{"id":65981,"date":"2020-08-25T03:22:35","date_gmt":"2020-08-25T03:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefastfashion.com\/?p=65981"},"modified":"2020-08-25T03:22:35","modified_gmt":"2020-08-25T03:22:35","slug":"microsoft-backs-epic-games-fight-apples-app-store-fees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefastfashion.com\/?p=65981","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft backs Epic Games in fight over Apple\u2019s App Store fees"},"content":{"rendered":"

Microsoft has joined \u201cFortnite\u201d developer Epic Games in its battle against Apple over app fees.<\/p>\n

The software giant co-founded by Bill Gates said in a Sunday court filing that Apple\u2019s threat to cut off Epic from its developer tools later this week would hurt not only Microsoft\u2019s gaming business, but that of other companies as well.<\/p>\n

Apple\u00a0threatened the punishment\u00a0after Epic introduced a new payment system within Fortnite which would have allowed it to get around the 30-percent cut that the iPhone-maker\u2019s App Store takes from all in-app revenue.<\/p>\n

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Epic losing developer tools would create a ripple effect across the mobile game industry, as Epic also makes the Unreal Engine, a tool that other game developers use to power their three-dimensional graphics. The tool is also used by millions of other developers, including medical imaging companies and car designers, Epic has said.<\/p>\n

Kevin Gammill, Microsoft\u2019s general manager of gaming developer experiences, said the company has an \u201centerprise-wide\u201d license to Unreal Engine and that Apple\u2019s move would hamper it and other gaming firms\u2019 ability to make games with the technology for Macs and iPhones.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Unreal Engine cannot support games for iOS or macOS, Microsoft would be required to choose between abandoning its customers and potential customers on the iOS and macOS platforms or choosing a different game engine when preparing to develop new games,\u201d Gammill wrote.<\/p>\n

Nicholas Penwarden, Epic\u2019s vice president of engineering, said in filing on Sunday that multiple Unreal Engine users \u2014 including at least one automotive design firm \u2014 have contacted the company with worries their projects will be disrupted.<\/p>\n\n

Epic last week asked a judge to prevent any retaliatory action from Apple, arguing that they would \u201c\u2018break\u2019 Fortnite for millions of existing players.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Apple, for its part, has argued that \u201cFortnite\u201d\u2018s problem is entirely of its own creation. It plans to cut off Epic\u2019s access to its developer tools on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem Epic has created for itself is one that can easily be remedied if they submit an update of their app that reverts it to comply with the guidelines they agreed to and which apply to all developers,\u201d Apple said in a statement.\u00a0\u201cWe won\u2019t make an exception for Epic because we don\u2019t think it\u2019s right to put their business interests ahead of the guidelines that protect our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adv<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n