Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Against Google
We may be on the cusp of the next video game industry revolution.
As reported by Video Games Chronicle, a US judge has issued a permanent injunction in Epic Games’ favor in their legal battle against Google over access to Android. The injunction includes several key provisions that Google must follow starting November 1, 2024:
- Google will not be allowed to pay developers to launch apps first or exclusively through the Play Store.
- It will be barred from offering manufacturers or carriers incentives to pre-install Google Play (or to not pre-install rival stores) on new devices.
- The company won’t be able to force app makers to use Google Play Billing.
- It may not require a developer to set a price based on whether Google Play is used.
- Google won’t be able to restrict developers from pointing users to external payment options outside of the Play Store.
Google plans to appeal the verdict, but it increasingly looks likely that app developers will now have more control on Android platforms moving forward.
Changes in Android Policy
For a long time, Google allowed users to sideload apps on Android. While Google has not completely reversed this policy, they have been making changes that impact developers and end users. These alterations have made it challenging for everyone involved.
Despite these changes, Google has not intervened in situations where their openness affects their bottom line. For example, Android OEMs like Samsung have been offering their own app stores, competing directly with Google Play. Some companies, such as Huawei and Amazon, have even created custom OSes based on Android that can still run Android apps.
This legal victory for Epic Games could pave the way for the return of Fortnite on Android and benefit other players like Microsoft, who may also want to create their own mobile app store. These changes have the potential to bring a significant revolution to the video game industry.
