The dispute between Apple and Epic Games over secondary payments has already seen its fair share of drama, with Fortnite blocked from the App Store and Apple threatening to boot Epic from the Apple Developer Program. But yet another megacorporation has now entered the fray, as Microsoft has filed a statement in support of Epic and Unreal Engine.
Written by Microsoft general manager for gaming Kevin Gammill, the statement is a response to Apple’s attempt to revoke Epic’s developer accounts and tool access for iOS and Mac, which would have serious repercussions for all studios using Unreal Engine on Apple’s platforms. Gammill emphasised the importance of Epic’s game engine as “one of the most popular third-party game engines available to game creators”, and argued that blocking Epic from supporting Unreal Engine would place those game creators at “a substantial disadvantage”.
“If Unreal Engine cannot support games for iOS or macOS, Microsoft would be required to choose between abandoning its customers and potential customers on the iOS and macOS platforms or choosing a different game engine when preparing to develop new games,” Gammill explained. “Even uncertainty about the Unreal Engine’s ability to continue supporting iOS and macOS will make it less likely for Microsoft (and, I believe, other game creators) to select Unreal Engine for their projects.”
The dispute between Apple and Epic Games over secondary payments has already seen its fair share of drama, with Fortnite blocked from the App Store and Apple threatening to boot Epic from the Apple Developer Program. But yet another megacorporation has now entered the fray, as Microsoft has filed a statement in support of Epic and Unreal Engine. Written by Microsoft general manager for gaming Kevin Gammill, the statement is a response to Apple’s attempt to revoke Epic’s developer accounts and tool access for iOS and Mac, which would have serious repercussions for all studios using Unreal Engine on Apple’s platforms. Gammill emphasised the importance of Epic’s game engine as “one of the most popular third-party game engines available to game creators”, and argued that blocking Epic from supporting Unreal Engine would place those game creators at “a substantial disadvantage”. “If Unreal Engine cannot support games for iOS or macOS, Microsoft would be required to choose between abandoning its customers and potential customers on the iOS and macOS platforms or choosing a different game engine when preparing to develop new games,” Gammill explained. “Even uncertainty about the Unreal Engine’s ability to continue supporting iOS and macOS will make it less likely for Microsoft (and, I believe, other game creators) to select Unreal Engine for their projects.”Read moreEurogamer.net
