Epic Games To Cover Developer iOS Fees

Epic Games is expanding its mobile app store to include nearly 20 third-party games on Android and EU iOS, launching a free games program, and temporarily covering Apple's Core Technology Fee for participating developers to counter platform restrictions. "Our aim here isn't just to launch a bunch of different stores in different places, but to build a single, cross-platform store in which, within the era of multi-platform games, if you buy a game or digital items in one place, you have the ability to own them everywhere," Epic CEO Tim Sweeney told reporters during a press briefing. The Verge reports: Under the program, Epic will offer new free games in the store each month before eventually switching to a weekly schedule. However, the games aren't actually in the store yet -- Epic said on Thursday that it "ran into a few bugs that we're working through now" and "we'll provide an update once the games are live and ready to play!"

To sweeten the deal for developers that participate in the free games program on iOS, Epic will help defray the cost of using third-party marketplaces. For one year, it will pay these developers' Core Technology Fee (CTF): a 50 euro cent fee levied on every install of an iOS app that uses third-party stores after it exceeds 1 million annual downloads. (Apple gives developers with less than 10 million euros in global revenue a three-year on-ramp.) [...] Epic writes in its blog post that covering the fee "is not financially viable for every third party app store or for Epic long term, but we'll do it while the European Commission investigates Apple's non-compliance with the law."

App Store fragmentation?

[misnohmer]

They are trying to give people a reason to install their app store (free games). How long before other 3rd party app stores start doing the same? It will be like streaming services, more and more of them show up, and more and more content gets fragmented. How long before every large developer has their own app store to install to use their stuff?

Re:

[LostMyBeaver]

Does it really matter?

So long as I believe the conditions of publishing in the Apple app store makes the legally liable for security failures, I won't use any other store.

Do I trust Epic to perform thorough scans of the apps the publish to ensure APIs that pose a security risk aren't used? Nope. It took Apple years to get even a modicum of control over that.

I won't waste my time. If the publisher wants my money, they'll use the apple app store

Re:

[Morromist]

You might be right. As of now almost all the really big gaming companies have a digital storefront, except for Embracer Group and Tencent (they have one but not in english)

So the next step is making games exclusive to their platforms. Epic is doing this a little bit with a program where you release exclusively to them for 1 year. Activision does this with games like Starcraft 2.. I think Ubisoft tried but it didn't work out. Nintendo and Sony haven't apperently started doing this with PC games yet (I think)