WannaLogAlready wrote on Dec 26, 2020, 23:27:
Interesting point.
Though the developer studio would be more at fault even if sharing the sin with the tempter.
Maybe Epic's money helped the studio stay open or start producing another game ?

And if that was what it was all about then why would they demand exclusivity? These aren't unfunded or underfunded games. They went through the kickstarter process and finished with stretch goals in place. Epic didn't just pitch in and say "I want to help make your game a reality. Here's x or y million in exchange for a modest cut of the profits."

It was basically a directed attack on Steam and even worse on backers that chose Steam as their platform...and made the game possible in the first place. Before Epic came along there was no corporate entity waving a bag of money at those funded projects and offering to buy them out in exchange for exclusivity. And yes the developers are themselves guilty of taking the money but that doesn't absolve Epic of making it available and setting terms that are anti-backer in a Kickstarter project.

But Epic's tactic is pretty amazing :

Promoting PC gaming to,
- New gamers that got to play games only because they were free.
- Old gamers trying and discovering games they wouldn't have bought.
- Poor gamers unable to buy even cheap games in these troubled times, getting some incredible gifts (Grand Theft Auto V premium edition, Remnant From the Ashes, both Watch Dogs, etc, etc).

I have some 1300 steam games, never bought 1 game anywhere else, unless it was a key I could redeem on Steam.

I respect your stance and liked reading it, opinions give valuable and sometimes eye opening perspective.

But also, I truly love Epic Games Store for 119 games, so far (not counting ones in Steam too).
Like never before on Thursdays, my heart soars that day

All that is fine and I don't have an issue with free games in general. I just don't want any from Epic. Hell sketchy shit is coming out about what their launcher is doing in the background now. I'm fine missing out if it means that I can avoid all that drama.