Friday, April 26th 2019
Epic's Tim Sweeney Says They'd Stop Hunting for Exclusives if Steam Matched Epic Games Store in Comission Rates
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has come out with an interesting commitment: that EPIC would stop hunting for exclusives in the PC platform is Steam were to match them in their 88% return to developers for each game sold. Being a developer themselves, Epic games have certainly looked into creating their own storefront as a way to escape the clutches of Steam's cut in the digital, PC distribution market (a move that had already been done by the likes of EA and Ubisoft, if you'll remember). A commitment to stop hunting for exclusives (and thus segregating the PC games offering across different platforms) is a clear indicator of Epic's mission with the Epic Games Store: to bring back power and returns to developers such as them (while taking a cut from the profits for themselves, obviously).
Check out after the break for the full content of Sweeney's remarks regarding their Games Store and the problem with Steam. I, for one, don't see much of a problem with virtual segregation of games across multiple PC-bound platforms - one of the strengths of PC gaming is actually the ability to install multiple applications that increase functionality, after all. But if the end game of all of this is simply to give more back to developers and Epic's move facilitates that by forcing Valve's hand in matching them for fear of drying profits - then so be it.
Source:
DSO Gaming
Check out after the break for the full content of Sweeney's remarks regarding their Games Store and the problem with Steam. I, for one, don't see much of a problem with virtual segregation of games across multiple PC-bound platforms - one of the strengths of PC gaming is actually the ability to install multiple applications that increase functionality, after all. But if the end game of all of this is simply to give more back to developers and Epic's move facilitates that by forcing Valve's hand in matching them for fear of drying profits - then so be it.
If Steam committed to a permanent 88% revenue share for all developers and publishers without major strings attached, Epic would hastily organize a retreat from exclusives (while honoring our partner commitments) and consider putting our own games on Steam.30% store dominance is the #1 problem for PC developers, publishers, and everyone who relies on those businesses for their livelihood. We're determined to fix it and this is the one approach that will effect major change.
Such a move would be a glorious moment in the history of PC gaming, and would have a sweeping impact on other platforms for generations to come.
Then stores could go back to just being nice places to buy stuff, rather than the Game Developer IRS.
The key "no major strings attached" points are: games can use any online systems like friends and accounts they choose, games are free to interoperate across platforms and stores, the store doesn't tax revenue on other stores or platforms (e.g. if you play Fortnite on iOS+PC)…
More "no major strings attached": if you play the game on multiple platforms, stuff you've bought can be available everywhere; no onerous certification requirements. Essentially, the spirit of an open platform where the store is just a place to find games and pay for stuff.
Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 25, 2019
224 Comments on Epic's Tim Sweeney Says They'd Stop Hunting for Exclusives if Steam Matched Epic Games Store in Comission Rates
I don't understand. You trying to make gaming like it is some kind of Templar Knight tradition that has been handed down for generations and if you haven't been initiated then you aren't 'in'. Or a 'gamer'.
The only actual exclusivity is in peoples' heads when they impose ridiculous restrictions on themselves.
Sure, Epic's client is missing features. I get it. I agree that more features need to be added. But to suggest that a person needs those features to play and enjoy a game is ridiculous.
When I've played pirated games years ago I had at my disposal none of the features Steam offers now. Did I enjoy my games? Hell yes I did!
When I play a game I've purchased from GOG and install it using the offline installer I also get none of the features Steam has. Do I enjoy said game? Damn straight!
If a few missing extra features is enough to ruin your enjoyment of a game, then you need to ask yourself if you are actually in it for the game(s) or something else.
Jeez, sometimes it seems to me that some people use games to "play" their platform (Steam), instead of using the platform to play games.
What in the HELL does my previous avatar have to do with anything? It’s the second time you’ve bashed it, like you are some superior being. What are you, the avatar police? It doesnt say anything except for about 5 months I used it because I really enjoyed a game I played. It says nothing about who I am, and certainly is not a comment on my “true gamer” status. You are so wrapped up in appearances. I change my avatar every 5 to 6 months. They mean nothing as far as ANYone’s gamer status or status on ANYthing. People use them because they like them. Why should I be equally concerned about the launcher as the game if I am a “true gamer?” Because you said so? Who are you besides some guy hanging out in the news section dictatong who are real gamers and casual gamers? I have news for you. I xan’t play the launcher. I can play the game that comes from the launcher, and that’s what I’m going to go do. You stay here and keep being full of yourself.
Epic needs to prove themselves to me. I waited a while to get a Steam account after they launched. I waited a while to get an account on GOG, Origin, Uplay, Rockstar and just lately got an account on the MS store. I will wait a while for EGS as well.
"Crafted" keep in mind i'm not a native english speaker, and i used that word because that what came to my mind at that point.
The thing is very simple, Assassin's creed is a low quality game, and it has been for years now, and they're mostly enjoyed by casual gamers (because they find it fun), and young people. That one reason i've been saying your tastes are those of a casual gamer, of course you're free to like it, i'm not here to deny any of that to anyone, anyone should be free to have fun with whatever they fit best, but talking about objective quality in general is another thing.
You do whatever you want of course, i'm saying you have to do what i say, sorry if it looked that way but again, not meant. But accept being a casual, there's nothing wrong with that.
"everybody and everything needs to be labeled and grouped so one can feel part of something"
Exactly this. Almost nothing is purely subjective, and videogames are one of the most distant things from subjective. Like movies, and music too. Your experience about them increase the more you play or watch or listen to, and your standard changes the more you do.
Well actually, even enjoyment is something that has standards and can be built up with the years of experience. There's more possibility that a person who has a short history of videogaming (both in quantity and in quality) finds enjoyable a game another person with a longer history in it. Seems pretty logical.
It's pretty easy to excuse everything we do only with Taste isn't it?
So you go on continuing to be insecure and labeling people (because that is what insecurity breeds) and missing out on some very fun games just because a “true gamer” spends half their time apparently being analytical about what store/launcher they come from.
I’m done here because there is more to life than letting someone troll me because I enjoy gaming.
I'm not insecure, if i was i wouldn't be talking like this. Yes he does if he truly cares, i let the "having fun only" casual to you, i've had my share of it in the beginning, now i've moved up.
So Steam provides a platform for potential new developers to show up on the market while EGS offers... what exactly in that regard? Seems like its another case of "Steam has that feature and EGS doesnt, steam bad".
Just because alot of people create garbage, does not mean there are no gems to be found. You can say the same about mobile market aswell. Ton of garbage apps out there and yet there are plenty of good ones aswell and plenty of developers got to earn money/jump start their carreers thanks to it. Steam workshop is another one of such features... Unknown artists from earning nothing went to work for valve and have 200 000$+ per year thanks to it.
Also you are reffering to other companies with their own launchers for THEIR OWN GAMES. Do you even read a post before replying, or do you instantly decide to disagree and then just bable whatever comes to your mind?
I specifically wrote that if epic wanted to keep their games on their platform that is fine, problem is, they dont do that, they bribe independent developers to get their games on their garbo soft and hurt the market in the process. Who loses out cause of it? oh right, us... Where did i wrote anything about MY experience with EGS support? I was replying to logic of "my personal experience with steam support was bad so its shit in general" by saying what my experience was with steam support and hence showing how irrelevant those type of statements are since they are personal experiences. Also support is quite general, does not necesarilly means Atmanand on a phone line 24/7. This analogy is supposed to be logical?
Firstly, wars predate guns, just in case you don't realize that (considering that "sound logic" of yours and extreme inability to interpret things you are actually reading, that very well might be the case). Secondly, weaponry (that also predates guns) was first created to hunt and protect yourself. In fact the first actual weapon created by humans was a spear. I don't need to say what type of weapon it is right? Or I better do, defensive, defensive weapon. A sharpened stick to keep dangerous things at bay or be able to kill dangerous animals for food without getting hurt...
Can you please tell me, how does that apply in any way, shape or form to shady company forcing you to use garbage software through exclusive titles while telling you its for your own good and that you should thank them. I really would like to know cause I personally see literally no conection between the two, but since you are the logical one here, enlighten me please.
Look at what GoG did. They had a goal of removing DRM from as many games as they can and bring as many old games to modern operating systems as they can. Sound goal. Do you see them trying to shove anything into anyone's mouth? No, they do good work and their project grows and grows.
Do you know who owns GoG? CdProjekt. They also own CDProjektRED. Was Witcher 3 some ultra exclusive title only to their own store? No, they could have made it so, hell, their profits from W3 would be even higher that way, but they did not. They left the choice to customers.
See the difference between good company practices where they actually want to impact the market in some sensible way and shit company who instantly shows they only want $$$ and try to disguise it as doing something for our own good?
Steam alone? I am sorry, where did I write anything like that? Please quote me, cause from what i recall i wrote in my first post in this news that if epic wants to compete with steam, they should offer good piece of software that would sway people to use it by choice instead of forcing them to use bad software cause of exlusives. Unless of course you are trying to make extreme argument, insinuating that i support it, ergo, put words into my mouth and claim they are mine. I've never said I want monopoly of any store on the market(In fact I've never seen anyone ever saying they want ie. Steam to be the only platform providing games), in fact I think I even wrote I am all for competition, cause from company competition only 1 group benefits, customers. However I DO NOT SUPPORT IN ANY WAY what Epic is doing with exclusivity bribes. I even compered it to console exclusivity to present who actually loses out on exclusivity. I suggest you read and most importantly, understand, my posts before replying. No I did not, if they did, kudos to them, but if they continue on pushing exlusivity with their store, then all of it is for naught. So its already several - 3, so I hope several in this case is more like 10+ rather than 4.
Did they also made those console exlusives not be exclusive on other consoles? Somehow i doubt that, but I would love to be proven wrong as I sincerely would like to have every game be available on every platform. What irony? That I disagree with exclusivity as (again) customers lose out on it and only companies benefit from it? Where is irony in that? Unless ofc in your mind I want to have every game on Steam and Steam alone... If that was the case then yeah, I would see the irony... but then again, I never said I wanted singular store monopoly, so there is that...
Forgetting all the shady stuff around epic that kept popping up over the years. If Epic can create equally good piece of software to compete with any other store on the market, or well, Steam, since Steam is the market leader(even you agree about way richer featureset here) and then they show it to public and are like"Hey guys, look, we created this amazing thing, we would love for you to check it out" instead of "Hey guys, we created this garbage, it is crap compared to our competition, but we got exclusive deals, so if you want [insert game name] on release, you have to use this shit store, cool right? O also, it is for your own good, cause Steam is bad and is hurting the market" (market, that btw, Steam in big part built to begin with) then I would not say a word.
So again I am asking, do you decide to disagree before reading anything and then just follow through on your decision, or do you have problems understanding what you are reading?
Read the first post I've made in this news post, maybe it will enlighten you what I dislike about Epic. If you disagree with spyware part, that is fine, but I, for one, do not belive in coincidences and if one company hits the news multiple times for its "spying" I am never gonna trust that company.
Also, my store of choice is GoG, not Steam.
I do not care which store is the most popular and which one is not. I am gonna chose the best option for me. If i want to buy a game I want to buy it from a store I PICKED, not a store a company I distrust chose for me and told me it is for my own good.
If nVidia wanted to release a new gpu but would say "for the first 6 months you can only buy it at XYZ store and nowhere else", would you say that is alright? Or would you rather pick the store you want to buy the product from? I prefer the latter and so does every single person who is against exclusivity bribes of Epic. Can't say it any clearer for you to understand at this point...
The idea that you can determine what a quality standard is supposed to be in a greater sense wrt games and its platform, is bonkers. And the reason it is so off is because of what you say and the way you say it. It only confirms you have no idea even of the definition of casual or experienced.
If you really know gaming you'd say that there is a wide variety of games with very specific qualities that may or may not work for a person at a specific point in time. It has nothing to do with 'casual or not' whether you can appreciate a good game. Almost everyone can appreciate a good game, as long as they understand the game. For most people when they meet a product of great quality, they recognize it.
On a deeper level, if you know gaming well, you have learned to recognize the very specific qualities of almost every little niche gaming has to offer. And let me enlighten you: that is exactly what @rtwjunkie is so damn good at. You should take a long look at his post history and the extremely wide variety of games he's played. I can only have respect for being so open minded. I know I can't play a lot of the stuff he does. Not because I can't - but because I simply lose interest.
Casual or not is about having gained an understanding of things or not. Its the same with music. True adepts in audio/musical performances can appreciate a very wide variety of styles, they can hear the difference between a skillful artist and an 'easy' one that copies every trick in the book.
Just as well, the platform 'quality' I think we all agree on is objectively lower on the EGS side. But this is simply a question of whether the bare necessities are met - for you personally as a customer. For me the necessities of a store are very simple: must have 2FA, must have several valid payment methods, must have a simple refund policy, and must be light and simple. The rest is bonus. For me, a purchase on EGS means nothing different from one on Steam. Is that casual? I think its sensible. Its simple - you make your choice as a customer and that is fine. The whole argumentation behind it though, is flawed in several ways. I hoped and tried to explain this so you could see that, but this nuance is lost on you, its too bad.
What does Epics 12% revenue split offer me as a Consumer? NOTHING. Games not any cheaper.
What does Epic exclusivity offer me as consumer? Again, NOTHING except forcing me to use EGS and back to point 1.
We’re already in an age of huge Day 1 patches because publishers forcing Devs to out products ready or not to meet financial quarters and deadlines. This will not change because of some “discount” revenue split nor can Epic or any other platform offer that “discount” forever either.
Tim Sweeney is no White Knight here. He just wants more people on his Fortnite Launcher before the Fortnite money dries up.