Microsoft has filed a court brief in support of Epic Games, blaming Apple for its delay in plans to open an Xbox mobile store using.
While Apple yesterday allowed Fortnite back into the US App Store after some strong words from the judge, Microsoft says there’s still a very big problem …
Microsoft iOS app store delayed
Microsoft last year announced that it would launch an iOS app store for games from its own studios.
Microsoft Corp. will launch its own online store for mobile-game consumables in July, creating an alternative to Apple Inc. and Google’s app stores and their fees.
This would also include the Candy Crush franchise, which was acquired by Activision, which was then bought by Microsoft. Third-party games would be added at a later date, offering developers an alternative to Apple’s own App Store.
The company said at the time that it would be a web store, which would be linked to from within its apps, mirroring the approach taken by Epic Games. However, that didn’t materialize, and the company says this is because Apple is still fighting the Epic case.
Apple still fighting Epic Games
While Apple made changes to at least partially comply with the judge’s ruling, it hadn’t allowed Fortnite back into the US App Store. Epic filed a motion for it to be required to do so, and the judge made her views very clear.
The iPhone maker was instructed to respond, and to specify “the legal authority upon which Apple contends that it can ignore this Court’s order.” Ouch. Apple hasn’t been very good at taking hints from judges, but it did take that one and allowed Fortnite back in.
That also opens the way for Microsoft, but the company notes that Apple is not only appealing the ruling, but also seeking a temporary stay in the meantime – meaning it wants to be allowed to delay implementing the ruling until the appeal is heard.
The Verge reports:
Prior to the district court’s most recent order, Microsoft had been unable to implement linked-out payments (or even inform customers that alternative purchase methods exist) because of Apple’s new anti-steering policies that restrict Microsoft’s communication to users and impose an even higher economic cost to Microsoft than before the injunction […]
If Microsoft did launch its Xbox mobile store and then Apple won a temporary stay, it may have to pull that store pending the appeal process.
In other words, the ruling solves this problem for now, but if Apple got a temporary stay then Microsoft could have invested a lot of time, money, and effort in launching its app store, only for it to have to be withdrawn very soon afterwards.
Microsoft wants the court to force Apple to fully comply with the ruling pending a final decision in the appeal, with no possibility of a stay in the meantime.
The never-ending saga continues.
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