The "or" in your sentence indicates the choice in the market.
The argument that "because third party app stores can be shitty, they shouldn't be possible" is strange.
The reality is no, if I want to play Fortnite I have to install the Epic Game store. If I want to play GTA, even if I buy the game through steam I have to use the Rockstar Launcher.
There are multiple instances of this situation in gaming and it is the exact thing I don't want to happen here.
Why would you assume that? I play video games on my PC. I'm not forced to install any software. I can make informed decisions and understand the trade offs with what software I want to use.
Chosing to install Epic Launcher and playing Fortnite is you sending a signal into the market. Competition exists, users can express their opinion and act on it.
That is the exact point that I am trying to make in my post. That is not giving a user a choice that should matter to the User. That is removing the opportunity to me to play a game from where I want to play it.
The problem is, many people are just fine doing it because they want to play a large enough game. Which again is my point. In reality most users would likely download a Facebook apps store if it was required to use Facebook, same for Twitter, TikTok, and whatever other thing that people are addicted to on their phones.
That is my problem here and why comparing it to the situation with gaming is a good example. I should not loose the CHOICE to use an app from the App Store that I already use, because a developer is making their choice to push their own store.
That is the situation we are looking at here, that to use the apps I want to use I have to use those stores. Which is ridiculous, and it is naive to think it isn't going to happen when it is the state of gaming right now.
Consider the alternative where the only place to install apps (and hence games) is the Windows Store. Would that really be better? Windows Store's update process is lot worse than Steam (flaky download status, no way to make backups etc), and in many cases Steam has better integration with local payment processors.
But I can't even stay within Steam only if I wanted too. Which is well established as the standard platform, but that hasn't stopped publishers from pushing their own. Including Epic for that matter thanks to how popular Fortnite is.
Sure ok Windows Store sucks but that is changing the conversation here, I fail to see what features a general App Store on my phone would add that would truly benefit to me as a user.
But again my point here is that the choice on gaming has been removed from me if I want to play a particular game. Just saying don't play it, is not a valid argument to me.
It's exactly the conversation. The platform allowed for competition and better options to exist.
You think the Windows Store is bad now? Imagine if it was a captive market that didn't have to compete with Steam and others.
Lack of competition for payments on iOS means Apple faces no competitive pressure to reduce their fees. Developers and users lose out because of this.
The iOS App Store is fine with no competition (for users).
How do users loose out from payment competition on iOS? I can't think of how I loose out on anything, in reality an app trying to convince me to use their payment option instead of iOS saves me money because I don't want to fall victim to dark practices when I want to cancel.
Sure developers get a 30% cut but that seems to be the norm in the industry, that is what Steam charges. Developers can't just not tell me a yearly subscription is about to charge, make me call to cancel, but as a USER that is a good thing.
If a developer tries to push me outside of the App Store to pay them, once again that is the Developer making the choice for me.