Every company who takes a cut from in-app purchases, be it subscriptions or DLC, should be kneecapped by this ruling.
It’s one thing to take a cut from purchasing a game/app/whatever from whatever market it’s hosted on, it’s a whole other issue to keep reaching further into the dev’s pockets and take a cut from in-app purchases unrelated to the initial marketplace where the game/app was obtained.
That just turns paid apps into splash screens for in-app purchases though. That way apple never gets a cut because the “purchase” is in-app. Pay to be listed (maybe tiered depending on downloads) seems fair especially because it doesn’t incentivize people to do scammy things with pricing. It’s already a fee anyway.
I’m not entirely optimistic about this ruling, but we’ll see.
Apple had no reason NOT to give refunds and then use their weight to claw it back from the app developer.
But what happens when scammy apps use non-AppStore scammy stores to unlock features in an app?
In a perfect world it’s cheap and easy and reliable.
But it can also be a scammy shop that lures you into expensive subscriptions with no easy way to cancel them (eg. gym membership) and what happens when Little Timmy spends $9000 for Nlartbux in a mobile game’s external store?
What? Since when does Valve prohibit companies from redirecting customers to non-Valve purchasing flows? Because that’s what this ruling is about, it says Apple can’t prohibit apps from telling users to go buy off-platform for lower prices. Valve isn’t doing that with Steam afaik, actually I not aware of any other platform that does this
I have many issues with the game deference to the steam monopoly… But they don’t partake in this particular abuse: taking a cut from the dev for all in game purchases. They only take a (sizeable) cut for the initial game purchase.
If someone purchases a Proton plan through the iOS app, Apple got a 30% cut of that. Which is stupid. Because Proton (and every other company with an iOS app) already pays Apple to simply have their app on Apple’s app store.
That explains my experience. I just brought proton vpn for the easiest travel solution for me, and when I was shopping around I thought I was losing my mind. Checked the price online and it was one price and then checked from the Apple app for convenience and it was higher. I was confused, but just bought it online and used it on the app after (along with other devices).
lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 days ago
I mean that’s not wrong. I had no idea Apple was double-dipping like this. I wonder if Google is doing the same thing…
lepinkainen@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Every store does this. Even Holy Valve
lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 days ago
Every company who takes a cut from in-app purchases, be it subscriptions or DLC, should be kneecapped by this ruling.
It’s one thing to take a cut from purchasing a game/app/whatever from whatever market it’s hosted on, it’s a whole other issue to keep reaching further into the dev’s pockets and take a cut from in-app purchases unrelated to the initial marketplace where the game/app was obtained.
Greercase@lemmus.org 5 days ago
That just turns paid apps into splash screens for in-app purchases though. That way apple never gets a cut because the “purchase” is in-app. Pay to be listed (maybe tiered depending on downloads) seems fair especially because it doesn’t incentivize people to do scammy things with pricing. It’s already a fee anyway.
lepinkainen@lemmy.world 4 days ago
I’m not entirely optimistic about this ruling, but we’ll see.
Apple had no reason NOT to give refunds and then use their weight to claw it back from the app developer.
But what happens when scammy apps use non-AppStore scammy stores to unlock features in an app?
In a perfect world it’s cheap and easy and reliable.
But it can also be a scammy shop that lures you into expensive subscriptions with no easy way to cancel them (eg. gym membership) and what happens when Little Timmy spends $9000 for Nlartbux in a mobile game’s external store?
Could go either way 🤷🏻♂️
hikaru755@lemmy.world 4 days ago
What? Since when does Valve prohibit companies from redirecting customers to non-Valve purchasing flows? Because that’s what this ruling is about, it says Apple can’t prohibit apps from telling users to go buy off-platform for lower prices. Valve isn’t doing that with Steam afaik, actually I not aware of any other platform that does this
JimmyMcGill@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Valve will even allow developers to create their own Steam keys free of charge and sell them wherever they want with no commission whatsoever
That’s pretty open I’d say
kbotc@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Any of the video game companies.
TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 4 days ago
They literally do not lol
Serinus@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Here comes the Steam defenders.
ExtantHuman@lemm.ee 3 days ago
I have many issues with the game deference to the steam monopoly… But they don’t partake in this particular abuse: taking a cut from the dev for all in game purchases. They only take a (sizeable) cut for the initial game purchase.
Ulrich@feddit.org 5 days ago
What do you mean “double dipping”? I don’t own any Apple products. I purchased through Proton’s website.
lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 days ago
If someone purchases a Proton plan through the iOS app, Apple got a 30% cut of that. Which is stupid. Because Proton (and every other company with an iOS app) already pays Apple to simply have their app on Apple’s app store.
Ulrich@feddit.org 5 days ago
Uhhh I mean they pay a $100/year developer fee, which probably doesn’t even cover the infrastructure costs. Is that what you’re referring to?
I’m not arguing against you, Apple should consider those costs as a service to their (overpaying) customers.
Rozz@lemmy.sdf.org 3 days ago
That explains my experience. I just brought proton vpn for the easiest travel solution for me, and when I was shopping around I thought I was losing my mind. Checked the price online and it was one price and then checked from the Apple app for convenience and it was higher. I was confused, but just bought it online and used it on the app after (along with other devices).