
Ridley Scott, director of the original “1984” Apple Macintosh advertisement, has commented on Epic Games’ recent parody of his ad, in an interview to IGN.
When Epic Games launched its campaign against Apple over alleged anticompetitive App Store policies, it premiered a shot-for-shot remake of Apple’s famous “1984” Super Bowl commercial directed by Ridley Scott, titled “Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite.” The original commercial was based on the novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” by George Orwell and was meant to convey Apple as a rebel against an oppressive regime believed to be IBM.
Whereas Apple’s ad portrayed IBM as the evil “Big Brother,” Epic Games aimed to show that Apple is now the oppressive authoritarian power. In a blog post, Epic Games encourages Fortnite players to fight against Apple’s “app tax” by using the hashtag #FreeFortnite on social media platforms.
“Epic Games has defied the App Store Monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices. Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming ‘1984,’” text at the end of the ad reads.
Scott confirmed to IGN that he has seen Epic’s parody, and explained that while he feels that the Fortnite ad was well produced, it could have had a more powerful message.
I sure have and I wrote to them because on the one hand I can be fully complimented by the fact they copied [my commercial] shot for shot. But pity the message is so ordinary when they could have been talking about democracy or more powerful things… And they didn’t use it.
I think the animation was terrific, the idea was terrific, the message was “ehh.”
Fortnite has been in violation of the App Store rules since August 13, when it introduced a direct payment option that avoided Apple’s in-app purchase system by allowing payments directly to Epic Games. Shortly after Epic blatantly disregarded App Store policies, Apple removed the app from the App Store, leading to a lawsuit from Epic and a quickly escalating legal battle between the two companies. On Friday, Apple terminated Epic Games’ developer account.
Top Stories
iPhone 12 to Come in ‘Dark Blue’ Color Option
Monday August 31, 2020 4:13 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will offer a new “dark blue” model in its upcoming iPhone 12 lineup, according to a new report today.
iPhone 12 Pro in Navy Blue concept via EverythingApplePro/Max Weinbach Hit-and-miss Taiwanese publication DigiTimes claims that a dark blue iPhone color will be available “for the first time” in addition to several new features and specification upgrades coming to Apple’s smartphone…
Bloomberg: Apple Launching iPhone 12, Apple Watch Series 6, iPad Air, Smaller HomePod and AirPods Studio This Fall
Monday August 31, 2020 11:09 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple has a number of products in the works that are set to debut this fall, and this evening, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Debby Wu shared details on Apple’s launch plans, reiterating many of the rumors that we’ve previously heard about the upcoming product lineup.
There are four new iPhones in the works in 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7-inch sizes, with Apple planning to stagger the iPhone launches. The …
Report: Super-Lightweight 12-inch MacBook Powered By Apple Silicon to Launch This Year
Monday August 31, 2020 2:19 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has designed a 12-inch MacBook powered by Apple Silicon that weighs less than one kilogram and the company intends to launch it by the end of the year, according to a new report today. Apple’s first ARM-based Mac will use an A14X processor, which is codenamed “Tonga” and manufactured by TSMC, and the MacBook will have a battery life of between 15 and 20 hours, according to the…
iPhone 12 Again Reported to Come With LiDAR Scanner
LiDAR is set to see “increasing penetration in consumer electronics devices,” catalyzed by the upcoming iPhone 12, according to a new report by DigiTimes.
LiDAR, which stands for “light detection and ranging,” first appeared in the Apple product lineup in the 2020 iPad Pro. The technology was primarily used in the automotive industry before coming to handheld consumer technology products….
Report: Apple Silicon iMac With Custom GPU to Launch in Second Half of 2021
Monday August 31, 2020 2:24 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will debut a powerful custom-designed graphics procesing unit in its first Arm-based iMac which is set to launch in the second half of next year, according to a new report today.
Codenamed “Lifuka,” the self-developed GPU to feature in the Apple Silicon powered iMac will be produced using TSMC’s 5-nanometer manufacturing process, and will offer better performance and be more energy…
Apple Begins Selling Refurbished 13-Inch MacBook Pro Models With 10th-Generation Intel Processors
Apple this week began selling certified refurbished 13-inch MacBook Pro models with 10th-generation Intel processors for the first time, a few weeks after refurbished 8th-generation models became available.
Apple’s refurbished store currently has 2.0GHz quad-core Core i5 and 2.3GHz quad-core Core i7 configurations available in Space Gray or Silver in the United States and Canada, with prices …
Apple Expands Exposure Notification API With ‘Express’ Option That Doesn’t Require an App
Tuesday September 1, 2020 9:02 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple is today releasing iOS 13.7 with a major step forward in the Exposure Notification API that’s available for public health authorities to use for their COVID-19 contact tracing efforts. Exposure Notifications Express is designed to provide simpler deployment of regional exposure notifications without the need to develop or maintain an app.
The new Exposure Notifications Express system…
Apple Working on New Apple TV With Faster Processor and Remote Equipped With Find My
Monday August 31, 2020 11:16 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple is working on a new version of the Apple TV that includes an upgraded remote with Find My-like capabilities, reports Bloomberg. The tidbit was shared in a wider report on Apple’s fall product launch plans.
Apple has been rumored to be working on an upgrade to the 4K Apple TV for some time, and it’s been believed that the device could launch at any time, but Bloomberg says that the new…