Apple and Google, along with most app marketplaces, traditionally take a commission of approximately 30% on sales, although Epic Games Store stands out as an exception by charging less. Epic Games incorporated their own storefront within Fortnite in an attempt to circumvent this fee, an action that was met with resistance from Google. The ensuing legal battle has spanned several years.
The jury has recently ruled largely in Epic's favor, finding that Google does indeed have an app monopoly. Google plans to appeal the verdict, so the matter hasn't been fully resolved yet. In a statement, Epic heralds the judgment as a triumph for both app developers and users worldwide, denouncing Google's app store operations as unlawful and monopolistic, suggesting these actions lead to excessive fees, suppressed competition, and diminished innovation.
This lawsuit has echoes of Epic's previous litigation with Apple, which Epic did not win. In an engaging interview with Tim Sweeney by The Verge, he offers insight into Apple's practices, which he also labels monopolistic. He notes that while Google documented its strategies, Apple did not, making its case less transparent. Sweeney criticizes Apple for its absolute restrictions on competition and its stringent control over store and payment options on iOS. He advocates for Apple to undergo stringent antitrust examination akin to that faced by Google.
Sweeney reflects on Microsoft's past antitrust trials, highlighting that despite their challenges, Microsoft maintained a developer-friendly approach. In contrast, he perceives Apple and Google as treating developers more like adversaries, impinging on revenue streams and stifling competition with their products.
The verdict against Google suggests that we may see an increase in independent storefronts from game developers and publishers on Android platforms, looking to avoid Google's standard fees.