Epic will phase out exclusives if Steam improves revenue share

[HEXUS]

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said 88 per cent for developers was the golden figure.

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[Tabbykatze]

No, they want to bring everyone else down to their level even though they are a drastically inferior storefront and Digital Distribution platform.

[frozen-monkey]

Others, even ex-Valve employees, reckon that the challenger is reinvigorating the PC market, fostering change and saving PC gamers from a "30 per cent tax on an entire industry"...Ahh yes because look at how the price of games on Epic is reduced from the industry norm thereby saving me, a PC gamer, 18% </facepalm>

Added to that, I'm fairly confident that Tim nice but dim knows that Valve would probably make a loss at 12% and hence why he's making such a bold statement on twatter. And lets not forget that Epic haven't committed to a permanent 88% revenue share, that's just what they are starting with and it doesn't look like it's having a big impact on the industry as Epic are having to buy exclusivity to get people onboard.

[Tabbykatze]

This is something else I said on another forum regarding the matter:

"What is interesting is that people like to say "Steam should be able to match Epic", yeah they probably could but you're not considering everywhere else they would have to look at cuts. They may have to depreciate features that Indie devs rely on or dial back partner support and various other areas.

30% isn't just for money in the back pocket it is likely used for a substantial amount of background infrastructure work. And 30% for big titles helps support tools and resources for indie devs. Because of Steam there are far more micro game startups that have a platform to sell and get recognition than any other known platform to date.

Hell, i remember the Steam for Cafes system (which i think still exists) when i used to assist in running an internet cafe/gaming centre almost a decade ago. That rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish was fantastic and a lot of time and effort went into make it so that lan gaming centres could exist (this was when the average cost of a machine that could play crysis at the top capabilities at the time was wayyyy outside the reach of normal consumers and financing wasn't a thing). How many other businesses would take the hit on licensing out games for very little profit to provide an ambiguous user system so that we could provide 32 systems access to a massive library of games. It cost biscuits as well to us commercially.

Now ask yourself, if Steam only took 12%, would they still be able to do things like that?"

I also said in another thread on here that Tim is trying to make Steam give in so they can go "nyah nyah we took down Goliath, ha ha!". If Steam acquiesces to any of Epics demands, they will act little a snotty idiot bully in the schoolyard saying he won by default.

Frankly, I would be surprised if Steam don't do anything, but I would be surprised if they gave in to any demands. I expect the gilded hand to be extended and they say "grow up and lets make the industry better together".

[GinoLatino]

Now ask yourself, if Steam only took 12%, would they still be able to do things like that?"

With the amount of games in their library, they will probably still be profitable with just 5% cut.

[PC-LAD]

@Tabbykatze, If Valve is so needy for the money that they apparently use on infrastructure, why are valve official servers so bad in their own games in regards to integration with isps and their server requirements.

[Spud1]

So, not content with trying to stifle competition in the PC gaming marketplace and destroy the market, Epic are now resorting to outright blackmail?

Shameful, really shameful. It's beyond me how anyone can still try and support/defend these jokers.

[Tabbykatze]

With the amount of games in their library, they will probably still be profitable with just 5% cut.

I don't think they get paid very much to host the game on the store so the cost of using the Steam platform for digital distribution is marginal, it's the per sale cost that they live on. So I highly doubt a 5% cut (or dropping 84% of their income) would be "profitable".

@Tabbykatze, If Valve is so needy for the money that they apparently use on infrastructure, why are valve official servers so bad in their own games in regards to integration with isps and their server requirements.

Do you have examples that their servers are bad that aren't akin to examples that other hosters servers are bad like for EA and Bethesda?

Frankly, I have generally had good experiences with Valve servers fro L4D, CSS etc. But integration with ISPs, do you mean paying the ridiculous sums of money to do DCSP and QoS?

They are not needy for money, they pay alot already so have the higher margin so they have money to spare and move around projects. SteamOS was not a small project, it may have failed due to lack of implementation and drive from hardware vendors but would they be able to do that with 12%?

[PC-LAD]

Do you have examples that their servers are bad that aren't akin to examples that other hosters servers are bad like for EA and Bethesda?

Frankly, I have generally had good experiences with Valve servers fro L4D, CSS etc. But integration with ISPs, do you mean paying the ridiculous sums of money to do DCSP and QoS?

They are not needy for money, they pay alot already so have the higher margin so they have money to spare and move around projects. SteamOS was not a small project, it may have failed due to lack of implementation and drive from hardware vendors but would they be able to do that with 12%?

I agree with you in regards to that EA and the others. I did spam the talk talk and bt forums though after i tested both. Still have talktalk and have relentless issues with tickrate being out of wack usualy goes to 48 which puches ping spikes to above 600 for breif periods. I also agree that the 12% margain is not enough for them to keep a reliable service across the client or produce a new service. But with the 30% and their own games, they should put more effort in for those who have submited complaints.

[GhostSquirrel]

Maybe just sell at different prices. Is this not how any other industry works!? If valve can offer a better client and service to their customers maybe the games should just cost more to cover that cost. If epic can offer a rubbish client and cheaper games, let them do that.

This would offer a true market that gives customers the freedom to support whoever they want and ultimately make people aware that to get a better service the end user must pay.

If steam really are taking the piss with their 30% costs then this would give them the time to adjust when people go elsewhere.

[Tabbykatze]

I agree with you in regards to that EA and the others. I did spam the talk talk and bt forums though after i tested both. Still have talktalk and have relentless issues with tickrate being out of wack usualy goes to 48 which puches ping spikes to above 600 for breif periods.

Sorry but can you tell me, in honest words, why it is Steams responsibility to force BT/OpenReaches hand to give you a better connection stability to their game servers?

[PC-LAD]

Sorry but can you tell me, in honest words, why it is Steams responsibility to force BT/OpenReaches hand to give you better connection stability to their game servers?

It is not just steam, as i stated, I contacted the BT in regards to the issue and they said (the same as talktalk) there should be no issue. (some experiance it, others don't). Every other game I own other than valve games work fine, CS also works fine when i re-route my data through a vpn to russia (stable 80 ping). I don't know the ins/outs of networking so how do i know who is at fault when neither side claim ownership of the issue. The issue is the same on both my laptop+desktop, wired or wireless.

[Tabbykatze]

It is not just steam, as i stated, I contacted the BT in regards to the issue and they said (the same as talktalk) there should be no issue. (some experiance it, others don't). Every other game I own other than valve games work fine, CS also works fine when i re-route my data through a vpn to russia (stable 80 ping). I don't know the ins/outs of networking so how do i know who is at fault when neither side claim ownership of the issue. The issue is the same on both my laptop+desktop, wired or wireless.

How did you establish it was just Valve servers? The Valve engine has great tool for analysing packet flow so are you dramatically noticing it because you have better tools to find it?

And you want Valve to do exactly what? Valve is only responsible for your data ingressing to their equipment and egressing to their ISP, everything else is someone elses problem.

[Spud1]

It's probably worth noting that the vast majority of network issues like you are experiencing PC-LAD are due to equipment in your home - and if you are still with Talk Talk then I woudl put the blame squarely at the Talk Talk router, as all the equipment they supply is complete rubbish (whether cabled or wireless). Talk Talk are also right down at the bottom of the UK's ISPs in terms of repuatation/network and support - you are likely to see much better performance by simply moving away from them to a half decent ISP. Pretty much anyone really, depends on where you live as to who will be best though.

You could also swap the router out to a better one - Draytek if you had the budget, or if not then Asus make some reasonable ones these days too (do some googling over multiple review sites; i'm not up to speed on the current "best" as I use the Sky Q one which has proven reliable for me).

Can be very hard to diagnose though without a lot of time and inputting ££ to replace equipment

[SHSPVR]

Don't for get Steam is the one pushing for Linux and Max and has done a of hell a lot over the year

[spacein_vader]

1. I don't believe if Valve dropped their rate Epic would stop buying exclusives.

2. There's not a cat in hells chance Valve will drop their rates to 12%.

3. I'm not sure it's possible to profitably run a full featured store front with mod support, community forums, drm options, chat client etc. On a 12% margin. Epics store is very barebones.

4. Even if Valve did drop their cut to 12% I reckon there's a good chance they'd get into legal bother. Anti competition authorities tend to take a very dim view when the overwhelmingly largest player in the market drops their rates to match or beat new competition.