With criminals whose faces is an apple, Fortnite is not in the lace. However, these characters will indeed be at the heart of a campaign whose goal is to take precedence over Apple. The Silicon Valley brand, meanwhile, persists and signs: According to her, Fortnite deserves to be excluded from the App Store and its publisher, Epic Games, deserves to lose its access to programming tools, since it has broken the terms of the contract with the electronics and technology giant. Lawyers for the group made their case in documents filed Friday in California court.
"After deciding that he would prefer to enjoy the benefits of the App Store without paying, Epic violated its contracts with Apple, using its own customers and Apple customers as leverage," the company explains.
At the heart of the battle: Apple takes 30% of the revenue generated by companies that go through the App Store to distribute their applications to consumers on the brand's devices, from iPhones to tablets. However, according to Epic Games (and other companies), this is too much. The publisher tried last week to bypass iOS's payment system (the operating software), but Apple immediately removed the popular survival shooter from the App Store.
A complaint against Apple and its "tyrannical tax"
Apple further threatened to cut off Epic Games' access to a developer program needed to distribute other apps on iOS and to run its Unreal Engine video creation platform. It is used by various clients of the publisher, design studios for video games, films and shows. Epic Games has filed a complaint against Apple and its “tyrannical tax” for abuse of a dominant position.
On Monday, the company also asked the court to pass a restraining order against Apple, to "prevent it from crushing Epic even before the trial takes place", explaining that the damage caused to its activities, its reputation and to the confidence of its customers will be "neither measurable nor repairable". The restraining orders do not serve to remedy "injuries inflicted on oneself", responds Apple Friday, recalling that it is willing to reinstall the game and access to the program if Epic Games agrees to respect the contract again.
Apple, judge and party
The Silicon Valley-based company is regularly accused of monopolistic behavior, because it alone defines the terms of an essential platform to access users of Apple products, and because it is both judge and party. She defends herself by explaining that the commissions, of a standard level on other equivalent stores, are used to protect the applications and their users from hackers and scams.
Lawyers noted on Friday that if other developers also decided to bypass the App Store, "the public would not benefit, and Apple users would be the victims, because they would lose the experience of the App. Store in terms of respect for privacy, security and quality ”.
Samsung tablets at the heart of a marketing campaign
Epic Games has launched a campaign to rally its tens of millions of users to its cause. “All your friends. Incredible prices. And a bad apple ”: it is in these terms that the developer encourages the players to participate Sunday in the tournament called“ #FreeFortnite Cup ”(The Cup“ Free Fortnite ”) and to join the fight“ against the App Store ”on social networks, before finding himself excluded from the next season of the game, which comes out on August 27. Participants will be able to win an avatar that looks like a criminal in costume, with a head in the shape of a grumpy apple with dark glasses.
“We also offer 1,200 game equipment (smartphones, consoles and PCs). Just because you can't play on iOS doesn't mean there aren't other great places to play Fortnite . Be one of the 1,200 best apple eaters in the world to win one of these awards, ”said Epic Games in a statement released Friday. Prices include Samsung tablets, Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo consoles, etc.
High-Tech
"Fortnite": Apple would have won 360 million dollars thanks to the mobile game
High-Tech
Apple: the brand's first foldable smartphone could be released in 2023
- Video games
- Culture
- Fortnite
- Apple