So, over in the Borderlands 3 thread, I asked what people thought about the fact that it’s an Epic games store exclusive for a period after launch, but that’s a bit of a hijack for a specific game thread so I thought I’d bring the discussion here.
I’m not that fussed about Borderlands 3, I’ll admit - if it’s good after launch I’ll likely wait for a steam release, or it may just be another game I miss buying because I never quite get the time. However, Vampire: Bloodlines 2 is also going to be Epic exclusive, and that’s more of an issue for me. If that looks good on launch, I’m likely to want it, and I don’t really want to support the exclusivity deals they are making.
I have no problem with the launcher and store itself, particularly, although it’s not as featured a store as the Steam one, and I’ve got an account on there and am claiming their free games. I’ve also bought Satisfactory, a game so far up my alley it hurts to sit down, but that’s another exclusive and I’d rather have it on steam.
I’m opposed to it because their exclusivity agreements are anti-competitive and anti-consumer. The customer pays overall higher prices due to artificial scarcity and gains nothing from the deal aside from worrying about yet another platform client. The fact that the Epic store and game client are inferior (where “inferior” ranged from “less features” to “spyware”) to basically everyone else’s is just icing on the cake.
I have no objection to them doing this. And they have no basis for objection if, in response to them doing this, customers decide not to buy it. Decide for yourself if getting the game right away is worth the downsides of the store client or not.
This doesn’t hold up for me. Does Steam lower their prices because a game comes out on GoG or Humble Store? No, no they do not. In fact, I suspect that the prices of these games aren’t even set by the stores. So if you want to blame someone, blame the Borderlands 3 devs. Though they have clear and obvious reasons for picking Epic that have nothing to do with being “anti-consumer”.
Also, I’m following the whole “spyware” discussion and find it to be unconvincing. Steam literally publishes a library to let anyone who implements it look at the Steam info that Epic looks at, it’s not “secret”. And the rest of the stuff? It’s kinda important, because the client doesn’t need to be running for you to play games. So it needs to check what you have installed, and updates and things, lest it try to update a game you are playing or something.
I feel like everyone is just too accustomed to Steam.
Edit: Also, yeah, I agree with Chronos – if you don’t like it, don’t buy it and send a message. I’ve had series I love move to platforms I couldn’t even get without paying $400 for them, and the most I’ve ever felt was vague resentment, so the amount of internet rage surrounding this seems…excessive.
The issue isn’t the Epic store or the Epic client per se; the issue is what the Epic client allegedly gets up to. It does not play nice. Allegedly it sends a lot of data back to Epic. You’ll note that there’s no similar outrage about the Origin / EA client, nor the Nvidia client.
I honestly have no idea what you’re trying to say here. Multiple retail outlets lead to competitive sales as places try to sell their stuff. Sometimes Steam has the lowest price, sometimes GMG, sometimes Humble, etc. For example, prior to Division 2 becoming an Epic Exclusive, I purchased my copy via GMG for 17% off. Now that’s not an option because Ubi is not allowed to sell keys to those retailers due to Epic’s exclusivity agreement. There is zero benefit to me as a consumer from Epic’s exclusivity agreement and an obvious cost.
Nah. I’m fine with using Uplay or Origin, etc. Heck, I wouldn’t care if Epic just put games on their store for sale (non-exclusively) and let the market decide which platform they preferred. Given the state of Epic’s client though, it’s obvious why they’re going the scarcity-through-exclusivity route.
Valve had developed HL2. Likewise, no one claims that EA shouldn’t be able to sell Battlefield via Origin or even that Epic shouldn’t use their own platform for Fortnite: Save the World (the for purchase game). The complaint is about Epic buying up distribution rights to games they had no hand in producing.
I’m not addressing anything about potential malware as that is a different issue IMO.
Epic is offering a better deal to developers. That is the bottom line. The devs will get a higher percentage of sales from Epic than from Steam or GOG or anywhere else ATM. Why should a developer take less money for their product?
It seems pretty clear to me that Epic is using ‘the market’ to expand their footprint. Plus, there is a limit to the exclusive period. Lots of things are offered exclusively for a variety of reasons. I am having a hard time seeing what makes Boarderlands 3 or Epic any different from any other exclusive marketing agreement.
Of course there is. Games do the bulk of their sales soon after release and are old news in 6-12 months aside from extremely rare examples like GTAV. No one cares about having the exclusive rights to a game that’s last year’s news. That doesn’t make it better for consumers especially for online games that are reliant on active player bases.
These agreements are anti-consumer and bad in general and the topic came up in regards to game sales. “This bad thing isn’t worse than this other bad thing” isn’t much a defense for a bad thing.
No, but “This bad thing is basically the status quo, so stop acting like it’s some new practice brought on by this particular new platform” is, at least, a reasonable position.
Buying up exclusivity agreements like this is new in PC gaming and that was the topic presented. That it happens anywhere else isn’t really relevant. Honestly, I never mentioned it until someone else brought up the Epic thing in the BL thread and I commented on one reason why people weren’t thrilled about it (Epic’s dealings in general, BL3 is just one more game on the pile). I’m not invested in trying to make anyone else care although the counter-points basically all boil down to “I don’t care so no one else should either”.
I object to it, consumer choice is a good thing and after their rocky start I won’t be giving the Epic store my credit card details.
Anything a seller does to discourage potential customers is a bad thing, and obviously a lot of people are discouraged by the Epic exclusivity.
Personally I’m interested in BL3 but I’ve got so much to play I won’t be buying it until it comes to Steam for < $10. Same thing I paid for BL1 and BL2.
There was massive outrage about the Origin client when it came out, people ranted about it being spyware, they talked about boycotting their games, blah blah…
Exactly like the ranting now about the Epic Games client, and it was just as overblown and bogus then as it is now. Read these articles from 2011:
Here’s a discussion thread from 2011 where a few people consider it common knowledge that the Origin software is a “Trojan”. Not everyone bought into the hysteria but it was common.
Damn, it is ? Well that sucks. On the one hand I adamantly refuse to support any exclusivity bullshit, on general principle alone. On the other hand, it’s Bloodfucklines 2. My principles are strong, but my vitae is weak…
ETA : ah, nevermind then. Good.
Unless they pull it AND cancel pre-orders, it’s on GOG already for pre-order.
That said, yeah, I’m not supporting these exclusivity deals. It’s one thing if EA wants to put its own titles only on Origin. I don’t like that, but it’s understandable to keep your own stuff on your own platform; it’s not like I can buy Valve titles on Origin, after all. But for Epic to make exclusivity deals with other companies? So far I have not heard that Steam was doing that, nor GOG, nor even Origin. I’m not buying ANYTHING on their platform at all because of that.
I’m happy with there being more competitors to Steam (though personally I strongly support GOG, and am trying to avoid buying as much as possible except there) but I’m not happy with exclusivity deals. If Bloodlines really does go exclusive to Epic, then I’m at least going to send a comment to Paradox that I am not purchasing it there, even though I am a HUGE fan of both Paradox games in general and VTM: Bloodlines, and the idea of a potentially great sequel is amazing, and precisely why.
That’s the irony: people talk about Steam needing competition but exclusives are the opposite of that. Epic tries to dress this up by saying “Steam needs competition” but is apparently afraid to actually let the stores compete by offering the same games on both platforms and allowing the customer to decide.
