[matwood]

> contributes nothing

Other than cultivating a base of iOS users spending 7x more than Android users on apps[1]. That sounds like significant value to me and not dissimilar to what the console manufacturers pitch to developers.

[1] https://9to5mac.com/2023/09/06/iphone-users-spend-apps/

[zmmmmm]

Epic doesn't want those users. It is not asking for any placement in the app store. It just wants it's own users who have iPhones to be able to access its software which it will funnel to them through their own channel. Apple contributes nothing to cultivate the gaming market overall. No marketing, no investment, no PR, no subsidation of the hardware etc. Apple simply gets in the way, making it harder, adding restrictions, invading Epic's customers privacy and then to add insult to injury takes a huge slice of the profits.

[password4321]

> Apple contributes nothing to cultivate the gaming market overall.

https://www.apple.com/apple-arcade/

[fennecbutt]

Lmao, that's an Ad for Apple. It has nothing to do with supporting the gaming industry itself.

[password4321]

Thank goodness then that the parent comment mentioned the gaming market rather than the gaming industry!

> No marketing, no investment, no PR

How is Apple Arcade not at least marketing and PR for gaming?

[dwaite]

and all Epic has to do is commit to honoring a contract (this time) to do that.

[smoldesu]

> Other than cultivating a base of iOS users spending 7x more than Android users on apps[1].

Those iOS users certainly aren't spending 7x more on AppleTV and iTunes albums. It's because of third-parties that Apple can convince users to spend money in the first place.

> That sounds like significant value to me and not dissimilar to what the console manufacturers pitch to developers.

If console manufacturers had the hardware margins Apple did, they wouldn't be console manufacturers anymore.

[matwood]

Cool, so all the 3rd parties can move to Android and the affluent users will follow. Oh wait.

The problem is assuming that either party is the one providing all the value. Of course the app developers are providing value, but so is Apple.

> If console manufacturers had the hardware margins Apple did, they wouldn't be console manufacturers anymore.

Margins are irrelevant in this discussion.

[madeofpalk]

I mean, if all the third party app developers did stop developing for iOS, I would imagine a significant amount would move to Android.

[akaralar]

Right, but looked from the other angle, if Apple didn’t provide an easy enough experience for developing apps, less 3rd party developers would develop and they wouldn’t have access to a luxurious market. It’s a two way relationship, these things don’t exist in a vacuum.

[smoldesu]

If Apple didn't provide an easy experience for developing software, nobody would want to buy an iPhone. That's why the web browser portion was essential from the start - Apple needs third-parties in order to sell their hardware.

[akaralar]

that’s not entirely true. there was no 3rd party software in the first year and people still bought it. On another note they managed to create a luxurious market although the other platform also allows 3rd party apps. What I’m trying to say is, yeah it’s undeniable that 3rd party devs bring something on the table, but so does Apple