Epic Games announced during The Game Awards 2018 their digital marketplace for PC video game titles. At first, this seemed like nothing more than an attempt to provide select video game titles on the PC similar to Valve’s Steam. The latter has been the go-to source for digital video games on the PC platform with other marketplaces failing to establish a real threat to the service but that may change with Epic Games Store. To celebrate the launch of the marketplace Epic Games Store is currently offering a free download of Subnautica.
Set within the late 22nd century, players in Subnautica step into the shoes of an astronaut who are set to discover and colonize new planets. However, early in the game, our protagonist is the lone survivor of a crashed spaceship. Trapped on an aquatic planet filled with creatures, some of which will be hostile to the player, gamers are free to explore the world and progress through the narrative. During the journey, players will have to collect a variety of resources to maintain nutrition, hydration, and of course, oxygen.
This was a big indie hit within the 2018 year of video game releases. Gamers can download a copy of Subnautica for free all the way up to December 27, 2018. So far Epic Games is providing gamers an incentive to check out their marketplace much like developers. For instance, developers are promised to receive 88% of sales on their video game titles whereas Valve’s Steam marketplace will only provide 70%.
Could the potential profits be enough for developers to start selling their video games exclusively on the Epic Games Store or is the longstanding Valve Steam marketplace in no real threat of losing out on sales and the community of players?
[Source: Epic Games Store; Game Informer]