8 months ago
Some weasely words from the Google spokesperson. Microsoft may be able to let users purchase and play games within their app, but google policy does not let them provide and app to do that on the app store. Sure sideloading exists, but it might was well not from a discoverbility and user friendlyness perspective and Google knows it.
Kind of disapointed the article didn't dig any deeper into both sides
8 months ago
"...the company still hasn’t explicitly said what about the situation prevents it from offering Xbox game purchases like Steam and PlayStation already do..."
Though the real answer is already in the article in a different context: "...ending the requirement for apps to use Google Play Billing."
Asshole monopolist #2 is angry at asshole monopolist #3 that they are monopolizing too much of the money that should by all rights be monopolized by them instead.
8 months ago
Microsoft says : "We've built an app, we don't want to release it until we can keep every penny we charge you within it. Until google change their policies we don't want to release it"
Translated it for everyone.
8 months ago
"We've built an app, we don't want to release it because our rent seeking competitor has users held captive. Until the government steps in we don't want to release it".
Ironic since Microsoft is working hard to make Windows the Android of PCs (online account, invasive user tracking, stealing user data by taking their email, dark patterns galore, ads everywhere, mandatory TPM etc)...
8 months ago
I despise market monopoly abuse. But it's a bit of a Schadenfreude seeing the Microsoft as the victim.
8 months ago
On the other hand, Xbox consoles these days sell with a "free trial" of their online services that automatically starts charging after 3 months. It's at a minimum a dark pattern.
At worst? https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/06/20-millio...
8 months ago
The entire modern Windows ecosystem is a dark pattern.
Had to OOBE setup a Windows PC, it was an endless stream of nag prompts, all the way to the desktop. Extremely annoying to use.
8 months ago
Isn't that what "free trial" means? If I am buying free trial, I would expect myself needing to manually cancel it if I am not happy
8 months ago
No it doesn't.
A free trial implies that you can use a service for a limited period without cost. It's only because they have normalised it that you expect to get charged if you forget.
8 months ago
You _can_ use it for a minimal period without cost.
As for the normalisation argument, if there's a common understanding that "free trial" means "X months free followed by being charged", then that's what free trial means.
8 months ago
> if there's a common understanding
Its only a common misunderstanding with these tech companies.
If I had a free trial with a sports club, or many other things, they will not charge me at the end of the trial. They will ask me if I want to join.
If I take a car for a trial drive, they won't bill me the entire price of a car if I forgot to mention explicitly that I don't want it after I return it.
8 months ago
To me that sounds like a regular subscription with a "first three months free" discount, not like a free trial.
8 months ago
Exactly. My ahme club do a 3 week free trial, nobody new is paying until the 4th week (and even then you have wiggle room), you can just stop showing up, nobody will charge you.
8 months ago
I agree about monopoly abuse but I do believe it's acceptable to charge a fee for access to your audience.
Microsoft and Epic don't want to pay the fees for using Google's payment system, which is a requirement here for Googles ecosystem (Apple too btw). I don't see an issue with that. It's not monopolization, Microsoft can build their own ecosystem (for the 3rd time try at least) and distribute apks to Android.
The alternative 'spiteful' approach Google could make is what Microsoft wanted to do with Unity : "For each user over 1Million, you pay 1$ per download".
8 months ago
Yeah, its nice to see MS finally get a taste of their own medicine for a change. If they really cared about "breaking walls" and openness, they're more than free to release an Xbox app for Linux.
8 months ago
Indeed - where's the Google store on Xbox?
8 months ago
Weak reporting that the verge didn't mention this obvious hypocrisy.
8 months ago
Google is a convicted monopoly
8 months ago
Safe and secure experience lol
8 months ago
8 months ago
Waiting for “but what about Upple” comments.
Two wrongs don’t make a right, folks.
8 months ago
Companies should require a "reputation score" certified by multiple independent auditors, before being allowed to host an app store/game store.
Having a continued history of market position abuse would be an instant fail on that certification process.