Sweeney has been open about Epic's reason for exclusives, saying he hopes to create lasting change in the industry to better compensate developers for their work - though as long as fans don't like the way it's being done, it doesn't seem like Steam will feel too pressured to change their own policies on the matter. Games made in Unreal Engine also see the usual 5% surcharge waived when sold through Epic's platform. There's also a clear financial incentive to publishing first on the Epic Games Store, which only takes a 12% cut from game sales, compared to Steam's rather more sizeable 30%. The post added that "Epic Games has been with us from the start of the project when we adopted Unreal Engine 4 for development, and have given us their support throughout the development process." This after initially promising a Steam release. A Checkered Past Back in July, Deep Silver announced Shenmue 3 would be an Epic Game Store exclusive for the first year. It's worth noting that Shenmue III is being developed within Epic's Unreal Engine, too, making their relationship somewhat tied together already. While it’s easy to pick holes at the strategy for being overly cynical, the controversy-plagued lead up to release may have prompted the decision. It also courted some controversy from trying to 'steal' games like Metro Exodus, which had previously been confirmed to launch on Steam. It's a clear sign of goodwill towards players, even if some still feel slighted by the exclusive agreement.Įpic's strategy of timed exclusives has ruffled the feathers of those used to buying through Steam, which has built up a wider array of user features and conveniences, over Epic's nascent storefront. Shenmue 3 caused some controversy earlier this year after moving away from Steam and opting to launch as an Epic Games Store exclusive. However, at the same time, there are probably a lot of Shenmue fans who will play the game regardless of the launcher, and all this is outrage over nothing.Epic CEO Tim Sweeney waded onto Twitter to clarify the refund policy publicly, saying that it would be Epic funding the refunds for backers unhappy with the move to its store. You can bet there are some dedicated, loyal Shenmue fans ready to take this to court. Despite the shady business practice of changing platform so close to the game’s release, this is also illegal under EU law. “I want my money back!” seems to be the repetitive chorus, as hard-done-by fans start kicking-off on Kickstarter. There are comments popping up on Twitter and even on the trailer for Shenmue III. Others shout “It’s the Chinese! They’re watching us!”, and the more ordinary folk don’t want to download another game launcher. Games like Borderlands 3 and Metro Exodus (funnily enough, another game from Deep Silver) have already been pitted for timed Epic Store exclusive releases. Some fans complain about Epic’s predatory business practices, using their vast pool of Fortnite money to buy out exclusive games from Steam. Though that’s not to say there aren’t reasons to dislike the Epic Store. Most likely, it began in a cloudy sub-Reddit inhabited by Steam and Valve super-fans. People really hate the Epic Store, though where or how or why it started is an internet mystery. Seriously.įor the meantime though, there are bigger problems with the game. Watch as Ryo Hazuki saves a little girl as she falls from a ladder she has no reason to be on, and the facial animation is still a bit wacky. Like an old Dreamcast game reimagined for the 21st century. The original games received a cult following and are widely considered some of the most ambitious video games of all time.ĭirector Yu Suzuki showed up at E3 himself to show off a new game trailer, and the game looks as hilariously nostalgic as everyone expected it to be. Shenmue III is the highly anticipated sequel to the earlier two Shenmue games. However, publishers Deep Silver and the developer, YS Net, told E3 yesterday that the game is now an Epic Store exclusive. The 70,000 backers of the project thought they’d get a Steam key and a Steam Beta. Shenmue III received Kickstarter funding of millions of dollars. The Epic Store has found another way to irritate a whole sub-section of gamers: fans of the classic Shenmue series.
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