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Comment by jlhawn | Hacker News Reader

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jlhawn

Imagine if Apple behaved this way for mac OS. A significant number of Mac users I know:

- do not use the Mac App Store for anything other than first-party apps like keynote, et al

- Use chrome or firefox as their default web browser

- download and install software from trusted 3rd-party marketplace apps like Steam all the time

And it's not the end of the world.

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If you look at Apple’s financial reports, it is. AppStore is a massive revenue stream for Apple. They’d rather have macOS locked down as iOS, than the other way around—iOS as open as macOS. They could not do that because locking macs down would severely cripple the platform and peopple would have a concrete example of how it became terrible. That attention would also shine a light on how terrible this aspect of iOS is.

Notice how they’re telling how terrible everthing will become now on iOS in EU. Yet, the next macOS will be "the safest yet”. This is also why they don’t even acknowledge Mac’s existence in these posts.

Yep, and Steam is 30% of revenue.

Why aren't we screaming about how unfair that is?

There are numerous games stores I can install on my PC or Mac.

There are numerous games stores that game developers can use to sell their game through.

Steam do not have a monopoly on the devices it runs on.

Apple do.

And this makes Steams's 30% fine and Apple's 30% a problem?

Or does it mean 30% is about right for the value?

It's not about what percentage is the correct commission for stores but the fact that Apple doesn't allow other stores or installation of apps outside their store.

A publisher can ignore all game stores on windows or macos and still sell their game directly to user if they wanted to but they cannot do that on ios.

The thing that makes it wrong in case of Apple is that if they decide an app shouldn't be in the store, it also cannot be on the phone at all

That depends on the service provided. In a alot of cases it is good value. That is why companies sell their software via steam and are fine with the App Store. The thing is: you don't have to use steam if it is not a good value for you. But you have to use the App Store with its far-reaching rules. Especially the ability sell your app to iOS users alltogether.

Epic has its store on windows where it charges 12 percent. And it also regularly gives away some AAA games for free

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