Epic Games claims that ``Google paid 51 billion yen to prevent major game companies from opening their own app stores''

Google operates 'Google Play' as an app store for Android, but on Android you can use app stores opened by companies and organizations other than Google. Epic Games, which is in a legal battle with Google over the app store, has newly claimed that ``Google paid money to major game companies such as Activision Blizzard and Riot Games to prevent the opening of its own app store.''

Google struck $360-mln Activision deal to block rival app store, lawsuit says | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-agreed-pay-360-mln-activision-stop-competition-epic-games-alleges-2022-11-17/

Epic v. Google Second Amended Complaint - Redlined - DocumentCloud
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23314203-epic-v-google-second-amended-complaint-redlined

Epic alleges Google paid $360 million to keep Activision from launching its own app store - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/18/23466359/activision-riot-mobile-app-stores-epic-games-google-court-filings-project-hug

Google and Apple charge fees for app purchases and in-app purchases through their own app stores. Developers have commented that the fee is too high, and in 2020, Epic Games, which develops popular games such as Fortnite, has sued Google and Apple. .

Epic Games has presented information related to Google and Apple's contracts as evidence in the lawsuit, and in August 2021, Google said, ``Instead of offering YouTube sponsorship contracts and cloud services at discounted prices, It was clear that a plan called 'Project Hug', 'seeking consent to pay fees', was underway.

What is Google's secret plan 'Project Hug'? -GIGAZINE

According to information newly presented by Epic Games as evidence, Google will not open its own app store by paying Activision Blizzard about $ 360 million (about 51 billion yen) over three years as part of 'Project Hug' It is said that he was working on Epic Games also claims that it paid about $ 30 million (about 4.2 billion yen) a year to Riot Games' League of Legends division for the same reason.

After the above report, a Google spokesperson said, ``Epic Games misunderstands the business context. It is a mechanism to provide and does not prevent the opening of third-party app stores, ”he argued against Epic Games' claims. Also, a spokesperson for Activision Blizzard said, ``Google has never put pressure on us or pressed us not to compete with Google Play.Epic Games' claims are nonsense,'' Epic Games' claims are wrong. I am appealing that I am.