All it takes is some circumvention of the App Store payment system and some legal kerfuffle to remove a good thing.
Apple on Thursday removed Epic’s blockbuster game Fortnite from the App Store, hours after Epic Games apparently circumvented Apple’s payment system.
The company added its own in-app payment system that bypassed Apple’s payment system, a clear violation of App Store Review Guidelines. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has been a voice in the antitrust arguments against Apple, saying the 30 percent fee Apple levies on developers should be lowered, or removed.
Apple offered the following comments regarding the issue at hand:
Epic has had apps on the App Store for a decade, and have benefited from the App Store ecosystem – including its tools, testing, and distribution that Apple provides to all developers. Epic agreed to the App Store terms and guidelines freely and we’re glad they’ve built such a successful business on the App Store.
The fact that their business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users. We will make every effort to work with Epic to resolve these violations so they can return Fortnite to the App Store.
Epic Games has also gone one step further and filed suit against Apple, thereby making the argument that much more contentious.
Here’s hoping the two can come to terms and keep offering a game that millions of people love on their iOS devices.
Via The Mac Observer and The Verge