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Last year saw the release of Tetris Effect, a wild and trippy take on the beloved Tetris formula. It received high praise and numerous accolades, becoming a must-have PlayStation 4 exclusive. And now, PC players will have the chance to try the game out for themselves, as Epic Games Store will be bringing Tetris Effect to their platform. The PC version will support 4K and higher resolutions, uncapped framerates, and ultrawide compatibility. There will also be support for VR headsets, such as the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift. Tetris Effect will launch as an Epic Games Store exclusive on July 23rd and will cost $39.99.

 

[Izual Urashima]

And another bites the dust. Turning to piracy for that one too, I guess.

That being said, I'm still surprised. Every thread about EGS buying an exclusivity, people are complaining for the (right) reasons - Clunky and dubious launcher, useless data mining that may go to Tencent/China, bringing back exclusivities in a place that doesn't need them for no reason (since it doesn't even protect games against piracy), and so on.

And every thread about EGS buying an exclusivity, we have the same people trying hard to deny these things, with the fallacies of "it worked for me" and other idiocies like this, when it isn't with blatant lies or attacks against the posters themselves.

Guess EGS doesn't only have the money to buy the game, but also to buy shills. Oh well.

 

[Viri]

Why does everyone hate Epic Game Store?

It lacks even a simple feature like a shopping cart. Plus, it has questionable ties to the CCP. I have a hate boner for the CCP.

 

[Pipistrele]

If it means Tetris Effect on PC, I don't mind it one bit

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

And another bites the dust. Turning to piracy for that one too, I guess.

That being said, I'm still surprised. Every thread about EGS buying an exclusivity, people are complaining for the (right) reasons - Clunky and dubious launcher, useless data mining that may go to Tencent/China, bringing back exclusivities in a place that doesn't need them for no reason (since it doesn't even protect games against piracy), and so on.

And every thread about EGS buying an exclusivity, we have the same people trying hard to deny these things, with the fallacies of "it worked for me" and other idiocies like this, when it isn't with blatant lies or attacks against the posters themselves.

Guess EGS doesn't only have the money to buy the game, but also to buy shills. Oh well.

As I said previously, people are just tired of same points being regurgitated again and again. "EGS bad", "Tencent gonna spy on my yiff collection", etc - we get that already, thanks for reminding for 428th time. To be fair, EGS defenders aren't exactly better, and both sides are equally annoying, but they're rarely the ones who start it, so at least they have that going for them. Piracy proclamations are as silly as always - like, nobody really cares, pirate all you want if that's your cup of tea.

 

[Silent_Gunner]

Considering Epic is throwing around money like there's no tomorrow, I wonder if games like this and Journey would have ever come to PC, without the EGS's intervention. More games on PC is always awesome, but less choice is not.

That choice is known as Orbital, Playstation Now (insert J Jonah laugh here), and that other emulator that played the Megaman NES Collection. Seriously, what was that emulator called again?

Also, not to be that guy, but it's fucking Tetris. Not exactly the most compelling exclusive, though I'm judging a book by its cover on this one.

 

[tech3475]

If you are making a new platform, much less one in a market where it is mostly controlled by one entity, then content is king, and as making lots of content is hard one tends to buy it in. To that end when they run out of money, when such things are losing them more money than it gains market share, or when they come to dominate the market and no longer need to incentivise things.

That was my thought, although I wonder how profitable the store is right now even with the payouts? If it is then a part of me wonders if this will just be what they do from now on.

 

[Chary]

not to be that guy, but it's fucking Tetris

Considering it was one of last year's highest-rated games by both fans and critics, and pulled in the top 10 sales for Media Create that week, I'd say this was a particularly standout Tetris game.

 

[Deleted User]

I always thought that you couldn't just fix a problem by throwing money at it, clearly I was wrong.

 

[RistarTheStar]

ohhh my. nope, i'm gonna keep playin puyo puyo tetris on steam

 

[Deleted User]

lmao the market isn controlled by one entity, why do epic fanboys act as if GOG, uplay, origin, microsoft store, etc. aint a thing?

Because noone releases anything on GoG or Microsoft Store and Origin has a dodgy reputation.

Steam has practically been a monopoly which has forced customers with a bone to pick with nonexistent customer support out of the PC gaming market.

 

[xdarkx]

Another Epic exclusive game to skip.

 

[Kadji]

*sigh*
Guys, EGS will not disappear, no matter how much you bitch and moan about it.

Why is it such a problem that EGS is getting exclusive games (most are only time limited)?
It *would* be a problem if they demanded moon prices for the games, but they are usually a bit cheaper.

Sure, EGS has no Community features, Cloudsaves or a shoping cart (why is that a problem? Never understood the "no shoping cart" problem). But Steam also did not have them from day one.
Heck, I remember a time where every second article on Kotaku was about problems with Steam, be it greenlight, steam-machines, review-bombing, the toxic community and so on.

"Booh Hooh hooh, they are working together with a chinese company" - So what? You are using electronical devices from China every day. Many Apps from the App-Store are from China. If they want your "data" (whatever that might be) they will get your data. They (the chinese government / Tencent) don't need to burn their connection to Epic for that.
The datamining during launch was a big fat mistake from Epic though, they should have been much clearer in their communication that this was only done to provide you with friend suggestions (e.g. importing your Steam Friends into EGS). But after all it was done with the best intent towards the customer.

And please, the people crying about "another Launcher": Just don't put everything into your damn autostart and configure your PC properly, it's not that hard. Just start the Launcher when you want to play a game that needs the launcher, and when you are done, just close the launcher. Seriously people, what is the problem with multiple launchers?

I understand people who are pissed because of specific situations, e.g. the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter - but that has been sorted out by now.

Oh and from a developer perspective Epic offers one of the best contracts regarding the use of the UE Engine.
TBH: As a software developer myself, even though not in the gaming market, I would sell my games through EGS. Why should I settle for a smaller profit with Steam, which might have the bigger Userbase but is flooded with shovelware, when I can go to EGS, get a bigger cut and be more prominently placed in their shop (since the selection is much smaller)?

And one last thing: Does anybody *realy* want Valve/Steam to have a monopoly over the digital gaming market? I don't, so I am glad to have some more real competition against Steam aviable.
GOG is great but does not have the financial power to be a real thread against Steam. The Ubisoft launcher and Origin only have the games from their parent companys, they are also no real thread.
EGS is the only real competitor against Valve/Steam.

EDIT: Ok, this might have been a bit harsh against Steam. I realy love the "try the game and give it back if it does not work properly" policy which has saved me from wasting money for PUBG which run like crap on my PC. The community boards, even though toxic as hell, are also nice to have (although I would rather use Reddit for that). But this was not a post for Steam - this was a post defending EGS from all the (unreasonable, at least for me) hate it gets.

 

[npiet1]

The game is great, just not $50 great. Maybe $15. I only played the demo though.

 

[Xzi]

Because noone releases anything on GoG or Microsoft Store

Not even remotely true, GOG has a much bigger catalog than EGS, and many EGS "exclusives" are being released simultaneously on the new Microsoft (Xbox) app.

Steam has practically been a monopoly which has forced customers with a bone to pick with nonexistent customer support out of the PC gaming market.

Is this really an issue any more after they introduced their automatic refund policy? For support with individual games there's always the forums to contact the developer or ask other users for help.

 

[Bladexdsl]

Considering it was one of last year's highest-rated games by both fans and critics, and pulled in the top 10 sales for Media Create that week, I'd say this was a particularly standout Tetris game.

wow they must not have had any other games worth playing that year if fucking tetris was a must have game. must have been a slow year just like this one

 

[DBlaze]

So basically tetris with way too trippy backgrounds and flashy effects blasting straight into your eyes?
Sounds like an incredible idea. Dare I say, it's an EPIC idea?
/s

 

[Deleted User]

Not even remotely true, GOG has a much bigger catalog than EGS, and many EGS "exclusives" are being released simultaneously on the new Microsoft (Xbox) app.


Is this really an issue any more after they introduced their automatic refund policy? For support with individual games there's always the forums to contact the developer or ask other users for help.

The forums was the first place I looked and everyone else was having the same problem with no word from the developer, after the fixes people suggested didn't work, I applied for a refund and quoted the NZ consumer guarantees act 1993 where it states I'm entitled to a refund and they gave me an automatic response saying it's been more than 2 weeks even though they say in the subscriber agreement they will comply with that exact act which is not superseded by store policy either way.

So I've blacklisted Valve. Not gonna give money to a company that sells faulty goods and hides from accountability.

 

[Xzi]

The forums was the first place I looked and everyone else was having the same problem with no word from the developer, after the fixes people suggested didn't work, I applied for a refund and quoted the NZ consumer guarantees act 1993 where it states I'm entitled to a refund and they gave me an automatic response saying it's been more than 2 weeks even though they say in the subscriber agreement they will comply with that exact act which is not superseded by store policy either way.

So I've blacklisted Valve. Not gonna give money to a company that sells faulty goods and hides from accountability.

I mean, that sucks and all, but none of the other digital storefronts offer a refund policy that's any better, and that sounds like something you should be blacklisting that particular developer for. Broken games and abandonware are certainly not exclusive to Steam.

 

[FAST6191]

lmao the market isn controlled by one entity, why do epic fanboys act as if GOG, uplay, origin, microsoft store, etc. aint a thing?

Is that like how Windows does not control the OS market because Linux, various flavours of BSD, OSX and Minix exist? Android might have changed the game a bit but as for PC game selling operations then Steam are the big swinging dick that looms over everything, censoring stuff, preventing game resale and not giving a whole lot in return for it.

personally, when i get off my ass and finally buy new games, i buy 2-5 games at once. so a shopping cart is mandatory, i very highly doubt doubt I'm alone

having a per-game forum is super useful for quick and basic access to support or a game's economy if it has one, I've poked around in the steam forums from time to time when i was too lazy to go to some other site to try to get other support, so it's pretty useful to have. the benefit to having a forum dedicated to a single game outclasses various swiss army knife forums that do everything
edit: to add an extra point to this, a lot of the time you can get support from the devs themselves directly, or other experienced users, so you get a full spectrum of help. albeit the forums can be toxic or just filled with children that have no idea what they're talking about... but really what forum doesn't have that?

steam workshop is far easier to install mods than having to go to an external site like moddb or nexus, manually install the mod, or use their mod managers. mod selection is limited yes, but some people don't want to go super in-depth with modding a game

one thing steam has that literally no other storefront has that i enjoy, is uninstalling parts of a game, or removing DLC you don't use to save on disk space. for example, i can uninstall the campaign and singleplayer for black ops 3 and save myself somewhere around around 80GB. with black ops 4 on battle.net however, I'm stuck with the game being 150gb without being able to uninstall the multiplayer, battle royale, or DLC maps i don't play.

2 to 5 makes a cart mandatory? give me convenience or death I suppose.

Back on forums I really dislike walled gardens that will go up in a puff of smoke when it all pops in however long. Moreover how many times have we seen devs and others making their steam forums/threads/whatever be bad? I find it best not to give people all the power.

Are so few things lacking in component uninstall these days? Didn't realise things were so bad.

You're not trying to justify Epic having a game store. You've got some hard disdain toward Steam. Where did Newell touch you!? Seriously, this is desperation if I've seen it.The workshop is fantastic, because it's BUILT IN. The forums are dedicated and easier to traverse. Usually, you're where you want to be if you want to ask specific questions or find advice, walkthroughs, etc. Yes, those features are great to have. Necessary? No. Convenient? Yes. The "walled garden" (lol) has some great features and functionality. YOU don't agree with all of it? Great. Quit trying to goad people. Every one of your questions and concerns has been addressed at least 10 times. I don't know what it is with your trolling against Steam, but dear lord it's a different level. Every. Single. Thread.

I hate Steam, and I hate Epic trying to be a Steam clone. I dislike that I can't resell games. I dislike people trying to censor things. I dislike having to use one market for an awful lot of content. I dislike devs having to deal with Valve to be in with a shot of making it. Epic however have a chance of taking Steam out so until they start doing egregious shit they have the benefit of the doubt and if I happen to get a few Steam Stockholm Syndrome sufferers frothing at the mouth by constantly questioning things then so much the better.

I would also say my concerns remain unaddressed. People have tried to offer some justifications but they are all tissue thin and ultimately a minor convenience at best from where I sit. How such things could possibly justify giving the market to Steam I have yet to comprehend.

 

[Xzi]

I dislike people trying to censor things.

Well then you should be in support of Valve's hands-off approach. There are plenty of games full of T&A on Steam, and it's not like it's ever been hard to find gratuitous violence.

I dislike having to use one market for an awful lot of content.

So why support a company that forces a single buying option down consumer's throats? With Steam you can buy/sell keys on any number of other sites with varying discounts. EGS doesn't allow key redemption.

Epic however have a chance of taking Steam out

No they don't rofl, this is either fantasy or delusion. Epic is hemorrhaging money for TEMPORARY exclusivity. Meanwhile Steam continues to rake in the same consistent profits it always has, and most PC gamers are patient enough to wait for those exclusives to come to Steam anyway. We're used to waiting for console exclusivity to expire, after all.

I would also say my concerns remain unaddressed. People have tried to offer some justifications but they are all tissue thin and ultimately a minor convenience at best from where I sit. How such things could possibly justify giving the market to Steam I have yet to comprehend.

Nobody "gave" Steam a majority market share. They earned consumer trust over time and through a lot of effort put into improving and upgrading the platform. As long as Epic sticks to ham-fisted and impatient strategies, it will only continue to earn them disdain from consumers.

 

[FAST6191]

Well then you should be in support of Valve's hands-off approach. There are plenty of games full of T&A on Steam, and it's not like it's ever been hard to find gratuitous violence.


So why support a company that forces a single buying option down consumer's throats? With Steam you can buy/sell keys on any number of other sites with varying discounts. EGS doesn't allow key redemption.


No they don't rofl, this is either fantasy or delusion. Epic is hemorrhaging money for TEMPORARY exclusivity. Meanwhile Steam continues to rake in the same consistent profits it always has, and most PC gamers are patient enough to wait for those exclusives to come to Steam anyway. We're used to waiting for console exclusivity to expire, after all.


Nobody "gave" Steam a majority market share. They earned consumer trust over time and through a lot of effort put into improving and upgrading the platform. As long as Epic sticks to ham-fisted and impatient strategies, it will only continue to earn them disdain from consumers.

Given their past actions have included out and out censorship I am "I will believe it when I see it". I like the move towards it but it would be better if their censorship was an irrelevance as there are other games in town.

I view Epic exclusivity as no worse than Steam's de facto exclusivity. Them offering the option to kick some keys somewhere else is meaningless really as it all comes back to Steam in the end.

I don't think we will all be talking of Epic in the same way as we do of Steam in a few years but with potentials this great and the people backing them that they have then Epic have a real chance to do some serious damage to the current status quo. I also await this vaunted patience -- I am imagining it will be like that thing where people decried left4dead 2 coming out and signed a petition to register their displeasure, fast forward to l4d2 release and it was noted an awfully large percentage of the signatories got the game.


Steam was right place at the right time, tied it to a couple of hotly anticipated titles to get it started and then by the time anybody realised they were something of a juggernaut. Why people continue to give them so much for so very little in return.