[ad_1]
The video game is a colossal industry and when one of its main players, Epic Games, the publisher of the game Fortnite Battle Royal, which claims more than 350 million players, decides to take on the giants Apple and Google, it ignites. Since the beginning of August, these multinationals have waged a ruthless fight. A legal and communication war is raging.
We told you a few hours ago but it did not last:
Apple Removed Fortnite from Apple Store Following Epic Games Tax Complaints pic.twitter.com/Jeilr2ZDSg
– Video Game Magazine (@Jeux_Video_Mag) August 13, 2020
The subject of the dispute is the amount of commissions imposed by the American giants to Epic Games on all sales made on mobile. “To avoid the 30% commission from Apple or Google, this summer, Epic Games has launched an alternative payment system in the game, to pay for purchases directly to Epic Games and thus avoid commissions.explains Brice N’Guessan, editor of the monthly Video Games magazine. The reaction of Apple and Google was the same: they simply removed the game from their sales platform “.
“The upshot of all this is that today Android device owners can get the game, but only through Epic Games, without going through the Google Store. In contrast, iPhone or iPad owners can no longer download the latest version of Fortnite Battle Royal “, Brice N’Guessan details.
And the consequences were immediate: Fortnite lost 60% of its players to Apple devices, according to Epic Games, which announced on September 5 that it had filed a lawsuit for Apple to reinstate its game on the App Store.
Today we ask the Court to stop Apple’s retaliation against Epic for daring to challenge its illegal restrictions as our antitrust case proceeds. This is a necessary step to free consumers and developers from Apple’s costly anti-competitive scrutiny. https://t.co/r2XxhitjMp
– Epic Games Press Room (@EpicNewsroom) September 5, 2020
Meanwhile, Apple had fought back in a complaint also made public. The apple brand denounces there “Epic’s brazen disregard for their contractual commitments and other flaws” who has “It caused material damage to Apple”. Apple thus rejects the accusations of abuse of dominant position, but specifies that Fortnite has generated 600 million dollars in turnover in the Apple Store.
In addition to this legal battle, there is a communication battle. Epic Games, which has a large community of players, is trying to rally them to its cause. “Launching the famous hashtag #FreeFortnite on social media”, Brice N’Guessan emphasizes. To shake up the communication operation, Epic Games relied on a video parodying a 1984 Apple commercial directed by Ridley Scott. The apple brand, to promote the first Macintosh, then denounced the IBM monopoly.
Epic Games has challenged the monopoly of the App Store. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices.
Visit https://t.co/K3S07w5uEk and join the fight to prevent 2020 from becoming “1984” https://t.co/tpsiCW4gqK
– Fortnite (@FortniteGame) August 13, 2020
Video game magazine, the chronicle partner Video game en franceinfo summarizes all the first episodes of this open war between Epic Games, Apple and Google in the following video.
[ad_2]
