The trial between Epic Games and Google that began this week in the United States revealed a new detail about the relationship between the two companies.
According to the The Vergedocuments presented in court confirm that Google even offered US$147 million, approximately R$725 million, in direct conversion, for Fortnite to be released within the Play Store.
The case took place in 2018 and negotiations advanced to a certain point, but the studio rejected the amount. The investment would be paid over three years and would guarantee that the mobile phenomenon would be part of the Android ecosystem, including Google receiving 30% of all microtransactions of weapons, skins and cosmetic items made on tablets and smartphones.
In defense of criticism about this being an anti-competitive market practice, Google claims that the measure was an attempt to avoid “contagion”, that is, other games also suggesting an external installation on the system.
The Fortnite phenomenon is the result of the dispute between the companies.Fonte: Epic Games
According to the company’s estimates, the absence of Fortnite from the store would mean that Google would no longer earn up to US$250 million — a value that would increase significantly if other successful titles were involved.
The trial is expected to continue in the coming weeks, with Epic Games accusing its rival of attempting a monopoly for fear of competition in its own system.
Remember the controversy with Fortnite
The lawsuit was filed by Epic Games in 2020, when Fortnite was banned from both the Google Play Store and the App Store, the iPhone store.
During the period, the developer tried to circumvent digital stores by offering an alternative download method for the game, in an attempt to avoid paying the 30% fee to companies.
After the ban, Epic Games sued both companies. The trial against Apple had a different context, as the iOS ecosystem is even more closed, and had an initial verdict in 2021 in favor of the iPhone owner.
The case is still pending in a US court, but the Fortnite owner’s demands remain denied.
Source: https://www.tecmundo.com.br/mercado/273667-google-ofereceu-us-147-milhoes-epic-games-lancar-fortnite-android.htm
