How much noise is the Phoenix Point deal going to make though? As far as I can see there were around 10,000 backers,...realistically how many do you think will ask for a refund? And how much awareness was there in the wider audience? It'll take the right straw to break the camel's back, and I don't think we've got there yet...(or maybe that should be reverse buckaroo.)
I will ask for a refund myself, and reading comments on Fig and elsewhere, I see many others saying they already done so, or will be doing so.
But, someone from the team already said on Reddit that, even if they refund everyone, they would still be "on the black" after their deal with Epic, so they aren't too worried about this.
Regarding the deal, Epic is clearly banking on that saying that "every publicity is good publicity". When they announced their first exclusives, people kept saying "at least it doesn't apply to games already up to pre-order elsewhere". Then, they did that whole thing with Metro Exodus, to show that yes, we can take a game from another platform 2 weeks before release. People thought "at least, games that were crowdfunded, and that Steam and GOG keys were promised, are safe from this". Well, this was clearly done to prove that, no, we can also take these games. I remind you that the developer of Phoenix Point isn't just not providing a Steam key, they are also not providing either a GOG copy, or even a download (like they currently have with their betas, which are using their own client). No, you either get it on Epic, or you won't get it for a year.
You know what: I really don't feel the need, at all, to support developers who pull crap like this. Not even Julian Gollop, a developer whose works I have been following for 30+ years.
I know some people aren't bothered by these moves and practices, but I am. Some get upset, but will simply buy the games anyway when they launch on Steam. Or they will buy them on other platforms, like consoles. I certainly won't. I can live without a videogame, no matter what game it is. I prefer to miss out on games I was looking forward to for years, than to support a company that essentially thinks they can pull whatever move they want, and "bully" me into using their platform, and I'll simply go along. My principles are still worth more than any videogame to me.
This was the list I posted of the games I was most looking forward to this year (the link that doesn't work any more was for the Steam page of The Division 2):
As the title states, what games of 2019 are you looking forward to? This isn't going to be a vote thread, since I'm way too lazy for that, but on the other hand this means the rules don't have to be that strict. Or rather, who needs rules :wd_p: Feel free to mention as many games as you like...
metacouncil.com
As you can see, many of these games are now EGS exclusives, but despite that, I'm honestly determined not to give them (both Epic, and developers) any cent, not this year, not next year.
Before Phoenix Point, I already thought about the possibility of both Shenmue 3, and Bloodstained, to turn EGS exclusives. And, despite being crazy about both the Shenmue series, and the Castlevania series, and dropping a few hundred $ on each of these campaigns, I made the decision that not even those games will make me change my principles.
Saying this, by now I'm pretty immune to whatever they may try, it won't change my mind about not giving them a single cent, nor the developers who are cutting these deals.
