Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Epic Games Store - the console war comes to PC

Viata

Arcane
Joined
Nov 11, 2014
Messages
9,885
Location
Water Play Catarinense
Would it really drive down prices for games?
It won't. That is some bullshit people came up to defend Epic Store and complain about Steam. The dev/publisher is free to decide any price they want for their game, the only reason they don't price their game above $60 is because no one is going to buy their game, but if more devs/publishers price their game above $60, I bet you all triple A dev would price it the same, instead of going below it. The same is for most indie devs, they would love to price their game $60, but they know most people are not going to pay that.
 

GrainWetski

Arcane
Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Messages
5,080
Would it really drive down prices for games? I don't remember EA selling EA games cheaper on EA store. Same with everyone else.
Don't you remember that AAA games used to be 70$ on PC and then our merciful gods dropped them to 60$ when digital distribution took over? The same thing will happen here. Be thankful to your betters.
 

felipepepe

Codex's Heretic
Patron
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
17,274
Location
Terra da Garoa
Would it really drive down prices for games? I don't remember EA selling EA games cheaper on EA store. Same with everyone else.
EA Store was never meant to compete against Steam, it was just made to give EA bigger margins and easier access to its consumers, like Blizzard does with Battle.net.

And the Steam/Epic dispute was never about cheaper prices. Games are already the cheapest they have ever been in history, especially if you are willing to wait. It's all about profit margins and service to the consumers/developers. Now Steam finally has a rival that's bothering them, maybe they will finally move their lazy ass and address complains that people had for years.

But OH THE HORROR of having to download a free 30MB launcher if you want to play The Division 2 or Metro on release... better grab those pitchforks and make some really dumb posts repeating retarded talking points some angry click-bait Youtubers said.
 

cosmicray

Savant
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
436
EA Store was never meant to compete against Steam, it was just made to give EA bigger margins and easier access to its consumers, like Blizzard does with Battle.net.
Blizzard most likely no, but I remember EA tried courting other publishers for Origin. And it had some features that Steam didn't. Namely the system to refund games.

And the Steam/Epic dispute was never about cheaper prices. Games are already the cheapest they have ever been in history, especially if you are willing to wait. It's all about profit margins and service to the consumers/developers. Now Steam finally has a rival that's bothering them, maybe they will finally move their lazy ass and address complains that people had for years.
By people you mean publishers/developers? Because nothing Epic has that Steam hasn't from the point of gamers/buyers. Except exclusive games, but that's out of Steam's hands.
 
Last edited:

J1M

Arcane
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
14,616
Is the preload stuff really important, considering it will probably all be encrypted and you'll spend just as much time decrypting as you would downloading. Like it always happens.
That depends on what kind of internet connection you have and how fast your PC is at decrypting, though. Preloading is primarily for just having less stress on the service servers on the release day, which is why Valve only really allows it for really major releases and not any small indie game.
Encrypting all the files is retarded though. For most games the executable would be enough. For high-profile titles I suppose you'd also want to encrypt the cinematics. There's no reason to encrypt 30 GB of textures.
 

J1M

Arcane
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
14,616
Would it really drive down prices for games? I don't remember EA selling EA games cheaper on EA store. Same with everyone else.
While it would be nice to see the digital product cheaper, the reason they aren't is primarily due to retail stores and the contracts publisher have with them. The retailers know they will lose to digital distribution, but they don't want to accelerate that by being unable to compete on convenience and price for new releases. Digital-only sales are where you see this type of price reduction come into play.
 

cosmicray

Savant
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
436
Except on PC retail stores are selling mostly digital keys anyway, even if they're selling PC at all. Either way, everything comes to "industry standard" price. Be it digital or physical. I assume it also transcends platforms for big releases.
 

Space Satan

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
May 13, 2013
Messages
6,216
Location
Space Hell
Marvellous
Dzdck76WkAEnLBN.png
 

RapineDel

Augur
Joined
Jan 11, 2017
Messages
423
Would it really drive down prices for games? I don't remember EA selling EA games cheaper on EA store. Same with everyone else.
EA Store was never meant to compete against Steam, it was just made to give EA bigger margins and easier access to its consumers, like Blizzard does with Battle.net.

And the Steam/Epic dispute was never about cheaper prices. Games are already the cheapest they have ever been in history, especially if you are willing to wait. It's all about profit margins and service to the consumers/developers. Now Steam finally has a rival that's bothering them, maybe they will finally move their lazy ass and address complains that people had for years.

But OH THE HORROR of having to download a free 30MB launcher if you want to play The Division 2 or Metro on release... better grab those pitchforks and make some really dumb posts repeating retarded talking points some angry click-bait Youtubers said.

Anger over being charged more for this if you live outside the US is pretty valid and nothing to do with click-bait Youtubers.

You mentioned this being 'competition' and I can agree to an extent that eventually they would need exclusives to get people to their platform but there are other ways to do it which wouldn't have resulted in terrible PR.

Things like:

- Helping port over console games that haven't had good or any PC port over and making them exclusive (things like Persona 5 etc.)

- Actually having a platform that was objectively better to Steam, meaning while having to muck up their game libraries would be annoying most would have to admit they're only annoyed for that reason rather then the dozens of other valid ones we have now.

- Actually developing their owns games that people are interested are in. They have Fortnite but that clearly isn't enough for them or they wouldn't have pushed this store further, they should've had something of their own that was actually quality to release at the end of last year when they started this but they didn't. While Xbox/PS4 games rarely appeal to me the one benefit that can come from a platform exclusive is it's not (usually) created with the sole purpose of generating revenue from that software meaning it's more about building reputation and bringing people to the platform. Would've been a great opportunity to get a decent PC game without strings attached but that was clearly too much for them, they're too short sighted and only want to reap the rewards this second.

If they had done at least one of those things I doubt the push back would be as strong as they'd have at least some credibility with the PC audience.

It just seems like rather then 'competing' they just want to throw money around in the short term and kill Steam that way. It's not something that will last and once they burn through enough money they'll likely put an end to it because they aren't actually investing in anything, just using a bunch of cash now in hopes of yanking the majority of people away from Steam and hoping they'll stay there. It's not working and I feel sorry for developers who'll suffer long term by this move (at least the slightly competent ones).
 

ColonelTeacup

Liturgist
Joined
Mar 19, 2017
Messages
1,433
Would it really drive down prices for games? I don't remember EA selling EA games cheaper on EA store. Same with everyone else.
This is assuming it's used for more than just their own dev games exlusively, and it becomes another games platform to sell titles, similar to gog. I prefer steam,but I do not want them to be without competition. A lack of competition breeds apathy, stagnation, and overabundance of exploitation on the clients of said company/marketplace.
Would it really drive down prices for games? I don't remember EA selling EA games cheaper on EA store. Same with everyone else.
EA Store was never meant to compete against Steam, it was just made to give EA bigger margins and easier access to its consumers, like Blizzard does with Battle.net.

And the Steam/Epic dispute was never about cheaper prices. Games are already the cheapest they have ever been in history, especially if you are willing to wait. It's all about profit margins and service to the consumers/developers. Now Steam finally has a rival that's bothering them, maybe they will finally move their lazy ass and address complains that people had for years.

But OH THE HORROR of having to download a free 30MB launcher if you want to play The Division 2 or Metro on release... better grab those pitchforks and make some really dumb posts repeating retarded talking points some angry click-bait Youtubers said.
Thread theme?
 

Zarniwoop

TESTOSTERONIC As Fuck™
Patron
Joined
Nov 29, 2010
Messages
18,650
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
PLEASE let them "nab" every single indie and early access piece of shit from Steam and make it Great Again.
 
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
1,783
Games are already the cheapest they have ever been in history

Games are still $60 as they have been for decades, but the content in them has declined in both quality and quantity, so price for content they've gotten more costly. And that's not starting on locking content behind DLC.

If a game is unreasonably priced and I want to buy it, I pirate it. I only pay if the price seems fair. So if devs want my money they have to offer a fair deal; I get the game either way.
 

Mustawd

Guest
Games are already the cheapest they have ever been in history

Games are still $60 as they have been for decades, but the content in them has declined in both quality and quantity, so price for content they've gotten more costly. And that's not starting on locking content behind DLC.

If a game is unreasonably priced and I want to buy it, I pirate it. I only pay if the price seems fair. So if devs want my money they have to offer a fair deal; I get the game either way.

I think this is an outstanding point. The black market for games exists and is a viable alternative. The reason a company like Steam has done well is because the sales are great and they’ve made it more convenient than pirating (most of the time).

When those two factors begin to become diluted, then it’s back to the high seas for me.
 

GrainWetski

Arcane
Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Messages
5,080
Epic's war for competition continues. Weird how the retards aren't crying about muh "monopolies".

Hey Community!

Sadly we have to announce you that Ubisoft will not allow digital third party stores, such as Gamesplanet, to sell Division 2 after its release on March 15th 2019. After this date, the game will digitally only be available through Ubisoft's Store and another exclusive digital store. This will also be true for all upcoming game content such as Season Pass, Extensions, etc.

Take the opportunity to buy at Gamesplanet until March 15th 2019 and make use of the paysafecard promotion as this will be available until the game will be pulled from our stores.

We won't be able to solve some support requests (e.g. key activated on the wrong Ubisoft account) after March 15th, as we won't have any more keys to exchange/swap. Please address your support requests to Ubisoft directly for such cases.

Worry not, all purchases that have been completed on Gamesplanet will be honoured. This is also true for gifts, no matter if these have been picked up or not.

Obviously, we are not happy about this decision.

The Gamesplanet Team

Before Epic: dozens and dozens of stores
After Epic: 2

Wow, such competition.
 
Last edited:

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014
"It’s nearly perfect for consumers already," Sweeney said: https://www.mcvuk.com/business/tim-...more-in-the-next-five-years-than-the-past-ten

But delivery is only half the deal, so is Epic offering financial incentives, above and beyond the superior revenue split, to games which move exclusively to the store?

“Yes, we’ve worked to ensure it’s genuinely worthwhile for developers to move to the Epic Games store,” Sweeney replies openly. That’s because Battle Pass has given the company one hell of a war chest, or as Sweeney puts it: “Fortnite’s success has given Epic significant latitude to help developers.”

And it’s helping developers that’s the driving thought behind the launch of the store. A goal that tallies well with the company’s engine business, and a rare example of developer-centric thinking, as opposed to the pure consumer-centric thinking of most publishers and platform holders in today’s games industry.

“We’re giving game developers and publishers the store business model that we’ve always wanted as developers ourselves,” says Sweeney.

That makes good business sense, as it’s with developers, on the supply side, that the opportunities lie to shake-up the status quo.

“It’s nearly perfect for consumers already… There is no hope of displacing a dominant storefront solely by adding marginally more store features or a marginally better install experience. These battles will be won on the basis of game supply, consumer prices, and developer revenue sharing,” Sweeney reckons.

Give developers a bigger share of the pie and they can be more profitable, invest more in their titles, cut prices for consumers, or all of the above.

Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, developer of World War Z, recently made a public statement to this effect: “We chose the Epic Games Store because we believe it’s the best deal for players and developers… Building games is costly, and so to receive 88 per cent instead of 70 per cent means we can invest more into making World War Z,” he revealed as well as announcing a price drop from $40 to $35. “We are thrilled to be able to share the developer-friendly benefits of the Epic Games store with you all.”

It all sounds great, so now the store just needs to open its doors to more developers.

“The Epic Games Store team has been working with developers around the industry to identify prospective titles. In this early phase, we are starting with a small number of carefully selected games based on consistent quality across a wide variety of scopes. Throughout 2019, the store will open up more widely,” Sweeney tells us.

He goes on to explain that what we’re seeing presently is the “50-game version of the Epic Games Store” and that the “250-game version” will be “significantly evolved.” Not only will it integrate the social and matchmaking systems that the company has built for Fortnite but Epic is also thinking more radically. The store is also already looking to the future in one respect, forwarding creators and influencers as the answers to discovery problems.

“We believe the ultimate vector for players to discover new games will not be our storefront but creators, which is why Epic’s ‘Support a Creator’ program is integrated into store operations,” says Sweeney, adding: “Viewership of creator channels has greatly outgrown any storefront. In Korea and China, the primary game distribution vectors are social: WeChat, KakaoTalk and QQ, rather than storefronts. As with the twists in Fortnite’s evolution, one shouldn’t necessarily project the Steam or App Store paradigm onto its final form,” he cautions.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom