{"id":7066,"date":"2020-08-23T18:28:04","date_gmt":"2020-08-23T18:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/microsoft-xbox-leader-joins-fortnite-maker-epics-suit-against-apple\/"},"modified":"2020-08-23T18:28:04","modified_gmt":"2020-08-23T18:28:04","slug":"microsoft-xbox-leader-joins-fortnite-maker-epics-suit-against-apple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/microsoft-xbox-leader-joins-fortnite-maker-epics-suit-against-apple\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Xbox leader joins ‘Fortnite’-maker Epic’s suit against Apple"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Microsoft Xbox leader joins ‘Fortnite’-maker Epic’s suit against Apple<\/h2>\n
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In mid August, the wildly popular game “Fortnite” got an update on Apple and Android smartphones that allowed players to bypass app store digital payment systems: Instead of going through Apple and Google, payments went directly to “Fortnite” creator Epic Games.<\/li>\n
Apple and Google subsequently pulled “Fortnite” from their digital storefronts and cited the update as a terms-of-service violation. Apple also booted Epic from the Apple Developer Program, a move that Epic said would force it to discontinue iOS and Mac support for its popular game development software Unreal Engine.<\/li>\n
Epic sued both companies, and filed for a temporary restraining order against Apple to keep it from “removing, de-listing, refusing to list or otherwise making unavailable the app ‘Fortnite,’ including any update thereof.” The order would also enable Epic to continue supporting Unreal Engine on Apple devices.<\/li>\n
In a surprise twist, Microsoft is backing Epic in the ongoing legal spat. Microsoft\u00a0general manager of gaming developer experiences Kevin Gammill officially submitted a letter to the court in support of Epic on Sunday.\u00a0<\/li>\n
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In the ongoing legal spat between Apple and “Fortnite” maker Epic Games, the latter just got an unexpected ally.<\/p>\n
Microsoft general manager of gaming developer experiences Kevin Gammill officially submitted a letter to the court in support of Epic on Sunday. He wasn’t writing because he’s upset about “Fortnite” being pulled from the App Store, but because of the ripple effects of this particular legal battle between Apple and Epic.<\/p>\n
Gammill works with game developers on behalf of Microsoft’s Xbox, and he’s concerned that Apple’s move to cut development ties with Epic “will harm game creators and gamers.”<\/p>\n
That’s because, beyond “Fortnite,” Epic also makes the Unreal Engine software suite \u2013 a set of software that’s used to create games, including the smartphone versions of “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” and, of particular note here, Microsoft-published smartphone racer “Forza Street.”<\/p>\n
When Apple yanked “Fortnite” from the App Store, the company also canceled Epic’s Developer Program contracts effective August 28. Without access to Apple’s developer technology, Epic says that it would be unable to issue updates to the Unreal Engine on iOS or Mac, which would in turn mean that any developer using the software would be unable to update their own games to support the new versions of iOS and Mac OS coming this year.<\/p>\n
In short: A variety of games on Apple’s App Store could be affected by Epic losing access to Apple’s developer program.<\/p>\n
“Apple’s discontinuation of Epic’s ability to develop and support Unreal Engine for iOS or macOS will harm game creators and gamers,” Gammill said in the letter submitted to the court. He described Unreal Engine as “critical technology for numerous game creators including Microsoft,” and said the move to revoke Epic’s access could, “harm already-launched iOS and macOS games built on Unreal Engine.”\u00a0<\/p>\n