If it were purely self-serving, they’d agree to settle with Google on special terms similar to those offered to a number of other publishers. Court proceedings last for years, as would be obvious to Sweeney, so sacrificing years of revenue for the distant prospect of having to pay 0 to the platforms is easier explained as being ideological than a business decision.
There are already precedents of software (the Riot games) and the OS itself refusing to work if the requirements are bypassed, so it’s a very risky move that nobody should choose for their main OS.
They absolutely are unreasonably high. My barely overclocked 6700K is sufficient for virtually every new or slightly older game I throw at it, but somehow it’s not enough for the OS?
Since XP, I always upgraded to the next version whenever it came out. The insane hardware requirements of Windows 11 make it the only exception.
In countries like Georgia and Syria, the minimum annual wage is below $100.
Epic already have itch.io, Spotify, Discord and more on their store. Each has its own payments system. Microsoft also distributes the Epic launcher via its store.
The store came to be as an “f you” to Apple, as evident from the email exchanges at the time. The 1984 trailer from Fortnite seemed to be in the same vein. I don’t think that particular trailer was for the purpose of promoting the EGS, as there’s not a single hint to the store in the video or its standard placement.