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[CuteFaceJay]

That title, JUST SAY TIM SWEENEY FFS!

 

[IFireflyl]

Are we now acting like if google were not the most greedy bastards around here?
After the Firefox youtube slowdown? After the ads situation?

Epic may 'bully' google, but you know? Google bullies it's consumers. Yet you defend Google instead of Epic wich did nothing to us, besides moneyhatting games to use it's store, which means nothing, unless you think you're entitled to have all your games in the store of your choice.

This isn't a defense of Google. We just know that Epic is worse than Google. It's like having a Heinrich Himmler standing next to Adolf Hitler. Hitler is worse, but both are terrible. I had this same issue with the Epic vs. Apple lawsuit. I loathe Apple more than most people, and yet I still sided with them over Epic because Epic is worse. In order, the worst U.S. companies are Epic, Google, Microsoft, and Apple. Google, Microsoft, and Apple will occasionally swap spots, but Epic will always be the reigning champion of suck.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

At least on Android they can release their own store and their games via other stores, so I see no massive problem in that respect.

The problem Google may have with regulators is the tactics they use to maintain a dominance on Android devices with deals they make with manufacturers. I know much of the ecosystem does rely on Google Play Services and their own popular apps won't work without it. I'm not sure how aggressive they are in that respect, but it's probably where people world have most success in going after them.

If Microsoft could get away with doing very similar things to build up Window's empire, I don't see why it's "suddenly" a problem if Google (or Apple) have been using similar tactics. Google aren't even the only ones who make Android phones; tons of companies do.

Like you said, if Epic can set up their own store then they don't have a case. If APIs for Android software are tied exclusively to Google's own tools and Epic can't access them without being forced into using Google's own storefront and other services, then they may have a case on their hands. Because that would be similar to what Microsoft did to companies like Netscape (and directly contributed to those companies' demises).

 

[Red5]

If Microsoft could get away with doing very similar things to build up Window's empire, I don't see why it's "suddenly" a problem if Google (or Apple) have been using similar tactics. Google aren't even the only ones who make Android phones; tons of companies do.

Like you said, if Epic can set up their own store then they don't have a case. If APIs for Android software are tied exclusively to Google's own tools and Epic can't access them without being forced into using Google's own storefront and other services, then they may have a case on their hands. Because that would be similar to what Microsoft did to companies like Netscape (and directly contributed to those companies' demises).

Eh Windows allows multiple storefronts tho. MS was sued and lost because they bundled IE with Windows back in the 90's killing competing browsers, they learned their lessons the hard way.

 

[IFireflyl]

Eh Windows allows multiple storefronts tho. MS was sued and lost because they bundled IE with Windows back in the 90's killing competing browsers, they learned their lessons the hard way.

I don't think that's exactly right. Windows PCs still come bundled with Edge, and prior to that they were bundled with IE. I think the issue was that they tried to restrict the installation/usage of competing web browsers (such as Netscape).

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Why would you fuck around like this for 2 platforms that apparently only account for 10% of your revenue??? Either he's plowing the way for tencent so they can keep an extra 30% of their mobile games or he has his eye's on a bigger prize if he can convert this. Lawyer asks why he doesn't go after sony/ms/tendo and his answer is well they're our biggest revenue source. So reading between the lines it's basically we don't want to blow up our major revenue so we will gamble 10% and if that pays off we might be able to push for the rest later with precedent set.

Apparently the lawsuit against Sony/SIE right now is due to Sweeney's testimonies in the Google case. Not that he himself is pushing that lawsuit, but he mentioned something about Sony and some lady went ahead and pushed on with a lawsuit against them as a result.

So he's kinda already making that additional push, through this court case. Either way it's greed and it's not looking like he has much of a case here.

Eh Windows allows multiple storefronts tho. MS was sued and lost because they bundled IE with Windows back in the 90's killing competing browsers, they learned their lessons the hard way.

They periodically "forgot" what they learned though because over the years since they've had to pay various fines for violating regulatory agreements with groups like the EC, even as recent as only a few years ago (2010s).

FWIW, MS settled out-of-court with the FTC/US government in that case; it never actually got to full trail. But they indeed settled because they knew they were guilty and would have lost if it went to trail. Going to trail would have been the better outcome though, as it likely would've resulted in breaking MS up. Granted, Bell got broken up too and arguably they are more powerful today than prior to getting broken up by the government, so it's a 50/50 sort of thing.

The IE stuff wasn't actually even so much about bundling it with Windows, it was MS going out of their way to program Windows to stop functioning correctly if IE was deleted from the system, and MS withholding APIs for Windows from companies that needed them for competing software in time for new OS launches. MS didn't want Netscape to have new internet features in time for Win '95's release (unless they acquired Netscape), so that's why they did it.

Honestly, not too much has changed with MS since those days, they just got smarter and more sneaky in how they do their EEE tactics. Look at what's going on with OpenAI right now, that's almost page-for-page out of the Nokia playbook.

 

[LordCBH]

Eh Windows allows multiple storefronts tho. MS was sued and lost because they bundled IE with Windows back in the 90's killing competing browsers, they learned their lessons the hard way.

It was more than that. Bundling of IE wasn't the problem. Forcing OEM's to sign contracts that banned them from preindtalling other browsers in order to be able to load Windows on the devices they sell was the big one.

 

[Bkdk]

That's why unity will be around. Both apple and google likely rather deal with unity than epic, probably even acquire unity outright and raise price big time, like 100% after acquisition for the devs.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

The man being funded by Tencent is accusing Google of being crooked and a bully, that's fucking hilarious

 

[SportsFan581]

I guess they figure that plays better than "we want our app on their store but don't want to pay them the fee that is the rough equivalent to what all storefronts are charging".

They can't even say Google won't let them publish a standalone apk, since that is already possible. LOL

 

[Buggy Loop]

Everyone's a bully except the CCP, right Sweeney?

Nailed it first post

 

[Ansphn]

This man hates everybody

 

[Three]

I guess they figure that plays better than "we want our app on their store but don't want to pay them the fee that is the rough equivalent to what all storefronts are charging".

They can't even say Google won't let them publish a standalone apk, since that is already possible. LOL

He actually said it:

After rejecting Google's overtures, Epic tried to distribute Fortnite for Android through its own website. But Sweeney testified that effort quickly turned into "a depressing process" because far fewer game players downloaded Fortnite for Android phones than anticipated

Guy has Fortnite on the Galaxy Store right now but he's upset that his sales are lower so he's trying to enter Google's Android store without paying.

 

[bigdad2007]

Lmao coming from a guy who is literally trying to take down Steam by just bribing publishers/devs instead of providing a superior store.

 

[Bernoulli]

Lmao coming from a guy who is literally trying to take down Steam by just bribing publishers/devs instead of providing a superior store.

Competition is taking down? The games are available on PC why do you care about launchers?