Beamer wrote on Sep 3, 2021, 18:59:

Kxmode wrote on Sep 3, 2021, 16:17:

Beamer wrote on Sep 3, 2021, 14:36:
You don't think the strategy will work, so you don't take free games?

I don't do free stuff when I know why they are doing it. It's akin to "you've won a free Bahamas cruise!"

Beamer wrote on Sep 3, 2021, 14:36:
Cutting off your nose to spite your face, essentially. If the strategy won't work there's no harm in taking free games

"To claim your free Bahamas cruise, just stay on the call, and you'll be transferred to our 'specialist' who will assist you."

There's always a reason something is free. I know Epic's reason. I'm not playing their game.

Your analogy falls incredibly flat. It's not like a scam "you've won a cruise." It's not even like a time share. It's more like going to Costco and taking a free sample. They're hoping you buy the product. You know you won't, but hey, free Dunkaroos. There's literally no follow-up, no obligation, no 4 hour meeting to sit through. You get the free product and it ends.

I already explained what Epic's definition of "free" entails in my original comment:

"I haven't grabbed a single free game because I see what Epic is trying to do. They are trying to make customers by giving away free stuff until a person has so many games they'll buy from them (at least, that's the rationale Epic is making). Human behavior isn't like that. People are fickle. Free games are one thing (most don't complain about free). However, consciously buying them is another. A person doesn't just buy the game. They also take into account what the platform offers. People tend to gravitate towards the platform that provides the most. Once Epic stops their freebies, many will go back to GOG (DRM-free) or Steam (feature-rich) as their default store, and all the money Epic burned "buying" customers will be for naught."

Epic's endgame is domination or fragmentation. Epic is okay with either.

Domination = you become Epic's only customer because you have so many freebies on their platform that you cave in and buy from them.

Fragmentation = you have so many Epic freebies you divide your business between EGS and Steam.

"you've won a free cruise" wasn't meant to be taken literal in the ways you described it: "There's no follow-up, no obligation, no 4 hour meeting to sit through. You get the free product and it ends."

The metaphor points to the ulterior motive behind the freebie, similar to the ulterior reason behind "free cruises." I happen to know WHY Epic is spending millions to give away free stuff. They're trying to poach customers from competing platforms because their platform cannot do that on merit and features. I still think people will continue to buy from their preferred platform after the freebies end. It's inevitable human behavior.