For months now Epic Games have been making moves in the digital store landscape, buying up every game they can get their hands on and locking them away behind their exclusivity walls, much to the disapproval of gamers. Their business practice comes off as strong-arming the players to use their platforms while developers get to enjoy a nice 88% revenue split. However, is it really such a bad thing?
I remember way back when I wrote Epic Games Is Making Some Powerful Moves With Its Epic Store That It Even Got Valve Calling It Unfair!, in which I talked about the importance of competition and how it can lead to improvements from both sides, all at the benefits of the consumers. Yes, right now it may seem like the consumers are losing since Epic Games is essentially forcing people to go to their store to play their games, however when the CEO of Epic games Tim Sweeney himself says that Steam can end all of this by offering developers a permanent 88% revenue split, one has gotta ask, is Epic Games really the enemy here?
If Steam committed to a permanent 88% revenue share for all developers and publishers without major strings attached, Epic would hastily organize a retreat from exclusives (while honoring our partner commitments) and consider putting our own games on Steam.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 25, 2019
I thought about this tweet for a while now. Why would a direct competitor to Steam offer them a way out? Why the ultimatum? Is Epic Games really out to take over the digital store market or is there an alternative motive here? Now, I’m not here to start any conspiracy theories here or anything but it does get you thinking. All Steam has to do is offer that 88% revenue split and Epic Games will stop their aggressive business tactics. However, what if Epic Games knows that Steam can’t do that due to restraints in their budgets and are using that as a virtue calling to get the heat off of them. Acting like the saviour for PC gaming but in reality is all an elaborate plan. OK, now we’re stepping into conspiracy territory
In reality, what Epic Games is doing is giving the devs a fair cut for their hard work, which consequently creating an inconvenience for the gamers. I’m sorry but I can’t see a reason to be actually mad at this. They’re not charging for the client and it only takes about a minute to install. The energy that you guys are using to review bomb every game that Steam loses to Epic Games, could instead be used to send feedback to Epic Games about their client and what feature you need and demand.
You can’t blame Epic Games on this one because the developers are the one’s signing the contracts. They saw a better way to make money and they took it. Now it’s up to Steam to make the next move, and soon too if they want to hold on to any future games.
