Epic Games Store To Launch On iOS and Android This Year, Will Take 12% Cut of Sales In EU (9to5mac.com) 33
During its State of Unreal presentation at GDC 2024 today, Epic Games confirmed its plans to bring the Epic Games Store to iOS and Android before the end of the year. The company also shared more details about its app marketplace for iOS in the European Union. As reported by 9to5Mac, Epic Games said it will take a 12% commission from sales. From the report: Epic says the terms for developers will be the same via the Epic Games Store on mobile as they are on the Epic Games Store on PC. As such, the company will take a 12% commission on all sales through the Epic Games Store. The revenue share is 100% for the developer during the first six months on the Epic Games Store. The Epic Games Store will feature Epic's own content, including Fortnite, alongside a selection of third-party partners. The company says it will share additional details in the lead-up to the launch later this year.
And yet (Score:2)
Developers get absolutely nothing for the cut that Epic is taking other than being in their store. It's marginally better than what you get from the iOS and Play stores, but even those two offer a few things for the cuts they take - which is only 15%*. It is admittedly a bit more useful on iOS than it is on Android, where it adds essentially nothing to the overall ecosystem.
*Google is 15% on the first million/year, then 30% on the additional. Apple is 15% if you only earn under a million/year, and then 30%
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All businesses should be required to give their products and services away...
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WOOSH!!!
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That isn't the point. If you are going to be taking a cut, you should be providing at least some sort of service for doing so. In a physical retail environment, that cut is paid to humans (and other overhead) for, what essentially boils down to, moving the physical product around and exchanging it for money.
For example, Steam takes 30%. Beyond providing the digital storefront, they provide a multitude of other benefits for developers - marketing tools, alpha/beta testing, networking, anti-cheat, payment pro
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I guess it's a good thing nobody has to use it, eh?
I know I never will.
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Re: And yet (Score:2)
The complainant is the price doesn't match the value obtained from the price. In Epics case, they didn't need Apple to process their payments, they already had that infrastructure. All they wanted was to be able to place their app and pay their $100 a year fee, just like every other basic function app on the app store. Apple demanded that it wasn't enough, that they had to be forced to be a migger middle man in parts they didn't need to be involved in.
They weren't asking it be
Re: And yet (Score:1)
Yet here they still arenâ(TM)t processing any payments for the 12% as Epic charges a separate fee for that and you have to be big enough to make it worth it for them. More than likely you have to handle your own payments (add 5-10% and the hassle of dealing with chargebacks, payment infrastructure etc). Also add 5% if youâ(TM)re using the Unreal engine.
In the end it will be more expensive to publish on Epic than on Apple. And people will clap like seals at the self-proclaimed success of a bureaucr
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Re: And yet (Score:2)
Re: And yet (Score:2)
Oh wait, it didn't. So anyways, why did you hit that reply button again?
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Developers get absolutely nothing for the cut
They get distribution. That's the main thing that any of these storefronts provide, and the main expense. Virtually all of the other crap, analytics and such, are trivially cheap. I don't know if 12% is a fair price for that, but it doesn't seem unreasonable.
Obviously you can always do your own distribution. And apparently you should, since I guess it's easy for you.
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They get distribution. That's the main thing that any of these storefronts provide, and the main expense.
Which is a lie they tell you. It's not the biggest expense. Marketing is, which Epic doesn't help with in any way - outside of maybe something in an exclusivity deal which isn't something you can depend on.
Virtually all of the other crap, analytics and such, are trivially cheap.
Whether it's cheap to provide or not isn't the issue. It's the value of said other crap, which is very high.
Obviously you can always do your own distribution. And apparently you should, since I guess it's easy for you.
It's not hard for literally anyone. Distribution is easy and cheap for digital products. Marketing is one of the biggest expenses outside of actual development. Since you'd still be on the hook for
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Distribution is easy and cheap for digital products
Distribution is cheaper and easier than physical products. That does not mean it is automatically easy or without cost. Infrastructure still needs to be set up and it costs money.
Since you'd still be on the hook for your own marketing, it would be cheaper in the long run to build you own digital storefront than take the 12% loss for nothing . . ..
Maybe it might be cheaper but how do you scale your store should sales increase exponentially? Also this assumes that you are trading your time of building and maintaining your store instead of paying someone else to do that. Anyone who had a store before the days of the Apple or Android stores will tell you there is a reason why t
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Anyone who had a store before the days of the Apple or Android stores will tell you there is a reason why they would rather just pay Google or Apple instead. It sounds so idealistic until you have to do it; then the reality of building and maintaining your own digital store hits.
This is the most relevant thing you've said. Which is why most developers don't have an issue with the cuts that Apple and Google take - because Apple and Google also provide at least some helpful services for their cuts. The devs (big guys like Epic) only start to care when they are pulling in millions of dollars. Now they're built their own store, because it's better and cheaper for them to do so - even if they never got any games outside of their own in it. They don't want or use Apple's, Google's, or ev
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The devs (big guys like Epic) only start to care when they are pulling in millions of dollars. Now they're built their own store, because it's better and cheaper for them to do so - even if they never got any games outside of their own in it. They don't want or use Apple's, Google's, or even Steam's tools and services.
If Epic wants to make their own digital store for their PC games, that has been an option from before Valve launched Steam. I find Epic's arguments a bit disingenuous at times. They want to frame it as they are the white knight saving developers when really they want to save money for themselves. What do you think will happen if Epic attains some level of control of the market? I think they are going to screw over everyone else because (from the beginning), it has always been about them. Other developers or
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If Epic wants to make their own digital store for their PC games, that has been an option from before Valve launched Steam.
They weren't big enough yet nor did they have the vision and thought to do so.
I find Epic's arguments a bit disingenuous at times. They want to frame it as they are the white knight saving developers when really they want to save money for themselves.
That's my whole point. It for themselves and the publishers - they're the only ones that actually gain anything from Epic.
What do you think will happen if Epic attains some level of control of the market? I think they are going to screw over everyone else because (from the beginning), it has always been about them. Other developers or consumers benefiting in any way is collateral.
They never will. They would either need to provide features and services that make the 12% cut worthwhile or take an even smaller cut. Like 2-3%.
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Distribution? That's the benefit you get for a 12% cut (after the first 6 months)???
And the other main players (Apple and Google) take 15% until you make 1mil/yr then take 30%???
Why would distribution per unit cost MORE as time goes on, or why would distribution be valued more after more time and/or sales? That's back-asswards.
And the more traffic you bring through their app store, the more of a benefit you are to them... why would one have to pay more for that honor?
Distribution costs go down per unit when
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I mean, that's basically what's happening under this "new" model. Apple is still charging to digitally sign the apps. The third parties are just calling their distribution points "Stores".
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At least on Android they have a choice if they want to use those app stores, because they can always host a copy on their website for side-loading. It's not ideal because of the warnings and permissions that the user has to go through, but it's possible. Hopefully iOS will become the same soon.
Been waiting for a good Android option (Score:2)
The better revenue share is also really nice, of course. I hope this works out just for that reason, even if I won't be buying any games there myself.
Re: Been waiting for a good Android option (Score:1)
Re: Been waiting for a good Android option (Score:1)
Re: Been waiting for a good Android option (Score:1)
You should probably just get a VM for that.
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I wonder how long it will stay, because mobile apps are usually in the 99 cent range. And at that price, a whole credit card charge for 99 cents means the credit card company is probably taking a good 30% off that. Probably a good 20-25 cents as the per-transaction fee, plus another 2-5% off the top.
If Epic is going to subsidize this it makes sense to do offer a micropayment app that does this. If I split it 20-80, let Epic have their 12%, then I can skim the 8% and we all come out ahead. The credit card c
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Maybe after the walled gardens they'll go after the payment processors. That would be nice.
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Epic thinks they can do it though, and they do have a bit of experience with that by this point.
Considering that after 5 years, Epic Game Store is still not turning a profit selling $60 games I would be wary of them closing shop in the future. Hopefully it does not take Epic another 3 years to put in a shopping cart system this time.
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