Valve has been ordered to release four years of sales data of more than 400 games available on Steam as part of the ongoing Epic Games Vs. Apple lawsuit.
Apple had previously requested Valve’s data from their sales, any discounts and when it was available on Steam for six years. They demand this information “Is crucial for calculating the total size of the market for Epic’s available digital distribution channels, which this court has already found very relevant to this case. ”
Valve declined this request because they did not like 99% of the more than 30,000 games on Steam from third parties (including confidential data), and needed extended working hours to set up without compensation. Valve also stated that they are not competing in the mobile gaming space, which makes comparisons with the Epic Games Store and App Store irrelevant to the matter.
Apple has reduced their request to 436 games available on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. This data would still (as of 2015) include all sales, price changes, gross revenue and all revenue related to each version of those games and all digital content or items. Valve also denied it, saying Apple could not provide evidence that they needed it for their case.
Now Law360 (via GamesIndustry.biz) reports that Judge Thomas S. Hixson in California ordered Valve to deliver the documents; but reduced to the previous four years rather than six. He offered a small consolation to Valve with the comments “Apple has salted the earth with subpoenas, so don’t worry, it’s not just you.”
As we reported earlier, Epic Games has announced that the price of V-Bucks, Fornitecurrency in the game that can be bought with real money would be permanently 20% cheaper on all platforms. On Android and iOS, however, a new payment method has been introduced.
Instead of buying the V-Bucks through Google Play and the App Store respectively, Epic Games has launched the ‘Epic Instant Payment’. “If you choose to use Epic Direct Payments,” explain the announcement, “You save up to 20% as Epic transfers your savings through payment processing.”
This is due to the fact that Apple and Google charge a 30% fee through all V-Bucks purchased on their respective platforms. As such, the 20% drop was not applied to purchases made by them. Epic Games explains it “If Apple or Google lower their payment fees in the future, Epic will pass on the savings to you.”
Shortly after this announcement, Apple and Google removed both Fortnite of the App Store and Google Play Stores respectively due to Epic Games violating their Terms of Service.
Epic Games has filed legal action against both, saying they had a monopoly on their iOS and Android stores. Apple has reportedly threatened to terminate all of Epic Games’ App Store developer accounts and cut off development tools on iOS and Mac.
However, Epic Games may have expected action from Apple, after making a parody of Apple’s own 1984 ad; appealed to their fans to support them. Furthermore, the #FreeFortnite Cup has been announced.
Apple later accused Sweeney of asking for an exception to the App Store terms. Sweeney tweeted that Apple’s statement was misleading and offered screenshots of the alleged email. Microsoft has also submitted a statement of support in favor of Epic Games.
In late August, Apple terminated Epic Games’ App Store developer account. This means that Epic Games can no longer submit new apps or updates to existing apps (such as the Infinite blade games).
Epic would successfully win a restraining order that month, denying that Apple removed Unreal Engine-based games from the App Store (which harms developers who use the engine for their games). Epic Games later issued an order requesting that Apple be banned from ‘take any adverse action against Epic. ”
In early September this year, Apple issued a lawsuit against Epic Games. In it, they demanded compensation and damages, claiming that Epic Games’ actions were “A little more than theft.” Both parties would later agree to a trial by a judge, rather than a jury. The trial is set for May 3, 2021.
Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers issued a preliminary injunction in October. Apple does not need to reset Fortnite in the App Store, but they had a restriction order that prevented them from revoking developer tools from ‘Epic affiliations;”Like those who use the Unreal Engine for their game.
Judge Gonzales Rogers later dismissed two of Apple’s claims on November 10, including their claim that Epic Games had committed theft. She told Apple lawyer Anna Casey “You can not just say that it is independently wrong. You actually have to have facts. ”
Sweeney recently appealed to the comparison of the Epic Games vs. Apple case with the civil rights movement. Epic Games also reportedly hired a lobbyist to propose a North Dakota bill that would allow for alternative payment methods in the App Store and Google Play.
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