Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney Criticizes Apple Over App Store Price Increases

[MacRumors]

Apple is today beginning to implement App Store pricing increases across all territories and countries that use the euro, with the hike attributed to the euro's weakness against the U.S. dollar. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose company is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Apple, spoke up on the price update and said Apple had no justification for it.

In a statement, Sweeney likened Apple to a landlord with tenants that have nowhere else to go as there is no alternative App Store for developers to use.

Imagine if a landlord told their small business tenant they had to increase their prices without any say in the matter or anywhere else to go. That is what Apple is doing to developers for no other reason than to pad Apple's bottom line. They are unilaterally imposing a price increase on developers across multiple countries without any justification. Developers don't have a choice but to comply because the App Store is the only way they can reach over a billion iOS users.

Apple first announced the price increases last month, giving developers about three weeks notice. App Store pricing works on a tiered basis, and what Apple is doing is raising the cost of all preset tiers. The minimum €0.99 tier, for example, has jumped to to €1.19, while the maximum tier has increased from €999 to €1,199. Full pricing tiers are listed on Apple's website.

Along with countries that use the euro, Apple is also increasing prices in Chile, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, and Vietnam.

Developers who sell apps in countries that use the euro can lower their App Store prices or pass the higher cost along to consumers, but as Sweeney points out, there is no alternate method for developers to provide apps to customers on iPhones and iPads without using Apple's App Store.

Epic Games and Apple have been engaged in a long legal battle over Apple's App Store policies. Sweeney and his company deliberately broke the App Store rules and then filed a lawsuit against Apple with the hope that the court would order Apple to allow third-party app stores to operate on iOS devices.

The lawsuit did not go in Epic Games' favor and Apple was not ordered to support alternate app stores. The two companies are now engaged in a lengthy appeals process, and Apple is also facing legislation in multiple countries that could ultimately require it to make some changes to allow for sideloading.

Article Link: Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney Criticizes Apple Over App Store Price Increases

 

[GizmoDVD]

Tim Epic, GO AWAY.

You lost. You lost hard. You lost millions upon millions of players who will never come back to Fortnite.

But, every week, I will gladly redeem my free games you pay for that I'll never play

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

App Store belongs to Apple. This is their business. Tim Sweeney continues to play with fire. He just needs to stay away.

 

[GMShadow]

Why give this guy oxygen? He lost, he's a perennial loser, and he should be left to squalk into the ether.

 

[justperry]

As if prices in Europe aren't already sky-high.
Ugh

 

[JanoschR]

you can criticize Apple for a lot of things but this is just plain stupid.

(although I haven’t expected Sweeney to say something smart, to be fair)

 

[cpfoto2005]

Next time my landlord wants to raise my rent, I'll send him to Tim Sweeney. That should work.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Imagine if a landlord told their small business tenant they had to increase their prices without any say in the matter or anywhere else to go.

Uh, that can happen. Haha!

 

[SoldOnApple]

It's called inflation mr Sweeney Todd. Since 2007 99 cents is now worth more than $1.40. So with these new prices apps are actually cheaper now than they were in 2007 when the iPhone launched. The App Store actually launched 2008, so inflation since then means 99 cents is now worth $1.36. Raising the prices helps developers more than Apple, because developers get 70% cut of their app sales, Apple only gets 30. Of course if you can't or refuse to sell your app on the App Store then you get 0% and Apple gets 0%, so no one wins there.

 

[erikkfi]

If there were multiple app markets or installation methods on iOS, there would be a distorting effect on prices. Price increases across the board would have to be implemented with greater care. Why this is considered a bad thing is beyond me, aside from the bad faith arguments advanced by Apple’s shareholders.

 

[Allthings-I]

Tim finally spoke the real truth....

because the App Store is the only way they can reach over a billion iOS users.

 

[JM]

But I thought Epic was for a free and open marketplace?

 

[justperry]

It's called inflation mr Sweeney Todd. Since 2007 99 cents is now worth more than $1.40. So with these new prices apps are actually cheaper now than they were in 2007 when the iPhone launched. The App Store actually launched 2008, so inflation since then means 99 cents is now worth $1.36. Raising the prices helps developers more than Apple, because developers get 70% cut of their app sales, Apple only gets 30. Of course if you can't or refuse to sell your app on the App Store then you get 0% and Apple gets 0%, so no one wins there.

Nope
Exchange rates are.

 

[rjohnstone]

Uh, that can happen. Haha!

Uh no. Since when does a landlord have the ability to dictate the prices the business leasing the space has to charge?
We’re not talking about rent.

 

[ACHD]

If there were multiple app markets or installation methods on iOS, there would be a distorting effect on prices. Price increases across the board would have to be implemented with greater care. Why this is considered a bad thing is beyond me, aside from the bad faith arguments advanced by Apple’s shareholders.

Because its admission that apple strong arms all developers and people CANT accept apple does that so they refuse to accept anything thats good.

The reality is a LOT of places ARE NOT raising prices to compensate for a lower Euro.

I subscribe for a service that is 20 Euro.. used to cost me 28 or more USD now its around 22 and less per USD.. No price changes at all....

**** wish I could buy fk tons of Euro on a Euro only card or something now for the future lol....

 

[SoldOnApple]

Nope
Exchange rates are.

Most of the world is at least somewhat pegged to the US dollar, and Apple is a US company. So even if some countries have not seen as much inflation it's still a fair change if those country's app prices were pegged to 99 US cents in the first place back in 2008.

 

[ACHD]

It's called inflation mr Sweeney Todd. Since 2007 99 cents is now worth more than $1.40. So with these new prices apps are actually cheaper now than they were in 2007 when the iPhone launched. The App Store actually launched 2008, so inflation since then means 99 cents is now worth $1.36. Raising the prices helps developers more than Apple, because developers get 70% cut of their app sales, Apple only gets 30. Of course if you can't or refuse to sell your app on the App Store then you get 0% and Apple gets 0%, so no one wins there.

Actually the exchange rates are what is qouted and talked about. The exchange rates arent as good any more.

20 Euro used to be 28 USD. now its 22 USD.

Apple is getting less money for the same prices.. They want higher USD amounts................

 

[sdf]

If this were a sitcom it would be called Tim Can F* Himself.

 

[spiggott]

The prices are going up because Apple is having to pay for ridiculous legal battles with guys like Tim Sweeney who accepted the terms of the Apple developer agreement in order to create his (Epic's) developer account in the first place. Now he wants a bigger share of revenue because Fortnight was a massive success. You can't have it both ways, he made his decision long ago, and now he should live with it.

 

[WiseAJ]

Epic’s CEO is still an idiot. What else is new?

 

[LonderJan]

Plenty alternatives to choose from but deliberately choosing to stay without any regrets.
Tim Sweeney should stop whining, he was the one in violation of terms and conditions, not Apple.

 

[mhnd]

Actually the exchange rates are what is qouted and talked about. The exchange rates arent as good any more.

20 Euro used to be 28 USD. now its 22 USD.

Apple is getting less money for the same prices.. They want higher USD amounts................

Uh, no. 20 Euro are now worth 19,75 USD, which means USD is currently stronger than Euro, unlike in the not-so-distant past.

 

[WWPD]

"Sweeney likened Apple to a landlord with tenants that have nowhere else to go."

Uh, it's called moving. Move to Androidville if you don't like it.

 

[Realityck]

In a statement, Sweeney likened Apple to a landlord with tenants that have nowhere else to go as there is no alternative App Store for developers to use.

You did the same to MacOS users once you got upset about fees on iOS.

 

[SDJim]

Apple had no justification for it.

What a moronic statement. Thanks for the reminder that rampant inflation and a weakened currency have no personal effect on you, Tim, I almost felt pity!
The price of everything has gone up, this is hardly surprising. Is Timmy going to go after REAL landlords for raising rent over time??? What an asinine commentary.