News Epic Games Store

[Arc]

PC Gamer chose violence.

So my company has an office in Raleigh North Carolina and one of my coworkers knew someone that was laid off from Epic. He apparently had some information about the layoffs but he didn't want to go into too many details with me. From what he told me it seems like at least some of the layoffs were related to not needing as many support staff in the office due to work from home but I couldn't get much more than that.

I wonder if their new headquarters will ever get built. It was supposed to be completed uhh...this year, but AFAIK they haven't even started construction. I did some Googling and the most recent thing I could find was from 6 months ago where they were still arguing with the city of Cary about zoning.

 

[Spookyfriend]

PC Gamer chose violence.


I wonder if their new headquarters will ever get built. It was supposed to be completed uhh...this year, but AFAIK they haven't even started construction. I did some Googling and the most recent thing I could find was from 6 months ago where they were still arguing with the city of Cary about zoning.

Guess the cheque from Epic Games finally run out if PC gamer is posting headline like this

 

[Arc]

Epic has a plan for the rest of the decade

“We have a very, very long runway,” says Epic’s CEO.

www.theverge.com

On Tuesday, onstage at the Unreal Fest conference in Seattle, Sweeney declared that the company is now “financially sound.” The announcement kicked off a packed two-hour keynote with updates on Unreal Engine, the Unreal Editor for Fortnite, the Epic Games Store, and more.

In an interview with The Verge, Sweeney says that reining in Epic’s spending was part of what brought the company to this point. “Last year, before Unreal Fest, we were spending about a billion dollars a year more than we were making,” Sweeney says. “Now, we’re spending a bit more than we’re making.”

After hundreds of layoffs and Fortnite player numbers being at all time highs (alongside a V-Bucks price increase), Epic still isn't profitable.

 

[Alexandros]

He obviously subscribes to the idea of expanding as much as possible now so they can corner the market later, but all it takes is a single miscalculation for the whole thing to come crumbling down.

 

[FunnyJay]

AKA the Embracer story.

 

[STHX]

 

[ExistentialThought]

Epic still isn't profitable.

But seriously, another game supplanting Fortnite as the defacto game could sink their whole operation. I know they are trying to spend their way to stability and other avenues of revenue, but their acquisition efforts, publishing deals, and running a store have all been money sinks with no clear path to profit.

While use of Unreal has increased, a few years ago it was only making them sub 200m a year. Even with the increased usage after Unity fuck ups and the TV deals, I would be shocked if that increased much more than 500m a year. Edit: Which even with Unreal they are cutting their own profitability to prop up their flailing storefront....

 

[STHX]

Epic and Disney want to make ‘what every Disney fan has ever wanted’

 

[curi0usBystander]

I feel like that's a bad idea? While things might change, as far as i remember BR is the most popular mode by a large distance. And people don't seem to play any other mode, so locking skins out of it sounds like a bad idea. And if you can't carry skins between modes is less of a metaverse and more of a bunch of silos. But i guess it will only affect a small number of skins so who knows.

 

[Arc]

The Disney mode will follow the same trajectory as the other metaverse modes where it has a massive launch but quickly tapers off. I simply don't see the Fortnite audience having a long term appetite for anything that isn't the battle royale.

I feel like that's a bad idea? While things might change, as far as i remember BR is the most popular mode by a large distance. And people don't seem to play any other mode, so locking skins out of it sounds like a bad idea. And if you can't carry skins between modes is less of a metaverse and more of a bunch of silos. But i guess it will only affect a small number of skins so who knows.

Funny thing is their biggest success the past several months has been Reload which is simply a variant of the main mode. Heck if not for that mode, their player numbers would be nearly flat YoY which says more about the dismal state of their metaverse than anything else.

 

[curi0usBystander]

Google must crack open Android for third-party stores, rules Epic judge

Android could soon be a very different place.

www.theverge.com

Starting November 1st, 2024, and ending November 1st, 2027, Google must also:

• Stop requiring Google Pay Billing for apps distributed on the Google Play Store (the jury found that Google had illegally tied its payment system to its app store)
• Let Android developers tell users about other ways to pay from within the Play Store
• Let Android developers link to ways to download their apps outside of the Play Store
• Let Android developers set their own prices for apps irrespective of Play Billing

Google also can’t:

• Share app revenue “with any person or entity that distributes Android apps” or plans to launch an app store
• Offer developers money or perks to launch their apps on the Play Store exclusively or first
• Offer developers money or perks not to launch their apps on rival stores
• Offer device makers or carriers money or perks to preinstall the Play Store
• Offer device makers or carriers money or perks not to preinstall rival stores

I still think, that for the kind of payments one does on phone apps (mostly) being so low (a few bucks) people won't bother going to another site and enter their payment information (this is one of the hardest things to get people to do on online sales). The rest of things, we'll see how they shake up (and how google, like apple, will try to skirt as much as possible).

Although, i'd be surprised if google didn't appeal, so who knows if this will go into effect in a month.

 

[spindoctor]

Google also can’t:

• Offer developers money or perks to launch their apps on the Play Store exclusively or first

The fucking irony of Epic getting a judge to say that another company cannot do this is mindblowing.

 

[Arc]

Google already said they would appeal, but that's wild.

Google was absolutely engaging in bad behavior and should be punished, but some of those remedies are too much IMO.

 

[Ge0force]

So Epic can start money hatting devs on Android, but Google can't? This is insane...

 

[curi0usBystander]

There's also this:

Google will have to distribute rival third-party app stores within Google Play, and it must give rival third-party app stores access to the full catalog of Google Play apps, unless developers opt out individually

That I'm not entirely sure what it means, because if it means what it seems at first glance it's kind of insane.

 

[Alexandros]

There's also this:

That I'm not entirely sure what it means, because if it means what it seems at first glance it's kind of insane.

I believe it means that (for example) Amazon's app store will carry google apps like gmail, maps and such. Basically that Google can't withhold its apps from rival app stores.

 

[undu]

Google already said they would appeal, but that's wild.

Google was absolutely engaging in bad behavior and should be punished, but some of those remedies are too much IMO.

I think precisely because Google has acted in bad faith, the remedies aren't excessive, nevermind the amount of power they wield.

 

[curi0usBystander]

I believe it means that (for example) Amazon's app store will carry google apps like gmail, maps and such. Basically that Google can't withhold its apps from rival app stores.

If that's what it means, it's fine, yes.

 

[Alexandros]

The fact that Google was deemed an illegal monopoly while Apple got away scot free is stupid. This set of rulings sends the wrong message to companies, which is "lock down your platforms from the beginning, keep them locked down and everything will be cool". Only in America.

 

[Arc]

I think precisely because Google has acted in bad faith, the remedies aren't excessive, nevermind the amount of power they wield.

Most of the remedies are reasonable, but the one where Google must allow the entire Play Store catalogue to be accessible on third party stores (and is opt-in by default) is, pardon my French, batshit insane.

The fact that Google was deemed an illegal monopoly while Apple got away scot free is stupid. This set of rulings sends the wrong message to companies, which is "lock down your platforms from the beginning, keep them locked down and everything will be cool". Only in America.

Google giving the illusion of being an open platform while simultaneously locking down competition was their downfall. That and destroying evidence before the trial probably didn't help.

 

[lashman]

 

[STHX]

And no one will use it just like the other platforms

 

[Parsnip]

and it must give rival third-party app stores access to the full catalog of Google Play apps, unless developers opt out individually

Uh, this seems kind of a technical nightmare.

 

[Arc]

A blast from the past.

Allison also told me that they've seen publishers run timed Epic Store exclusives without any deal: They just want to take advantage of Epic's better revenue share for their launch sales before later releasing on Steam. That's why Rockstar put Red Dead Redemption 2 on the Epic Games Store a few weeks before Steam, Allison says.

Whoops.

Hopefully that bodes well for GTA 6 PC having a day one Steam launch.

 

[curi0usBystander]

A blast from the past.



Whoops.

Hopefully that bodes well for GTA 6 PC having a day one Steam launch.

I remember that the game launched on steam, and like a week later it was already discounted. That makes me think to this day, that something didn't work as expected.

 

[jads653]

Saw X Fortnite collab is online. I wish I was kidding. Because nothing says suitable for children more than the Saw franchise. Epic person that is in charge of collabs, please hit me up. I want whatever you are smoking.

 

[Arc]

Fortnite has had collabs with horror franchises ala Alien and Evil Dead so I can't get upset over that.

I find the Michael Meyers and Art the Clown skins in Call of Duty to be more offensive because it completely clashes with the original style.

 

[madjoki]

Epic Game Store now on Steam

 

[Arc]

Epic Game Store now on Steam

Use Junk Store to launch EGS to launch GOG.

 

[Arc]

https://www.fortnite.com/news/learn-whats-new-in-rocket-racing-v31-40

Themed Updates

v31.40 brings the theme back to the starting line as we say goodbye to Inferno Island and themed updates. Future updates will be taking new roads with refreshed Ranked periods, renewed Quests, and additional Car items you can take to the track!

New tracks from creators are releasing every day so racers always have a different place to drift, flip, and fly. There’s no end to the starting lines you can discover! Or, if you’re curious about UEFN, to the ones you can create.

Rocking Racing won't be getting any more official updates and is basically dead.

 

[STHX]

Epic really has some sort of reverse midas touch. But hey, keep chasing that metaverse dream Tim

 

[crimsonheadGCN]

It looks like EA Play subscription is on EGS now:

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/news/ea-play-on-epic-games-store

Only 7o titles on EGS. Think Steam has more with EA App having the most games.

 

[Arc]

Also it's funny hearing about how underbaked the Fab asset store is right now.

 

[STHX]

https://www.fortnite.com/news/coming-soon-progress-your-fortnite-passes-by-playing-any-experience

 

[Arc]

Ewwwww. Welp time to vote for the other guy. I voted for Harris nearly two weeks ago.

 

[CommodoreKong]

Alan Wake 2 still hasn't broken even yet:

https://www.ign.com/articles/remedy-has-recouped-most-of-the-development-and-marketing-expenses-for-alan-wake-2

"Alan Wake 2 continues to be a success for Remedy, with the company reporting today it has recouped "most" of the development and marketing cost of Alan Wake 2 as of the end of September. In its quarterly earnings today, Remedy reported that while the game is not yet generating royalties, it's close to fully recouping costs thanks to continued strong sales."

 

[Arc]

I wouldn't be surprised if they announce profitability next quarter with the physical release and final DLC, but otherwise there's not much else to say other than taking a year+ to get in the black isn't good.

 

[Arc]

Fortnite Player Count · Most Played Fortnite Maps

fortnite.gg

Epic kicked off their Chapter 2 nostalgia season this weekend and it peaked at ~4.57 million concurrent which is down a tad from the 6.1 million first weekend peak for the chapter 1 throwback season. Please ignore the 9.8 million concurrent for the Snoop Dogg concert as it doesn't fit my agenda.

 

[CommodoreKong]

Person that replied is a Remedy employee.

 

[Arc]

I think I'm about halfway through Alan Wake 2. It's amazing. I love the atmosphere, the gameplay and the overall weird vibe. I know Remedy wears their David Lynch inspiration proudly on their sleeve, but there isn't enough Lynchian media so I'm as happy as can be. It's probably the scariest game I've ever played and makes Resident Evil look like a Disney World ride. Would have easily made my top 5 last year. The soundtrack also has some pop/rock bangers I wouldn't have expected such as Night Springs and SHOW ME THE CHAMPION OF LIIIIIGHT

 

[Arc]

Remedy Entertainment (@remedygames.com)

News from our Capital Markets day: 🔦 Alan Wake 2 has sold over 1.8M units 🔻 Control Ultimate Edition will release on Mac February 12th 2025 💥 Control 2 will be an action RPG 🎁 Control will receive a free update in early 2025, unlocking some previously released content 🔎 https://buff.ly/4eCBQEU

bsky.app

News from our Capital Markets day:
Alan Wake 2 has sold over 1.8M units
Control Ultimate Edition will release on Mac February 12th 2025
Control 2 will be an action RPG
Control will receive a free update in early 2025, unlocking some previously released content

Alan Wake 2 was at 1.3 million in February so 500k copies sold in ~9 months.

 

[Ge0force]

I love how dead this thread is, as well as the EGS subreddit. No one is talking about EGS anymore since Epic dropped the coupons and exclusives.