I think, though, that Devs go through online stores like Steam and such and give away 1/3 of their potential venues away to not have to deal with that sort of mindnubbing tedium.
Because where the base game is doesn’t matter. If I get the game on steam or on Epic or GoG doesn’t actually impact my game play all that much. The game exists on my machine.
The only thing that buying the game on steam vs another vendor impacts is where I can buy my DLCs. If I buy the game on GoG, then I am forced to purchase the DLCs on GoG.
But if DLCs are agnostic, and I get the best experience buying the game on GoG, then, when the DLC goes on sale on Steam, then I can still benefit.
Maybe the DLCs could be on some sort of storage medium, and we could just go to the store and buy it. Then you could install the DLCs from storage onto the game, wherever you bought it!
Of course, the DLCs would have to be bigger with their own marketing to justify the expense. Maybe they should be called “expansions”?
I am pretty sure I have more games than I have room for even if you added up all the storage space on all the hard drives in all the systems I have ever owned, both personal and work. I also may have a problem…
“Join Arkane Outsiders to receive “The Art of Arkane” digital art book free! PLUS, between May 28-May 31 (10am EST), email subscribers get Arx Fatalis (PC) as an additional bonus - Check the box below to subscribe! Be the first to be notified about potential beta access and receive sneak peeks at upcoming games. Sign up now as the Arx Fatalis offer expires on May 31.”
It is funny how Arkane Studios started out by making an Ultima Underworld spiritual successor (Arx Fatalis), then went on to make a Thief spiritual successor (Dishonored) and even a System Shock spiritual successor (Prey).
When do we get the Terra Nova spiritual successor?