For anyone who has forgotten, Fortnite is one of the biggest video game sensations in the world. It is currently in its biggest crossover event ever, with a closing event featuring Galactus leaked as “huge.”
Needless to say, Fortnite makes enormous amounts of money for its developer Epic Games. Earlier this year, Epic went over Apple’s head and created a direct payment system in its mobile version. Through this, players could pay Epic directly for in-game purchases instead of giving Apple the profit percentage that Epic’s contract with Apple demanded. Apple removed the game from its store, Epic sued Apple and launched an anti-Apple marketing campaign that’s ongoing.
Epic Games and its CEO Tim Sweeney have been very vocal about how certain they are about being in the right. Sweeney has frequently painted the lawsuit as a battle against Apple’s monopolistic practices. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, this was taken a step further as Tim Sweeney compared Epic’s actions to the American Civil Rights Movement. Tech Crunch subsequently Tweeted out its article (written by Connie Loizos) covering the interview, which brought Sweeney’s opinion to the public of Twitter.
Sweeney responded praising the article and drawing attention to the comparison he makes. Replies came in almost immediately, tearing into Sweeney’s comparison. Almost every comment was eager to point out that Sweeney’s comparison did not hold up. As the comments were quick to point out, Sweeney’s comparison fails to account for the fact that Epic broke a voluntary contract with Apple. The oppression that civil rights conflicts, both past and present, battle with were not asked for by those being oppressed. Epic’s ongoing struggle against Apple, which has now extended into Australia, is of its own making.
Sweeney defends himself against some of the early comments, pointing out that he was not comparing the struggles directly, but rather why they were being fought. Again, people were quick to point out the fallacy, with commenters stating how the motives for fighting against what Sweeney calls “unjust” rules were very different between the two instances he is comparing.
The Apple App store’s revenue percentage cut, which has been reduced since Fortnite was given the boot, was simply something Epic no longer wanted to deal with. The move by Epic was made for its own financial gain, not for its basic rights and health, a difference Sweeney seems to have failed to grasp.
It’s uncertain which direction the Apple vs. Epic suit will go. A judge threw out Apple’s theft claim, and there is a real chance Epic will strike a meaningful blow against Apple. One thing is certain though: a wealthy white man – like Tim Sweeney – comparing his company’s struggle for more profits to any civil rights movement is, to put it lightly, highly inappropriate.
Fortnite is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in development.
Source: Tech Crunch
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