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Quite a few Epic Store 'exclusives' are surprisingly coming to the Microsoft Store.

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

Buried in the deluge of E3 news this week was a story that caught my eye: Metro Exodus is available to buy on the Microsoft Store. Wait—the same Metro Exodus that became an Epic Store exclusive earlier this year, shortly before it was released?

Metro Exodus isn't alone. There are actually quite a few Epic exclusives either already on the Microsoft Store or coming to the store in the future. "Exclusive" may have less to do with only being available through Epic's launcher, and more to do with not being available on Steam, obviously Epic's biggest competitor.

Currently, Metro Exodus and Operencia: The Stolen Sun are available to buy from the Microsoft Store (Operencia's actually been there since April), and both are available in the Xbox Game Pass for PC. And their exclusivity windows definitely haven't run out: Operencia actually has a Steam page, with a release date of 2020 listed. You can also pre-order The Outer Worlds.

Another Epic exclusive, Afterparty, is coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC, and Julian Gollop's Phoenix Point will be available for both the Microsoft Store and Game Pass in September. If these other games are an indication, I'm guessing Afterparty will be on the MS Store proper, too.

Finding these games is a bit confusing. I first looked for them in the new Xbox beta app, which serves as an interface for Game Pass and also a new, game-focused skin for the Microsoft Store. It's the same store underneath, but without all the random apps and movies and stuff mixed in. But when I searched for Metro Exodus, it at first insisted I had to have the Xbox Game Pass to buy it. Later, that button mysteriously changed to a simple "Buy."

These games may only be on the Microsoft Store because they're a part of Game Pass, but the fact remains you can buy them separately. It's an alternative to purchasing them from the Epic Store—though maybe not a great one, as reviews on Metro Exodus point to some crashing issues. Microsoft recently said it's opening up its Windows store to support Win32 games, rather than just UWP. But both Operencia and Metro are UWP games.

Another possible explanation is that Epic simply doesn't consider the Microsoft Store much competition, and considering it's reviled as much or more than Epic's launcher, that's probably fair. But it just goes to show that in the 2019 PC store wars, nothing is staying the same for very long.
 

Mattyp

Gold Member
Assuming some kind of loopholes in the contract comparing gamepass with right to buy vs epicstore. Or they may have only put steam down as the only non compete store.
 

thief183

Member
Anyone of you are using the new Xbox beta app?

It is slick and fast, I really like it, I think this is going to be my goto store ....
 

Dunki

Member
So EGS exclusive comes to Microsoft store.

And Halo goes to Steam

Who can try to make sense of anything anymore? lol
One is bribing developer and customer to get another competition destroyed. And the other one (Microsoft) cares actually about Customers and their wishes. By the way the Windows store is 20000000 times better regarding features than the Epic Store
 
I have to say I got gamepass for my xbox yesterday as I saw they had the £1 for 1 month deal for xboxlive ultimate and I was pretty pleasently suprised to see metro exodus on there as a free gamepass game. Not complaining though
 
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Blancka

Member
Using the term "debunked" doesn't make it fact.

And wilful ignorance and inability to do a 5 second google search doesn't make your views fact either.
 

BlackTron

Member
One is bribing developer and customer to get another competition destroyed. And the other one (Microsoft) cares actually about Customers and their wishes. By the way the Windows store is 20000000 times better regarding features than the Epic Store

I know, I have no intention to ever even install EGS.

I just think it's ironic and funny. Want a MS exclusive? Get Steam. Want an EGS exclusive? Get Microsoft.
 

T-Cake

Member
Be nice if Borderlands 3 was.

I'm wondering about game parity. I notice on Steam that Void Bastards has got patched with some fixes and updates but on Microsoft Store there is no update available.
 

The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
Just a funny thing regarding EGS.

I bought The Division 2 since its on sale for 30 euro, and after Dow loading it through egs I found out that I downloaded only the installation. When I ran the game it made me go to an install, where I then installed the game. So can't even launch the game through EGS, but through uplay.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Yep, I had a two year subscription pre-paid for Xbox Live and the $1 for Ultimate Game Pass basically gave me gamepass for free until 2021.

As such I downloaded Metro Exodus and it works quite well.

Not only that I can get Achievements too!
 
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888

Member
Guess you guys complaining about the MS store haven’t tried the new Xbox app to install games from the new gamepass. Wayyyy nicer and easier to manage where things go and a nicer way to launch things. I like that app better than epics. But still would prefer Steam over it all anyways.
 

Kenpachii

Member
Guess you guys complaining about the MS store haven’t tried the new Xbox app to install games from the new gamepass. Wayyyy nicer and easier to manage where things go and a nicer way to launch things. I like that app better than epics. But still would prefer Steam over it all anyways.

Doesn't work on older windows.
 

jakinov

Member
I got Game Pass for PC earlier for a dollar and downloaded the new Xbox app with the integrated games store. I didn't buy anything but the UI for downloading everything from gamepass has been smooth and no problems so far.
 

Bolivar687

Banned
PC developers are free to release their games on as many publishing clients as their hearts desire.

Just so long as they never come to Steam.
 

TheUsual

Gold Member
Metro had some real tough launch issues when the beta first came out the other day. Had many crashes, game not saving config settings, and not saving progress. Work around was launching through the Windows Store but there was about a 500mb update today in the app which has made launching the game through the app smooth now.

Anyone know where we can find out local game saves for stuff in the app?
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member

Buried in the deluge of E3 news this week was a story that caught my eye: Metro Exodus is available to buy on the Microsoft Store. Wait—the same Metro Exodus that became an Epic Store exclusive earlier this year, shortly before it was released?

Metro Exodus isn't alone. There are actually quite a few Epic exclusives either already on the Microsoft Store or coming to the store in the future. "Exclusive" may have less to do with only being available through Epic's launcher, and more to do with not being available on Steam, obviously Epic's biggest competitor.

Currently, Metro Exodus and Operencia: The Stolen Sun are available to buy from the Microsoft Store (Operencia's actually been there since April), and both are available in the Xbox Game Pass for PC. And their exclusivity windows definitely haven't run out: Operencia actually has a Steam page, with a release date of 2020 listed. You can also pre-order The Outer Worlds.

Another Epic exclusive, Afterparty, is coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC, and Julian Gollop's Phoenix Point will be available for both the Microsoft Store and Game Pass in September. If these other games are an indication, I'm guessing Afterparty will be on the MS Store proper, too.

Finding these games is a bit confusing. I first looked for them in the new Xbox beta app, which serves as an interface for Game Pass and also a new, game-focused skin for the Microsoft Store. It's the same store underneath, but without all the random apps and movies and stuff mixed in. But when I searched for Metro Exodus, it at first insisted I had to have the Xbox Game Pass to buy it. Later, that button mysteriously changed to a simple "Buy."

These games may only be on the Microsoft Store because they're a part of Game Pass, but the fact remains you can buy them separately. It's an alternative to purchasing them from the Epic Store—though maybe not a great one, as reviews on Metro Exodus point to some crashing issues. Microsoft recently said it's opening up its Windows store to support Win32 games, rather than just UWP. But both Operencia and Metro are UWP games.

Another possible explanation is that Epic simply doesn't consider the Microsoft Store much competition, and considering it's reviled as much or more than Epic's launcher, that's probably fair. But it just goes to show that in the 2019 PC store wars, nothing is staying the same for very long.
From my experience prior to the release of GamePass for PC beta, I would just go on the store, and if I owned the game on Xbox and it was Play Anywhere, the button would say "Get" or "Install". Never "Buy". Weird.
 
Guess you guys complaining about the MS store haven’t tried the new Xbox app to install games from the new gamepass. Wayyyy nicer and easier to manage where things go and a nicer way to launch things. I like that app better than epics. But still would prefer Steam over it all anyways.
I haven't been able to download it. I search it on the Windows Store with no luck.
 

DanielsM

Banned
A game on Gamepass program needs to be in Microsoft Store?

Unless something has changed, I assume all the games are still on the Microsoft Store as the Xbox Store was mothballed a few year back. I'll assuming (since I can't get the Xbox app to install :messenger_tears_of_joy:) is that they just made a new app to weed out all the games from the Store.

So I would guess.... all games in Xbox Game Pass are in the Microsoft Store, but not all games in the Microsoft Store are a part of Xbox Game Pass. :messenger_tears_of_joy:

(all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs)

 
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888

Member
I haven't been able to download it. I search it on the Windows Store with no luck.

It’s not on the windows store. If I remember correctly I was able to download it from the stock Xbox app when I went to the gamepass section. Then it prompted me to download and install a windows update, the it installed the app.
 

PhoenixTank

Member
Possibly lends credence to the idea that Epic want to replace Steam rather than just make the market better.

Also:
:cry:
 
It’s not on the windows store. If I remember correctly I was able to download it from the stock Xbox app when I went to the gamepass section. Then it prompted me to download and install a windows update, the it installed the app.
ahhh okay thank you. Just got it installed.
 
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johntown

Banned
Hmmm support a store that is anti-consumer or a store that is dead? I think I will wait for the Steam release.

Being a PC gamer I am used to waiting an extra 6 months for games anyway.
 
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