Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue • Hacker News Board

Re: Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue

#51

Post by vatueil » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:07 PM UTC

swarnie_ wrote: post #17

bearcobra wrote: post #2

Obviously there's a non-zero cost for developers to publish thru multiple stores, so it makes sense to try to incentivize them with a greater share of revenue. It would be interesting if they tried to leverage the popularity of Fortnite to also do this on Android.

Just wait until digital distribution services catch up to console levels of bullshit and start licencing exclusives or "exclusive for X months after launch" for bigger titles.

Epic is in fact planning to buy third-party exclusives for their new store:

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/12/epic-undercuts-steam-...

> Sweeney told Ars that the company plans to "start small" and will "sometimes fund developers to release games exclusively through the store," Sweeney told Ars.

Re: Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue

#52

Post by plopz » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:09 PM UTC

EamonnMR wrote: post #48

I wish Valve had pushed harder to compete with Origin, but this looks like the end of its complete dominance. Once EA demonstrated that anybody could hack together a launcher, it's become a free for all. As a consumer it's been a worse and worse experience since increasingly small companies felt the need to replace steam with technically inferior solutions. But this is different-now we get a competitor which is willi…

I've found as a consumer that its gotten much better. Steam's customer support is absolutely atrocious and hugely anti-consumer whereas both Origin and Battle.net have great customer support. I hope this competition drives Steam to be better.

Re: Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue

#53

Post by dec0dedab0de » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:10 PM UTC

jamp897 wrote: post #47

drharby wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The timing of yesterdays hn post and this announcement...hhmmmmm. almost as if it was coordinated. Hmmmmmmm Edit - i love the silent dv brigade for making an observation and starti ng dialogue. Dont go changing onme hn!!!

They let Valve know in advance I’m sure, it’s a small industry and the polite thing to do with friends.

Absolutely, especially since they already work together. I don't think there is anything wrong with this, but it made me think, when does it cross the line into collusion or price fixing?

Re: Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue

#54

Post by plopz » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:11 PM UTC

chongli wrote: post #49

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only sort of. All applications use one master launcher: The operating system. Battle.net, Origin, Steam, etc. all can put desktop shortcuts to individual games.

Steam is much more than a launcher, it's a social networking platform for games. Everyone has their friends lists on there, groups, etc. Network effects make it difficult to move your contact list over to a new platform.

I've found that Discord has largely replaced both Steam and Battle.net as the social platform.

Re: Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue

#55

Post by billfruit » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:12 PM UTC

I keep repeating this: two things Steam does right are effortless no-questions-asked refunds, localized prices in many regions of the world, so that people in poorer countries pay affordable prices.

I do think that Steam is only going to grow bigger, because most of the growth in game sales are going to come from China, Russia, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Africa, Mexico, Brazil etc than US and Europe. But most other stores does not seem to understand that expanding to these markets is key, and seems to be operating in US&Europe centric strategy.

(Off-topic: Incidentally Indonesia is not far behind the US in population, but current predictions show that they aren't going to overtake the US anytime soon, however Nigeria is on track to overtake both US and Indonesia to become the 3rd most populous country by 2050).

Re: Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue

#56

Post by benjaminsuch » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:15 PM UTC

Great news, I'm looking forward what Discord is pulling off. As far as I heard, they also want to push into the game distributing market?

Epic Games seem to me really as one of the very very few game companies who, beside of marketing, also act very generous.

Re: Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue

#57

Post by guitarbill » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:16 PM UTC

EamonnMR wrote: post #48

I wish Valve had pushed harder to compete with Origin, but this looks like the end of its complete dominance. Once EA demonstrated that anybody could hack together a launcher, it's become a free for all. As a consumer it's been a worse and worse experience since increasingly small companies felt the need to replace steam with technically inferior solutions. But this is different-now we get a competitor which is willi…

> this will be a major blow to steam

we'll see. i'm in no hurry to rush out and buy anything that isn't on Steam. all these articles talk about the cut Epic will take, but as a customer, I couldn't care less. what i do care about is e.g. Steam's excellent return policy. maybe i'm just getting old and am not that interested in games, but i'm happy to pass up games if they aren't on Steam.

i'd venture a guess that Steam and Epic Games Store may not be competing for quite the same market; Steam is likely to remain dominant for PC gaming (maybe rightly so, they have worked hard to get there), and Epic Games Store might focus more on mobile gaming instead. so it's a bigger threat to the App Store/Google Play than Steam IMO.

Re: Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue

#58

Post by org3432 » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:17 PM UTC

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #53

jamp897 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They let Valve know in advance I’m sure, it’s a small industry and the polite thing to do with friends.

Absolutely, especially since they already work together. I don't think there is anything wrong with this, but it made me think, when does it cross the line into collusion or price fixing?

When the prices are the same :) But I don't think they told them the prices, just that they were going to announce a store.

Re: Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue

#59

Post by pureliquidhw » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:19 PM UTC

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #45

anoncake wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's also a cost for the customer; they have to use multiple launchers.

Only sort of. All applications use one master launcher: The operating system. Battle.net, Origin, Steam, etc. all can put desktop shortcuts to individual games.

Having to manage all those accounts, installing all that launcher software, and running always on "agents" is anti-consumer.

I've found historically with software that the better something works, the more likely it is to get screwed up. Netflix has made browsing a chore, Amazon Video introduced ads, Spotify is getting clunky as they "optimize" the UI, Gmail taking time to load in 2018 when it didn't in 2015, Android requiring root to install an app to prevent album art from replacing your lock-screen background and apps from making obnoxious color choices on notifications.

Ah well, maybe I'm just getting old and people want less robust, clunky software! /rant

Re: Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes 12% of revenue

#60

Post by benologist » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:19 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #55

I keep repeating this: two things Steam does right are effortless no-questions-asked refunds, localized prices in many regions of the world, so that people in poorer countries pay affordable prices. I do think that Steam is only going to grow bigger, because most of the growth in game sales are going to come from China, Russia, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Africa, Mexico, Brazil etc than US and Europe. But most othe…

Their refund policy is good but it's worth nothing they only give those refunds because they were taken to court in Australia, where a judge said their previous refund policy was designed to give no refunds and used to deny an estimated 21,000 refunds just within Australia. They changed their policy and escaped punishment everywhere else.

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/video-games-websit...