatto_cobra
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