Epic Games Store - the console war comes to PC

[cosmicray]

Spyware? They wouldn't dare!

 

[AwesomeButton]

If they have red hair, probably.

 

[J_C]

The most surprising number Sweeney shared, though, is that fully half of all Fortnite players on PC had never used Steam before.

This means that these players are not paying gamers. They are on the Fortnite bandwagon because it is free. Good luck turning them to a paying customer on the Epic Store.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

The most surprising number Sweeney shared, though, is that fully half of all Fortnite players on PC had never used Steam before.

This means that these players are not paying gamers. They are on the Fortnite bandwagon because it is free. Good luck turning them to a paying customer on the Epic Store.

It's a bullshit statistic anyway. What the fuck is a fully half, it's either full or half.

 

[Tse Tse Fly]

Why would the cut even matter if they're going to lower the price so devs still get the same amount of money?

They probably could sell more copies (as there could be many more people willing to pay $50 on release than those willing to pay $60, for example) and thus get more profit. Maybe.

 

[DalekFlay]

This means that these players are not paying gamers. They are on the Fortnite bandwagon because it is free. Good luck turning them to a paying customer on the Epic Store.

There's this concept that exposure always leads to new customers, rather than people adding future torrent ideas to a notepad on their phone. Not sure I agree with this concept.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

i could swear on your mother's grave that on the internet there was plenty of articles stating that after closing napster the usa singles market dropped 14% and after audiogalaxy the chinese one almost disappeared (i remember a monstruous 90% but it just can't be true, can it?).

 

[Anthedon]

Anno 1800 also becomes an Epic exclusive after it launches: https://www.anno-union.com/en/ubisoft-is-partnering-with-epic-games-store-for-anno-1800/

 

[Astral Rag]

Ubisoft Launcher or Epic Launcher, which is worse and why? DISCUSS^!!

Not that it really matters in this case since you'll probably need to install both for that game.

 

[Thane Solus]

Ubisoft Launcher or Epic Launcher, which is worse and why? DISCUSS^!!

Not that it really matters in this case since you'll probably need to install both for that game.

DOUBLE DRM LAUNCHERS MUAHAHAHA. (yes it was the same on steam)

 

[Ninja Destroyer]

Anno 1800

1. Launch Epic client. Download the game.
2. Launch Ubistoft client to run the game.
3. The game has also Denuvo DRM.
4. You open the portal to hell.
5. We have such sights to show you!

 

[FeelTheRads]

Anno 1800

1. Launch Epic client. Download the game.
2. Launch Ubistoft client to run the game.
3. The game has also Denuvo DRM.

Sounds like... umm... Steam?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Epic Store = Reddit. If it (and all of its users) would up and disappear one day, nothing of value would be lost.

 

[Gerrard]

I guess the increase in uPlay users with TD2 was a huge success.

 

[Ismaul]

Sails, not sales!

 

[Dexter]

LOL

If anyone was wondering how far they'd take their shilling and how trustworthy the numbers they're throwing around as a PR exercise are: http://archive.is/432bS

"We've brought in close to half a billion dollars so far in gross, and out of that half a billion dollars of gross, 88% of that has gone back to developers," Stelzer said. "So we really believe this is something consumers will get enjoyment out of from the highest quality of games, but at the same time, it's really a great system for developers and a great way for them to see more of the money from their hard work."

Update 03/29/19: After the publication of this article, an Epic representative reached out to say that Stelzer was mistaken.

"We misspoke at the GamesIndustry.biz PAX East Investment Summit and the number being reported is not accurate," the representative said. "While we aren't sharing revenue numbers, the store is off to a strong start, and we're excited about the opportunities for developers and players in the coming year." End update

Ismail (left) asked questions of Galyonkin (center) and Stelzer (right)

Btw. if you're not an Epic shill and aren't willing to readily eat out their asshole, you're part of "the mob", also not sure how well Rami took the comment about making crappy games :

"I think if you get too sucked into what the mob is saying, then you'll always have some sort of analysis paralysis," Stelzer said.

Galyonkin added that developers should "distinguish between the community and the mob," saying that they are often different people. He noted that Metro Exodus owners were quite happy with their experiences judging by the lack of refund requests. He also said that while the game did well on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One compared to the previous Metro launch on consoles, the title-over-title jump was not as pronounced as it was on PC.

Finally, Ismail asked about what independent developers can do to help their chances of passing Epic's curation process. Stelzer's answer suggested they shouldn't be thinking about what Epic wants to see in a game.

"You never want to make the game with the target of a platform in mind," Stelzer said. "You want to make the best quality game you can make. Indie developer, AAA, and everything in between, you should always be true to yourself, thinking about the quality of what you're making, and are you staying true to your vision? The cream always rises to the top at the end of the day. If you make a crappy game, then there are places where you can put crappy games."

 

[ColonelTeacup]

This is going to turn out fun to watch. As a developer you will soon measure if you've "made it", by whether or not steam and epic are offering to pay you a truckload of cash for exclusivity deals.

 

[Wunderbar]

ColonelTeacup valve aren't going to pay anyone for exclusivity deal.

 

[ColonelTeacup]

ColonelTeacup valve aren't going to pay anyone for exclusivity deal.

Oh, I misread. Oops.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Christ. They're unintentionally making Valve look good. I guess it boils down to if the "Mob" are insulted by that bullshit or if they don't give a shit and never even hear it. Never even hear it is most likely when Epic can say one thing emphatically then go "lol wupz XD pls ignore lol... us gamers am i rite?" after the fact.

 

[Jezal_k23]

I think the Epic store is a bit too focused on pleasing publishers rather than consumers. It also doesn't seem like they have thought much about the store in the long term. Straight out paying publishers for exclusivity, plus the 88% revenue share doesn't seem like a self sustaining strategy. They just throw money at everything. It doesn't feel like they are earning loyalty from their users, a dedicated fanbase. I assume, like someone else has said, that they have an user base of Fortnite players, not necessarily Epic store customers. And what percentage of these players are kids? Jesus, how many play Fortnite on mobile devices? Basically I think that beneath the surface they are not as strong as they seem, but I'm probably biased against them, so I have no idea really.

 

[Shackleton]

It's pretty fucking incredible how times change. Although I've not done it in about 10 years, I now feel happier installing a decent torrent client and pirating an Epic exclusive than I do installing that Epic store spyware on my PC. Congratulations Epic, I think worse of your store than I do TPB.

 

[Morality Games]

I think the Epic store is a bit too focused on pleasing publishers rather than consumers. It also doesn't seem like they have thought much about the store in the long term. Straight out paying publishers for exclusivity, plus the 88% revenue share doesn't seem like a self sustaining strategy. They just throw money at everything. It doesn't feel like they are earning loyalty from their users, a dedicated fanbase. I assume, like someone else has said, that they have an user base of Fortnite players, not necessarily Epic store customers. And what percentage of these players are kids? Jesus, how many play Fortnite on mobile devices? Basically I think that beneath the surface they are not as strong as they seem, but I'm probably biased against them, so I have no idea really.

Don't really disagree about them being consumer friendly, but consumers are pathetic enforcers of their rights and interests -- high quality exclusives at or near launch will give consumers the sense they are getting access to something fancy and valuable when they download the app.

It's worked for Nintendo for decades (also not a consumer friendly company).

as usual, the rest of the world pays because usa are cheap.

Sure, on everything except military equipment, tourism, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

 

[GrainWetski]

I guess the increase in uPlay users with TD2 was a huge success.

Ubisoft has nothing to lose really. Epic's literally paying them to put people on their store.

PC Gamer is desperately trying to make people buy it on Epic's store instead of Uplay. Why anyone would, I have no idea.

https://www.pcgamer.com/anno-1800-w...t-can-be-pre-purchased-on-steam-until-launch/

Anno 1800 is now available for pre-purchase on Epic as well as Steam (and Uplay, if that's your thing), at the same price and with the same preorder bonuses. A pre-release open beta will run April 12-14, and will be available through either Epic or Uplay.