Bloomberg: Epic CEO Blasts Apple and Google, Calls for Single App Store

AshenOne · November 16, 2021, 3:00pm

Epic Games Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Sweeney renewed his attack on Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google as the world’s dominant mobile duopoly before calling for a universal app store that works across all operating systems as the solution.

“What the world really needs now is a single store that works with all platforms,” Sweeney said in an interview in Seoul on Tuesday. “Right now software ownership is fragmented between the iOS App Store, the Android Google Play marketplace, different stores on Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, and then Microsoft Store and the Mac App Store.” Epic is working with developers and service providers to create a system that would allow users “to buy software in one place, knowing that they’d have it on all devices and all platforms.”

Earlier in the day, Sweeney left no doubt about his disapproval of the smartphone software status quo in remarks at the Global Conference for Mobile Application Ecosystem Fairness in South Korea, home to the world’s first law requiring mobile platforms to give users a choice of payment handlers. His company’s battle royale game Fortnite has been the subject of a bitter legal dispute with Apple and Google over the revenue split of sales on their platforms.

“Apple locks a billion users into one store and payment processor,” he said. “Now Apple complies with oppressive foreign laws, which surveil users and deprive them of political rights. But Apple is ignoring laws passed by Korea’s democracy. Apple must be stopped.”

Google also earned a strong rebuke from Sweeney, who criticized its approach of charging fees on payments it doesn’t process as “crazy.” Praising Korea for leading the fight against monopolistic practices and including anti-retaliation provisions to protect developers in its legislation, the Epic Games founder said “I’m very proud to stand up against these monopolies with you. I’m proud to stand with you and say I’m a Korean.”

Read the rest of the article at: Bloomberg

CallMeCraig · November 16, 2021, 3:03pm

calls for single app store

makes another app store

Tim is a genius

Ruthwik_Rao · November 16, 2021, 3:18pm

“I’m proud to stand against monopolies, so let’s have just one store instead.”

pg2g · November 16, 2021, 3:21pm

Think he should focus less on a single store and more on allowing cross platform stores to exist.

Searsy82 · November 16, 2021, 3:39pm

So the guy who moistened many a hankey over MS making a windows store, now wants there to be a single app store. Its like a snake eating its own tail.

Zonky · November 16, 2021, 3:54pm

This is the guy who setup the epic games store right? Idiot.

Roronoa_Zoro90 · November 16, 2021, 4:00pm

Uncle Tim didn’t find an ally in EU, now he has found South Korea. One thing is certain: he is not a person who surrenders. XD

BRiT · November 16, 2021, 4:25pm

Sounds like he wants the Windows Store on every device. Thats the first store, that I know of, where other apps and stores can plug into.

Ruthwik_Rao · November 16, 2021, 4:26pm

ok let’s not get ahead of ourselves pls

Ruthwik_Rao · November 16, 2021, 4:26pm

GOG Galaxy does this as well I think.

Shakez · November 16, 2021, 4:27pm

Guess he should start by showing an example, shut down EGS.

BRiT · November 16, 2021, 4:27pm

It’s already out and available with that functionality on Windows 11 PCs, working its way to Windows 10, and would not be surprised to see it reach some mobile platforms either.

Ruthwik_Rao · November 16, 2021, 4:29pm

no I just had a reckoning imagining a world where only MS store existed.

BRiT · November 16, 2021, 4:32pm

Shadowgasm · November 16, 2021, 4:46pm

Does anyone else wish Tim Sweeney would just shut the fuck up?

Whistler · November 17, 2021, 4:16am

In the future there is only Taco Bell…

Shadowgasm · November 17, 2021, 4:47am

Probably the best product placement of all time.

BRiT · November 17, 2021, 5:12am