Xbox Chief Criticizes Apple's New App Store Fees in EU
Xbox's Sarah Bond joins a growing list of tech leaders expressing dissatisfaction with Apple's revised fee structure under the European Union's new Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA, aimed at digital "gatekeepers" like Apple, mandates third-party app store access. Apple's response, however, has sparked backlash from the developer community.
Bond, responding to a tweet from Spotify's Daniel Ek, criticized Apple's policy as counterproductive to open platforms and competition. "Apple's new policy is a step in the wrong direction," Bond stated, urging Apple to consider a more inclusive approach.
After sitting with our legal team to parse through the fine print of Apple's DMA announcement (that took a while), which is, at best vague and misleading, I wanted to share my thoughts.
— Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) January 26, 2024
While Apple has behaved badly for years, what they did yesterday represents a new low, even…
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney also slammed the policy, labeling it "malicious compliance." Developers are particularly concerned about Apple's introduction of a 50 euro cent fee per app install after the first million, applicable to third-party storefronts. This fee could hinder the growth of alternative app platforms.
The European Commission plans to review Apple's compliance with the DMA post-March enforcement. The new regulations have already influenced market dynamics, with Epic Games preparing to reintroduce Fortnite on iOS via the Epic Games Store in Europe. Xbox is reportedly considering launching its mobile game store, strengthened by its recent acquisition of King within the Activision Blizzard deal.
Source: GameSpot