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Comment by darknessmonk | Hacker News Reader

> how did you work out that the amount apple gets paid (30%) is the "correct" amount? The only way to find out is via competition. But due to the monopolistic powers of apple, there cannot be competition on their platform. Thus, we do not know the true cost of maintaining this platform - only that apple is able to maintain it with at least 30%.

30% is industry standard.

> nobody is forcing you to use the third party app store if it does exist. If you continued to use apple's curated store, you will continue to get the existing benefits. Adding an extra option can't possibly hurt you.

It hurts the ecosystem - and all its users. Splitting the apps in multiple app stores is a nightmare

I don't get the point: the whole idea of Apple is to have everything under their control. Nobody is forcing anyone to use Apple devices

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Nobody is going to not put their app on the apple app store. Look at steam for example. Almost every game on steam can be purchased somewhere else, like icth.io or the game's website. 30% is industry standard among monopolistic players (Google play store, Apple app store, Steam). There are many other storefronts that take less of a cut, and don't require IAP to go through a specific payment system that the platform also owns. FDroid, MS Store, Epic Store, Galaxy Store, GOG, the list goes on.

How is Steam a “monopolistic player” when you say “almost every game on steam can be purchased somewhere else” and go on to mention Gog, MS Store, Epic Store, and “the list goes on”?

That Steam, and others you mention, charge 30% categorically undermines the whinging about Apple’s 30% being out of line.

I’m also curious about people’s thoughts on Sony pulling CDPR’s Cyberpunk 2077 from their Playstation store.

You're right about steam. Monopoly isn't the right word.

Steam is the only one on that list that takes 30% that I know of. MS store went through a period where they would pay you to put your app there.

> Nobody is going to not put their app on the apple app store.

Certainly false - just like with streaming video, platforms will pay for exclusives from popular developers to force users to visit their stores.

> Nobody is going to not put their app on the apple app store.

Epic will, and this is what they want

> Almost every game on steam can be purchased somewhere else, like icth.io or the game's website. 30% is industry standard among monopolistic players (Google play store, Apple app store, Steam).

That is a very different use case

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