this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2024
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I think we generally agree, but I worry that a new platform couldn't do more than GoG+Lutris already do. Perhaps, though, it could be done with a reputable foundation.
And the lawsuit is more or less what I was radio referring to with Steam's price rules. I would definitely be on board with striking the requirement for publishers to offer the same price on all platforms at the same time.
On that note, though, I wouldn't take the whole case at face value, as I think parts of it are pretty frivolous (unless they prove that Steam is actually actively stifling competition and, you know, not just a decent platform that entered the space first.) I also think it's silly to point out Epic's lower commission rate since they've been giving out free games like candy and actually making third party games exclusive to their platform in a very clear attempt to compete with Stream. There's absolutely no guarantee that they won't raise their commission once they have a foothold in the market (though I do concede that their licensing terms for Unreal Engine have remained fairly reasonable).