Tag: Reinstates

Categories
Entertainment

Apple reinstates Fortnite creator’s developer account after two-day ban

[ad_1]

Apple has reversed its decision to ban Epic Games’ developer account after it emerged that European Union officials were investigating the issue. And the EU is currently fining Apple for almost two billion dollars, so it’s probably wise to pay attention.

This means Epic can bring its own app store to iPhones and iPads in the EU. “Following conversations with Epic, they have committed to follow the rules, including our DMA [Digital Markets Act] policies,” an Apple spokesperson told Engadget.

Earlier last week, Apple killed Epic’s developer account, claiming Epic was unlikely to abide by contractual agreements and even describing Epic as “verifiably untrustworthy.” Now, nearly four years after its disappearance, the publisher can more easily bring Fortnite back to those devices in the bloc.

Yes, Fortnite was last (officially) on iOS four years ago.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Why the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is the best

MacBook Air M3 13-inch and 15-inch reviews

ULTROS and the palette of surreal sci-fi

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

And the first is coming back to theaters this summer.

Nintendo and Illumination are releasing a second animated film for the Super Mario franchise, and it’s expected to come out April 3, 2026. The news comes from series creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, who tweeted it from the Nintendo of America X account on Sunday as part of the ongoing Mario Day shopping push celebrations. Based on his description, it doesn’t seem like it will be a direct sequel to the first, though. To kill time until 2026, you can play some Mario game remakes and make Mario Kart Lego sets.

Continue reading.

Apple and Netflix were nearly shut out.

Despite combining for 32 nominations, Netflix and Apple TV+ were nearly shut out of the 2024 Oscars, with Netflix winning just a single award for Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Best Live Action Short Film). Netflix scored six prizes last year. The big surprise was Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple TV+) not gaining a single award. Oppenheimer claimed prizes for Best Picture, Best Director, editing, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Original Score and Cinematography.

Continue reading.

Thanks to a company that owns the rights to her likeness.

TMA

ABG

At SXSW on Friday, Soul Machines unveiled Digital Marilyn, an AI chatbot designed to look and talk just like Marilyn Monroe. It was made in a partnership with Authentic Brands Group, which owns the rights to Monroe’s likeness and those of numerous other dead and living celebrities, including Elvis Presley and Shaq.

Soul Machines introduced its Marilyn Monroe AI to the public in an International Women’s Day Instagram post. Notably, all of the other AI celebrities the company currently offers chats with are men who are alive, and who can weigh in on their inclusion.

Continue reading.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

Apple reinstates Epic’s developer account two days after banning it

[ad_1]

Apple has reversed course on its decision to ban Epic Games’ developer account after it emerged European Union officials were looking into the issue. The about turn means that Epic will be able to bring its own app store to iPhones and iPads in the EU. The publisher will also be able to more easily bring Fortnite back to those devices in the bloc, nearly four years after Apple kicked the game out of the App Store over an in-app purchases battle (a decision that spurred a drawn-out legal tussle between the two sides).

“Following conversations with Epic, they have committed to follow the rules, including our DMA [Digital Markets Act] policies,” an Apple spokesperson told Engadget. “As a result, Epic Sweden AB has been permitted to re-sign the developer agreement and accepted into the Apple Developer Program.”

“Apple has told us and committed to the European Commission that they will reinstate our developer account,” Epic wrote in an updated blog post. “This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act swiftly to enforce the Digital Markets Act and hold gatekeepers accountable. We are moving forward as planned to launch the Epic Games Store and bring Fortnite back to iOS in Europe. Onward!”

Apple killed Epic’s developer account earlier this week, claiming that Epic was unlikely to abide by the related contractual agreements. Its lawyers described Epic as “verifiably untrustworthy.”

The sudden about face surely has nothing to do with reports that EU regulators planned to question Apple over the ban. Epic claimed the decision was a “serious violation of the DMA.” Under that law, which just came into effect, Apple is required to allow third-party app stores on iOS in the EU. However, Apple is still forcing companies that want to have their own app marketplace on iPhone to abide by its rules.

Also this week, the EU fined Apple almost $2 billion for suppressing third-party music streaming apps on the App Store by preventing them from telling users that they could subscribe to their services elsewhere for a lower cost than if they signed up through iOS. This was the first fine the EU has given Apple, and the bloc’s third-largest financial penalty ever. Apple is appealing the fine.

Given the even heftier penalties that companies face for failing to comply with the DMA — up to 10 percent of their annual revenue — and the EU showing it’s ready to wield its power when necessary, it’s not too surprising that Apple backed down from its latest scrap with Epic. Indeed, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said Apple backtracked after “a swift inquiry by the European Commission.”



[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Bisnis Industri

Apple relents, reinstates Epic Games developer account

[ad_1]

Epic Games can release Fortnite in the EU and open an App Store rival after Apple restored the company’s developer account. This came as the European Commission was starting an inquiry into why the account had been cancelled.

Apple called Epic Games “untrustworthy” when it pulled the account.

Epic Games will be able to release Fortnite in EU after all

Apple and Epic Games have been embroiled in legal fights for years. In a dispute over Apple’s requirement that it receive a share of the game developer’s revenue from iPhone users, Fortnite and other titles were kicked out of the App Store and all Epic’s developer accounts were suspended in 2020.

Then the EU passed the Digital Markets Act to, among other things, allow increased competition with Apple’s iPhone App Store. Under the aegis of the new legislation, Epic Games Sweden got an Apple developer account earlier this year and announced a plan to open an Epic Games Store in Europe.

But Apple quickly terminated the account after accusing Epic CEO Tim Sweeney of “public attacks on Apple’s policies,” and called his company “verifiably untrustworthy.”

But Sweeney took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday to announce:

“Following a swift inquiry by the European Commission, Apple notified the Commission and Epic that it would relent and restore our access to bring back Fortnite and launch Epic Games Store in Europe under the DMA law.”

Ina statement given to Bloomberg, Apple said:

“Following conversations with Epic, they have committed to follow the rules, including our DMA policies. As a result, Epic Sweden AB has been permitted to re-sign the developer agreement and accepted into the Apple Developer Program.”

Epic Games declared victory in its own statement:

“This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act swiftly to enforce the Digital Markets Act and hold gatekeepers accountable. We are moving forward as planned to launch the Epic Games Store and bring Fortnite back to iOS in Europe.”

When the popular game will be available for European iPhone users is unknown. It’ll require the opening of the aforementioned Epic Games Store but the company hasn’t given a timetable for this either.

To be clear, this is relevant only to residents of the European Union. Everyone else must get their iPhone software from the App Store and Epic remains banned from there.



[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
News

Apple Reinstates Epic Games EU Developer Account, Paving the Way for Alternative App Store

[ad_1]

Apple today reversed a decision to shut down Epic Games’ developer account in the European Union, and the account has now been reinstated. In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said that Epic Games has committed to following the rules, allowing Epic Sweden to be reaccepted into the Apple Developer Program.

fortnite apple logo 2

Following conversations with Epic, they have committed to follow the rules, including our DMA policies. As a result, Epic Sweden AB has been permitted to re-sign the developer agreement and accepted into the Apple Developer Program.

When Apple terminated the ‌Epic Games‌ Sweden developer account earlier this week, it effectively prevented ‌Epic Games‌ from developing an alternative app marketplace for iPhone users in the European Union. Apple claimed that the account had been terminated because ‌Epic Games‌ had previously breached its contractual obligations, and that the court decision in the ‌Epic Games‌ v. Apple legal battle gave it the right to shut down any ‌Epic Games‌ account at any time.

Apple’s Phil Schiller engaged in a conversation with ‌Epic Games‌ CEO Tim Sweeney where he asked Sweeney for written assurance that ‌Epic Games‌ would adhere to the new rules for alternative app marketplaces, but Apple did not feel that Sweeney’s response was thorough enough. Apple claimed that Epic is “verifiably untrustworthy,” with the Cupertino company also citing negative comments from Tim Sweeney about Apple’s Digital Marketplace Act (DMA) compliance.

There was immediate public blowback from Apple’s decision to kill the account, especially because the emails from Apple made it look like the ‌Epic Games‌ account was terminated because of Sweeney’s criticism. From Schiller’s email:

In the past, Epic has entered into agreements with Apple and then broken them. For example, you testified that Epic Games, Inc. entered into the Developer Program with full understanding of its terms, and then chose to intentionally breach the agreement with Apple. You also testified that Epic deliberately violated Apple’s rules, to make a point and forfinancial gain. More recently, you have described our DMA compliance plan as “hot garbage,” a “horror show,” and a “devious new instance of Malicious Compliance.” And you have complained about what you called “Junk Fees” and “Apple taxes.”

Your colorful criticism of our DMA compliance plan, coupled with Epic’s past practice of intentionally violating contractual provisions with which it disagrees, strongly suggest that Epic Sweden does not intend to follow the rules.

The European Union quickly stepped in and asked Apple for “further explanations” on why it had shut down the EU ‌Epic Games‌ developer account, a move that likely led Apple to reconsider its decision. ‌Epic Games‌ in a statement to MacRumors said that Apple’s response demonstrates that the European Commission plans to act swiftly to enforce the DMA, and that the ‌Epic Games‌ store is coming to Europe.

Apple has told us and committed to the European Commission that they will reinstate our developer account. This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act swiftly to enforce the Digital Markets Act and hold gatekeepers accountable. We are moving forward as planned to launch the Epic Games Store and bring Fortnite back to iOS in Europe. Onward!

‌Epic Games‌ announced plans for an alternative app marketplace shortly after Apple introduced support for alternative app stores in the iOS 17.4 beta. ‌Epic Games‌ has pledged to bring Fortnite and other games to the ‌iPhone‌ through its own dedicated storefront, but specific timing for the launch of the ‌Epic Games‌ Store for iOS has not yet been provided.

Though ‌Epic Games‌ is working on an alternative app marketplace, the company has criticized Apple’s compliance with the DMA. Sweeney has called Apple’s plan a “devious new instance of Malicious Compliance” and has said that ‌Epic Games‌ will continue to “argue to the courts and regulators that Apple is breaking the law.”

[ad_2]

Source Article Link