Epic Games Store - Free game every two weeks !

[Tom]

Well, i feel like this is a good motivator for Steam to start caring about and giving small devs some benefits for choosing it.

[Lennac]

I sympathize with the multiple launchers being annoying. However, to ensure a competitive market (which is almost always good for the consumer), I hope the Epic Games store succeeds and (importantly) doesn't put Steam out of business, but just provides a competitive alternative.

This isn't like the console wars where there's a big investment to play all the titles and get all the games, the cost is simply time and a small amount of space on your hard drive.

Also, there's always hope that someone can come along and create some kind of open source piece of software that amalgamates your two libraries together so you can launch all games from one location. I doubt you'd be able to integrate multiple storefronts (due to the security required for processing purchases).

[DeathJester76]

Wow that's amazing, always wanted to try Subnautica...looks like a good game...more competition in the market is paying off for us gamer already it seems!

[Elmo]

Competition is a good thing, BUT!

Will the savings made by Devs and(or) Publishers on Epic Store be passed on to us the customers?

OR

Will Epic Store be a haven for just making more money for the Devs/Publisher(can't blame them, but for customers it's not ideal approach).
Time will tell.

Another example current date:

e.g. Hello Neighbor on Steam is at present(14th dec 2018) £23.79 and on Epic Store it's currently(14th dec 2018) £26.99

[Tom]

Good notice on the price !

[literallyaghost]

Would it be too shameless to only have it for the free games? Yes
Will it stop me? No

[Tom]

We shouldn't be ashamed before these monstrous gold grinding machines

[averagedog]

As someone who plays Fortnite, not Fortnite BR and owns over 200 games on Steam. I am of course already comfortable with using as many platforms as it takes to play my games. Competition on the games platforms for the digital gaming market is Good. Free Markets can only be free if there is healthy competition that puts other businesses in check right? Steam has rested on its laurels for far too long and while Epic does have a Chinese connection, as long as it is not a controlling stake then the Death Flags are not flying even at half mast here.

[Teran]

If you think about it steam and epic and gog and whatever "launcher" is replacing the installshield wizard of old times, nothing else. This isn't fragmenting the market, you're still running games from your desktop, from the same os, you don't need an additional investment to be able to get exclusives. And they allow you to put icons for games directly on your desktop. You don't even have to have the launcher in startup.

It seems some gamers really did become whiny.

This seems like a bad take and way over simplifies the idea of potentially having to install 5 different storefronts to play games that used to only require one or none. I guess that's cool if you like constantly micromanaging which stores you have running in the background depending on what game you want to play and try to keep five different friends lists straight (if you are social). I want my desktop to be clean and simple, I don't use desktop icons for games except ones that exist outside of a storefront like LoL. Being resistant to decreasing convenience levels is not whining.

That said, if these changes bring about a more competitive atmosphere and the store fronts are not just superficial I'm fine with it, as long as it represents value to me in some way.

[Imnotanybody]

As long as these stores don't buy games licenses like consoles, I see no issue with it. Will I get epic? No, I have no interest in their games. Do I want them to fail? No, I always like competition. Only issues I can see is again, game licenses making it impossible for us to get games on either platform. (steam has a great system where you can add games that weren't bought from the store to your library, and is one of the main reasons I stay on steam).

[Fletch]

Has anyone checked out this launcher yet?

[MadMummy76]

This seems like a bad take and way over simplifies the idea of potentially having to install 5 different storefronts to play games that used to only require one or none. I guess that's cool if you like constantly micromanaging which stores you have running in the background depending on what game you want to play and try to keep five different friends lists straight (if you are social). I want my desktop to be clean and simple, I don't use desktop icons for games except ones that exist outside of a storefront like LoL. Being resistant to decreasing convenience levels is not whining.

That said, if these changes bring about a more competitive atmosphere and the store fronts are not just superficial I'm fine with it, as long as it represents value to me in some way.

You can't just assert that's a bad take, and then double down on the trivial inconvenience issue that I already addressed in that very post. Your biggest problem is that you have to quit the launcher too after playing a game, that seems like whining to me. OK, you don't want the icons on your desktop, then put them in start, or on the tray.

Tell me honestly, why is it worse to launch "origin.exe" or "epicstore.exe" or "goggalaxy.exe" rather than launching "setup.exe" to install a game?

It all boils down to this : You want a total monopoly, because having more than one launcher slightly inconveniences you. Now that's a bad take, if I've seen one.

[Mario]

Funny isn't it? Back in the day you would buy a PC game. Now you buy Steam, Origin, Uplay games... it's seriously like a console war on a single platform.

True, but also there was a time where you basically bought SecuROM, StarForce, GameSpy, or whatever games rather than really DRM free, which many forget these days.

[web1bastler]

Epic Games doesn't support linux… Steam has recently introduced the Proton portation layer. Therefore Steam wins.

[tomo]

That store has no reviews and no refunds.
Pricing is same as steam so why even bother with it? Publishers get more money oh sweet for them,Im not even installing it.

[Origami-Unicorn]

As most have agreed on here, competition is good for the consumer, my hope is that Steam steps up to the challenge in such a way that will benefit long-term customers such as myself. I have little interest in the Epic store and have far too much time and money invested in my Steam account to consider it unless there was an offer of a lifetime being touted by Epic.

The free game system they are promoting to me seems just the same as the Games with Gold on XBL, the games there at least are usually old, low selling titles the dev wants shifting to boost numbers or that are just dead in the water. Every now and then a good title will appear but this has basically been replaced with Game Pass, something else I wouldn't be shocked to see Epic launch, come 2020. I can see Epic throwing out some tempting titles for free at first to build a following but later down the line next year I expect to see the free titles take a nose dive.

Another concern I have is the Tencent link, I know they are not fully controlled by them but it's enough to make me very wary of signing up. Also, have we considered how long the Fortnite buzz can keep Epic operating at a level that allows them to launch projects like the game store? It's only a matter of time before a new flavour of the month comes along and replaces Fortnite and if it's not from Epic then they best hope the Game Store has taken off and is enough to sustain their growth once that Fortnite bubble bursts.

[Hakuna matata]

Steam have to wake up!