Microsoft’s app store changes crank up the Apple pressure
Microsoft shook up the PC gaming industry this week with the announcement that it was cutting the fee it takes from game sales on the Windows store. On the surface, it’s a welcome move, with Microsoft matching the 12 percent cut that Epic Games takes, and putting more pressure on Valve, which still takes a 30 percent cut on most Steam purchases. But the cut is also a tactical move: Microsoft wants to help pressure Apple, and this week’s changes could play a role in the bigger app store battles kicking off next week.
Microsoft’s announcement comes just days before a huge court trial between Epic Games and Apple, and just as the EU has found issues with Apple’s rules — claiming the company has a “dominant position in the market for the…
