Steam is a valid comparison because they used to have IAP-style enforcement: EA’s original dispute and split to their own launcher was because they snuck a DLC store into Dragon Age 2, but used their own billing and paid zero fees. IIRC they tried to justify it by implying the DLC is not downloaded from Steam CDNs, ergo no platform cost, but it got DA2 delisted and EA left (for several years).
To this day I think you can’t sell DLC from outside Steam while in a Steam version — i.e. the in-game UI must use a Steam store API — but you can share DLC, currency, etc. bought elsewhere with the Steam version through your account system. (E.g.: Overwatch 2 credits and content is cross-platform, Sims 4 DLC is cross-launcher, Apex Legends currency and content is cross-launcher, etc.) I’m not sure if it’s an oversight or if Valve and the developer sort of handle it monetarily behind the scenes in some form.
I was wondering how the new App Store rules apply to in-game currencies that are bought on external websites with no in-app links. Presumably these work the same way Kindle or Netflix purchases do?
Currencies are shared across PC and mobile, but some games have restrictions on how you can obtain it:
* In Genshin Impact: if your account was first played / created on mobile, you can only purchase currency on mobile (either platform). Clicking the same button on PC throws an error saying you can only do this on mobile. Other way around (first played on PC) results in an account that can buy currency on all platforms.
* In Hearthstone: There doesn't appear to be a platform limitation for buying in-game packs or stuff; pricing may be different due to regional currency reasons but you can buy on either platform freely. (e.g.: Blizzard's PC marketplace has a handful of currencies but iOS has tens of them with different template prices)
The developer for Genshin is frequently featured by Apple and even has some iOS-exclusive features (e.g.: 120Hz/120FPS is iOS-only), so I assume this was a sort-of privately-negotiated revenue sharing situation.
To this day I think you can’t sell DLC from outside Steam while in a Steam version — i.e. the in-game UI must use a Steam store API — but you can share DLC, currency, etc. bought elsewhere with the Steam version through your account system. (E.g.: Overwatch 2 credits and content is cross-platform, Sims 4 DLC is cross-launcher, Apex Legends currency and content is cross-launcher, etc.) I’m not sure if it’s an oversight or if Valve and the developer sort of handle it monetarily behind the scenes in some form.