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Why is Microsoft not in on this? Apple didn't allow Xbox Game Pass, while Samsung was proudly showcasing gaming on their phones on it. They seem to be the most

Why is Microsoft not in on this? Apple didn't allow Xbox Game Pass, while Samsung was proudly showcasing gaming on their phones on it. They seem to be the most hard done by unfair Apple practices. As far as I understand, they are not allowing the gaming service at all when it for all intents is nothing different from Netflix in principle. I certainly hope Microsoft joins in on this and not cut a side deal, it will hurt other devs in the long run.

cwhiz 6y ago
Microsoft does not allow anyone else to sell digital Xbox games. This is the crux of all of this. Apple is doing what everyone else is doing. Google charges 30% and kicked Fortnite off the play store. Steam charges 15-30%. Microsoft and Sony have a monopoly on digital distribution of games on their console platforms, and charge some percent that I can't easily find. Hell, if you take this thought to conclusion, Epic has a monopoly on the Fortnite digital store. The idea that Apple is a monopoly is pretty silly. There is obviously smartphone competition, and Apple is a minority player. The idea that Apple has a monopoly on iOS and the App Store is true... but if that is illegal then it should also be illegal for Epic to have a monopoly on skins in Rocket League. I find that to be a pretty preposterous proposition.
- actuator 6y ago
  > Apple is doing what everyone else is doing Microsoft has the Xbox Game Pass app on Android, Apple is doing the opposite. > but if that is illegal then it should also be illegal for Epic to have a monopoly on skins in Rocket League. I think the analogy doesn't fit. Like a laptop/desktop, smartphones are general computing platforms. Specific purpose devices like iPods, Nintendo Switch really don't fit into this category much less a game. Imagine if Microsoft had not allowed Windows to play nice with iPods, they wouldn't have sold the volumes they were able to move and Apple wouldn't have been able to built themselves back up. Smartphones/tablets have been the logical successors of desktops/laptops for a lot of consumers. They have to be open for others to flourish as well. The last thing I would want is for few companies to own everything, everyone should get a chance to compete on equal terms.
  - cwhiz 6y ago
    >Microsoft has the Xbox Game Pass app on Android, Apple is doing the opposite. I don't see the relevance? Microsoft does not allow any other company to distribute digital games for Microsoft consoles. You, nor anyone else, may create an Xbox store and sell digital games that will run on Xbox consoles. >I think the analogy doesn't fit. Like a laptop/desktop, smartphones are general computing platforms. Specific purpose devices like iPods, Nintendo Switch really doesn't fit into this category much less a game. If smartphones are computing platforms, then Apple doesn't have a monopoly, because then you can choose another computing platform. Apple products as computing platforms are an extreme minority. In order for Apple to have a monopoly you have to redefine the platform to be the App Store specifically. If you redefine the terms to just be the App Store, then that same definition would, and should, apply to any digital store. Should Microsoft and Sony be forced to allow the Steam Store within their respective consoles? Maybe? But perhaps that is the fate Microsoft is trying to avoid and why Microsoft aren't going nuclear on Apple. >The last thing I would want is for few companies to own everything, everyone should get a chance to compete on equal terms. Is that not what we have? If you don't like Apple then you can go buy an Android phone. If you don't like macOS you can go run Windows or Linux. Who has the monopoly here?
    - actuator 6y ago
      > I don't see the relevance? Microsoft does not allow any other company to distribute digital games for Microsoft consoles. You, nor anyone else, may create an Xbox store and sell digital games that will run on Xbox consoles. While I would even argue for openness there but you are comparing a specific use platform to a general computing platform. > Is that not what we have? If you don't like Apple then you can go buy an Android phone. If you don't like macOS you can go run Windows or Linux. Who has the monopoly here? I was talking about few companies owning everything in different verticals. I would want a independent music platform like Spotify to flourish and not just Apple Music. I would want an independent movie platform like Netflix to flourish and not just iTunes. You can see where I am going with this. > If smartphones are computing platforms, then Apple doesn't have a monopoly, because then you can choose another computing platform. Apple products as computing platforms are an extreme minority. Apple is not a minority by any stretch. They own half of the smartphones sold in US and a significant share in the world. If I am a platform like Spotify I have to be on it, otherwise I lose a significant userbase. Adding to this, a service like Hey saw 90% of the revenue come from iPhones. They were signing up users on the web, just turns out that 90% of their paying users had iPhones. Adding to that, Spotify has to compete with Apple Music which doesn't pay the 30% tax, gets free placement on the phone and store and deep integrations with their product. As a developer does this seem fair to you?

cwhiz 6y ago

Microsoft does not allow anyone else to sell digital Xbox games. This is the crux of all of this. Apple is doing what everyone else is doing. Google charges 30% and kicked Fortnite off the play store. Steam charges 15-30%. Microsoft and Sony have a monopoly on digital distribution of games on their console platforms, and charge some percent that I can't easily find. Hell, if you take this thought to conclusion, Epic has a monopoly on the Fortnite digital store. The idea that Apple is a monopoly is pretty silly. There is obviously smartphone competition, and Apple is a minority player. The idea that Apple has a monopoly on iOS and the App Store is true... but if that is illegal then it should also be illegal for Epic to have a monopoly on skins in Rocket League. I find that to be a pretty preposterous proposition.

actuator 6y ago
> Apple is doing what everyone else is doing Microsoft has the Xbox Game Pass app on Android, Apple is doing the opposite. > but if that is illegal then it should also be illegal for Epic to have a monopoly on skins in Rocket League. I think the analogy doesn't fit. Like a laptop/desktop, smartphones are general computing platforms. Specific purpose devices like iPods, Nintendo Switch really don't fit into this category much less a game. Imagine if Microsoft had not allowed Windows to play nice with iPods, they wouldn't have sold the volumes they were able to move and Apple wouldn't have been able to built themselves back up. Smartphones/tablets have been the logical successors of desktops/laptops for a lot of consumers. They have to be open for others to flourish as well. The last thing I would want is for few companies to own everything, everyone should get a chance to compete on equal terms.
- cwhiz 6y ago
  >Microsoft has the Xbox Game Pass app on Android, Apple is doing the opposite. I don't see the relevance? Microsoft does not allow any other company to distribute digital games for Microsoft consoles. You, nor anyone else, may create an Xbox store and sell digital games that will run on Xbox consoles. >I think the analogy doesn't fit. Like a laptop/desktop, smartphones are general computing platforms. Specific purpose devices like iPods, Nintendo Switch really doesn't fit into this category much less a game. If smartphones are computing platforms, then Apple doesn't have a monopoly, because then you can choose another computing platform. Apple products as computing platforms are an extreme minority. In order for Apple to have a monopoly you have to redefine the platform to be the App Store specifically. If you redefine the terms to just be the App Store, then that same definition would, and should, apply to any digital store. Should Microsoft and Sony be forced to allow the Steam Store within their respective consoles? Maybe? But perhaps that is the fate Microsoft is trying to avoid and why Microsoft aren't going nuclear on Apple. >The last thing I would want is for few companies to own everything, everyone should get a chance to compete on equal terms. Is that not what we have? If you don't like Apple then you can go buy an Android phone. If you don't like macOS you can go run Windows or Linux. Who has the monopoly here?
  - actuator 6y ago
    > I don't see the relevance? Microsoft does not allow any other company to distribute digital games for Microsoft consoles. You, nor anyone else, may create an Xbox store and sell digital games that will run on Xbox consoles. While I would even argue for openness there but you are comparing a specific use platform to a general computing platform. > Is that not what we have? If you don't like Apple then you can go buy an Android phone. If you don't like macOS you can go run Windows or Linux. Who has the monopoly here? I was talking about few companies owning everything in different verticals. I would want a independent music platform like Spotify to flourish and not just Apple Music. I would want an independent movie platform like Netflix to flourish and not just iTunes. You can see where I am going with this. > If smartphones are computing platforms, then Apple doesn't have a monopoly, because then you can choose another computing platform. Apple products as computing platforms are an extreme minority. Apple is not a minority by any stretch. They own half of the smartphones sold in US and a significant share in the world. If I am a platform like Spotify I have to be on it, otherwise I lose a significant userbase. Adding to this, a service like Hey saw 90% of the revenue come from iPhones. They were signing up users on the web, just turns out that 90% of their paying users had iPhones. Adding to that, Spotify has to compete with Apple Music which doesn't pay the 30% tax, gets free placement on the phone and store and deep integrations with their product. As a developer does this seem fair to you?