Hello,
There’s never a dull moment in 2020. In the last 24 hours, Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite has filed a lawsuit suit against Apple in a very public manner. They are accusing Steve Job’s company of anti-competitive business practices.
I haven’t been this excited about company communications in a loooong time. Below is a break down of what happened, and some ways brands may be able to join the conversation.
What did Epic Games do?
App stores take a 30% cut of any virtual product sold through an app on their devices. Think things like in-game currencies, game feature add ons, movies, ebooks, and digital subscriptions. Developers aren’t a fan of this because it takes money out of their pockets.
Epic Games secretly updated Fortnite at some point this summer to include an API that lets users pay them directly, bypassing Apple as an intermediary.
Then on Thursday morning, Epic Games unveiled it, and as an even bigger F you to Apple they made it so that they were the cheaper option when it comes to buying in-game currency.
In response, Apple pulled Fortnite from their store citing a violation of their terms and conditions. Epic Games then announced they were filing a pre-prepared antitrust lawsuit against Apple.
Adding salt to the wound, Epic Games also hosted a surprise live event later in the afternoon called Nineteen Eighty Fortnite. It was a Fortnite spoof of Apple's famous 1984 ad. In it, Fortnite compares Apple to the “Big Brother” like figure that Apple warned about when they first announced the Macintosh in 1983.
Google has also put a dog in this fight. They have removed Fortnite from its Android stores and now Epic Games is suing them too. Google stands to lose if Epic Games gains ground by bullying Apple.
Fortnite is asking for players to use the hashtag, #FreeFortnite, to voice their displeasure to a wider audience. It’s such a fun way to announce a lawsuit. I wonder what else Epic Games has up its sleeve in this saga.
What will the implications be?
This isn’t the first time that the Fortnite creator has decided to weaponize their fanbase. Back in 2018, they successfully pressured Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony to allow crossplay between their online services. They leveraged Fortnite’s cross-platform popularity, and released free tools so that any game developer could make their game cross-platform as well.
Now, Epic Games is banking on the fact that their cultural equity is large enough to make big tech companies sweat. It’ll be interesting to see where public opinion swings. It’s one of the most loyal fanbases ever versus one of the hottest media companies in the world.
If Epic Games wins this, it’d be a huge moment for gaming. It’ll show the world the purchasing power of gamers worldwide, and Epic Games will be able to say that they are protecting the little guys from big tech. If I was a brand I’d be backing Epic Games too. If they win it’ll open up A LOT of new revenue streams for app developers – both big and small.
How can my brand leverage this moment?
Rally customers to show support
Something simple like using your brand’s social account to encourage followers to #FreeFortnite could help Epic Games keep up the momentum. Also, who knows maybe it’ll give your brand some goodwill to talk to Fortnite developers about an activation for your brand down the line.
Make an app that gets pulled from the app store too
If a brand really wants to turn some heads, they could find a way to get their app banned too. Imagine if a company like Facebook or Starbucks get their apps pulled from app stores in order to openly challenge Google and Apple as well?
Keep a recap of this moment handy to sell in other gaming ideas
This moment can also be used to show how big gaming has become to brands and agencies. This event proves that game companies have enough money to challenge big tech, that their followers are loyal, and that there are lots of ways to be creative using them.
What to take away:
Epic Games is swinging its loyal fanbase like a bat to challenge Apple and Google. It’s unclear what the outcome will be, but they have made it clear that they are not afraid to challenge the kings. Brands should keep an eye on this and see if they can lean into the frame as this battle royale evolves.
Gaming News:
Linkedin: I did a talk about video games for Contagious, a research company, two weeks ago. It’s nothing you all haven’t heard in my newsletter, but if you want to put a face to this weekly mail in your inbox check it out.
Thrillist: The first 2,000 customers who order “Hawk Burrito” at Chipotle get a free demo for the new Tony Hawk Pro Skater game.
Forbes: In a big blow to XBOX Series X launch plans, Halo Infinite got delayed. It’ll be interesting to see how this affects XBOX series X sales.
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Email: zacharystubblefield@yahoo.com
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