Epic Games CEO criticizes Apple and Google for 'playing dirty'

Epic Games CEO calls Apple and Google a 'gangster' type of business.

According to Neowin , in a fiery speech at the recent Y Combinator event, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney did not hesitate to attack the two tech giants Apple and Google, calling them 'gangster-like businesses'. He accused both companies of only reluctantly and maliciously complying with court orders and willing to pay fines to continue their allegedly illegal activities if it resulted in higher profits.

Epic Games CEO criticizes Apple and Google as 'gangsters'

“They are run, in many ways, like mafia-style businesses that will do anything they think they can get away with… If they think the fine is going to be less than the revenue they lose from an illegal act, they will continue the illegal act and pay the fine,” Sweeney said in his speech. Apple and Google are no longer law-abiding companies, he said.

Epic Games CEO describes Google and Apple as two 'thugs' and 'dirty' businesses

PHOTO: THE GUARDIAN SCREENSHOT

The heated comments are the latest development in a years-long legal and public relations battle between Fortnite’s maker and Apple and Google. The conflict began in August 2020 when Epic Games attempted to implement its own payment system in Fortnite to circumvent the 15-30% commission fees that Apple and Google charge on their respective app stores, the App Store and Google Play. The move led to Fortnite being removed from both platforms and a series of costly antitrust lawsuits.

At the event, Mr. Sweeney pointed out what he considered "dirty" or perfunctory compliance with the law. For Google (Android), he criticized the warnings that pop up when users try to install apps from outside sources. Claiming that this type of warning is a scare tactic, it discourages 50-60% of users and causes them to cancel the installation, even in regions like the European Union (EU) where installing apps from third-party sources is allowed.

As for Apple, although the company has been forced to allow third-party app stores to operate on iOS in the EU, Mr Sweeney argues that regulations, technical barriers and especially the expensive 'Core Technology Fee' have made this practically impossible for many developers.

Legally, the battle is far from over. Although Epic Games won a major victory against Google in a US court in December 2023, with a jury finding the Google Play Store an illegal monopoly and the court subsequently ordering Google to allow alternative stores and payment systems, Google is still appealing the ruling, which only adds to Sweeney’s argument about the tech giants’ reluctance to change.

Tim Sweeney’s tough talk is yet another reminder of the never-ending battle between Epic Games and major mobile platform owners. This battle is about more than Fortnite or commissions, it’s about the future of software distribution, competition, and freedom of choice in increasingly closed technology ecosystems.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ceo-epic-games-chi-trich-apple-va-google-choi-ban-185250403161636643.htm