Economics
Fortnite Has Picked a Favorite in the Battle Between Apple and Android
- App store work-arounds could migrate from Asia, analyst says
- EU antitrust ruling may help Amazon, Facebook grab app action
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Fortnite amassed an unrivaled following with kid-friendly, multiplayer action that can be enjoyed on most modern devices. The video game’s creator is using that popularity to challenge one of the most-entrenched business models in the mobile industry: the app store.
Epic Games Inc. recently said it won’t distribute Fortnite through Google’s Play app store. Instead, Android users will need to visit Fortnite’s website and disable some security features on their phones to complete the download. The move threatens Google and highlights weaknesses of its Android operating system, especially compared with Apple Inc.’s offering, analysts said.