Microsoft has made a public statement in court Americans supporting Epic Games in its legal dispute against Apple. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, has distributed the document presented by the company and signed by Kevin Gammill, general manager of creating entertainment experiences at Microsoft.
Today we filed a statement in support of Epic’s request to keep access to the Apple SDK for its Unreal Engine. Ensuring that Epic has access to the latest Apple technology is the right thing for gamer developers & gamers https://t.co/72bLdDkvUx— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) August 23, 2020
In the statement, Gammill states that “Epic Games’ Unreal Engine is a critical technology for multiple creators, including Microsoft” and explains that “game engines provide creators with development environments They offer the necessary technologies “to create video games, including graphics, rendering, physics, sound, network functions and more, facilitating the creation of video games for multiple platforms.
The importance of the Unreal Engine continuing on all possible platforms
Gammill seala que “si bien some game creators develop their own enginesMany others, including small independent studios, use engines designed and donated by outside companies, “which includes the Unreal Engine, of course, which in its current version is one of the most widely used in the world.
Microsoft’s position stems from considering that many video game creators “do not have the resources or the ability to build their own engine”, so they rely on the tools offered by other companies. In other cases, they are well-considered decisions by the companies, despite having the potential ability to create your own engines for other reasons.
“As a consequence, Epic Games’ Unreal Engine is one of the most important third-party tools that are available to video game creators, and Microsoft’s point of view is that there are few options available with as many functions and features as the Unreal Engine on multiple platforms, including iOS “, defends Gammill.
Microsoft believes it will be a strategic disadvantage
Similarly, defending Epic Games’ position is a necessary strategy for Microsoft because, according to the statement, “Microsoft has a multi-year general agreement for the entire corporation to use the Unreal Engine, “meaning all studios under its umbrella can employ it. Additionally, Microsoft” has invested significant resources and time from its engineers to work on customizing the Unreal Engine for their own. games on PC, Xbox consoles and mobile devices, including iOS “.
For all these reasons, Microsoft defends that “deny Epic Games access to the Apple Dev Kit and Dev Tools“what will happen if your iOS content creator account is terminated, “Preventing Epic from supporting the Unreal Engine on iOS and macOS and will put the Unreal Engine and creators who have used it, are using it, or may use it in games, at a substantial disadvantage.”
They also point out that “since iOS is a large and growing market for video games, Apple cutting the Unreal Engine’s ability to support iOS will put the Unreal Engine at a material disadvantage in future decisions that Microsoft and other developers make to choose engines for their new games. ”
On Monday it will be decided whether to take precautionary measures
Apple responded yesterday in court to the lawsuit that Epic Games has filed after the iPhone company withdraw from the digital store from their devices the game Fortnite because it violates the developer rules. Before the judge, Apple’s legal representatives have explained that Epic Games demanded differential treatment to the other companies in the industry and presented several emails to the court from Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, as evidence.
In a statement signed by Phil Schiller, Apple’s vice president and head of the App Store, which is already in the court’s possession, it is stated that “on June 30, 2020 Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic, wrote to my colleagues and myself asking for a private agreement with Apple that will constitute a special agreement for Epic that will fundamentally change the way Epic offers its applications on Apple’s iOS platform. “
Epic’s goal was that no commission would be charged for purchases made in the video game Fortnite and that he be authorized to launch your own iPhone app store. Schiller explains in the affidavitIt has been brought before the judge that the morning Epic Games made the game modifications, the company “was no longer going to comply with Apple’s payment processing restrictions.”
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