this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2024
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Nothing more disappointing to me than seeing a game I might enjoy... and then it's only available on PC on Epic Games store. Why can't it be available on Epic, Xbox game store and Steam? It's so annoying, like you have no choice but to use Epic... which I would literally do ANYTHING not to use.

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[–] [email protected] -4 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

Epic games launcher is no where best as bad as anyone says. The storefront is also one of most responsive ones, especially compared to the likes of GOG.

For me, I just buy a game wherever it's cheapest. Like I got satisfactory on epic because I could get it like £15 cheaper than steam.

Like I don't understand why people are so irked by a steam alternative. It's not like it requires new hardware to play it's exclusives like with consoles. Aren't we all supposed to be against monopolies, steam needs competition, look at how shit its sales have been for like 10 years now compared to what they were like prior.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

why people are so irked by a steam alternative

I'm not irked by a Steam alternative. I'm irked by Epic Launcher. It's so incredibly slow to start up.

Also not available on much more than Windows.

[–] SuperSpruce 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

When was the last time you used it?

Also use Heroic launcher to bypass the bloat.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It's been some months. I usually just game on Steam installed with flatpak on Arch Linux.

I'll look into Heroic. There are quite a few such solutions. Lutris or whatever, and similar. It's a jungle to me.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Wait until you read all the problems people have with EGS!

I've read people complaining they lost their account and support couldn't do shit because "of security reasons" while steam needs a few stuff and you get it back. I've helped someone getting his steam account back after someone stole his account changing mail + password in like ~12 hours (?)/1 day

Was very simple:

  • Yo steam I lost my account here a bunch of pics proving my email was the owner of said game: There you can see my old steam user, email address and purchase
  • Let me check Yep, you're right. Changed back your email and your password has been reset. Log back in and change it

Was really that simple! A few mails

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

I've experienced losing my old email address, and all traces of my old digital identity. They went above and beyond to work with me till I could prove to their satisfaction that I was the original owner of the account, then restored it to me. Steam support is generally amazing.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Epic games launcher is no where best as bad as anyone says.

Is it better now? Last I used it, earlier this year, it still took me half a year for any UI change to happen when I did anything.

To be clear, I hated Steam for ages too. Only maybe 6 years ago I started actually buying games there. Before then I'd just pirate everything. The Steam application often had issues and I had no money before then anyway. But nowadays I find Steam more convenient than piracy. I do not find EGS more convenient than piracy. I do wish Steam had more meaningful competition.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

It's fine, it lists the games I have, installs and updates them and I can press play to play them without anything like pop-ups getting in the way.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Aren't we all supposed to be against monopolies, steam needs competition

Steam is not a monopoly. The vast majority of PC gaming revenue is made outside Steam. Fortnite: EGS only, not on Steam. Minecraft: own web storefront and Microsoft Store, not on Steam. Roblox: I think it has its own storefront, it's not on Steam.

Steam has an estimated revenue of 8.6bn out of PC gaming's overall 45bn. It's very far from even approaching 50%, let alone surpass it.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/50-Years-of-Video-Game-Revenue-Dec-30.jpg

I don't mind other storefronts. What I mind is people spreading the false narrative as if one of the most widely installed storefronts (EGS because of Fortnite) is somehow the little underdog.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Steam has an estimated revenue of 8.6bn out of PC gaming's overall 45bn.

Do you have a source on that? I'd love to quote it in future

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Dude, I embedded the source right in the comment you've replied to. 🤦

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

Ah. I was not expecting numbers for 2023 under a 2003 year heading.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Does the image have a source? Also I don't think just revenue some us the only Barometer for a monopoly. If something has very few users but had really high prices that they're willing to pay for them by your metric they'd be closer to a monopoly than steam

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Does the image have a source?

Yes, the image has a source and everything is detailed in the lower part of the image.

Also I don't think just revenue some us the only Barometer for a monopoly. If something has very few users but had really high prices that they're willing to pay for them by your metric they'd be closer to a monopoly than steam

But that's exactly why the EU classified Apple as digital gatekeeper: iPhones have a lower installed base than Android in the EU but higher spending.

Given the massive popularity of Fortnite, I wouldn't bet if Steam has a higher installed base than EGS. People just prefer to buy on Steam.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The apple thing wasn't about apple vs android for a monopoly. It was about how there's no alternative option on ios for purchasing apps. Android is completely irrelevant to that decision.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The apple thing wasn’t about apple vs android for a monopoly. It was about how there’s no alternative option on ios for purchasing apps.

Nobody in the EU would have cared if the commercial app market wasn't dominated by Apple. Plenty of devices out there don't let you install random stuff off the internet but if the market dominance isn't there, the EU won't care.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

I can't think of any other devices that have apps in the same sense where other developers can also release their apps as long as there is a cut for the platform holder where there is no other legal alternative to get apps elsewhere.

The only examples I can think of are games consoles, but they are seemingly next on the chopping block. I think the only thing that has stopped that from happening as soon as the apple one is the fact that for the majority of games, you can still get them physically elsewhere at prices that aren't completely dictated by the platform holder.

[–] SuperSpruce 1 points 3 weeks ago

I'm gonna have to agree. It used to be about the most slow and bloated thing in existence, but they actually fixed a lot of performance issues last time I checked. It's still slow, but in the same time period Steam on Windows decided to add a pointless splash screen increasing the load time by 4x, letting Epic take the W by a wide margin in load times, while responsiveness is a draw.

Yes, I know that Steam is more feature complete and consumer friendly which is why I still prefer to buy from Steam when possible.