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Tim Sweeney has been leading the charge against Apple, arguably using Fortnite as a bludgeon to hit Apple with. Although he had been vocally against Apple prior to Fortnite being removed from the Apple App Store, his latest criticisms have taken on a sharper tone, even comparing Apple to the Chinese Government.
Tim Sweeney vs. Apple, idealism or pragmatism?
Many Fortnite fans have criticized Sweeney for using Fortnite against Apple as his company’s actions have ultimately led to Fortnite becoming inaccessible to millions of Fortnite players who play exclusively on iOS devices.
The suggestion is that Sweeney has been attempting to use Fortnite like a lever to manipulate the digital marketplace to his own personal benefit, while co-opting idealistic rhetoric in order to justify this power grab to the public. This cynical perspective suggests that we should be skeptical of anything Sweeney says or does and consider that the ultimate goal is simply to make Fortnite even more profitable.
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Of course, there is an alternative. We should consider that perhaps what Sweeney says should at least partly be taken at face value. Sweeney’s perspective is not a radical one, the fact of the matter is that Apple does have a large amount of control over their products, treating them more like licensed goods rather than products for sale. It would be fair to consider that Sweeney does believe a more open digital world would benefit everyone.
Perhaps the best way to consider it is that idealistic behavior, like that of Sweeney’s, is only possible for those who can afford to lose. If a smaller, less successful company were to attempt a grand idealistic gesture that jeopardized its main product, like with Fortnite, they would almost certainly end up bankrupt and forgotten in a matter of weeks.
With Fortnite caught in the middle…
With Fortnite caught in the middle, does it matter if this feud started as a pragmatic attempt to position Epic into a more profitable position or as an idealistic crusade against a company which had accumulated too much power? While it might feel desirable to forego nuance and dismiss the reasons on the grounds that, regardless, the situation is the same, I believe the reasons behind it do matter.
Currently, only a small group and Sweeney himself can say for certain the reasons behind this battle, the rest of us won’t be able to make adequate guesses until the dust settles and evidence can be collected. If this should go Epic’s way, we should pay close attention to what happens to Fortnite and the Epic Games Store. Otherwise, we’ll just have to be patient.
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