4 ms·

My information is about 6 years old, but I am pretty sure both Xbox and PS4 disallowed external payment services. Which is why I found Microsoft's bitching abo

My information is about 6 years old, but I am pretty sure both Xbox and PS4 disallowed external payment services. Which is why I found Microsoft's bitching about the app store hilarious. They have been taking giant pieces of the action in Xbox for 20 years and tried to do the same in their sorry excuse for a Windows Store. I'd like to see them allow Stadia on the Xbox. I actually agree with not allowing external payment processors on these (and mobile) platforms, especially for games where the audience is frequently naive kids. Don't agree with the platform taking a huge cut of every transaction though. Maybe take a smaller cut and the billionaires can stop squabbling.

JohnBooty 6y ago
I don't love the closed nature of the Apple App Store when it comes to content. Don't agree with the platform taking a huge cut of every transaction though Is it really a "huge" cut? Putting aside the ethics of Apple's content stranglehold for the moment, the economic side of things seems like a very nice deal -- 30% is not bad compared to various distribution deals (for physical and virtual goods) of which I have some slight familiarity. Are there distribution platforms that allow you to get your app/product/etc to that many people without taking a cut? I'm kind of fed up with Apple for a variety of reasons, but this doesn't seem like one of the problems to me.
- muststopmyths 6y ago
  I meant "every transaction", as in in-app purchases beyond the initial 30% cut on the purchase price. So distribution deals for physical goods are not analogous, right ? Like Best Buy doesn't get a cut if I pay netflix to watch it on the TV I bought from them.
  - JiNCMG 6y ago
    If BestBuy made a deal to get their customers to sign up for Netflix then yes. You are BestBuy's customer and Netflix is getting access to you. If you sign up for a Target card, they get an initial cut and then monthly percentage based on your usage. A bank is managing that card not Target.
  - JohnBooty 6y ago
    I'd agree that there are no direct analogies, for sure. Especially physical goods. Like Best Buy doesn't get a cut if I pay netflix to watch it on the TV I bought from them. Okay, but if you were launching a rival to Netflix and had many millions of dollars to play with, wouldn't you gladly consider a deal like that with Best Buy? Imagine Best Buy's extremely large presence in the world of television-selling. You could get your streaming service into a lot of homes if they promoted the heck out of TVs featuring your service in exchange for a cut, right? Depending on the % cut they wanted, that could be a great deal for you. Suppose the % cut was 0.0000001%. Certainly you would take that offer. And probably 0.0001%. Maybe even up to 10%. Maybe even 50%, depending on your business model? Anyway, I have lots of problems with the App Store, but man... that 30% sounds pretty fine. Access to that many users, many of whom have payment information stored a mere tap away?
winter_blue 6y ago
> I actually agree with not allowing external payment processors on these (and mobile) platforms, especially for games where the audience is frequently naive kids. I'm assuming you would also want to prohibit these "naive kids" from ever browsing the Internet too, am I right? (Since there are plenty of website that accept payments through a variety of payment processors?)
- muststopmyths 6y ago
  How about instead, say, a site like Amazon letting 3rd party vendors hook in their own payment systems ? would you really be in favor of that and see that as a good thing for the general public ?
  - nightski 6y ago
    There is a difference between a web site you visit and a general purpose computer which you purchase. I'm all for the freedom of using apps not officially distributed/approved by Apple. They can still be sandboxed and use the same APIs. But they should be allowed to use whatever payment service they want.

JohnBooty 6y ago

I don't love the closed nature of the Apple App Store when it comes to content. Don't agree with the platform taking a huge cut of every transaction though Is it really a "huge" cut? Putting aside the ethics of Apple's content stranglehold for the moment, the economic side of things seems like a very nice deal -- 30% is not bad compared to various distribution deals (for physical and virtual goods) of which I have some slight familiarity. Are there distribution platforms that allow you to get your app/product/etc to that many people without taking a cut? I'm kind of fed up with Apple for a variety of reasons, but this doesn't seem like one of the problems to me.

muststopmyths 6y ago
I meant "every transaction", as in in-app purchases beyond the initial 30% cut on the purchase price. So distribution deals for physical goods are not analogous, right ? Like Best Buy doesn't get a cut if I pay netflix to watch it on the TV I bought from them.
- JiNCMG 6y ago
  If BestBuy made a deal to get their customers to sign up for Netflix then yes. You are BestBuy's customer and Netflix is getting access to you. If you sign up for a Target card, they get an initial cut and then monthly percentage based on your usage. A bank is managing that card not Target.
- JohnBooty 6y ago
  I'd agree that there are no direct analogies, for sure. Especially physical goods. Like Best Buy doesn't get a cut if I pay netflix to watch it on the TV I bought from them. Okay, but if you were launching a rival to Netflix and had many millions of dollars to play with, wouldn't you gladly consider a deal like that with Best Buy? Imagine Best Buy's extremely large presence in the world of television-selling. You could get your streaming service into a lot of homes if they promoted the heck out of TVs featuring your service in exchange for a cut, right? Depending on the % cut they wanted, that could be a great deal for you. Suppose the % cut was 0.0000001%. Certainly you would take that offer. And probably 0.0001%. Maybe even up to 10%. Maybe even 50%, depending on your business model? Anyway, I have lots of problems with the App Store, but man... that 30% sounds pretty fine. Access to that many users, many of whom have payment information stored a mere tap away?

winter_blue 6y ago

> I actually agree with not allowing external payment processors on these (and mobile) platforms, especially for games where the audience is frequently naive kids. I'm assuming you would also want to prohibit these "naive kids" from ever browsing the Internet too, am I right? (Since there are plenty of website that accept payments through a variety of payment processors?)

muststopmyths 6y ago
How about instead, say, a site like Amazon letting 3rd party vendors hook in their own payment systems ? would you really be in favor of that and see that as a good thing for the general public ?
- nightski 6y ago
  There is a difference between a web site you visit and a general purpose computer which you purchase. I'm all for the freedom of using apps not officially distributed/approved by Apple. They can still be sandboxed and use the same APIs. But they should be allowed to use whatever payment service they want.