Back in 2017, Fortnite was released to the world and quickly – very quickly – took it by storm. One hundred twenty-five million players in less than a year helped it become a cultural phenomenon and also boosted its’ creators coffers. What helped it become a success is the possibility of playing it on a multitude of platforms while using the same account, whether on PC, PlayStation, tablet, or mobile phone. Now though, it’s just been kicked off both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. Read on to find out why.
Guerilla tactics & a unicorn-shaped attack on Apple
The disagreement between Fortnite and the tech giants stems from, of course, money. Both stores take a 30% cut from any in-game purchases, which the game’s developers feel is way too much. With this in mind, the developers changed the way in-game purchases are made, bypassing both Apple and Google’s percentage, lowering the price that players have to pay. They did this with the express intention of violating the store policies that would get the game removed – and once that happened…well, take a look at this thinly-veiled video.
Word from Big Tech…but it’s bigger than that
Both Apple and Google have stated that they want to resolve the situation, but also said there wouldn’t be any special arrangement to cut anything from that 30%. They reason that by using the respective stores, Epic (Fortnite’s creators) get an ecosystem that allows testing, a variety of tools and unique network distributions. However, the debate escalates further, especially when one finds out that Apple did cut an exclusive deal with Amazon, another tech giant. The figure? 15% – half of what other apps would need to pay. Epic have also joined Match Group (parent company of Tinder and other dating apps) in support of the EU’s investigation into antitrust issues involving Apple.
OK, so what does it mean for the players?
Though it’s been kicked off iOS, it is still kind of available on Android. The game can be downloaded independently of Play Store; however, it will have certain limitations imposed upon it. If you want the best experience, you need to download it from the proper channels. Although it doesn’t change anything on the other platforms, this is by far the end of this fight.
A word from the locals
Speaking to some local players, the general consensus is that although it makes for a good story, it’s difficult to say who’s wrong or right. “Epic Games are an industry heavy-weight when it comes to the gaming community, but Apple and Google can hardly be bullied”, says one player. “It’s complicated because the developers are selling their product on a platform that is not theirs, so they can’t make the rules too. 30% is quite a considerable fee, but to break the rules and as soon as they were banned they dropped that video and a 60-page lawsuit. It’s been premeditated, but there’s still more to come, for sure!”
Do you play or know anyone who plays Fortnite? What’s your opinion on the whole saga, and will it affect your playing time?
For more information about how video game companies are taking on tech giants, head here: https://engt.co/2Y0aMei
