Microsoft has sided with Epic in its feud against Apple, claiming the iPhone maker has “stymied” the company’s efforts to launch its Xbox mobile game store.
Back in May last year, Microsoft announced plans to release a new Xbox mobile game store. At this time, the company envisioned it to be ready for release by that summer. However, this did not happen.
Now, Microsoft has filed a legal brief in support of Epic Games as part of Apple’s appeal against a recent ruling, which follows a five-year legal battle between Epic and Apple, and has now resulted in Fortnite making its return to the App Store in the US. Here, Microsoft shed more light on the delay to its own mobile store.
Microsoft stated it wishes to “offer consumers a workable solution by launching its own online store”, but efforts have been “stymied” by Apple and its strict App Store rules.
As shared by The Verge, this is how Microsoft explains its current situation:
“The district court’s injunction allows Apple to maintain its in-app exclusivity but at least should have enabled Microsoft to offer consumers a workable solution by launching its own online store – accessible via link-out – for in-app items to be purchased off-app and used in games or other apps. And that is what Microsoft wants to do. But even this solution has been stymied by Apple.
“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.”
As noted by the publication, the recent court ruling does make it possible for Microsoft to launch its mobile store, but the company still wants to ensure Apple’s appeal against the ruling is unsuccessful, in order to avoid having to potentially remove its own store further down the line.
Microsoft notes in its filing that Apple “makes no argument that the technical or policy changes cannot be undone”, and that the company’s own “experience managing app stores confirms that Apple’s policies could be restored if Apple ultimately prevails on appeal”.
We will keep you abreast of any further developments regarding both Epic vs Apple, and Xbox’s mobile store.