Epic says it'll eventually stop pushing for exclusives

[Halicia]

Steam doesn't want to open a can of worms they are also guilty of mate. Maybe you should check the steam EULA you agree to and realize it pulls data from your internet browsers in the first place.

This is about what happens WITHOUT your consent, though.

[Edge-]

This is about what happens WITHOUT your consent, though.

Which happens everywhere. Facebook is tracking you without consent. Google is. Amazon is. Other companies are. It's shitty, but it's the state of our current system since governments are still woefully lagging behind in protecting consumer privacy.

Not saying it's not an issue, because it is. But it's not currently a legal issue as far as I can tell.

[Tech614]

This is about what happens WITHOUT your consent, though.

https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/privacypolicy

We generally collect or receive information in three ways: (1) you voluntarily provide information to us, such as by creating an account, making purchases, or signing up for email alerts, (2) we collect information automatically, such as through cookies or our games and other software, and (3) other parties, such as social networks, may provide information to us. Each of these methods is described in more detail below.

Like literally says they can collect data from other software, AKA steam in this case. So yea...

Sorry, you consented to it. Maybe you should read those EULA's you skip through if you care about conspiracy theories about "spying on me" and "muh data". If you're worried about things like this it's time to go off the grid and stop using modern technology period because you can't escape it.

[Yunru]

Well this is interesting. Some companys at least have some respect to their players.

[PACOX]

I don't care that Epic is creating competition for Steam. Hell, I barely buy directly from Steam unless the game is a Steam exclusive (which people don't complain about...). The only thing I really care about is every publisher wanting to put out its own launcher.

There are launchers on top of launchers on top of launchers now. I dont use a quarter of the features that are in the publisher launchers.

My preferred are: GOG, Uplay, Origin, Steam, Epic. In that order.

My favorite store is Green Man Gaming.

Really dont understand the whole "creating competition for Steam is an act against humanity" attitude.

[Vargur]

https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/epic-says...r-exclusives//

Well, they could stop right now if they wanted. Or they are afraid that they will eventually will run out of sweet fornite money.

Epic can go suck a dick. They're afraid of a little competition because they don't have any other bargaining chips.

[Rogalicus]

Good summary of Epic's issues. Comparison is the best part

Disruption is required to break into mature markets. But typically – or at least ideally – the disruption comes out in favor of the consumer right away. Uber and AirBNB and Netflix and all the rest broke monopolies by offering not just lower prices, but superior service/opportunities in most cases. Uber didn’t just swing big-dick Fortnite money around and buy up all the cabs around the airport and tell people that the next five years are going to be super exciting for cab drivers.

[Temp name]

I don't care that Epic is creating competition for Steam. Hell, I barely buy directly from Steam unless the game is a Steam exclusive (which people don't complain about...). The only thing I really care about is every publisher wanting to put out its own launcher.

There are launchers on top of launchers on top of launchers now. I dont use a quarter of the features that are in the publisher launchers.

My preferred are: GOG, Uplay, Origin, Steam, Epic. In that order.

My favorite store is Green Man Gaming.

Really dont understand the whole "creating competition for Steam is an act against humanity" attitude.

It's not. The problem is how they're doing it. Because it's not a competition when you're not offering the same product.

If I want to buy ice cream, I go to the shop with the cheapest/best ice cream. However if one of the stores in the area suddenly started just buying all the vanilla ice cream in the area, meaning I could only get vanilla there? They're no longer competing with everyone else, they're a monopoly.

Steam was like the big dog, the big ice cream store where you could get every flavour you could ever think of (even bad ones), and Epic are "competing" by buying up their supply of some of the just slightly obscure flavours like mint, or stracciatella.

[Vorkreist]

Fuck Epic . I can wait another year for The Outer Worlds just to boycott that shit.

[vom]

Are people ignoring that you can buy it from the windows store or whatever it is called? If you dont want to deal with Epic and everything they are doing. Buy it from that store. Or is it a worse option?

I usually buy from gog or steam and have never bought anything from the windows store. So no idea if it is a better or worse option than epic.

[Lenion]

I hate what they did to Metro

[Yriel]

I'd get comfy, you'll likely be in for a very, very, very long wait.

It's interesting how enthusiastically you defend the Epic store. May i ask why?
In the end it's just a Store. Some will use it, some won't. The only plus i see is that it's competition to steam but considering that i have my games on steam, uplay, origin and gog (and even one game on the microsoft store ) it's not that steam is a monopoly.
I don't see the benefits of this competition, steam is already very consumer friendly, to the point that publisher are annoyed by the sales and Sweeney said multiple times that his first prionity are the publishers.

So even if you ignore the negatives like the exclusives and the spying, what good does the Epic-Store do for the community?

I can understand part of the dislike people have for it because of those two negatives but i don't see anything worth defending. At best its just another store, it would be the 8th on my computer if i count corretly. Not much to be so enthusiastic about.

[Edge-]

It's interesting how enthusiastically you defend the Epic store. May i ask why?

Because I prefer stores compete for users because in the end users win. I'm exhausted of Steam being a functional monopoly. I also hate how a lot of folks treat the need to use more than one launcher as if it's a major hurdle/imposition/the end of the freakin world.

In the end it's just a Store. Some will use it, some won't. The only plus i see is that it's competition to steam but considering that i have my games on steam, uplay, origin and gog (and even one game on the microsoft store ) it's not that steam is a monopoly.

Functionally though, it is.

GoG have their niche, they're not selling most of the big AAA releases nowadays.
uplay/Origin are primarily for first party games (though uplay doesn't even require that) and neither have huge penetration for third party sales

None of those platforms are directly competing with Steam, they're not even trying to because of the cost associated with it. Epic is, and I'm happy that someone finally wants to take on Steam.

I don't see the benefits of this competition, steam is already very consumer friendly, to the point that publisher are annoyed by the sales and Sweeney said multiple times that his first prionity are the publishers.

Lower prices (we've seen a few games drop prices slightly, even if Exodus' price drop was in the US only) for games. Better sales as each store competes to have cheaper sales than others. Forcing innovation and improvement (notice how Valve has suddenly started discussing Steam improvements in the past year or so, curiously corresponding with the EGS rollout?) to keep users around rather than just resting on their laurels.

Also, they give developers/publishers a bigger cut and I'm a big fan of that. I like supporting the folks that make games that I enjoy or think are awesome (even if I'll never play).

So even if you ignore the negatives like the exclusives and the spying, what good does the Epic-Store do for the community?

Exclusives are the bitter part of the medicine, they're not here to stay. That's been obvious since the start and it's since been confirmed, this is temporary for user acquisition.

As for the snooping I haven't and won't defend that because there's nothing to defend. It's not lawsuit worthy from what I've seen, and it's not even uncommon really, but it's still scummy.

At best its just another store, it would be the 8th on my computer if i count corretly. Not much to be so enthusiastic about.

I'm basically back to ye-olden-days shortcut folder. Almost every store still gives you the .exe files easily enough and those auto-launch the correct store. Mild inconvenience, but for the convenience brought by digital games I'll take it : P

[Rennadrel]

Again, the existence of porn games doesn't bug me. Hell, I've played some, they're hilarious. But by allowing them on the platform, and especially with how painfully unclear their guidelines and policies are, they open themselves up to all kinds of bullshit that can harm the store and make them look like idiots. Remember that rape game they ate shit on recently and had to pull down?

Yeah, that's what Epic doesn't want to deal with. There are plenty of other places to legally get porn games.

Funny, porn games don't show up unless you actually disable the parental controls. I didn't know that until recently, so it's not something that is easily displayed unless you as an adult are sharing your account with children and have porn games on the account. I don't see an issue with having adult games on a platform, personally so long as the content is filtered to never see the eyes of children unless parents who control the accounts are stupid. Shovelware though, that's entirely on Valve and how they green light games for release on their platform. It was obvious with the whole Steam Green Light system that they didn't care enough about controlling quality themselves, which I think they should be doing.

[Jtbrig7390]

Funny, porn games don't show up unless you actually disable the parental controls. I didn't know that until recently, so it's not something that is easily displayed unless you as an adult are sharing your account with children and have porn games on the account. I don't see an issue with having adult games on a platform, personally so long as the content is filtered to never see the eyes of children unless parents who control the accounts are stupid. Shovelware though, that's entirely on Valve and how they green light games for release on their platform. It was obvious with the whole Steam Green Light system that they didn't care enough about controlling quality themselves, which I think they should be doing.

The issue isn't that there is porn games on Steam.

The issue is that Valve is hands off until there is some kind of drama (like rightfully so with Rapeday). They seem to change their stance on a daily basis and really have no set guidelines at all.

Valve is lazy, they barely have a customer support and it seems like they don't know if they are coming or going half the time.

[stellvia]

The real issue people need to remember is this isn't really a "better developer cut so they can make better games" -- if AAA has taught us anything, it's that this just means PUBLISHERS will pocket more profits. You're still going to get the same budgets and same prices. No way in hell will this suddenly mean games go back down to $50 MSRP or the average budget for games goes up by like 25%.

This is about publisher profits. Full stop.

[Edge-]

The real issue people need to remember is this isn't really a "better developer cut so they can make better games" -- if AAA has taught us anything, it's that this just means PUBLISHERS will pocket more profits.

Yes, it is. Publisher pocketing more profits lets them set lower sales targets for their developers to meet to hit revenue goals, meaning there's less chance studios see layoffs/closures if sales are weaker than hoped.

Also, this ignores that this benefit is extended to smaller AA publishers and indie developers who self publish, both of whom will benefit immensely from this.

You're still going to get the same budgets and same prices. No way in hell will this suddenly mean games go back down to $50 MSRP or the average budget for games goes up by like 25%.

This is about publisher profits. Full stop.

We've already seen Metro Exodus knock $10 off its price in the US. There was another game that knocked $5 off globally. I doubt it'll be a widespread thing, but it's a tool that developers/publishers can use to draw folks in to buying their games at launch since they can see similar revenue per-sale at lower prices.

And it's not "about publisher profits. full stop.", the majority of the exclusives Epic has announced thus far have largely been indie titles. You know, small teams without the backing of major publishers.

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

While annoying, its just another launcher. I think most people who play a wide variety of games are used to this.

The real issue is that steam is so loved, that even a few games going to epic like this causes a shitstorm. I know we like to think that PC doesn't suffer from the exclusive war like consoles do, but you would be sorely mistaken.

- - - Updated - - -

Fuck Epic . I can wait another year for The Outer Worlds just to boycott that shit.

This is such a toxic and non-sensical attitude and thought process.

[sibut]

I actually don't mind, I love me some pervy games and don't care about porn games. But this heads off the very issue Valve has faced a few times - egregiously offensive porn games ending up on the store, most recently that rape game.

Which game was that? Must’ve missed that drama.

[Edge-]

Which game was that? Must’ve missed that drama.

https://www.businessinsider.com/stea...release-2019-3