While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. “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. “The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores,” Google said in a statement. Users who already installed Fortnite on iOS or Android will still be able to play, but they won’t receive app updates. Later Thursday, Google said it too had removed Fortnite from the Google Play Store, though the game can still be installed from other sources on Android devices. “As a result their Fortnite app has been removed from the store.”Īpple said it will work with Epic to resolve the violations so Fortnite can return to the App Store. “Today, Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users,” Apple said in a statement emailed to CNN Business. It requested an injunction to prohibit Apple’s allegedly anticompetitive conduct and to mandate that Apple restore competition.Īpple said Thursday that Epic had violated its App Store guidelines regarding in-app payments. “Apple’s removal of Fortnite is yet another example of Apple flexing its enormous power in order to impose unreasonable restraints and unlawfully maintain its 100% monopoly over the iOS in-app payment processing market,” Epic said in its complaint, which was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Hours later, Fortnite had vanished from Apple’s app store - and Epic responded with a lawsuit. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has publicly criticized both Apple and Google for their practices. The company added, “If Apple or Google lower their fees on payments in the future, Epic will pass along the savings to you.”Įpic’s post referred to how both Apple and Google app stores take a 30% cut of in-app sales. “Currently, when using Apple and Google payment options, Apple and Google collect a 30% fee, and the up to 20% price drop does not apply.” In a blog post, Epic said players could not get the discount if they paid via Apple or Google. The controversy began when Epic Games announced Thursday it will offer a permanent 20% discount on Fortnite’s in-game currency if players purchase directly from Epic. It also threw Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” slogan back at the tech company, and accused the firm of having “relegated its motto to nearly an afterthought.” The complaints ran to 60 pages each, and one of the lawyers involved is Christine Varney, who ran the Justice Department’s antitrust division during the Obama administration.Įpic then added insult to injury, releasing a video parodying Apple’s iconic “1984” ad, casting Apple in the role of villain. It quickly became clear that the suits were not a spur of the moment decision by Epic. The companies behind the iOS and Google Play app stores said they removed Fortnite because its developer, Epic Games, violated their guidelines by announcing a way for players to buy in-game currency without using Apple and Google’s proprietary payment systems. The maker of Fortnite is suing Apple and Google after the tech giants blocked the wildly popular online video game, which boasts hundreds of millions of registered players, from their app stores Thursday.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |