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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 expansion: Epic Games is making another bold move to expand its mobile game store by adding nearly 20 third-party games to its marketplace platform. It marks the first time external mobile games will be available on Epic's store, which initially launched solely with Epic's own titles like Fortnite and Rocket League.
Legal wars: Epic's relationship with the mobile marketplaces has been anything but smooth. The company is still embroiled in legal battles with Apple and Google dating back to 2020. The tech giants made it challenging for users to download the Epic Games Store app, contributing to Epic's failure to meet its installation goals in 2024.
- Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has been vocal about the need for enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in Europe to foster app store freedom and competition.
- Despite an appeals court siding mostly with Apple in 2023, Epic secured a mandate for Apple to allow outside payment options in its App Store.
What they're saying: "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 said in a press briefing, as reported by The Verge.
- Speaking directly to Apple's undeniable dominance, Fintech Advisor Aaron McPherson, Founder of AFM Consulting Partners, weighed in on LinkedIn: "A quirk of the antitrust laws is that they protect consumers, not businesses... I think there needs to be a reexamination of antitrust law to recognize that businesses can be consumers of services, and deserve protection against monopolistic suppliers.
I think there needs to be a reexamination of antitrust law to recognize that businesses can be consumers of services, and deserve protection against monopolistic suppliers.
Macro dynamics: Apple and Google collectively earning an estimated $23 billion from app store sales in 2023. But Epic's investment of over $1 billion in its digital storefront underscores its commitment to challenging the status quo. Epic charges a 12% commission on its store, compared to the 30% cut taken by Apple and Google.
Downstream effect: The battle at the top always trickles down. Smaller apps without billions of dollars in backup can't even gain entry to the discussion. Assuming one day Epic Games prevails, and its app store grows market share, there's no guarantee that the next wave of smaller apps would not fall victim to price hike tactics by the new marketplace-maker.