Game News Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory Released

[Strange Fellow]

Epic is so fucking evil. They manage to create incentives so that developers can ignore the promotion of their own game, the interest of players, etc. It's total apathy engendered by a monopoly tactic. It feels soulless and rots into the core.

At least it won't be going on for long if Epic is going to let devs pull a fast one on them by not giving a shit about promoting or even properly finishing their games.

 

[Deleted Member 22431]

Epic is so fucking evil. They manage to create incentives so that developers can ignore the promotion of their own game, the interest of players, etc. It's total apathy engendered by a monopoly tactic. It feels soulless and rots into the core.

At least it won't be going on for long if Epic is going to let devs pull a fast one on them by not giving a shit about promoting or even properly finishing their games.

They could do this thing for years because they have a ton of money and they won't admit they made a retarded deal.

 

[Deleted Member 22431]

Maybe the developers felt betrayed by their publisher and didn't think this Epic deal was a good idea. Just a thought.

 

[Strange Fellow]

We need a "fabulously pessimistic" button. Epic won't keep losing money on purpose.

 

[Deleted Member 22431]

We need a "fabulously pessimistic" button. Epic won't keep losing money on purpose.

They will in the short term if they believe they are hurting steam. Short term for them is long term for us.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

This, however a solid business tactic it may seem, feels a bit unethical, in my humble opinion.

Being unethical to an unethical business such as Epic counts as being ethical in my book.

 

[hello friend]

I don't really see the problem. Dev studios can keep the doors open, while gaining experience with their toolset and refining their engine, work on getting their pipeline down, and so on. Games released as an Epic exclusive are essentially like Early Access titles, either the game comes back improved at other vendors or they abandon it and their next game is created on the back of everything learned from the first game, being able to reuse assets, engine, and tools from the first game. Just ignore Epic completely and keep an eye out for releases on something that isn't chinese spyware.

 

[DieNRetry]

Hi gamers,


I've DL the game, and i'm playing since yesterday.

For the moment, this is not the pearl expected by the paper-board game... OK, Black and sarcastic humour is omnipresent, and pleasant, but the gameplay is very "casual" and
he struggles to take off the interest to really progress.

Yous MUST considerate the game like an EARLY-ACCESS, and no more!


For the RPG's content, at the begining, players must choose Skills, limited by only 3 littles trees :

(and u can only attribute 3 pts too in them!)

-Intellect: Speech, Administrative talent, psychological empathy
-Engineery: Hacking, crafting, Pickpocket
-Violence: Melee, gunfigh, physics.

But, like an "Die and retry" gameplay, when you fail, your character is cloned and will come-back with lot of new"mutation" (like a bug...). This specials habilities can be fun (telekinesy, invisibility...) and have great impact on the gameplay for replay your missions.

This genetic lottery brings challenge and fun to a minimalist RPG dimension and a bit frustrating at first.

All fights are in "live" action, with active "pause", but turn-based was better choice in my opinion. In effect, use your skills, aptitudes and inventory in the same time is an real challenge, and break the dynamic. Like skills, for the moment, the loot and weapons are poor and basic.



Main quest puts you in the shoes of a soldier of the uniformity, slave, like others NPC's, of an all-powerful computer.
Your first mission consist to maintain order and discipline in this well-oiled community, to evolve in your official missions, and climb the hierarchy to esperate to win medal of the best secretary... Or F*** "Mother"/ PC! xD

Cause, yah, traitor or freedom soldier, you will choose your way. Free to join the rebellion in optional (but ESSENTIAL!) quest, and support its cause, like understand WTF here and how escape? But either to infiltrate it and arrest your own companions!
And this is where the scenario turns out to be the most fun and interesting...

So, i wont spoil the game, cause all interest of this title is in history and events, but the game pays tribute and caricature with humor to such great titles as Baldur's Gate, Shadowrun, Underrail...

I hope more difficulty and complexity in future, and i can't recommanded him at this moment. I see the "EPIC-game" exclusivity like an financial opportunity to quietly finish the game before STEAM release, like few other games i think.


Thx for read me and sorry for my bad "french" english.

[/url][/IMG]

 

[cvv]

"Hello fellow gamers"

You wouldn't be the dev perchance?

Also this

I see the "EPIC-game" exclusivity like an financial opportunity to quietly finish the game before STEAM release, like few other games i think

is most likely true.

 

[Deleted Member 22431]

I don't really see the problem. Dev studios can keep the doors open, while gaining experience with their toolset and refining their engine, work on getting their pipeline down, and so on. Games released as an Epic exclusive are essentially like Early Access titles, either the game comes back improved at other vendors or they abandon it and their next game is created on the back of everything learned from the first game, being able to reuse assets, engine, and tools from the first game. Just ignore Epic completely and keep an eye out for releases on something that isn't chinese spyware.

People will treat the Epic release with indifference. By the time the game will be released on Steam, it will be already forgotten. It is what it is.

 

[cvv]

People will treat the Epic release with indifference. By the time the game will be released on Steam, it will be already forgotten.

As long as vidya outlets keep writing about them and post a news item or two before their Steam release they won't be forgotten. The only thing that's likely to be forgotten is the controversy.

The whole thing is a bit skewed too. There is rarely much buzz about Epic releases but it's also because vast majority of their exclusives are indies. Their biggest exclusive was Metro Exodus and there was a lot of talk about that, plus apparently it sold very well. AND the devs got some fat advance from Epic on the top. AND they pay a smaller fee. AND they'll get another windfall when they release it on Steam. (Same for Remedy and Control).

So I agree with the newfag above, the whole thing really seems like a win-win scenario for absolutely everyone except the Steam-only gamers.

 

[Deleted Member 22431]

As long as vidya outlets keep writing about them and post a news item or two before their Steam release they won't be forgotten. The only thing that's likely to be forgotten is the controversy.

You just need to compare the sales on release and afterwards to realize this is not the case. The number of sales is always higher on release since they gain momentum. The game can keep selling later on, but is peanuts in comparison.

 

[cvv]

As long as vidya outlets keep writing about them and post a news item or two before their Steam release they won't be forgotten. The only thing that's likely to be forgotten is the controversy.

You just need to compare the sales on release and afterwards to realize this is not the case. The number of sales is always higher on release since they gain momentum. The game can keep selling later on, but is peanuts in comparison.

Sure but this thing with Epic is a unique situation, you get effectively two releases. Plus you can argue that the second one is actually much bigger, since it's Steam and therefore much higher profile.

That's why the devs go for Epic exclusivity, they get their release windfall twice.

Anyway we'll have to see how the publicity and sales look like when the first Epic exclusives start releasing on Steam. I think the very first one was Ashen that came out exactly a year ago, it should appear on Steam any time now.

 

[Deleted Member 22431]

Sure but this thing with Epic is a unique situation, you get effectively two releases. Plus you can argue that the second one is actually much bigger, since it's Steam and therefore much higher profile.

We will see. Maybe the developers themselves will make an effort to promote the game on steam. Who knows. I wouldn't bet on it. I always bet on the negative aspects of human nature and they suggest that people care whether it is the first release or not.

 

[Grauken]

I know when Operencia gets finally published, I will get it. So EPIC is good for bug testing.

 

[Vault Dweller]

The whole thing is a bit skewed too. There is rarely much buzz about Epic releases but it's also because vast majority of their exclusives are indies. Their biggest exclusive was Metro Exodus and there was a lot of talk about that, plus apparently it sold very well.

According to THQ Nordic CEO, the "vast majority" of copies were sold on consoles whereas in the past it was sold mainly on PC. While the new game might be more appealing to the consoles, the PC fans didn't just disappear overnight.

AND they'll get another windfall when they release it on Steam. (Same for Remedy and Control).

Price might be an issue though. Metro Exodus was sold for 19.99 recently (down from $50 on release). How many people would buy it on Steam for $50 when you can grab it from Humble for half the price? In everyone's mind it's a re-release not a new release that warrants full price.

 

[cvv]

Price might be an issue though. Metro Exodus was sold for 19.99 recently

Well that was a discount event, the regular price is 40 yuro now, down from 50 on release. It'll be interesting to see if the former exclusives will start selling at a "new game" price on Steam or a the current Epic one. Most likely the latter but we'll see.

 

[Vault Dweller]

You know what I mean. Once a game is discounted, the discount becomes its effective price (all you have to do is wait for the nest sale, usually every 6-8 weeks), i.e. it's not a one time event but a regular thing indicating that the publisher/developers feel that in order to maintain sales a deeper, more dramatic discount is required. That in itself indicates a sales problem as 50% discounts in less than a year are very rare.

 

[cvv]

You know what I mean. Once a game is discounted, the discount becomes its effective price (all you have to do is wait for the nest sale, usually every 6-8 weeks), i.e. it's not a one time event but a regular thing indicating that the publisher/developers feel that in order to maintain sales a deeper, more dramatic discount is required. That in itself indicates a sales problem as 50% discounts in less than a year are very rare.

I disagree, that was only true when Steam was the only game in town. Now it's different.

Let's take Ashen, the first Epic exclusive. It's a very good Souls-like but judging from the chatter on the forums a significant majority of the Souls fandom has zero idea this game even came out, let alone it was 60% off at some point. When it launches on Steam it will effectively be a brand new release for like 2/3 of the potential buyers.

 

[Vault Dweller]

You know what I mean. Once a game is discounted, the discount becomes its effective price (all you have to do is wait for the nest sale, usually every 6-8 weeks), i.e. it's not a one time event but a regular thing indicating that the publisher/developers feel that in order to maintain sales a deeper, more dramatic discount is required. That in itself indicates a sales problem as 50% discounts in less than a year are very rare.

I disagree, that was only true when Steam was the only game in town. Now it's different.

When it comes to discounts, Steam hasn't been the only game in town for a very long time. You have GOG, Origin, GamersGate, Humble, Fanatical, bazillion of smaller sites, plus key resellers like G2A where bulk buyers resell keys. Plus sites like IsThereAnyDeal that show you historical lows and where to get them. I don't see how another platform would change that.

Anyway, my point is this: nobody discounts games when they are selling well. You get discounts when sales start falling and every developer knows that once you hit a new "historical low" the previous discounts stop being effective. So you don't jump to 50% off unless you really, really have to, because then there are only two stops left: 60% off and 75% off. Then you're done. So regardless of Steam sales, the situation won't change for Epic and Humble, so they'd continue selling the game at 50-60% off to keep selling something and (in Epic's case) to keep drawing players away from Steam (either pay full price on Steam or 50-60% off on Epic and Humble). Thus I don't see Exodus maintaining full price on Steam for long.

Let's take Ashen, the first Epic exclusive. It's a very good Souls-like but judging from the chatter on the forums a significant majority of the Souls fandom has zero idea this game even came out, let alone it was 60% off at some point.

Maybe in a village with no internet.

 

[Galdred]

How do the Epic exclusivity deals work in the first place?
Do they get an advance on sales? I doubt it could be a flat payment only regardless of the units sold.
If so, could it be possible that the units to sell to "reach" the threshold are unlikely to obtain given the userbase of the platform?

 

[Trans-Financial-Man]

Hi gamers,


I've DL the game, and i'm playing since yesterday.

For the moment, this is not the pearl expected by the paper-board game... OK, Black and sarcastic humour is omnipresent, and pleasant, but the gameplay is very "casual" and
he struggles to take off the interest to really progress.

Yous MUST considerate the game like an EARLY-ACCESS, and no more!


For the RPG's content, at the begining, players must choose Skills, limited by only 3 littles trees :

(and u can only attribute 3 pts too in them!)

-Intellect: Speech, Administrative talent, psychological empathy
-Engineery: Hacking, crafting, Pickpocket
-Violence: Melee, gunfigh, physics.

But, like an "Die and retry" gameplay, when you fail, your character is cloned and will come-back with lot of new"mutation" (like a bug...). This specials habilities can be fun (telekinesy, invisibility...) and have great impact on the gameplay for replay your missions.

This genetic lottery brings challenge and fun to a minimalist RPG dimension and a bit frustrating at first.

All fights are in "live" action, with active "pause", but turn-based was better choice in my opinion. In effect, use your skills, aptitudes and inventory in the same time is an real challenge, and break the dynamic. Like skills, for the moment, the loot and weapons are poor and basic.



Main quest puts you in the shoes of a soldier of the uniformity, slave, like others NPC's, of an all-powerful computer.
Your first mission consist to maintain order and discipline in this well-oiled community, to evolve in your official missions, and climb the hierarchy to esperate to win medal of the best secretary... Or F*** "Mother"/ PC! xD

Cause, yah, traitor or freedom soldier, you will choose your way. Free to join the rebellion in optional (but ESSENTIAL!) quest, and support its cause, like understand WTF here and how escape? But either to infiltrate it and arrest your own companions!
And this is where the scenario turns out to be the most fun and interesting...

So, i wont spoil the game, cause all interest of this title is in history and events, but the game pays tribute and caricature with humor to such great titles as Baldur's Gate, Shadowrun, Underrail...

I hope more difficulty and complexity in future, and i can't recommanded him at this moment. I see the "EPIC-game" exclusivity like an financial opportunity to quietly finish the game before STEAM release, like few other games i think.


Thx for read me and sorry for my bad "french" english.

[/url][/IMG]

I have lived to see a shill even more obvious than Infinitron. truly we live in blessed times.

 

[StaticSpine]

How do the Epic exclusivity deals work in the first place?
Do they get an advance on sales? I doubt it could be a flat payment only regardless of the units sold.
If so, could it be possible that the units to sell to "reach" the threshold are unlikely to obtain given the userbase of the platform?

It may not be applied to all the releases, but I believe some of the Epic-exclusive devs stated they got an upfront payment equal to breaking even.

 

[Frusciante]

I have lived to see a shill even more obvious than Infinitron. truly we live in blessed times.

he says he doesn’t recommend the game, pretty bad shilling

 

[MurkyShadow]

I have lived to see a shill even more obvious than Infinitron. truly we live in blessed times.

he says he doesn’t recommend the game, pretty bad shilling

Maybe it's reverse psychological shilling?