Nothing more disappointing to me than seeing a game I might enjoy… and then it’s only available on PC on Epic Games store. Why can’t it be available on Epic, Xbox game store and Steam? It’s so annoying, like you have no choice but to use Epic… which I would literally do ANYTHING not to use.

206 points

An exclusive on Epic Games may as well just not even exist, as far as I’m concerned. Didn’t play Anno 1800 until it was finally released on Steam. Nice discount too.

permalink
report
reply
-83 points

So they still got your money eventually. That’s a double win, in their eyes.

permalink
report
parent
reply
66 points

They lose day 1 hype, tho. Sure, the game eventually comes to steam, but that’s after it’s already been overplayed on twitch and YouTube’d to death.

permalink
report
parent
reply
-41 points

In what way does that matter outside of driving sales? Which people like op happily still gave them?

permalink
report
parent
reply
22 points

In what way is that a “double win”?

permalink
report
parent
reply
-21 points

In what way is it not? They get Epic’s money for exclusivity and know they’ll still get sales after it ends from people that “boycott” them for doing that.

Buying the game later doesn’t hurt them, it just reinforces the same behavior later.

permalink
report
parent
reply
14 points

It would be except I forgot it existed while it was in purgatory on Epic

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

if it was discounted then they didn’t get as much money.

permalink
report
parent
reply
-18 points

And? It’s still profit. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t be listed.

permalink
report
parent
reply
8 points

When I see sales of Playstation games on PC the numbers are very underwhelming compared to other big third party titles. In contrast helldivers 2 got insane numbers when it launched simultaneously.

I don’t think launch hype sales can be overlooked and how much may potentially be lost. If people are willing to wait then by the time game is available hype is less and it’s more likely for people to move on or wait for even steeper sales.

permalink
report
parent
reply
-14 points

I’m not sure why you’re trying to convince me about it. I’m not the one deciding to sell out to Epic.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points

If I like the game then good for them. Epic didn’t get any of my money and they’re the one I have an issue with.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points
*

You need a better definition of „they“. Because I don’t buy from Epic for one particular reason, so they (Epic) don’t get my money. If the game is good and I want to play it I will do so later and at that point the developer still deserves my money.

permalink
report
parent
reply
93 points

Well they decide to lose customers, up to them.

permalink
report
reply
16 points
*

Yep. I loved Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, and was excielted to hear they made a sequel. Then I learned it’s an EGS exclusive. They can go get bent, not buying from them anymore

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

TIL, they made a soasr sequel. Was it good?

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

No idea, I refuse to buy it. The first one was good.

permalink
report
parent
reply
82 points

If it’s on epic it just isn’t on PC in my eyes. Not a real game

permalink
report
reply
50 points

If it’s not a real game, should we call it an unreal game? I will see myself out…

permalink
report
parent
reply
21 points

Epic joke.

permalink
report
parent
reply
5 points

It’s always available on the high seas.

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

Yeah, but frankly the high seas usually provide less than Steam does even with money in the equation. And that’s probably the only case when high seas is worse, with all the other services in my experience the high seas provide better service(spotify was close). So the point is if a game doesn’t release on Steam it’s release date just moves to the moment it releases on Steam. Not the best scenario, but Steam really has little competition and Epic surely isn’t trying to be one.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

I have no problem with Steam. I was mainly talking about games that only (don’t) come out on Epic Store, but maybe I wasn’t clear enough.

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points

I haven’t kept up, what does it do worse than steam?

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

Pretty much everything really. It’s basically a store and that’s it, no cool features that Steam has. They may have achievements now but not positive. Think it took two years just for them to add a shopping cart. They dump money on developers to release exclusively on Epic instead of spending it making a good experience for customers. No reviews, no forums, no workshop etc.

I grab the free games they offer every couple weeks and use Heroic to play them, not touching their launcher.

permalink
report
parent
reply
7 points

not to mention steam’s:

screenshot manager

community card trading

friends & chat

easy to join small muliplayer (friends can just send you a button that launches the game and joins them instantly)

highly customisable profiles

tools & soundtracks

achievemnts

and so much more that can be simply small little fun

permalink
report
parent
reply
5 points

Don’t forget: Ability to see your library on the website

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

They do have achievements, yeah. Not much else though.

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points

Copying my reply to someone else:

Epic is anti-customer: https://medium.com/@unfoldgames/why-i-turned-down-exclusivity-deal-from-the-epic-store-developer-of-darq-7ee834ed0ac7

Tldr: Kickstarter Game with a lot of interest while in development announces a release date on Steam. After the date announcement they get contacted by Epic saying “we’d love to host your game” for an exclusivity deal.
Dev responds that they would be happy to have their game on Epic but promises were made during crowd funding that it would be available on Steam.
Epic replies that they aren’t interested if it’s not exclusive.

This tells me that

  1. Epic is full of shit. "We’d love to have your game, but only if it’s exclusive.
  2. Epic doesn’t care about being a better service for its customers. Having the game available on Epic as well is strictly better for Epic’s customers and they easily could have done that. They chose not to.
  3. Epic is not interested in actually having to compete with other companies. This would require them to provide a better service in some fashion. They are only interested if they can force people “if you want to purchase this game you have to buy it through us” which is anti-consumer.
permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

You can add that their client was actually a malware at some time.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points

Everything but I will focus on the main point of the apps. Selling and managing games.

Steam store page has tags for what genre the game is and user reviews as well as information about system requirements. Plus links to click on to go to the developers and publishers pages to see what else they’ve made. You get plenty of information while it’s still easy on the eyes and digestible.

Managing your games with steam is a breeze. They’re listed down the side and the search is there and quick. Click on a game and get more information about it and see a large install or play button. Scroll down to see info about the latest update or activity from friends playing. Right click to get more information like where it’s installed locally.

Epic, at least when I last used it. Didn’t have user reviews, the page had large widgets for all the information making everything feel clutter while giving you less info about the game. Didn’t have tags and sure it did label the publisher but not the developers and you couldn’t click to see their other works.

Epic’s library management once again large widgets while giving less information. Feels cluttered. Install button is small. At the time I used epic there was not easy way to open install location. You had to go in file explorer yourself and find it.

While I’m on the topic of stores to why do console store pages suck as well compared to steam?! The console is literally sold at a loss and make money by selling you games but their store pages are shit compared to steam.

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

Yeah, the point of a PC is to be independent of any company.

permalink
report
parent
reply
70 points

Epic pays for exclusivity sometimes. It’s funny, I keep picking up the free epic games but I don’t think I have ever once played a single game on there.

permalink
report
reply
24 points
*

I claim but I don’t even have the launcher installed. If it wasn’t for the giveaways I’d completely forget about the place.

permalink
report
parent
reply
23 points

I don’t even get the free games…they aren’t worth my time. I’ll pay to get them elsewhere instead even if it’s free there when I’m looking

permalink
report
parent
reply
12 points

I’m claiming them for the day when Epic games store shuts down and they give out keys for redeemed games on steam. I’m playing the long game. :D

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

I just use the heroic/legendary alternative launcher for any single player games I actually want to play from egs. It’s open source and gives epic less footprint on my machine.

Unfortunately if you want to do anything multiplayer then you need the real client.

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points

I’ve been picking them up religiously after I found out I missed Frostpunk. The only ones I’ve played were the big names like Control, Death Standing, and the old Fallout games. For everything else, the client doesn’t give you enough information to decide if it’s worth your time or not. I keep having to go back and forth between Epic and Steam to read reviews and the “similar to other games you’ve played” thing. It’s not worth the effort.

permalink
report
parent
reply
55 points

like you have no choice but to use Epic… which I would literally do ANYTHING not to use.

Literally anything besides not getting that game?

permalink
report
reply

Games

!games@lemmy.world

Create post

Welcome to the largest gaming community on Lemmy! Discussion for all kinds of games. Video games, tabletop games, card games etc.

Weekly Threads:

What Are You Playing?

The Weekly Discussion Topic

Rules:

  1. Submissions have to be related to games

  2. No bigotry or harassment, be civil

  3. No excessive self-promotion

  4. Stay on-topic; no memes, funny videos, giveaways, reposts, or low-effort posts

  5. Mark Spoilers and NSFW

  6. No linking to piracy

More information about the community rules can be found here.

Community stats

  • 9.3K

    Monthly active users

  • 4.6K

    Posts

  • 97K

    Comments