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Soon we'll have the Verizon Appstore and the Spotify Appstore and the Zoom Appstore, the exclusive home for each app and their partners, each with it's own over

Soon we'll have the Verizon Appstore and the Spotify Appstore and the Zoom Appstore, the exclusive home for each app and their partners, each with it's own overlapping user tracking libraries and insecure payment methods, and no one can even tell them to do otherwise. Coming soon to iOS, too!

whimsicalism 2y ago
Right, just like how they've done on desktop environments
- hooli42 2y ago
  This is exactly the situation for desktop games right now, something Epic is profiting immensely from. It's an extremely annoying situation for users, having a dozen launcher/store apps around contributing to bloat.
  - Mindwipe 2y ago
    No it isn't, the competition is great and is lowering prices across the board, and no arbitrary censorship exists. The desktop games market is much heathier and less dangerous for users than the mobile app market.
  - brink 2y ago
    That's exactly the competition that keeps PC from having the hiked prices the likes of Switch/XBox/PS5 stores and having to pay $15/mo to play games with your friends online. I'll happily have to deal with a few extra launchers on PC in comparison to what the alternative is.
  - wiseowise 2y ago
    I literally don't have anything but Steam installed.
  - makeitdouble 2y ago
    > It's an extremely annoying situation for users This is where I see how long that battle will be. The future where this "extremely annoying" situation is fully solved is Xbox XXX being un removable and the only Game Store allowed on any PC sold, with legal threats to anyone jailbreaking. As long as user have a choice and control on their device, and competition is alive, we'll hopefuly have different stores with different rules and you'll be extremely annoyed I think.
  - tiledjinn 2y ago
    More fair to say Epic is money pitting from, given discoveries from Epic v Apple and Epic v Google..
  - mvdtnz 2y ago
    > It's an extremely annoying situation for users Is it? I regularly use Steam, Epic and XBox and occasionally Ubi, Larian and whatever the GoG one is called... and it's fine. It's just another program.
    - fkyoureadthedoc 2y ago
      Yeah, it is. I don't use anything except Steam. If it's not on Steam I'm not buying or playing it. Making your game exclusive to one distribution channel is stupid.
      - mvdtnz 2y ago
        How is it "extremely annoying", it sounds like it doesn't even affect you.
  - maxwell 2y ago
    Speak for yourself. I love shopping around and comparing prices. Competition is not bloat.
  - kobalsky 2y ago
    I'm getting a free game from Epic every week for having their launcher installed. Competition is awesome.
    - SSLy 2y ago
      I think you can even just grab them via www.
- hggigg 2y ago
  Aye and it’s a fucking shit show. Down with all “stores”!
- NotPractical 2y ago
  That's not really a valid comparison because the Microsoft Store and the macOS App Store don't allow third party stores on them. You have to "sideload" any alternative stores/apps you want. To be clear I doubt the hellscape described by OP will come to fruition but still.
talldayo 2y ago
That can only happen if Apple's first-party distribution terms aren't attractive. If the App Store is capable of standing on it's own, then third parties shouldn't pose a threat to it. Something tells me the lower prices and free software on alternative stores will drive adoption though.
2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago
I like my app store called "the internet."
akira2501 2y ago
Yep. Then consumers can decide which one is best for them. Then they can compete. Then the best features with the best pricing, no only for customers, but the cut for developers, can be discovered. You pay such a high price for living in the walled garden. I honestly can't imagine why you would _want_ it.
- jpc0 2y ago
  Amazon Prime Video... Netflix... Disney Plus... The choices are great... Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...
  - tuna74 2y ago
    Yeah, and Crunchyroll, and Viki and a lot of other services most people probably don't know about.
  - Mindwipe 2y ago
    Yes, they are. This competition means an enormous boom in quality content has been produced that would have never existed otherwise because of the competition. Choices are great and have resulted in far better services.
    - kelnos 2y ago
      I don't agree. TV/movie programming, and the services they run on, are not fungible. If I have a show that I like that's only on a certain platform, it doesn't matter how good or bad that platform is, I need a subscription. The problem is tying the content to the platform. All studios should be required to license their content under RAND terms to all other streaming platforms. Then the streaming platforms can actually compete on objective measures like price, reliability, video quality, offline watching, etc. In this case I don't think we've gotten better services. I still believe that the gold standard for a streaming app has been Netflix (well, at least until a few years ago; it's started going downhill IMO). All the others have significant problems, whether with reliability or quality, or with UX. They've certainly gotten better over time, but I don't think I'd consider any of them pleasant to use. For the longest time, legally, movie studios could not own movie theaters. We correctly recognized that the studios should not have a monopoly on where and how their content is distributed. Unfortunately I believe that law has expired or been repealed recently. We're going in the wrong direction. We need more laws like that, and we need them to apply to streaming platforms too.
n_plus_1_acc 2y ago
Points at the netflix app, through which you can install bloons Tower defense
wiseowise 2y ago
Do you have anything to prove your claim? Any precedent? Epic could already to their own Play Store, but they didn't/couldn't. Freaking Amazon had their app store and they failed. Samsung also has their own App Store and how many non-Samsung phones run it?
- jimbob45 2y ago
  Streaming services
  - wiseowise 2y ago
    Streaming services what? I can download every streaming service from Play Store.
    - elevatedastalt 2y ago
      What users wanted: One streaming service from where you can stream or rent any movie or show available in the world. What users got: 1000 streaming services each with their app and UX that is shitty in a slightly different way from the other, and with a catalog that keeps changing unpredictably.
      - johnnyanmac 2y ago
        users wants are company wants. one X is how you end up with a monopoly and an endgame where they enshittify the platform to cost as much as Cable back in the day. I'm a bit surprised a community as tech savvy as this has frustrations over the idea of using multiple platforms. decentralization by its nature means you'll have fragmentation of content. But it protects against the worse ending of Youtube price hiking mulitple times a year and doubling down on adblock users.
        elevatedastalt 2y ago
        The clusterfuck of the media universe is actually _because_ of monopoly. But it's not monopoly on UX, it is monopoly on the content. If you want to watch the Lion King, Disney has your balls in a vice grip. I would be perfectly fine with a hundred different UXes, if they could all serve me Lion King and I had an option to pay for it. Then it would be an actual decentralization. A syndicated system where I can access a movie or song on any platform (of my choice), and the copyright holder gets paid appropriately would be an approach most people in the tech savvy community would be happy with. For all the noise journalists and the justice department make about big tech, there is basically ZERO action taken about the monopolization of IP that media houses indulge in.
al_borland 2y ago
I see where it says Google isn't allowed to do this kind of thing. I hope they were forward thinking enough to ban exclusivity deals across the board, or this is going to turn into a total goat rodeo. The EU has a lot of well-meaning laws, but create quite the mess of unintended consequences.
- charles_f 2y ago
  This is a civil case in the US though
johnnyanmac 2y ago
okay. Then I just use APK pure and find the APKs there. See what freedom does? Realistically, this never happens. making a platform isn't some cheap endeavor like a landing page for a website. Most people will stay on the play store and use play services. Those with more skin will consider alternative stores, and then lastly some will make their own platforms.
- itake 2y ago
  If the phone manufacturers stop including the play store in the default install. Then would people still use the play store?
  - johnnyanmac 2y ago
    that's the funny thing. I think they still will, but the people up in Google apparently don't even want to risk the chance of losing any marketshare. That's why they spend millions to Apple to keep Google as the default search, even though many consumer's first instinct is to go to Google as is. It's a strange strategy to me, but I guess I may underestimate however many people will just stick to whatever pops up first.
clhodapp 2y ago
Who is going to force Verizon to allow other app stores on their contract phones?
seydor 2y ago
This but unironically. Openness breeds innovation and improvement, closing down systems never does. Safety cannot be the only innovation
space_oddity 2y ago
That’s a nightmare scenario, and honestly, it’s not that far-fetched

whimsicalism 2y ago

Right, just like how they've done on desktop environments

hooli42 2y ago
This is exactly the situation for desktop games right now, something Epic is profiting immensely from. It's an extremely annoying situation for users, having a dozen launcher/store apps around contributing to bloat.
- Mindwipe 2y ago
  No it isn't, the competition is great and is lowering prices across the board, and no arbitrary censorship exists. The desktop games market is much heathier and less dangerous for users than the mobile app market.
- brink 2y ago
  That's exactly the competition that keeps PC from having the hiked prices the likes of Switch/XBox/PS5 stores and having to pay $15/mo to play games with your friends online. I'll happily have to deal with a few extra launchers on PC in comparison to what the alternative is.
- wiseowise 2y ago
  I literally don't have anything but Steam installed.
- makeitdouble 2y ago
  > It's an extremely annoying situation for users This is where I see how long that battle will be. The future where this "extremely annoying" situation is fully solved is Xbox XXX being un removable and the only Game Store allowed on any PC sold, with legal threats to anyone jailbreaking. As long as user have a choice and control on their device, and competition is alive, we'll hopefuly have different stores with different rules and you'll be extremely annoyed I think.
- tiledjinn 2y ago
  More fair to say Epic is money pitting from, given discoveries from Epic v Apple and Epic v Google..
- mvdtnz 2y ago
  > It's an extremely annoying situation for users Is it? I regularly use Steam, Epic and XBox and occasionally Ubi, Larian and whatever the GoG one is called... and it's fine. It's just another program.
  - fkyoureadthedoc 2y ago
    Yeah, it is. I don't use anything except Steam. If it's not on Steam I'm not buying or playing it. Making your game exclusive to one distribution channel is stupid.
    - mvdtnz 2y ago
      How is it "extremely annoying", it sounds like it doesn't even affect you.
- maxwell 2y ago
  Speak for yourself. I love shopping around and comparing prices. Competition is not bloat.
- kobalsky 2y ago
  I'm getting a free game from Epic every week for having their launcher installed. Competition is awesome.
  - SSLy 2y ago
    I think you can even just grab them via www.
hggigg 2y ago
Aye and it’s a fucking shit show. Down with all “stores”!
NotPractical 2y ago
That's not really a valid comparison because the Microsoft Store and the macOS App Store don't allow third party stores on them. You have to "sideload" any alternative stores/apps you want. To be clear I doubt the hellscape described by OP will come to fruition but still.

talldayo 2y ago

That can only happen if Apple's first-party distribution terms aren't attractive. If the App Store is capable of standing on it's own, then third parties shouldn't pose a threat to it. Something tells me the lower prices and free software on alternative stores will drive adoption though.

2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago

I like my app store called "the internet."

akira2501 2y ago

Yep. Then consumers can decide which one is best for them. Then they can compete. Then the best features with the best pricing, no only for customers, but the cut for developers, can be discovered. You pay such a high price for living in the walled garden. I honestly can't imagine why you would _want_ it.

jpc0 2y ago
Amazon Prime Video... Netflix... Disney Plus... The choices are great... Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...
- tuna74 2y ago
  Yeah, and Crunchyroll, and Viki and a lot of other services most people probably don't know about.
- Mindwipe 2y ago
  Yes, they are. This competition means an enormous boom in quality content has been produced that would have never existed otherwise because of the competition. Choices are great and have resulted in far better services.
  - kelnos 2y ago
    I don't agree. TV/movie programming, and the services they run on, are not fungible. If I have a show that I like that's only on a certain platform, it doesn't matter how good or bad that platform is, I need a subscription. The problem is tying the content to the platform. All studios should be required to license their content under RAND terms to all other streaming platforms. Then the streaming platforms can actually compete on objective measures like price, reliability, video quality, offline watching, etc. In this case I don't think we've gotten better services. I still believe that the gold standard for a streaming app has been Netflix (well, at least until a few years ago; it's started going downhill IMO). All the others have significant problems, whether with reliability or quality, or with UX. They've certainly gotten better over time, but I don't think I'd consider any of them pleasant to use. For the longest time, legally, movie studios could not own movie theaters. We correctly recognized that the studios should not have a monopoly on where and how their content is distributed. Unfortunately I believe that law has expired or been repealed recently. We're going in the wrong direction. We need more laws like that, and we need them to apply to streaming platforms too.

n_plus_1_acc 2y ago

Points at the netflix app, through which you can install bloons Tower defense

wiseowise 2y ago

Do you have anything to prove your claim? Any precedent? Epic could already to their own Play Store, but they didn't/couldn't. Freaking Amazon had their app store and they failed. Samsung also has their own App Store and how many non-Samsung phones run it?

jimbob45 2y ago
Streaming services
- wiseowise 2y ago
  Streaming services what? I can download every streaming service from Play Store.
  - elevatedastalt 2y ago
    What users wanted: One streaming service from where you can stream or rent any movie or show available in the world. What users got: 1000 streaming services each with their app and UX that is shitty in a slightly different way from the other, and with a catalog that keeps changing unpredictably.
    - johnnyanmac 2y ago
      users wants are company wants. one X is how you end up with a monopoly and an endgame where they enshittify the platform to cost as much as Cable back in the day. I'm a bit surprised a community as tech savvy as this has frustrations over the idea of using multiple platforms. decentralization by its nature means you'll have fragmentation of content. But it protects against the worse ending of Youtube price hiking mulitple times a year and doubling down on adblock users.
      - elevatedastalt 2y ago
        The clusterfuck of the media universe is actually _because_ of monopoly. But it's not monopoly on UX, it is monopoly on the content. If you want to watch the Lion King, Disney has your balls in a vice grip. I would be perfectly fine with a hundred different UXes, if they could all serve me Lion King and I had an option to pay for it. Then it would be an actual decentralization. A syndicated system where I can access a movie or song on any platform (of my choice), and the copyright holder gets paid appropriately would be an approach most people in the tech savvy community would be happy with. For all the noise journalists and the justice department make about big tech, there is basically ZERO action taken about the monopolization of IP that media houses indulge in.

al_borland 2y ago

I see where it says Google isn't allowed to do this kind of thing. I hope they were forward thinking enough to ban exclusivity deals across the board, or this is going to turn into a total goat rodeo. The EU has a lot of well-meaning laws, but create quite the mess of unintended consequences.

charles_f 2y ago
This is a civil case in the US though

johnnyanmac 2y ago

okay. Then I just use APK pure and find the APKs there. See what freedom does? Realistically, this never happens. making a platform isn't some cheap endeavor like a landing page for a website. Most people will stay on the play store and use play services. Those with more skin will consider alternative stores, and then lastly some will make their own platforms.

itake 2y ago
If the phone manufacturers stop including the play store in the default install. Then would people still use the play store?
- johnnyanmac 2y ago
  that's the funny thing. I think they still will, but the people up in Google apparently don't even want to risk the chance of losing any marketshare. That's why they spend millions to Apple to keep Google as the default search, even though many consumer's first instinct is to go to Google as is. It's a strange strategy to me, but I guess I may underestimate however many people will just stick to whatever pops up first.

clhodapp 2y ago

Who is going to force Verizon to allow other app stores on their contract phones?

seydor 2y ago

This but unironically. Openness breeds innovation and improvement, closing down systems never does. Safety cannot be the only innovation

space_oddity 2y ago

That’s a nightmare scenario, and honestly, it’s not that far-fetched