this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2024
140 points (84.3% liked)

Technology

59157 readers
2446 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 520@kbin.social 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It's a commission for access to a lucrative market that Apple created.

Which Apple already got their money for. Or did you think those $1k iPhones were at cost?

Apple gives away the developer tools and charges an extremely modest annual App Store fee, which also covers the review process and hosting.

A review process they themselves mandate. You also forget they also charge 30% for anything sold through their store. Which they also mandate you use.

It's been common for platform creators to charge third-party developers in some capacity for many decades.

Not for services they aren't providing, it isn't.

Some do it by charging high costs for the developer tools, others by charging a commission based on sales.

Again, these are for services that are being provided. Apple is charging people to not use their own payment service.

[–] kirklennon@kbin.social 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You also forget they also charge 30% for anything sold through their store.

That’s literally what we’re discussing.

Not for services they aren't providing, it isn't.

Third-party console game developers paid money to the console maker even for physical sales.

Again, these are for services that are being provided. Apple is charging people to not use their own payment service.

The payment service is 3%; the commission is the other 27%. That’s what a commission is. It’s for access to the market.

[–] 520@kbin.social 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

That’s literally what we’re discussing.

No, we are discussing services not sold through their store and not using their payment provider. That is literally the topic of the post.

Third-party console game developers paid money to the console maker even for physical sales.

Third party console games don't literally pay money to not use services.

The payment service is 3%; the commission is the other 27%. That’s what a commission is. It’s for access to the market.

And that doesn't strike you as patently fucking insane? 27%? For doing literally fucking nothing? For literally providing no added value beyond which you as a developer have already paid for?

[–] kirklennon@kbin.social 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

No, we are discussing services not sold through their store and not using their payment provider. That is literally the topic of the post.

This is about purchases of virtual goods made by users of the app either directly in the app (30% combined commission and payment processing fees), or who click a link in the app to make the purchase using an external payment provider (27% commission). In all cases, these are sales originating from within the app.

Third party console games don't literally pay money to not use services.

I’m not sure if there have been any changes in the last few years (I doubt it), but developers paid Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony a 15% “licensing” fee for physical media games sold for their consoles. That has been the basic business model for all consoles for decades.

[–] 520@kbin.social -2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

In all cases, these are sales originating from within the app.

But the latter example is about an application not developed by Apple processing payments with mechanisms also not made by apple. In what world is it fair to be forced to give Apple another 27% when they didn't contribute shit beyond what you've already paid for.

What next? Paying Microsoft 27% for releasing a paid for app on Windows?

I’m not sure if there have been any changes in the last few years (I doubt it), but developers paid Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony a 15% “licensing” fee for physical media games sold for their consoles. That has been the basic business model for all consoles for decades.

I'm not sure if you're aware, but games consoles are a completely different market with completely different laws and standards governing them. Game consoles are not general purpose devices. They are closed platforms where you gotta sign lengthy NDAs and pay thousands just to get yourself a fucking dev kit.

Comparing the smartphone market to the games console market just proves you know fuck all about either.

[–] kirklennon@kbin.social 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'm not sure if you're aware, but games consoles are a completely different market with completely different laws and standards governing them. Game consoles are not general purpose devices. They are closed platforms where you gotta sign lengthy NDAs and pay thousands just to get yourself a fucking dev kit.

iPhones are a closed platform. Ditto for iPad and Apple Vision Pro. They are essentially an app console. They have never been sold to consumers or presented to developers as anything else. For what it’s worth, almost all of the in-app revenue at the center of this discussion is gaming revenue. Everything else is a rounding error.

[–] 520@kbin.social 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

iPhones are a closed platform.

Not like consoles, they are not. Anyone can develop for them, the only barrier is a small license fee and a Mac. Nintendo, Sony and MS will straight up not sell you an SDK if you are not an established gaming or educational organisation.

They are essentially an app console. They have never been sold to consumers or presented to developers as anything else.

They have been sold as general purpose devices that, like I said, anyone can develop for. Again, they are nothing like consoles.

For what it’s worth, almost all of the in-app revenue at the center of this discussion is gaming revenue. Everything else is a rounding error.

Spotify would disagree.