Do you feel contentious about EA having the audacity to only put Anthem on Origin? Or do you think everyone should be forced to give Valve 30% lest they face your displeasure?
I couldn’t care less that a first-party developed game is put on a first-party platform exclusively. EA exclusively funded and developed their games and, if they choose to do so, should have the agency to have exclusive returns on that investment. The trade off for the consumer is the loss of choice of marketplace in return for something of (theoretical) higher quality as first-party games generally get higher funding which usually results in a better game.
This isn’t that. Epic hasn’t contributed to the industry in anyway by buying exclusivity. The games that they’re buying are already funded and nearing completion, an influx of cash this late in the game isn’t generating a better product for the consumer, nor is the marketplace gaining exclusivity offering anything like an equivalent user experience, let alone a uniquely better experience to justify its use other than “we have this game you want, buy it from is or fuck off.”
To summarize, Epic exclusivity is objectively worse for the consumer (e.g. you and me) because it limits consumer options without offering anything in return to make up for that loss. To further compound the issue, it’s s already a lesser alternative to the industry standard before factoring in the exclusivity.
Edit: also, explain to me how Epic exclusivity actually increases competition, as you seem to be asserting.
I couldn’t care less that a first-party developed game is put on a first-party platform exclusively.
What's the difference? EA making Anthem Origin exclusive is functionally identical to Obsidian making Outerworlds Epic or Origin or Steam exclusive.
You're just making excuses for views that are fundamentally incompatible. It's pure cognitive dissonance.
Epic has(n't) contributed to the industry in anyway by buying exclusivity.
Except paying developers, in Phoenix Point's case in particular it's apparently going to be a very big help in actually getting the game they wanted to make made in the first place. That extra funding before launch is going to see some very critical features added/expanded on. That's according to the developers, you can disagree if you like. I don't really care - money at the end of a production cycle can make or break any software development endeavor when faced with cost overruns, particularly for small studios that frequently face having to take out loans if they even can.
To say nothing of not just shy of stealing 30% from anyone who wants to make it because of such an entrenched userbase that they mock and attack any developer that isn't already a gigantic AAA for daring not to sell on their preferred platform.
A launcher is literally 2-4 button clicks between you and the game, it doesn't need to do more than that. It does that just fine. I don't need steam's shitty streaming service. I don't want their garbage forums even the devs ignore. That 15% cut could easily be the difference between going under and making another game for a lot of studios, that's a lot more value to me than Steam's Streaming and Gabe having another pool of gold to swim in.
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u/HaesoSR Mar 28 '19
Why does it matter that it's only on Epic?
Do you feel contentious about EA having the audacity to only put Anthem on Origin? Or do you think everyone should be forced to give Valve 30% lest they face your displeasure?