And my point is that a forum filled with gamers is exactly that enthusiast market, which is no wonder why we’d have folks gripe about it.
Yeah, totally. But it’s good to zoom out and realize that Epic=Fortnite. That alone makes them a big deal (in somewhat the same way that Half-life made Valve a big deal, but Fortnite is bigger than Half-life ever was.) I don’t play Fortnite and I don’t care about it, but it’s a cultural phenomenon in the same way that Minecraft was a couple of years ago (and still is, though more muted.) They have goodwill to spend on a project like this, and if I was trying to start a digital game storefront, my first play would be to get high-profile exclusives. It’s the only way to break in against Valve’s entrenched position.
It’s not griping though… it’s things like one guy in multiple threads now using a Trumpian “Epic Fail Store” in every one of his references. It’s people talking about monopolies. It’s people not understanding the fundamental business at all. They just want what they want and don’t take one second to think about it logically to have an actual discussion.
So we had the Sony Defense Force™ the Xbots and the Nintendrones as fanboys.
I guess we are getting that kind of thing on PC now?
Anyone got any good names?
Valverines? Fortnite Floss Force? GoGbertarians? EAndroids? Ubisoftankies? Bethesdarmy?
Valverines is pretty clever.
I’m not disagreeing that some folks get emotionally too wrapped up in this. That happens, especially when a hobby is part of one’s identity. I just thought it was odd of you to post those examples when enthusiasts complain about exclusivity all the time.
I think Coffee Stain’s explanation for why they went with Epic gives some useful developer perspective:
I mean, jury’s out for me. It could be a disaster, but I’m interested to see how it pans out.
That was a really good video - nice job by their community manager I think.
I am definitely using epic fail store, as long as they keep doing blatantly anti-customer things, thank you very much
Any goodwill they had, they are quickly eliminating, at least with PC gaming enthusiasts.
So has there been a case where something like Apple used floor space and signage to advertise the next iPhone launch in Best Buy then suddenly announce that they are selling the new model exclusively through Walmart just before launch and pull everything out of Best Buy?
I’m confused about who owns and who does what, but this has something to do with the discussion, so I’m posting it so someone smarter than me analyses it.
Where was this convo when the Civilization and Xcom franchises became Steam exclusives???
(I don’t count “being able to buy it on another store” as not-exclusive, if the game ultimately requires Steam. That’s what we’re talking about – the “annoyance” of having to deal with another client. I also don’t count Xcom Enemy Within’s five-year-later appearance on GOG as “not exclusive.” It was exclusive to Steam for the duration of time that anyone cared about it.)
It’s pretty rich that people are saying Steam has no exclusives when it’s the rule rather than the exception that Steam games are exclusive to Steam.
I don’t care whether Steam has exclusives because Steam offers the best features, or because Steam paid the developer money (how do we know they don’t do this with certain titles, anyway?)
To me, the consumer, if the end result is I need to have one, and only one, client running to play the game, the game is an “exclusive.” I don’t care if there’s a contract in a lawyer’s file cabinet somewhere mandating it or not.
We’ve always had exclusives. This is how Epic is competing. The only reason anyone is complaining is because it’s an effective way to compete – enough people want Metro Exodus that they’re gonna have to install Epic’s launcher.
As far as we know Valve didn’t bribe Firaxis for exlusive rights to those games. Epic is fucking over gamers because they hate us.
Well, you maybe, but I got Subnatica, so I know they love me.
Sucks to be you though.
I got Subnautica too, but they obviously hate hydrophobes.
Do gamers feel as being ‘fucked over’ for having to click on a different icon to play and install a game?
Only if that icon says Impulse.
You missed the blowout threads on CivFanatics when it happened?
There were conversations. I don’t know why that changes anything because I am sure the passive aggressive crap would have been targeted at that group too. You know what else got some conversation, when Paradox shifted their keys to Steam too. What’s rich is pretending like those conversations didn’t happen, but you’d have to find the Civilization, EU, CK and XCOM specific forums and enthusiasts to find the bulk of those conversions. Hell, there are still some XCOM fans not happy that game was even made.
Lol :P
I just wanted to remark how the discourse on Internet is being more and more extreme. Epic hate gamers! It’s bribing developers! They are hurting PC gaming!
It isn’t a console exclusive. That’s something it would really screw people as it is another platform. That’s why I feel people are losing perspective. Yes Epic is trying to make you install their store, but at the end of the day, most people can play it as usual, just clicking on another icon on their desktop.