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Apple is using every tool at its disposal to fight Epic Games’ antitrust lawsuit on the App Store, and that apparently includes recruiting one of Epic’s rivals … or rather, the attempt to recruit the ‘one of them. As iMore reports, Apple and Valve submitted a joint letter to the court stating that they had failed to reach agreements on a subpoena asking for Steam data.
Apple wanted information on Steam’s annual financial performance, as well as details on the availability of 436 titles, to help assess the total market size for Epic’s available digital release channels. In theory, that would show that there was a lot of competition.
Valve backed down from the request, however, saying the request was too broad, requested “highly confidential” information and would place an “extraordinary burden” on staff. Third parties control their prices and game content on Steam, and Apple simply uses Steam as a shortcut to that data, Valve added. He also questioned Apple’s need for information in the first place, noting that Valve does not compete in mobile app stores and that a request for 436 games “does not show” the market place.
Developer Steam added that Apple seemed to contradict its past. He has previously argued that the market involves platforms where Fortnite was available, but now focused on the mobile world.
The trial judge has yet to rule in favor of Apple or Valve following the letter. However, this illustrates Apple’s strategy. If Valve’s denial holds, it also leaves Apple without some of the data it was hoping to use in court. While there’s no guarantee the data would help, Apple might have to rely on alternate medium if it wants to push back Epic’s claims in the US and abroad.
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