The Epic vs. Apple lawsuit is a rabbit hole that goes deeper everyday. However, once Google got involved, we truly learnt what a juggernaut the company could be. Earlier this month, we reported on how Google considered buying out Epic Games in order to eliminate the competition. However, new declassified documents have revealed that the company considered approaching Tencent in order to make it happen.
Tencent is probably the biggest video game company out there at the moment. It currently holds 40 percent of Epic Games, with CEO Tim Sweeney holding the controlling share. According to the recently revealed document (thanks PC Gamer), an exec at Google suggested approaching Tencent to try and get control over Epic, or even acquire it completely.
"Google recognized that Epic might not accept its offer," reads the document. "'As a potential alternative', a senior Google executive proposed that Google 'consider approaching Tencent', a company that owns a minority stake in Epic, 'to either (a) buy Epic shares from Tencent to get more control over Epic', or '(b) join up with Tencent to buy 100% of Epic'."
This new information has come to light after Epic filed an unredacted complaint with the Northern California US District Court. The earlier report had the information about Tencent redacted, but it seems that the court has now denied Google’s request to keep the information classified.
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Sweeney also tweeted out the initial report saying, "It appears, sadly, that Google was indeed contemplating a coordinated, multinational hostile takeover attempt of Epic in response to Fortnite launching outside of Google Play."
Only yesterday we learnt that Google reportedly tried to bribe developers into sticking with the Play Store. A recently unredacted complaint alleged that Google has a program called “Project Hug”, which discreetly pays developers to keep their games and apps on the Play Store.
Unfortunately for Google, last week the U.S. Senate introduced a bill that seeks to protect app developers' rights, and challenge Apple and Google's app store policies. The ‘Open App Markets Act’ is spearheaded by senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). It would essentially end the companies’ monopoly by banning app stores from enforcing their own payment gateways upon developers.
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