5 ms·

Need has nothing to do with it. They're identifying ways in which people are making money off of the platform and demanding a cut. This is what companies do u

by blihp 6y ago

Need has nothing to do with it. They're identifying ways in which people are making money off of the platform and demanding a cut. This is what companies do unless there is competition and/or regulation.

mimsee 6y ago
Well I mean, Apple could be proactive with this. If they simply block everything, unless you paid of course, they could offer unparalleled security. /s
- scarface74 6y ago
  Not really the same situation, but I would love an App Store where there were no free ad supported apps and the only way for monetization was by paying for the app or the service. I’m not saying that I think Apple deserves a 30% cut of every service.
robenkleene 6y ago
I don’t think this is about revenue sharing, presumably game streaming services could simply not include purchasing games or subscriptions in the app, the same way you can’t buy books in the Kindle app. This is about the much more subtle and insidious way that Apple leverages their control over iOS to block software that Apple deems threatening. App Store guideline 2.5.2[0], disallowing downloading and executing code in most circumstances, is a sister policy to this one about game streaming services. What both of these policies have in common is that they ban things that have the potential to supersede iOS itself, e.g., by becoming a successful app platform in-and-of itself (if you squint you can see the connection, if you can play Halo this way, why not Photoshop?) Ben Thompson has written the definitive article on this protectionist mindset that drives many of Apple's store policies[1]. [0]: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#2.5.2 https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#2.5... [1]: https://stratechery.com/2013/why-doesnt-apple-enable-sustainable-businesses-on-the-app-store/ https://stratechery.com/2013/why-doesnt-apple-enable-sustain...
- criddell 6y ago
  If Amazon were willing to pay 30% on every book purchased, do you think Apple would still refuse to let customers purchase books through the Kindle app? I'd love to hear Apple explain what the worst case scenario is for consumers if they were to let Netflix customers sign up the app, let Amazon customers buy books in the app, or play streaming games? Apple is the most valuable company in the world and there's only one way for them to go from here.
  - scarface74 6y ago
    > Apple is the most valuable company in the world and there's only one way for them to go from here. Just for context, Apple became the most valuable company in 2011. https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/09/apple-most-valuable-company-anniversary/ https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/09/apple-most-valuable-com... Microsoft was the most valuable company in 2002 and as of today, it’s #3. It could easily become number one again since it has much higher margins than Apple. Of course eventually Apple will fail. But who knows how long that will take?
  - vineyardmike 6y ago
    > If Amazon were willing to pay 30% on every book purchased, do you think Apple would still refuse to let customers purchase books through the Kindle app? No, that's the whole point. >I'd love to hear Apple explain what the worst case scenario is for consumers if they were to let Netflix customers sign up the app, let Amazon customers buy books in the app, or play streaming games? Infrequently heard perspective is that very often (non-tech) people call in to apple support about purchases made in apps on the iPhone. Apple owns the in-app purchasing of ALL purchases in app, and can reverse and refund the purchase. Worst case scenario is apple has to say "we can't help you" and they probs don't want that. When you stream a game/app instead of get it from App Store, apple can't say its a good experience or not broken, they can't refund or audit. Think about how apple was going to ban social media apps that allow p*rnographic content. They couldn't guarantee content on app... so ban it unless the app could self-censor. You can say apple shouldn't care about the quality/type of content, and people should be smart enough to distinguish 3party apps from apple apps... yet talk to Apple Support workers, and they'll tell you that people don't. Android, like google, has no real support services at all. Tons of people buy Apple because of support, and they will defend their ability to support (and take a nice fat chunk $$) until someone tells them its illegal.

by blihp 6y ago

mimsee 6y ago

Well I mean, Apple could be proactive with this. If they simply block everything, unless you paid of course, they could offer unparalleled security. /s

scarface74 6y ago
Not really the same situation, but I would love an App Store where there were no free ad supported apps and the only way for monetization was by paying for the app or the service. I’m not saying that I think Apple deserves a 30% cut of every service.

robenkleene 6y ago

I don’t think this is about revenue sharing, presumably game streaming services could simply not include purchasing games or subscriptions in the app, the same way you can’t buy books in the Kindle app. This is about the much more subtle and insidious way that Apple leverages their control over iOS to block software that Apple deems threatening. App Store guideline 2.5.2[0], disallowing downloading and executing code in most circumstances, is a sister policy to this one about game streaming services. What both of these policies have in common is that they ban things that have the potential to supersede iOS itself, e.g., by becoming a successful app platform in-and-of itself (if you squint you can see the connection, if you can play Halo this way, why not Photoshop?) Ben Thompson has written the definitive article on this protectionist mindset that drives many of Apple's store policies[1]. [0]: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#2.5.2 https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#2.5... [1]: https://stratechery.com/2013/why-doesnt-apple-enable-sustainable-businesses-on-the-app-store/ https://stratechery.com/2013/why-doesnt-apple-enable-sustain...

criddell 6y ago
If Amazon were willing to pay 30% on every book purchased, do you think Apple would still refuse to let customers purchase books through the Kindle app? I'd love to hear Apple explain what the worst case scenario is for consumers if they were to let Netflix customers sign up the app, let Amazon customers buy books in the app, or play streaming games? Apple is the most valuable company in the world and there's only one way for them to go from here.
- scarface74 6y ago
  > Apple is the most valuable company in the world and there's only one way for them to go from here. Just for context, Apple became the most valuable company in 2011. https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/09/apple-most-valuable-company-anniversary/ https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/09/apple-most-valuable-com... Microsoft was the most valuable company in 2002 and as of today, it’s #3. It could easily become number one again since it has much higher margins than Apple. Of course eventually Apple will fail. But who knows how long that will take?
- vineyardmike 6y ago
  > If Amazon were willing to pay 30% on every book purchased, do you think Apple would still refuse to let customers purchase books through the Kindle app? No, that's the whole point. >I'd love to hear Apple explain what the worst case scenario is for consumers if they were to let Netflix customers sign up the app, let Amazon customers buy books in the app, or play streaming games? Infrequently heard perspective is that very often (non-tech) people call in to apple support about purchases made in apps on the iPhone. Apple owns the in-app purchasing of ALL purchases in app, and can reverse and refund the purchase. Worst case scenario is apple has to say "we can't help you" and they probs don't want that. When you stream a game/app instead of get it from App Store, apple can't say its a good experience or not broken, they can't refund or audit. Think about how apple was going to ban social media apps that allow p*rnographic content. They couldn't guarantee content on app... so ban it unless the app could self-censor. You can say apple shouldn't care about the quality/type of content, and people should be smart enough to distinguish 3party apps from apple apps... yet talk to Apple Support workers, and they'll tell you that people don't. Android, like google, has no real support services at all. Tons of people buy Apple because of support, and they will defend their ability to support (and take a nice fat chunk $$) until someone tells them its illegal.