[Exclusive] One Store Begins Development of iOS App Market... Opens Path for Game Companies to Enter Europe

DMA Implementation Enables One Store Installation on iPhone
Apple App Store and Google Play Store Face Full Competition in Europe
Positive News for Korean Game Companies Targeting European Market

It has been confirmed that the native application (app) market One Store has begun developing an iOS app market to be installed on Apple mobile devices in Europe. This is because the European 'Digital Markets Act (DMA)', which prevents monopolies by big tech companies, has come into effect, allowing the installation of third-party apps on Apple and Google Android devices. As One Store embarks on developing an iOS app market, opportunities for domestic game companies, which account for more than 80% of the app market entries, to enter the European market are also expected to increase.

A One Store official stated on the 11th, "We have started developing an iOS-exclusive app market for European services," adding, "By next year at the latest, One Store will be available on Apple devices used in Europe."

One Store's entry into Apple was decisively triggered by the recently implemented DMA. The DMA is a law designed to prevent the abuse of market dominance by large platform operators who act as gatekeepers between consumers and sellers. It designates platform operators above a certain scale as 'gatekeepers' and regulates them. The law includes provisions such as ▲prohibiting giving high rankings to their own products ▲allowing users to choose default search engines and web browsers when purchasing new smartphones ▲permitting the deletion of pre-installed applications by the platform. In other words, Apple iPhones, which were exclusive about installing other app markets, now have a basis for installing third-party apps like One Store.

Until now, One Store has been labeled as 'domestic use' due to the lack of suitable overseas market expansion. It has only supported the Android system and is installed alongside Google Play Store on Samsung phones in Korea. Its relatively low payment commission rate is almost its only advantage. Because of this, it was not an attractive platform for game companies aiming for global services.

Game companies see that if One Store is installed on iOS in Europe, it will greatly help in pioneering the market. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, as of 2021, the proportion of Korean game industry exports to Europe was 12.6%, ranking third after China (34.1%) and Southeast Asia (17.0%), making the European market a region that must be targeted. An industry insider said, "One Store has a 20% app market commission, which is more price-competitive than global big tech app markets (30%). If it establishes itself as a global app market, domestic game companies' entry will accelerate."

The biggest variable for One Store's overseas expansion is the check by big tech companies like Google and Apple. In Google's case, it has repeatedly blocked the release of games from Korean mobile game companies on competing app markets. It offers game companies app market featuring and overseas expansion support on the condition that they do not release games on One Store. Featuring is the act of placing an app in the most visible spot when consumers open the app market. Due to such behavior, Google was fined 42.1 billion won by the Fair Trade Commission.

Fortunately, Apple has recently taken a somewhat conciliatory stance in the European market. Although Apple had intense conflicts with Epic Games, the maker of the popular game 'Fortnite,' it is reported to have recently reconciled. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Epic Games initially tried to develop and install an alternative app market for iOS to compete with the Apple App Store, but Apple rejected this. After Epic Games protested, saying "Apple is trying to eliminate the biggest potential competitor to its own App Store," the EU threatened to investigate Apple regarding DMA-related issues. Apple eventually decided to restore Epic Games' developer account.

An industry insider said, "Although DMA has been implemented, if they have the capacity to endure disadvantages, (Apple and Google) might still engage in service disruption tactics," adding, "Along with technical issues such as building service platforms, legal and political capabilities to overcome such checks must also be developed."