How long do you expect the Epic Game Store to last?

[KDR_11k]

Normally this would be a question only meant to infuriate but given that we're talking about a digital game store where losing the store means your purchases are gone (unless the devs start handing out Steam keys as the end approaches like many games did on Desura) and stores shutting down isn't unprecedented this is a major issue of trust. Fortunately it's not tied to a hardware generation so at least it won't become automatically obsolete like, say, the Wii shop.

How long do you trust the store to stay up and is it long enough for you to tie purchases to it?

 

[Oggmeiler]

The better question is how long Steam is gonna last.

Spoiler

/s

It will hopefully fade into irrelevance next year.

 

[Dest]

I expect it to last at least 5-10 years, but it'll fall off the map by the end of next year.

 

[Toumari]

Longer than Steam if Tim Sweeney has his way.

 

[Deleted member 3897]

The better question is how long Steam is gonna last.

Click to shrink...

What? Why won't Steam last?

 

[Deleted member 18742]

I expect it to last at least 5-10 years, but it'll fall off the map by the end of next year.

Click to shrink...

Saving this post

 

[Braaier]

Why would it go away? Epic has their own games. They'll continue to use their store for their games. Same as Ubisoft, EA, etc. Steam will continue to be the market leader for decades though.

 

[Deleted member 249]

Why the implication it won't last long?

 

[Hektor]

Like, in the actual sense of existing? A long time.
In the sense of being relevant beyond epics own games? I give them 3 tops.

 

[ChristianH94]

Hey if Origin is still around, this will definitely last a looong time

 

[Alvis]

Hopefully it'll fade into irrelevance pretty soon. As for it actually being shut down... 5 years?

 

[TC McQueen]

Considering the financial assets Epic has, it'll last for years/decades, but I suspect its market relevance to diminish to the level of other non-Steam stores.

 

[Lukar]

If Uplay and Origin have lasted this long, I don't think the EGS will have any problems.

 

[udivision]

Why the implication it won't last long?

Click to shrink...

People will stop buying the launcher when next gen comes.

Kidding.

 

[TheGhost]

It's not going anywhere....

 

[Shelbyville Milhouse]

How long does Fortnite stay the biggest game in the world?
Add a couple of years to that

 

[Deleted member 10726]

Honestly I expect them to stay around for a while, but it feels like if they continue down the road they are currently on, with 8 years they might as well be on life support.

They have a lot of time to improve though.

 

[Lothars]

It will exist for a long time but it's not really relevant now because it's the exclusives but there's very little info on how it's selling which tells me games are not selling to the degree they want because if they were epic would be screaming from the rooftops. So I wouldn't be surprised if Epic is commited more than a year or two at most than just the store just flounders.

 

[Kromeo]

They seem determined to throw as much money at it as it takes, I'm sure they'll make sure it works out one way or another

 

[Rhete]

However long they can shovel Fortnite money into it

Once the next big thing comes along and Fortnite starts to struggle, they will stop buying exclusives. I don't actually expect the store to ever go away though

 

[DontHateTheBacon]

I don't see the end anywhere soon.

 

[Deleted member 3897]

Why the implication it won't last long?

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Because it's a featuress crap launcher and a lot of PC gamers are simply angry at Epic for their timed exclusive bullshittery.

They are creating a timed monopoly.

 

[KDR_11k]

How long does Fortnite stay the biggest game in the world?
Add a couple of years to that

Click to shrink...

Hm, a lot of Fortnite's success is on mobile. AFAIK they don't use Google Play to publish it, could they at some point try to launch an Android app store?

 

[sirap]

EGS in it's current, moneyhatting form? As long as Fortnite remains a hit.

 

[Deleted member 2791]

Decades ? That's a weird question. I don't see the thing suddenly failing anytime soon.

 

[mindatlarge]

Epic seems committed to the long haul, though it seems to me that some of their issues with Steam could end up being their downfall. Meaning, if they don't focus on making the Epic store platform better for the consumer but rather keep focusing on just being the white knight of the industry, I don't see them succeeding in the future.

 

[flyingman]

2 . Fortnite wont be a big thing in next gen just like minecraft fad. it will be still good numbers but not juggernaut to support exclusive deals

 

[ShadowAUS]

As much as I dislike the EGS, it ain't going anywhere anytime soon. Which doesn't mean it will necessarily become a major player or even be relevant in a few years, but even if it fades away somewhat I don't expect it to actually shutter for a long time.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

It'll be around as long as Epic has lots of money. Assuming the store improves with time I see no reason why it would shut down or otherwise go away.

 

[oni-link]

Probably decades

I can't see them doing a u-turn on this now. If they're successful it's too lucrative, and the Fortnite money won't last forever

 

[ShinUltramanJ]

The missing option: As long as Fortnite's making money on microtransactions.

 

[Lump]

Fortnite money injection too strong. It'll be around quite a while unless something financially catastrophic happens to Epic or Epic's current leadership.

 

[Deleted member 32374]

Minimum? Five years. That's a little less than MS kept GFWL afloat.

EGS isn't as bad as GFWL but Epic Games doesn't have more money than God, Jesus and the Holy spirit put together like MS does. If it does well it'll be a direct steam competitor and if the money hatting and feature poor service start to tank they'll move on.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

it'll stay around no matter how much a vocal minority hates it

 

[Pillock]

Given all the boycotting I've seen here I'm surprised it's still going.

 

[Phellps]

There's little reason to believe it won't last for at least ten years.

Given all the boycotting I've seen here I'm surprised it's still going.

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Given gamers' history with boycotting, I'm not.

 

[Mexen]

I was uninterested until Lutris. For that alone, I do hope they last decades.

 

[C.Mongler]

Lasting? More or less indefinitely. Their practice of buying exclusives? The next 2-3 years unless I'm being extremely naive about how profitable those titles will be for them on their platform.

 

[Dust]

EGS as a being is probably here to stay, while moneyhats are unknown. As long as they have money they will continue buying deals.

 

[SABO.]

A long time.

 

[Alderaan]

I think the more appropriate question is, how long will they keep their "12% cut" , their "curated store" and buying the exclusive rights to game releases. I think the current EGS we see now will be the same through end of next year.

In reality, EGS will go as far as Fortnite will take it. As long as Fornite is bringing oceans of cash, they can continue with this current plan.

 

[Nostradamus]

Because it's a featuress crap launcher and a lot of PC gamers are simply angry at Epic for their timed exclusive bullshittery.

They are creating a timed monopoly.

Click to shrink...

"A lot" might not be enough for it to not be successful though. And we already have some reports of games that do great on EGS. Also, it might be limited in features for now but it won't be in a year or two, and the success of Fortnite will buy Epic the necessary time to improve.

 

[Musubi]

They invested in this store because right now they have the capital do invest and expand the store IS the back up to keep revenue flowing once Fortnite finally peaks.

 

[komaruR]

arent it back by tencent too?

 

[Gabbo]

It'll be around, but I see it falling into also ran-territory once they no longer moneyhat to claim mind share.

 

[oni-link]

The missing option: As long as Fortnite's making money on microtransactions.

Click to shrink...

I think the plan is for the store to be making money on it's own by the time that happens

 

[Deleted member 15440]

yeah this is the main thing to me. paid exclusives and everything else aside, i don't trust epic to stick around for the long term so purchases there are risky. that may change after some time.

 

[AshenOne]

I personally think that it'll last uptil the time PC gaming isn't profitable enough for epic and they bail out cause they obv love money and PC isn't anything special to them. They were the first to bail out of making PC versions way back and termed PC gamers as 'pirates'. So umm i guess around 5-7 years? But regardless i see these exclusivity deals ending in a year or two and after that it depends on what course of action they take. WIll they go back like other stores and work on their features? What result they get is totally dependent on their intentions for PC gaming. But they have a long road before a lot of PC gamers considering them 'trustworthy' enough to mass shop at the epic store and have their digital game licenses rely on a company like Epic.

 

[Deleted member 11370]

For as long as Fortnite is relevant.

 

[scare_crow]

"I don't like a thing so surely it won't last long, right?"