[dwaite]

You realize that Nintendo controls the title signing keys, their own App Store, and the physical manufacturing of cartridges right? They also require merchants to sign contracts saying they will not have a posted price below the retail sale price without approval.

I fail to see how saying you don't have to purchase "directly" from Nintendo matters.

FWIW, a similar setup to Playstation (you seem to have conflated Sony, which makes your point confusing considering that Sony has other subsidiaries that publish music and video). Playstation has a music and video store which will give you media DRM locked to your console.

Finally, Microsoft has an App Store which distributes "blessed" executables. There have been several editions of windows which only allow applications distributed through this store to run, such as the first iteration of the Microsoft Surface that ran ARM. There is speculation that this move is what prompted Valve to release their own Linux distribution, because Steam would be severely impacted if they no longer had an ability to run their own store.

Luckily for Valve, those limited distributions haven't made much headway.

[jimktrains2]

Yes, I realize that for console gaming you need to be "approved" to write games.

However, my understanding is that this suite is about apple abusing the app-writing monopoly to also let only them sell apps, which is why I thought the console game analogy was sound.

As for merchants, I'm sure second hand stores and those at flea markets have signed all of these contracts. /S

Yes, I was sort-of referencing multiple arms of Sony. Sorry if that complicated things.

Yes, I know Microsoft has a blessed app storeb however, like Android, you can still install your own, unsigned executables or use another app store (there are some more recent package managers for Windows iirc? It's not really what I deal with.)

I remember the issues with the arm based surfaces. Iirc one of the current selling points of a surface ia that you can run any software on them.

I think this case will be interesting because there are platforms that come close to, but don't have quite, the control apple does over both who can generate applications as well as who can sell them. Where those platforms evolve 8s directly related to the outcome here I think.

[scarface74]

However, my understanding is that this suite is about apple abusing the app-writing monopoly to also let only them sell apps, which is why I thought the console game analogy was sound.

Sure other game makers can sell games anywhere they want - as long as they do it in the console makers terms, get approved by the console maker,and pay the license.

Back in the cartridge days, only Nintendo could make the cartridges even for third parties.

Yes, I know Microsoft has a blessed app storeb however, like Android, you can still install your own, unsigned executables or use another app store

Not for the Xbox.