Epic Games are persevering with to slap on a thick coat of money to clean over issues with their substandard retailer, now asserting cash is their resolution to discontent over crowdfunded games comparable to Shenmue III changing into Epic exclusives. For games whose crowdfunding campaigns provided keys for the game on a selected retailer earlier than the game grew to become a timed Epic unique, Epic now say, they’ll both organize keys for the promised retailer or pay for refunds. I do suppose persons are making mountains out of molehills, however I’m instructed that’s what the Internet is for. And goodness me, have Epic purchased the Thompson Hillsquisher XR300, the ‘Silver Sentinel’? Complete with the non-compulsory racing stripes, saddlebags, and pewter bell?
The unique plan for Shenmue III was only a PC launch of some kinds, a plan which developed right into a Steam launch and settled there for a very long time. Then Epic got here alongside flashing money and providing a bigger lower of gross sales than Steam presents, and publishers Deep Silver jumped ship for a year-long exclusivity association. The Epic Games Store having induced extra furore than any digital retailer launch since Steam, some backers had been displeased by this modification. Seems a good few are extra eager to not help Epic than they’re to play Shenmue III. All of which raised a stink large enough for everybody concerned to chime in and for me to publish about.
Developers Ys Net say that they had tried to get Steam keys out there to backers who needed them on launch day however “coordination with the sales policies of the involved companies was untenable.” Steam keys will come when the game hits there a yr later. They’re additionally providing to let backers have a PlayStation four copy as a substitute of PC. And no, getting the bodily PC launch isn’t a workaround as a result of the disc “will contain the Epic Games Store installer and not the actual game data” (similar as many big-budget games on discs today). Or backers can simply get a refund, which Epic are serving to with.
“Epic is funding the cost of all Kickstarter refunds resulting from Shenmue III’s move to the Epic Games store, so that refunds won’t reduce Ys Net’s development funding,” CEO Tim Sweeney tweeted yesterday. And for the subsequent crowdfunded game they purchase up, and the subsequent?
“When future games go Epic-exclusive after offering crowdfunding rewards on other PC stores, we’ll either coordinate with colleagues at the other stores to ensure key availability in advance, or guarantee refunds at announcement time,” he added in a follow-up.
It stays wild to me that Epic are placing a lot cash into their Store’s catalogue when its website and software program are nonetheless so missing (with many improvements behind schedule). I do know {the catalogue} is the primary factor the Store has going for it so what else are they going to do, however sheesh. While it sucked when Valve pulled this 15-odd years in the past with Counter-Strike and Half-Life 2 on Steam, not less than then we didn’t have 2019’s Steam or Itch.io or GOG or Humble as factors of comparability. It doesn’t even present launch dates!
November 19th is when Shenmue III will hit the Epic Games Store, I’ll inform you in the event that they gained’t.
My principal criticism about Epic paying for exclusives is that their choice is so secure, so standard. Drop novelty jumbo cheques on weirdos who may actually use them, you cowards. From the Medicis to the Sacklers, patronage of the humanities is a time-honoured methodology for cleaning one’s public picture. C’mon, do it. Do it, cowards. I dare you. Do it.
