The ongoing legal disputes surrounding Epic Games’ Fortnite will have long-lasting ramifications for the video game industry, whenever all parties involved finally receive a ruling on the matter. However, new legislation in Arizona could mark a major victory for Fortnite, and other games, if it’s passed into law. Of course, it faces its own hurdles in the Arizona Supreme Court, so Epic Games may want to hold off on celebrating just yet.
According to a report from The Verge, a recent amendment Arizona’s HB2005, a law that has already been passed, would block companies like Apple and Google from forcing companies to use their payment systems after the platform reaches 1 million downloads, which would affect both the App Store and the Google Play Store. The caveat here is that the rule would only affect companies that are based in Arizona, but it opens the door for similar legislation in other parts of the US.
The legislation passed the Arizona House of Representatives 31-29 on Wednesday, and will now head to the state’s supreme court. Of course, the amendment has proven to be somewhat controversial, with Arizona Democrats opposing it, as it could interfere with the ongoing court case between Epic Games and Apple, as well as Epic Games and Google. It’s a valid concern, though there is a large coalition of app developers that support the legislation, which would allow them to avoid platform fees.
Those fees can be as much as 30%, which many app developers state is unreasonably high. That’s been the main point of contention in the Epic Games dispute, after the company introduced an option to purchase Fortnite‘s in-game currency, V-Bucks, within the app directly from Epic Games at a discount.
The resulting fallout from Epic’s move has been marked by a nasty lawsuit between Epic Games and Apple. The Epic Games and Apple dispute is headed to a courtroom soon, though that will likely be just the beginning in a much larger process, as the two duke it 0ut to decide how in-app purchases are monetized.
In the meantime, those wondering how the situation will play out will just have to wait. If the amendment is passed, it seems likely that it will inspire similar legislation in other states, which could end up being a domino effect. That’s pad news for platform holders like Apple, Google, and even PlayStation and Microsoft, but it would certainly be a good thing for developers and publishers.
Source: The Verge
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