That’s what it means, when half the comments lament how the game isn’t on Steam. People will say there’s only one store that matters, and then insist there’s plenty of meaningful competition, and utterly refuse to understand their own words.
Epic is an eight-ton gorilla. Half the industry licenses their engine. They made four billion dollars a year off one game. They offer lower prices, they give things away, they create exclusivity, and they offer a better revenue cut for developers. And they still can’t move the needle. Blaming a janky storefront is grasping for any excuse.
I love that you’re saying monopolies are terrible, while crowing about how successful Epic is and how they licence their game engine to half the industry (presumably making them the largest share, given the remaining 50% is shared among every other alternative).
Seems like this Steam monopoly isn’t having the negative affect you’re suggesting.
I’m agnostic to all storefronts and platforms, I just hate exclusivity contracts.
I fail to see how a Steam’s quasi monopoly should affect game engines sales. Or is that about Fortnite ? Because I have an easy answer right there : its main demographics are kids who are either locked to their console’s ecosystem, or on the off chance that they’re playing on PC, they likely don’t have 587 unplayed games in their steam library, so they couldn’t care less that the game all their friends play is on EGS.
That is basically the strategy with all the free games imo. Trying to reproduce what steam did (through big sales and some very alluring giveaways during the first ones, e.g literally get all current and future Steam games for free, or the top 10 games on your wishlist, etc) on these kids, so they stay on that store.
I think PC gamers’ boner for Steam is extremely unhealthy and has been slowly killing the only good storefront for a while (GOG) and will blow up in our faces when (not if) Gabe ends up being replaced by some suit who only cares about money.
Why does matter. A lot. Just pointing to something and saying it’s a problem doesn’t help. You need to know why it happened to have any chance of changing things. That you and epic both apparently think throwing cash around should solve it suggests little will actually be done.
You’re not listening. This is not about “blame.” It’s barely about change. It is about the plain meaning of a common word, and how people will point fingers and clutch pearls to avoid acknowledging a simple fact.
Steam is a monopoly. No matter what I say, and no matter what you say. For whatever reason: they have a supermajority market share, on PC. People glibly treat major desired games like they don’t exist unless they’re on this one store.
The weirdest part is, it’s fine. Steam’s only clear sins are the 30% cut that they copied from consoles, and the real-money charges that must be legislated out of existence. But they have the power to become a problem - and we can’t guard against that if we don’t recognize it.
Having one good option is a single fuckup away from having no good options.
It took so long because Steam is a monopoly.
That’s what it means, when half the comments lament how the game isn’t on Steam. People will say there’s only one store that matters, and then insist there’s plenty of meaningful competition, and utterly refuse to understand their own words.
Epic is an eight-ton gorilla. Half the industry licenses their engine. They made four billion dollars a year off one game. They offer lower prices, they give things away, they create exclusivity, and they offer a better revenue cut for developers. And they still can’t move the needle. Blaming a janky storefront is grasping for any excuse.
I love that you’re saying monopolies are terrible, while crowing about how successful Epic is and how they licence their game engine to half the industry (presumably making them the largest share, given the remaining 50% is shared among every other alternative).
Seems like this Steam monopoly isn’t having the negative affect you’re suggesting.
I’m agnostic to all storefronts and platforms, I just hate exclusivity contracts.
I fail to see how a Steam’s quasi monopoly should affect game engines sales. Or is that about Fortnite ? Because I have an easy answer right there : its main demographics are kids who are either locked to their console’s ecosystem, or on the off chance that they’re playing on PC, they likely don’t have 587 unplayed games in their steam library, so they couldn’t care less that the game all their friends play is on EGS.
That is basically the strategy with all the free games imo. Trying to reproduce what steam did (through big sales and some very alluring giveaways during the first ones, e.g literally get all current and future Steam games for free, or the top 10 games on your wishlist, etc) on these kids, so they stay on that store.
I think PC gamers’ boner for Steam is extremely unhealthy and has been slowly killing the only good storefront for a while (GOG) and will blow up in our faces when (not if) Gabe ends up being replaced by some suit who only cares about money.
It’s always wild to see Valve be blamed for another company shooting themselves in the foot (or in this case, yet another company entirely).
Why doesn’t matter.
The fact is - there’s one store anyone cares about. We have a word for that.
Why does matter. A lot. Just pointing to something and saying it’s a problem doesn’t help. You need to know why it happened to have any chance of changing things. That you and epic both apparently think throwing cash around should solve it suggests little will actually be done.
You’re not listening. This is not about “blame.” It’s barely about change. It is about the plain meaning of a common word, and how people will point fingers and clutch pearls to avoid acknowledging a simple fact.
Steam is a monopoly. No matter what I say, and no matter what you say. For whatever reason: they have a supermajority market share, on PC. People glibly treat major desired games like they don’t exist unless they’re on this one store.
Infrastructure monopolies are the nastiest. This one is so insidious too.
The weirdest part is, it’s fine. Steam’s only clear sins are the 30% cut that they copied from consoles, and the real-money charges that must be legislated out of existence. But they have the power to become a problem - and we can’t guard against that if we don’t recognize it.
Having one good option is a single fuckup away from having no good options.