Epic’s attack on Google and Apple’s app stores: brilliant timing
The dispute between Epic Games and Apple and Google’s app stores is the result of a calculated and well-timed attack by the creator of Fortnite, with the intention of changing the current balance of forces in that environment, which it considers contrary to its interests.
The background to this will be familiar to many readers: Epic Games, partially owned by Chinese giant Tencent, and creators of the most successful game development platform, Unreal Engine, along with the hugely popular Fortnite, have set up a direct payment method so their users can make purchases in their games by skipping the Apple and Google’s payment gateways, which allows them to avoid the commissions that Apple and Google charge for these operations. In addition, Epic has lowered the prices of its products. The problem? Basically, that these kind of direct payment methods are expressly forbidden by the two app stores, and as a consequence, both Apple and Google automatically expelled Fortnite from their App Store and Play Market.
In response to this move by Apple and Google, provoked and anticipated by Epic, the company has posted a video, obviously prepared in advance, in which it parodies Apple’s advertisement broadcasted during the 1984 Super Bowl, considered by some the best spot in history.
