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Comment on Apple’s biggest critics are big mad about the new 27 percent App Store tax

520@kbin.social ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

It's a commission for access to a lucrative market that Apple created.

Which Apple already got their money for. Or did you think those $1k iPhones were at cost?

Apple gives away the developer tools and charges an extremely modest annual App Store fee, which also covers the review process and hosting.

A review process they themselves mandate. You also forget they also charge 30% for anything sold through their store. Which they also mandate you use.

It's been common for platform creators to charge third-party developers in some capacity for many decades.

Not for services they aren't providing, it isn't.

Some do it by charging high costs for the developer tools, others by charging a commission based on sales.

Again, these are for services that are being provided. Apple is charging people to not use their own payment service.

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kirklennon@kbin.social ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

You also forget they also charge 30% for anything sold through their store.

That’s literally what we’re discussing.

Not for services they aren't providing, it isn't.

Third-party console game developers paid money to the console maker even for physical sales.

Again, these are for services that are being provided. Apple is charging people to not use their own payment service.

The payment service is 3%; the commission is the other 27%. That’s what a commission is. It’s for access to the market.

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- 520@kbin.social ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  That’s literally what we’re discussing.
  
  No, we are discussing services not sold through their store and not using their payment provider. That is literally the topic of the post.
  
  Third-party console game developers paid money to the console maker even for physical sales.
  
  Third party console games don't literally pay money to not use services.
  
  The payment service is 3%; the commission is the other 27%. That’s what a commission is. It’s for access to the market.
  
  And that doesn't strike you as patently fucking insane? 27%? For doing literally fucking nothing? For literally providing no added value beyond which you as a developer have already paid for?
  
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  - kirklennon@kbin.social ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    
    No, we are discussing services not sold through their store and not using their payment provider. That is literally the topic of the post.
    
    This is about purchases of virtual goods made by users of the app either directly in the app (30% combined commission and payment processing fees), or who click a link in the app to make the purchase using an external payment provider (27% commission). In all cases, these are sales originating from within the app.
    
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    520@kbin.social ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    
    In all cases, these are sales originating from within the app.
    
    But the latter example is about an application not developed by Apple processing payments with mechanisms also not made by apple. In what world is it fair to be forced to give Apple another 27% when they didn't contribute shit beyond what you've already paid for.
    
    I’m not sure if there have been any changes in the last few years (I doubt it), but developers paid Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony a 15% “licensing” fee for physical media games sold for their consoles. That has been the basic business model for all consoles for decades.
    
    I'm not sure if you're aware, but games consoles are a completely different market with completely different laws and standards governing them. Game consoles are not general purpose devices. They are closed platforms where you gotta sign lengthy NDAs and pay thousands just to get yourself a fucking dev kit.
    
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