Some Pokemon GO players are currently unhappy with the lack of interesting rewards in the current World of Wonders Taken Over event. This latest Pokemon GO event has just started, and it will continue until March 31.
08.03.2024 - 11:07 / gadgets.ndtv.com / App Store / Ios
Apple escalated its feud with Epic Games on Wednesday, blocking the Fortnite video-game maker from launching its own online marketplace on iPhones and iPads in Europe.
The two companies have been in a legal battle since 2020, when the gaming firm alleged that Apple's practice of charging up to 30 percent commissions on in-app payments on its iPhone Operating System (iOS) devices violated US antitrust rules.
The latest challenge from Epic comes as Apple struggles with concerns about tepid demand for its iPhones in China, and its stock has tumbled 12 percent so far this year, underperforming its big tech peers in the US Its shares were largely unchanged on Wednesday.
Attempts by regulators and competitors such as Epic to pave the way for rival marketplaces on Apple's devices are a major threat to the Silicon Valley heavyweight's profits and control of its own ecosystem.
European lawmakers are forcing Apple to allow those third-party marketplaces with a law called the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that takes effect this week.
Separately, Brussels antitrust regulators on Monday fined Apple EUR 1.84 billion ($2 billion or roughly Rs. 16,547 crore) for thwarting competition from music streaming rivals via restrictions on its App Store, Apple's first ever penalty for breaching EU rules.
Epic was working to take advantage of the DMA, but Apple blocked those efforts on Wednesday, citing Epic's past breaches of contract in the long-running legal dispute.
Apple terminated a new developer account that Epic had created in Sweden. Epic had created the account in an effort to put Fortnite and other games back on iPhones in Europe by running its own game store on Apple's devices. Apple must allow third-party stores on its devices, under the new European law.
The developer accounts are important because software creators cannot distribute apps to iPhones and iPads without one. Apple had previously terminated some of Epic's developer accounts in 2020, after Epic purposely broke Apple's in-app payment rules, using its violation of the rules and subsequent banishment from the App Store as the core of public relations and legal campaign against Apple.
Apple said on Wednesday the court rulings have made clear that it has "sole discretion" to terminate any Epic Games developer account in light of its "egregious" breaches of the company's developer agreements.
"In light of Epic's past and ongoing behavior, Apple chose to exercise that right" to terminate Epic Games' account, Apple said.
Epic alleged that by terminating its account, Apple was removing one of the largest potential competitors to the Apple App Store.
"This is a serious violation of the DMA and shows Apple has no intention of allowing true competition on iOS
Some Pokemon GO players are currently unhappy with the lack of interesting rewards in the current World of Wonders Taken Over event. This latest Pokemon GO event has just started, and it will continue until March 31.
Remember when Ark: Survival Evolved was announced to be getting an animated series with a star-studded cast including the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Russell Crowe, Elliot Page, David Tennant and Malcolm-bloody-McDowell? I sure didn’t! That was over three years ago during the heights of a worldwide pandemic, though, so I think we can forgive ourselves a little. Anyway, Ark: The Animated Series has now arrived out of the blue, dropping its first six episodes on streaming service Paramount+.
A new leak of information about Fortnite suggests that new content based on the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are arriving soon. As with other Fortnite crossover content, the Avatar additions will likely consist of themed cosmetic skins and accessories players can equip when playing.
The US has filed a lawsuit against Apple, accusing it of illegally limiting competitors and holding a monopoly over the smartphone market.
Apple is facing another antitrust lawsuit — this time from the US government.
The European Union has targeted Apple over the past few years for monopolistic and anti-competitive practices, forcing the company to allow alternate app stores and other features in the EU. Now, the United States government is suing Apple on similar grounds.
Developer Tencent has reportedly delayed its mobile game Assassin's Creed Jade to 2025, following a big strategic shift at the company. The Assassin's Creed game has been in development for four years.
Assassin's Creed Jade, the upcoming major open-world mobile game set in Ancient China, will now likely arrive in 2025.
The dino-loaded Ark: The Animated Series has secured a release date, and if you are over the pond, it's now.
Following a shakeup at Tencent, the world’s largest video game company, the upcoming mobile entry to the Assassin’s Creed series, Assassin’s Creed Jade, has reportedly been delayed. The title has been in development for over four years and the beta was launched in 2022.
Epic Games has announced that the Epic Games Store is coming to iOS and Android devices later this year. The Epic Games Store's mobile expansion will allow the storefront to function across all major, non-console platforms.
GOG has partnered with Amazon Luna to make its DRM-free titles playable on the cloud gaming service.