Epic Games don't seem to be just doing exclusives now, they're also pulling in studios with Psyonix (Rocket League) announcing today they're joining Epic Games. Yes, really.
It hasn't been completely confirmed just yet though, as they're waiting on "customary closing conditions", the usual legal stuff all things like this need to go through basically.
In the announcement post on their official site they said "Today is a big day for us here at Psyonix because, just as the headline says, we’re officially joining the Epic Games family.". Going into further detail, they said in the short term nothing will change but they do expect to release on the Epic Store and this will allow them to "leverage our new relationship to grow the game in ways we couldn’t do on our own before".
As a massive fan of Rocket League, being my current favourite and most played game in the last year this news has come as a little bit of a shock. For a number of reasons, for one Epic Games don't really care much about Linux and the Epic Store has no current plans to come to Linux. Not just that, we should take into account the reports about how awful it actually sounds to work for Epic Games with one person saying "It’s killing people" which really does make you think. It also puts Epic's CEO Tim Sweeney's comments across Twitter and various interviews, about how they're trying to change the PC gaming industry and make it better, into a rather different light.
The good news is that since Rocket League is well established on Steam, there should be no chance of it suddenly vanishing as that would be truly ridiculous. It means they also have access to a lot more resources, so hopefully Rocket League will continue to do well.
Update: Well, this could be a problem. According to The Verge, it will be removed from Steam. The press release they received said "The PC version of Rocket League will come to the Epic Games store in late 2019. In the meantime, it will continue to be available for purchase on Steam; thereafter it will continue to be supported on Steam for all existing purchasers,"—it's not entirely clear if that actually means it will be removed, so I've reached out for full confirmation but the wording really doesn't sound good.
Update #2: When asked on Twitter, the official Rocket League account told us "Hey there! More information will be shared in the future. Please check out our post about this on the Rocket League website: link" which of course wasn't helpful at all. Epic Games did not reply to my email as of yet, but they did send statements to other publications like USgamer where they said "We are continuing to sell Rocket League on Steam, and have not announced plans to stop selling the game there." and also "Rocket League remains available for new purchasers on Steam, and long-term plans will be announced in the future.".
So they aren't announcing plans to remove it from Steam, despite what early reports said but they're also being clear that they do have a long-term plan of which they're not talking about. That's one way to both clarify it and keep it ambiguous in case they do remove it from Steam. However, by long-term plans they might mean some sort of free to play release, supported by an expanded Rocket Pass, it could mean anything.
Update #3: Psyonix also added this additional note to their own announcement which reads "Editor’s Note: We wanted to clarify something for you after today’s news: Rocket League is and remains available on Steam. Anyone who owns Rocket League through Steam can still play it and can look forward to continued support. Thanks!".
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
I bought a copy of Rocket League's GoTY edition on 28th Apr 2018. Play it like 1 hour online (and several offline).
As protest to latest EG moves, I requested a refund from Valve. Not expecting the refund at all but if I successfully refunded, I'm totally happy and will buying Forager. It looks fun.
This is my third refund request throughout 3-4 years I buying games legally on Steam. And first refund request totally asking for refund. First 2 refunds because I bought wrong DLCs.
Not necessarily. It could go to Gog, including the Linux version. Then it would be off Steam but Linux users could still buy a Linux copy. Since Epic doesn't have a Linux client, in theory (barring Lutris) Linux users can't buy things from it in the first place, and it probably won't/can't sell Linux versions of things so a Linux user getting in via some sort of Wine solution still can't buy a Linux version of a game there.Okay, so let me get this straight:That's usually what would happen, when a game leaves Steam for whatever reason.
They are pulling RocketLeague from the Steam store (presumably not only the Windows version, but all). So Linux gamers can still play the game after it got pulled, but new Linux gamers will not be able to purchase the game in any store, do I get this right?
So there's a distinction between a game dropping Steam for someone like Gog and dropping Steam for Epic.
Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 1 May 2019 at 11:43 pm UTC
But.
While your emotional outbursts are something I can understand, sadly, that's the price to pay for using proprietary software.
I don't do Steam. I did before back in the day of HL2, as it was inevitable. In time I also bought some stuff that was Steam only, but relying on some authority to kindly give me keys from the garage where my cars are locked wasn't anything I could stand for any longer. Well, the 'cars' are not even mine in the proprietary software sense, I of course only have a permission to use them. Nice.
So no, I avoid that for this reason alone. Second reason is, not many REALLY games are being made these days.
If you saw the Stadia presentation video, those mentioned games are in my opinion only good for some rather unbalanced individuals who probably don't go out anymore..
So actually, yes, as much as I think that Stadia is a sick experiment (which according to current mental state of the human race in general actually has a big chance of success), it may very well remind people of what better not to do.
I can't use Steam, so the idea that some authority will not only have the keys, but will also not allow me to have the game files on my own hardware for offline use and even use their hardware for rendering the stuff is completely insane, completely.
What you see now with all those stores is only the beginning of something much more fun, so to speak.
It's sort of funny, but even those PS4 titles that have physical media available are actually much better than Steam, as there is no activation whatsoever and you can again sell them, as the buyer will be able to use them like he bought them new. Aaah.
As for EPIC, Sweeny himself has made no secret of his contempt for our tribe, so I see no reason to support him in any way, give him any benefit of doubt, and indeed, I see him and EPIC as active enemies of Linux as they are attacking Valve right as Valve has publicly given our platform such as boost, not only with Proton, but in contributing to DXVK, WINE, etc. SO, no, At this point, undermining Steam is now undermining the growth of Linux. I don't care what games EPIC manages to pull, until they match Valve's commitment to Linux EPIC can go pound sand, and we should actively sabotage them wherever we can as they are sabotaging us.
who would buy this game after all this years? on a different store? everyone who wanted it, already has it, or will buy it before it goes to epic
they give away a free game every 2 weeks, so RL will be one of them
btw transistor is free for a few hours. next is world of goo
both have linux support on steam, so if the epic store ever comes to linux, you have it
so linux version will stop being on sell once it goes to epic store
1) buy some steam keys on humble
2) wait til RL is on epic
3) ?
4) PROFIT
Last edited by mylka on 2 May 2019 at 1:01 am UTC
Everyone, Epic Games!
Lets all thank them for bringing COMPETITION to gaming RIGHT?!
So there goes a Linux native game. An actual game with an actual native Linux title, will be bought and locked up in a store that doesn't support Linux. It will no longer be available for purchase and play on Linux because of Epic.
If you have on Steam you still will be able to play. Even if they do remove from the store, you will be able to download with no issues. I have Deadpool on my game list and i can play with no issues, even if is not sold on Steam.
If they remove from Steam and make somehow unplayable for everyone, or just Linux users, then they are facing a lawsuit. And even with Fortnite money im pretty sure they wont like that.
The worst case scenario is that we wont be able to buy DLCs and things like that because for that we will need the Epic Store and thats on Windows.
GustyGhost May 2, 2019
I have made a commitment this year to spend money exclusively on free and open source games, and I couldn't be any happier. This Epic Games news only reinforces the fact that if the source is not available for a piece of software you are running, it will eventually cuck you. And that is a matter of when, not if.
MRW not having to deal with any of that bullshit anymore.
Dribbleondo May 2, 2019
I seriously do hope Epic just burns to the ground.
This exclusives nonsense is harmful to consumers and the last thing we need is to turn PCs into consoles with exclusive stores.
As controversial as this sounds, I don't mind timed exclusives, as the game will appear on another platform/ service eventually. I dislike Epic making former steam games exclusive, but considering there's realistically, no other way they can compete with Valve. Their leverage starts at a better price ratio split thing for devs, and ends with buying up exclusives.
Do I dislike them buying titles after they release (like Rocket league). Of course I do, as that undermines potential purchasers who wanted to get the steam version, and have to get it elsewhere. This is only a net win for epic. The consumer doesn't win when it comes to what Epic and Psyonix are doing.
Last edited by Dribbleondo on 2 May 2019 at 2:51 am UTC
This sucks, but unlike what an earlier comment said Epic is NOT publucally traded.
They aren't, but tencent [who owns 40% of epic] is, and they are also the ones helping bankroll of these purchases. Everyone things epic can't sustain such spending, yet I imagine tencent can.
RussianNeuroMancer May 2, 2019
They will sabotage themselves in 3-4 years by being too greedy or because investors want more.Like EA sabotage themselves every year, yet they earn more money every year?
Arehandoro May 2, 2019
Fuck game exclusives, fuck Epic, fuck Psyonix, fuck every single independent company selling away, fuck every big company becoming bigger and fuck this industry.
No words. Linux gaming world is kinda 1 step forward and 2 steps back right now. Thanks to EG.Refund was unsuccessful but the message should be heard loud and clear by someone at Bellevue.
I bought a copy of Rocket League's GoTY edition on 28th Apr 2018. Play it like 1 hour online (and several offline).
As protest to latest EG moves, I requested a refund from Valve. Not expecting the refund at all but if I successfully refunded, I'm totally happy and will buying Forager. It looks fun.
This is my third refund request throughout 3-4 years I buying games legally on Steam. And first refund request totally asking for refund. First 2 refunds because I bought wrong DLCs.
Also here's my other suggestion...
If you have a copy of Euro Truck Simulator 2. PLEASE...
1. Delete a DLC named Euro Truck Simulator 2 - Rocket League Promo
2. Snap a screenshot of DLC being delete (untick/ Not Installed)
3. Send an email consist of screenshot + ask DLC to removed + positive message about ETS and anti-EG, to them at [email protected]
Maybe SCS software cannot do anything (as they have nothing to do with RL decision or EG) but still, your voice should be heard.
I can confirm that the game will continue to be available (and Supported) on Steam. More information will be shared in the future.What I am starting to think, is that their ambiguous wording is probably due to it going free to play and they just don't want to announce it yet without giving it away. Which would account for their weird original wording about it being supported on Steam.
The most probably scenario will be, they just dropping to provide the Linux-native version (since Epic won't require) and releasing "Rocket League 2", which will be Windows-Epic exclusive and won't be bound by Valve because they will not sell it there.
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