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Four years after the removal of the service from iPhone systems, the Epic Games Store has finally returned to the iPhone in the European Union. While players in the rest of the world are still missing out, this step forward does at least set a precedent that other areas might follow, with some positive implications for the future of player choice.
Why the Removal?
The original removal of Epic Games applications occurred because of a deliberate effort from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney to circumvent Apple’s digital payment methods. The most valuable of Epic’s properties, Fortnite, had a 30% chunk of its purchases added straight into Apple’s already prodigious wallet, and Sweeney thought this unfair.
By allowing purchases directly through Epic’s stores instead of the inbuilt system when playing on Apple’s devices, Epic could take back that lost 30%. Since Apple had the weight to throw around, it removed Epic Games products from its store, and a series of legal battles commenced.
Recent Developments and Implications
The change in the EU came about through the enactment of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Designed to aid in free competition to overcome issues relating to digital monopolies, the DMA
meant that third-party stores were allowed, so Apple’s objections were negated. Whether this will carry over to places like the US, where consumer protection laws in tech are famously and constantly being eroded, that’s another question entirely.
Work like that of the DMA is so important because it reduces the consolidation of power that the biggest tech companies have been seeking in the digital age. This means more competition, it means a healthier market, and it means a better environment for players.
For an illustration of the positive side of what a more open environment can bring, we could look at online casino gaming. While closely related to the concept of video games, services like this Canada online casino operate with competition as an important part of the market. This competition drives the websites to offer more for their players. Games like Mega Mustang and Demon’s Gold are available on multiple services, where competition from the casinos drives them to offer better overall websites and apps, whether playing on PC, laptops, smartphones, or tablets.
In video games, and with so many online marketplaces, players don’t have this kind of freedom. Companies like Apple and Valve, through their behaviour, can hurt the natural growth we’d otherwise experience, leaving us with more limited choices and smaller games that struggle to compete. What we’re relegated to is less choice with less creativity, helping nobody on the consumer side of the equation.
“steam” (CC BY 2.0) by passtheballtotucker
Make no mistake, the move by Epic isn’t done out of the goodness of the company’s collective heart. This is still one of the biggest developers in the world, and they’re fighting for themselves first. Their battles with Apple might result in better outcomes for consumers and smaller developers, but these outcomes are more incidental than purposeful. Still, if it helps everyone except the already super-wealthy get their way, we’re not so concerned about how the digital sausage is made.
