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Comment by amadeuspagel | Hacker News Reader

> Right, I think the solution to this, which already exists, is other preinstalled stores, like Samsung or Amazon stores, by OEMs. What should probably be illegal is making deals forcing OEMs to have exclusive app store deals?

I have another store on my phone called "Mi Picks", which was preinstalled. I've never used it. Why would I?

The only reason people would ever use another store is if they were forced to, to install a specific app, this is of course the situation on PC where you need to install another store for every game, and this is the only thing that Google made deals to prevent.

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> The only reason people would ever use another store is if they were forced to, to install a specific app

Obvious counterexample: The other store charges 4% instead of 15% or 30% and correspondingly the exact same app is cheaper there.

Steam charges 30% and is completely dominant on PC, and there's competitor that tries to compete by charging 4%.

It's common to install PC games without an app store at all.

Does the store charging 4% have the same games but for lower prices? Which one would you use if that were the case?

I'm mostly agreeing with you.

Steam definitely has a monopoly of PC gaming, but it's also true that having a single place with all your games and friends is far more convenient. I'm not sure where the right balance is. Are we paying more due to the lack of competition to Valve's 30%? Would more competition be worth the fragmentation? Look at streaming services and the mess that has become. I'm not sure what the answer is.

Steam is a bit of a very special case and I think very different from either Apple or Google stores.

Steam is never part of a platform, except for maybe the steam deck, and even there it lets you very easily replace it.

Steam will install other stores automatically for you. Does the game need EA's origin or what ever the epic store is called? It will install it as part of playing that game. Users will have multiple stores installed and will continue to choose Steam.

In the case of Apple or Google, I'm given a store forcefully. Google let's you jump through hoops to get another store but it isn't easy.

To even get Steam, you as a user have to make a very conscious choice to install it.

Steam is very much the choice of users and even many developers.

Steam is a private company and doesn't seem in the business of ever attempting to screw with or limit users.

Hell, Steams development of wine/pronton is the explicit choice to give users more choice.

Steam maybe an app store, but IMHO it is definitely not ever forcing anyone to do anything, unlike Apple or Google.

> In the case of Apple or Google, I'm given a store forcefully. Google let's you jump through hoops to get another store but it isn't easy.

Every Samsung and Xiami phone comes with another store.

I think you missed my point. Even if that is the case, it is still another store that the hardware vendor installed. Most likely uninstallable without rooting the device.

Steam does not come preinstalled (except for the steam deck), users choose to install it on platforms they own.

Steam is removable from all platforms with minimum fuss.

Steam can and will install competing app stores.

None of these facts are true on Apple, Google, or other preinstalled mobile app stores.

> Most likely uninstallable without rooting the device.

You can disable them without rooting your device. I just verified.

> The only reason people would ever use another store is if they were forced to

...or if the default store had terms you'd rather do without...

...or when this shitty play store decides that something is not available for my device and/or region for some idiotic reason again

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