Apple Wants Valve’s Steam Sales Data for 100s of Games

Apple Wants Sales Data

A directive has been given by Apple to Valve in November according to a new filing (via PC Gamer) as an extension of the rivalry over its ongoing litigation with Fortnite developer Epic Games. But the directive states Valve to disclose extensive sales data for more than 400 games. 

This move is hand in hand with the fight of Epic criticizing paying iOS App Store fees. This data is essential for Apple as it will give it will help them calculate the size of the market of Epic’s “available distribution channels” as they might opt for offering their games through Steam in addition to other digital marketplaces. The assessment will help Apple improve their experience from the competition in games and app from Valve’s Steam marketplace.

Demands Of Apple

On the other hand, Valve considers that Apple is demanding something which isn’t healthy to provide. Apple has demanded: 

(a) total yearly sales of apps and in-app products 

(b) annual advertising revenues from Steam 

(c) annual sales of external products attributable to Steam

(d) annual revenues from Steam

(e) annual earnings (whether gross or net) from Steam.

Apple said in the filing that Samsung has been asked by courts to provide “almost identical” information. But demands of Apple don’t end here as they go on to ask for: 

(a) the name of each App on Steam

(b) the date range when the App was available on Steam

(c) the price of the App and any in-app product available on Steam

Valve thinks that these requests don’t seem to be too easy to share. And such information for about 436 games has been requested by Apple. Valve has responded well. 

Valve Responded Well

Valve contends these demands would “force an uncommon burden on Valve to question, cycle and consolidate an enormous measure of to make the documents Apple looks for” and that it doesn’t keep this data as a part of the “conventional course of business.” (The documenting likewise noticed that Apple had decreased its solicitation for data from “all 30,000+ games on Steam more than ten years” to “436 games more than six years.”) 

Valve additionally argues that “quite a bit of what Apple looks for is deals and pricing data for 3rd party games,” however that the organization is taking an “alternate way” by summoning Valve as opposed to getting the data straightforwardly from 3rd party developers. 

On Wednesday, Epic documented a formal antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission, contending that Apple has “hurt as well as disposed of competition in application distribution and payment measures.”