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[llien]

I am not talking about "real" platform exclusives: games produced by game studios owned by the respective companies.

It is about grabbing an existing product, that would otherwise be available on all platform, and bribing it into not appearing on other platforms for some time.

So that kind of exclusives is fine for Sony, even though it forces many gamers to either spend money to buy that other console or wait for exclusiveness to expire.
Also OK for Microsoft, obviously.

But when that "evil" company, that routinely gives out games for free (and it used to be indies/superoldies but is now stuff like GTA V), gets only 12% of the price (vs standard 30%) does it, forcing gamers, god forbid, into choosing between installing some free software or waiting for exclusivity to expire, it is diabolic kind of sinister?

Comrades, don't you think something is not quite fair in this picture?

 

[-Arcadia-]

Different markets, different expectations.

PC gamers aren't used to there being a schism.

 

[MMaRsu]

Pc is an open platform

consoles are closed platforms

Epic wanna turn pc into console. Thats why

 

[LazyParrot]

It's bad for consumers no matter who does it.

 

[MMaRsu]

ps the only reason they are giving away games is bc they want you in their enviroment.

That doesnt make them a friendly party at all.

 

[lastmessiah]

Exclusives are such a lame and artificial concept nowadays. They are blatant corporate tactics, and even worse, encouraged by fanboys.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I was one of the few who defended Epic's move.

 

[zcaa0g]

Hi Tim! When can we expect a remaster of Unreal 1? Thanks in advance!

 

[Holammer]

Always thought buying exclusives was a bunch of bullshit, even more so now when it's in my own backyard.
Children cheer for exclusives.

 

[johntown]

I am not talking about "real" platform exclusives: games produced by game studios owned by the respective companies.

Then what games are you talking about Tim Sweeney?

 

[sol740]

I kind of hate exclusivity deals across the board, not counting 1st party stuff, for obvious reasons.

 

[Stuart360]

I was one of the few who defended Epic's move.

I dont know how you can defend Epics bullshit. I mean if it doesnt bother you then thats cool, but to defend it?

 

[Fbh]

Nah it's always shit, regardless of who is doing it.

If anything, when console makers do it it's actually worse. Epic Store exclusives are still playable on PC (and usually consoles too), when Sony pays for something like VII7 Remake it's ONLY on ps4 which is way more annoying

 

[Krappadizzle]

Pc is an open platform

consoles are closed platforms

Epic wanna turn pc into console. Thats why

/thread

 

[martino]

epic is the only one not locking them at all because it's a store and not a platform
so of all of them it's the least worst.

 

[Silvawuff]

I think the big caveat was they were moneyhatting Kickstarted games that already had investment from others expecting games to release on a certain platform. This isn't all on Epic -- the developers could still say no, and a lot of them did. This was all done through a hamfisted narrative to try to strong arm Valve's grip on online marketplace share. Sure, Valve/Steam need some serious reform and policy changes, but screwing over consumers using a crazy backwash of Fortnite money seems like a pretty sleazy way to do business, with end-users benefiting the least.

To give an example, we haven't seen Sony trying to buy out Halo a month before a new game was supposed to drop on XBox. Epic is trying to buy out anyone who will look in their direction, not developing unique IPs that help define their platform.

 

[Woo-Fu]

I wonder if the OP is talking about two different groups of people, who have different opinions, instead of one group of people with contradictory opinions. Hmm.

Buying exclusives you didn't fund from day 1 is bad, particularly when they were already marketed on a competing platform. Yep, Epic has done that.

 

[Kusarigama]

Epic Game Store was severely lacking in quality of life features, even the most basic considered search option was not available add to the problem of finding the specific game. Even now I think it doesn't have Trophy support. This was probably what generated the hate as people had to deal with annoying store to purchase games not exclusives per se.

 

[Walter Matthau]

I have no issue with what Epic did. I’ve been downloading their free games since day 1 and have no problem buying something from them instead of Steam or one of the other billion launchers.

What annoyed me is they pretended to have created the store out of some altruistic purpose as opposed to the real reason which is they saw Valve was making money hand over fist and they wanted in on it.

I’ve always hated fake corporate sincerity and always will. People can see through that shit a mile way. Just tell everyone your true agenda from the start.

 

[Bryank75]

I think the truth here is that PC gamers preach about their open-platform but in truth they love Steam just as much as any console person loves their respective box.
There is just as much allegiance.

Epic do great things like help indies to make a profit and aid education on their platform for budding developers and give a more generous percentage back to developers and publishers.

 

[lastmessiah]

I think the truth here is that PC gamers preach about their open-platform but in truth they love Steam just as much as any console person loves their respective box.
There is just as much allegiance.

Epic do great things like help indies to make a profit and aid education on their platform for budding developers and give a more generous percentage back to developers and publishers.

Nobody who games on PC really "loves" Steam. And it isn't comparable to a console anyway.

 

[Arthimura]

PC store fanboys are the worst. And people complain about console wars...

 

[Stuart360]

The best part was early on when all the moneyhatted studios used the excuse that they are getting a bigger cut so will be able to pass that onto us gamers with cheaper prices. Games are just as expensive on the Epic Shitstore, more so in some cases.

 

[IntentionalPun]

Sucks all around.

I say that as someone who owns a gaming PC and buys all consoles.

It looks like Sony might be going hard on it for early next gen and they are probably getting great deals too considering you'd be a fool to not want to be marketed as a PS5 exclusive at this point.

 

[MMaRsu]

I think the truth here is that PC gamers preach about their open-platform but in truth they love Steam just as much as any console person loves their respective box.
There is just as much allegiance.

Epic do great things like help indies to make a profit and aid education on their platform for budding developers and give a more generous percentage back to developers and publishers.

I have tons of games on Steam but I prefer GOG, and basicallt I value CHOICE. Which is ultimately what PC gaming is all about. CHOICE.

Now most games you can buy everywhere. Its up to the publishers and developers where to bring them though.
Steam has never bought a publishers or a devs allegiance purely to have Steam be the only storefront where you can get the game.

Epic has done just that, removing choice from the equation.

Fuck Epic.

 

[Quezacolt]

Epic has bought exclusivities weeks before the release of a game, it's not the same as announcing a game and already have the deal in place. Both are shit, but one is worse

 

[TGO]

Is there a pay wall for the Epic Store?

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Steam and PS are the mainstream platforms. People will only make a fuss when something goes against those two platforms.

 

[Optimistic Gamer]

Is there a pay wall for the Epic Store?

Your dignity

 

[Nikana]

The argument of PC being an open platform while you get everything from Steam makes no sense to me. Steam has a monopoly in an open platform. How that's ok for some I will never understand.

 

[ManaByte]

Pc is an open platform

consoles are closed platforms

Epic wanna turn pc into console. Thats why

An "open platform" that people buy most of their games on Steam, which is just another form of DRM.

If you were truly concerned about it being an "open platform" you'd be pushing for DRM-free GoG. But no, this is all about Steam vs EGS.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

EPIC buying exclusivity is rallied against because PC is meant to be a Steam open platform, but the ironic part is that exclusivity is the only way you'll start getting AAA games made for PC again.

 

[Jubenhimer]

Exclusive deals have been around since the earlier days of the industry. This is nothing new, it's just business. That said, Epic goes too far a lot of the time, as there were several games that were originally slated to release on Steam, suddenly blocked off from it for no damn reason. Plus, it's also hypocritical coming from a company who for years, has bitched about consoles being closed platforms and wanted everything open, and now they're running in essence, a closed platform.

Sony locking up timed exclusivity on a title that's been part of their brand for years (FFVIIR) is one thing, ripping games off of Steam just because is another.

 

[MMaRsu]

I see ManaByte hasn't even read my posts lmao. Look up a few posts man, jesus.

 

[zeorhymer]

How bout a big no. The problem was that games were advertised on multiple stores. Once Epic bought the studio, it was only available on the EGS platform. You're conflating 2 different things.

 

[MMaRsu]

Steam vs Epic is what Tim Sweeney is trying to push by the way. While also trying to getting rid of a key based market (He wants to remove keys from the equation alltogether).

 

[Stuart360]

Steam vs Epic is what Tim Sweeney is trying to push by the way. While also trying to getting rid of a key based market (He wants to remove keys from the equation alltogether).

Just another reason to hate him then, key sites are big business in the PC market.

 

[ethomaz]

It was always fine for EGS lol

 

[Moogle11]

It's different people. The ones who don't like Epic exclusivity are PC gamers are use to an open platform, while consoles have always been closed platforms with exclusives with fanboys who cheer when "their" platform "wins" by getting an exclusive.

That said, there's still hypocrites in those complaints about Epic who don't really care about it being open but just want everything on Steam as they want everything in one place want Steam achievements etc. and don't complain the same when something is Steam exclusive.

I think that's a minority though as most do just want games to be available in every PC storefront and they do complain when things are Steam exclusives. That's long been a strength of PC gaming--games in multiple store fronts to have competition and often lower digital game prices than consoles where I still buy physical sometimes and deal with the hassle of selling when done as the digital version is just too much.

I never cared one way or the other personally. But I'm a console gamer used to exclusives, so multiple launchers didn't bother me at all. I mostly failed to get into PC gaming and don't plan to upgrade mine anyway, so it's a moot issue as I don't have a dog in the fight. I'll just keep the PC for all the free epic and other games it can run that I may play someday and Halo Infinite and other Xbox games that get cross gen versions that it should run fine.

 

[Aidah]

It's garbage on every platform, and Epic is bringing that kind of shit to PC. I also don't remember Sony or Microsoft buying exclusives last minute after they were already promised on a different platform.

 

[Kataploom]

How bout a big no. The problem was that games were advertised on multiple stores. Once Epic bought the studio, it was only available on the EGS platform. You're conflating 2 different things.

This.

Also, some of us rely on steam services for our experience in a way or another, in my case, Steam handles my non-Xpad controller compatibility with games, which no other store does, which is the reason why I stopped using GOG Galaxy 2.0 even with its convenience.

Other people may like modding stuff or the cards one collect in games, etc.

It's just that Steam, for better or for worse, knew how to win the users loyalty building an environment.

 

[Bolivar687]

It's an unfortunate part of the console industry, especially with weak timed exclusive deals, but it's a recognized part of these manufacturers pushing their box.

The trend in PC over the last few years is to have everything on everything, culminating in EA coming back to Steam, which is such a huge win for PC gamers everywhere. This really only hurts the platform. I honestly believe the communities for games like the Division 2 were hurt by not having a splash page come up on Steam every once and a while.

 

[brian0057]

First party exclusives are made by the console manufacturers themselves or by a studio they own, which are Ok in my book since that falls under copyright law (you have to be able to make money from the shit you create).

Third party exclusivity is the one that's bullshit. It exists for the sole purpose of making the competition look bad and nothing else while screwing over the consumer. Be it Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Epic, Steam, etc. third party excusivity can fuck off for all I care.

This shit happened in the 40's when movie studios also owned the theaters and came to an end with Paramount Vs the United States in 1948. Streaming is just as bad.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

An "open platform" that people buy most of their games on Steam, which is just another form of DRM.

If you were truly concerned about it being an "open platform" you'd be pushing for DRM-free GoG. But no, this is all about Steam vs EGS.

Yep. Not a fan of epic but Steam fanboys are on a whole other level.

 

[MMaRsu]

Also, real competition comes when you have a product that's available in all stores, but each store has their own incentive. Maybe for Epic it would be a 30% lower cost to buy the game. Maybe on Steam it means some things like Achievements. Maybe for GOG its a DRM free game.

That is something I would applaud. That is when you have consumer choice.

But that is not what Tim Sweeney wants. That is not what Epic wants. They want you to only shop on their store, and nowhere else. That is the reason for purchasing these exclusives.

ManaByte @SLoWMoTIoN

Do you have any examples of "Steam Fanboys" in this thread or are you just spouting bullshit out of your anus?

 

[synchronicity]

I think the truth here is that PC gamers preach about their open-platform but in truth they love Steam just as much as any console person loves their respective box.
There is just as much allegiance.

That's probably generally true for most. While I can't speak for everyone, while I certainly *do* love Steam, I also love GOG, itch and other platforms very much too. I'm not a console fanboy or a store-front fanboy. But I will never do business with Epic's platform.

 

[Bryank75]

That's probably generally true for most. While I can't speak for everyone, while I certainly *do* love Steam, I also love GOG, itch and other platforms very much too. I'm not a console fanboy or a store-front fanboy. But I will never do business with Epic's platform.

I think fanboying or feeling some attachment to something that gives you a great deal of value or entertainment is perfectly natural...

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Pc is an open platform

consoles are closed platforms

Epic wanna turn pc into console. Thats why

One and done.

 

[tmlDan]

I see a lot of people claim that "this is bad for consumers" but is it really? with the introduction of platform exclusives, Epic has also brought in FREE games for absolutely no cost other than having an account.

This is the beauty of competition, we're getting free games (the new total war is free if you grab it for the first 24 hours of launch) and that is totally CONSUMER FRIENDLY.

This is good, no matter how you spin it - it's competition and steam hasn't changed its ways in years.

 

[ACESHIGH]

Honestly I would not mind Epic being a champion for PC gaming. Valve did nothing during the last decade when it came to games other than Alyx, and updating their age old multiplayer games. If devs make deals with Epic and that makes them release quality experiences due to increased budgets, i am all for it.

Al that GaBeN cult of personality is so annoying. PC gaming should be about several stores competing and we the consumers end up being benefited. Like we are with all those Epic freebies and discounts. Besides it's not even HW exclusivity. It's just a shitty store that's one click away. I end up using GoG galaxy as my only client anyway.

I wish Valve released quality Single Player games on PC, like they did in the past. And they can keep those games exclusive if they prefer