Developers are now free to push iOS players in the US into web shops to make in-game purchases.
The US Supreme Court today denied both sides’ appeals in the Epic vs Apple case, meaning that some of the rulings take effect immediately for players in the US. And the biggest of those for game-makers is the abolition of Apple’s ‘anti-steering’ policy.
Up until now Apple did not allow developers to tell players that they could buy in-app purchases outside of Apple’s ecosystem – part of the reason Epic took Apple to court in the first place.
[Update: Apple has clarified how developers can offer external payments – details here]
And of course the Fortnite maker’s boss Tim Sweeney has been quick to hail the decision on X, formerly Twitter.
“Now the District Court’s injunction against Apple’s anti-steering rule is in effect, and developers can include in their apps “buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms, in addition to IAP,” said Sweeney.
“As of today, developers can begin exercising their court-established right to tell US customers about better prices on the web. These awful Apple-mandated confusion screens are over and done forever.”
“The fight goes on,” Sweeney continued. “Regulators are taking action and policymakers around the world are passing new laws to end Apple’s illegal and anticompetitive app store practices. The European Union’s Digital Markets Act goes into effect March 7.”
GameFray’s analysis of the ruling explains it another way: “This means Epic can’t force Apple to put Fortnite back on the App Store or to generally open up app distribution on iOS in the United States, but Apple will now have to allow app makers to promote, to consumers in the United States, alternative purchasing methods such as websites where they can buy virtual game currencies or in-app items.”
“The injunction was a small victory compared to the further-reaching remedies [Epic Games] originally sought,” continues GameFray. “Various app makers…are now very likely to promote alternative purchasing options, especially via the web.”
“This further complicates the app store regulation battlefield. Epic’s political fight will definitely continue, and there are and may be cases in other jurisdictions. The most important question, however, is whether the United States Department of Justice, which is reportedly readying a major antitrust case against Apple, and/or other private parties are now going to sue Apple over the App Store monopoly, potentially with stronger expert testimony.”
As TechCrunch noted in its report on the ruling, if game developers can successfully transition players over to paying through web shops, it could “lead to a loss of billions in annual revenue” for Apple. The tech giant’s share price dipped by 2.5% immediately after the ruling, but has since recovered a little.
