Torn Banner mentions that they are confident that Epic Game Store will be improved by the release of Chivalry 2 in 2020

[PC-tan]

Post E3

Epic Store Exclusivity

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It is also very important to us to address community feedback about our decision to make Chivalry 2 an Epic Games Store exclusive for its first year. After one year, it will be available on other PC platforms like Steam. We know that some Chivalry fans aren't happy about this, but we wanted to clarify why we have made this decision to assure you all that it's the best possible outcome for Chivalry 2.

We would never have considered launching on the Epic Games Store if we thought the store we will launch on will be anything like the version it is today. That store simply must improve, and we believe it will.

We also have a lot of information that the public does not have both about future plans for the Epic store as well as unannounced plans for Chivalry 2. But the main things we wanted to emphasize are:

• This decision was entirely about making the best game possible. Epic has put significant investment and support behind the game and really let us take things to a whole new level that wouldn't be possible without the partnership. This allows us to be in a position where we can deliver Chivalry 2 as a true sequel without compromise, which we believe will ultimately be how we can best provide value for our players.
• We know the wider gaming community's response to the early Epic Games Store has been negative; however our history of working with them as partners on the Unreal Engine 4 leaves us confident that the Epic Store we will launch on will be vastly improved over what it is today. Their official roadmap showing what's publicly announced is also available to view. There are many moving pieces still to come into play and more news on its way but we know that criticism about the store itself will be resolved by the time Chivalry 2 is ready for launch. Confident enough to knowingly take the PR hit to the chin for doing so.

Thanks for all of the support so far. We genuinely believe Chivalry 2 will be the best medieval multiplayer game ever, and we're going to do our best to make that a reality.

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It would seem that they made this deal before the EGS launched? And that they know of EGS improvements that have not been made public yet. So by 2020 they expect that a lot of the issues that the EGS has will be solved by then.

Are there other devs/publishers that have made a similar statement and mentioned the road map? This game has Trip Wire as the publisher but this announcement comes from Torn Banner themselves, in these EGS deals isn't it usually the publisher that makes a public statement like this?




It does look like Epic has made some improvements to the store, but didn't they also move some dates? So this would mean that the current road map does not look like the OG road map?

2020 will be very interesting and show us if Epic will keep to it's word and make said improvements (which it would seem like they have?) but also you will see EGS exclusive games release on Steam as well, and then we will see if the game sold more on EGS or on Steam (unless EGS has made it a thing were you can't compare those numbers if the game does better on Steam if you want another deal with Epic? )

 

[sabrina]

Chivalry is dead

 

[FuzzyWuzzy]

So the stuff the public doesn't have access to most likely is the money they got for their game being on it?

The road map has been a mass since they keep missing the dates again and again

 

[GhostTrick]

What a clever business plan to do when Mordhau is already a million seller.

 

[Hektor]

It does look like Epic has made some improvements to the store, but didn't they also move some dates? So this would mean that the current road map does not look like the OG road map?

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The only real improvement they've done to the store in the last 7 months is adding a search function, and an improvement to the search function that allows to search for genres, rather than titles.

Apart from that, the EGS is now available in China.

Everything else on their roadmap that was supposed to be released by now has just been delayed.

 

[LewieP]

Is that the roadmap where most things have been inexplicably delayed over and over again, including extremely basic features?

 

[Ganado]

What a clever business plan to do when Mordhau is already a million seller.

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Yeah, I really don't blame them for taking the deal. Not gonna support them or feel pity for them either though if the game bombs.

 

[Rosebud]

Or just buy Mordhau

 

[jediyoshi]

Guess they weren't satisfied with just Mirage as a bomb.

If I'm not supposed to believe literally Epic themselves when it comes to improvements, I'll ignore people who aren't them as well.

 

[Deleted member 23212]

Epic really need to step things up, I want them to provide a ton of features and make it really so that Steam have to improve their client.

 

[Ferrio]

Guess they can't fall back on the "No way this game would have succeeded on Steam" with Mordhau doing great. Instead we get this

We would never have considered launching on the Epic Games Store if we thought the store we will launch on will be anything like the version it is today

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I hope they're lying there, cause if they're not then that really reflects badly on their decision making processes.

 

[Eumi]

I hope both this and the recent GaaS failures convince companies to stop telling customers that things will get better in some vague way.

If the Epic store just wasn't shit, the whole exclusivity conversation would be completely different. But Epic don't want to put in the work and resources unless they have to, and at this point, I'm wondering what the incentive to really improve even would be if they're just going to buy customers anyway.

The ideal outcome is that in 2021 we're all sat here completely cool with EGS after they add all the features they need, maybe even in a place where there is healthy competition between it and steam.

But stop telling us that's what's going to happen. Put the effort in instead.

And to any devs who think they can weasel out of supporting the store this way: it doesn't work. You're supporting the store as it is now, not some made up future store where the issues don't exist.

Take the money, make the best game you can, and don't even worry about the people who would blame you for taking such a great deal. But don't try to spin it. You took money to support something you allegedly wouldn't have wanted to support otherwise. It's not like you have to publicly acknowledge that or anything, but don't try and hide it.

 

[m_dorian]

I think that EGS will be improved feature wise and i suspect this will happen much sooner than later.
I do not know if this will include Sweeney's character or their method of attracting customers but i do not expect much.

 

[GhostTrick]

Epic really need to step things up, I want them to provide a ton of features and make it really so that Steam have to improve their client.

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It wont happen though. Some features wont happen because Epic claims it's better not to have them. Some others wont happen because Epic isnt interested in competing in feature set.

Features cost money to make and to keep for years. Epic wants to run on a thin margin model by doing nothing and becoming a de facto monopoly by making sure competition cant follow price wise.

 

[Paul]

It is a shame Epic didn't start working on the store earlier and launched with free games, first party exclusives, full feature setup (plus something extra over steam) and no third party exclusives. Imagine how great the reception would have been.

Maybe they will still get there someday.

 

[Deleted member 23212]

It is a shame Epic didn't start working on the store earlier and launched with free games, first party exclusives, full feature setup (plus something extra over steam) and no third party exclusives. Imagine how great the reception would have been.

Maybe they will still get there someday.

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Well, third-party exclusives make sense, because above all else it's games that'd drive people to a specific store. But yeah, they really need to improve their client.

 

[Candescence]

Mordhau is a much better game that's already stolen Chivalry's audience. And there's plenty of time for the Mordhau devs to add extra content between now and Chivalry 2's release. The Chivalry devs wasted far too much time with failed spinoffs. Mirage was a cool as fuck idea for a game, but unfortunately people simply weren't interested.

We really shouldn't be applauding Epic for getting their client's features up to a reasonable standard so late after launch. I as a developer would not want to put my games on the Epic store as it is now, which is garbage-tier in comparison to every other client, and we thought the likes of Uplay and Origin were bad enough in comparison to Steam. But I don't see them being genuinely interested in doing much more than poaching developers.

 

[dex3108]

Well we will see how store and client will look like for Borderlands 3 launch. That will be the biggest test for them. And that will be in like 3 months.

And for the love of god indie devs just say that you took the money. Don't use PR spins that companies you try to distance yourself from use (you went indie because you "hate" corporate boot after all).

 

[SirKai]

Guess they weren't satisfied with just Mirage as a bomb.

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🔥🔥🔥

 

[eonden]

Mordhau is a much better game that's already stolen Chivalry's audience. And there's plenty of time for the Mordhau devs to add extra content between now and Chivalry 2's release. The Chivalry devs wasted far too much time with failed spinoffs. Mirage was a cool as fuck idea for a game, but unfortunately people simply weren't interested.

We really shouldn't be applauding Epic for getting their client's features up to a reasonable standard so late after launch. I as a developer would not want to put my games on the Epic store as it is now, which is garbage-tier in comparison to every other client, and we thought the likes of Uplay and Origin were bad enough in comparison to Steam. But I don't see them being genuinely interested in doing much more than poaching developers.

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Mordhau also seems to listen to their audience better than Chivalry did. Part of the reason why tehre is not that much Chivalry 2 hype is that Mordhau exists (and that Conquerors Blade F2P game that somehow a ton of my friends are playing too).

 

[Alexandros]

Well, one would bloody well hope so. I can't imagine that the store will remain like it is today for long.

 

[bishoptl]

Chivalry is dead

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Era never disappoints.

 

[Dr. Ludwig]

Well we will see how store and client will look like for Borderlands 3 launch. That will be the biggest test for them. And that will be in like 3 months.

And for the love of god indie devs just say that you took the money. Don't use PR spins that companies you try to distance yourself from use (you went indie because you "hate" corporate boot after all).

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LOL I swear to god some of these indie companies are making the established AAA publishers look like amateurs when it comes to PR spin.

 

[Crayon]

And for the love of god indie devs just say that you took the money. Don't use PR spins that companies you try to distance yourself from use (you went indie because you "hate" corporate boot after all).

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For real. Does the deal include turning into a mouthpiece for epic or what.

 

[True Prophecy]

What a clever business plan to do when Mordhau is already a million seller.

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Given there is legitimate competition to the game now it makes sense to make a deal with epic to solidify the money to make sure they survive. I totally get why they would take the offer.

Sadly for me, the biggest issue I have with the EPIC Store outside of the lack of 2019 features is the business practice and attitude of its CEO and that won't have changed by 2020. Maybe EPIC could have partnered with the team and not cut out other options for players? wouldn't that have been best for all?

 

[Deleted member 10551]

I'm outright hoping the game completely bombs to make developers believe that EGS= low sales , and that Epic payola= don't invest too much in your game, just take the money and use it for other stuff.

Then again I want EGS to be one of the biggest, most unprofitable money sinks in gaming history for Epic.

 

[borntoulouselautrec]

It is a shame Epic didn't start working on the store earlier and launched with free games, first party exclusives, full feature setup (plus something extra over steam) and no third party exclusives. Imagine how great the reception would have been.

Maybe they will still get there someday.

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EGS is 3 years old.

 

[Zips]

Given that Epic has delayed most features and improvements on their already existing roadmap by months already, I'm not going to hold my breath on this.

 

[tuxfool]

I love it when indies engage with the kind of corporate doublespeak they would have once decried.

 

[Zips]

I love it when indies engage with the kind of corporate doublespeak they would have once decried.

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I hear a lot of the same thing from their publisher, Tripwire.

 

[Vault]

i think they know Mordhau all ready killed this game so they made the deal to try and make some money back

 

[Pryme]

Is there a reason why no one is mentioning that they've said Epic's invested in the game itself, making the final product better ?

 

[Dandy]

It's hard to believe that good games existed before EGS. Seems like every developer that goes exclusive has had to make this choice to insure their game turns out good.

 

[wideface]

Well, good luck.

 

[GhostTrick]

Is there a reason why no one is mentioning that they've said Epic's invested in the game itself, making the final product better ?

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Because it's the usual "we pay your for a year exclusive".

That's PR bullshit.

 

[Javetus]

So competition is good but now that Mordhau is the new king we can excuse Chivalry devs from taking the money upfront from Epic instead of... being competitive.

Must be nice being on the EGS side, when you have no moral compass you always win.

 

[Deleted member 17990]

Not supporting TB after they abandoned Chiv 1 and Mirage.

 

[Crayon]

Is there a reason why no one is mentioning that they've said Epic's invested in the game itself, making the final product better ?

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Yeah we got the bags of money part.

 

[Sean Mirrsen]

Is there a reason why no one is mentioning that they've said Epic's invested in the game itself, making the final product better ?

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Because they all say it, and they all get the same deal, plus/minus a couple hundred thousand. The only way it's different for Chivalry 2, is that the game itself is further off, further away from completion, so the money they get may actually help development. Otherwise, it's the same thing as always with EGS.

Put simply, the first impression is the overriding one. Epic has already soured the pie with "helping developers" that get onto the EGS, with Metro, Phoenix Point, Shenmue, Borderlands, etc. Any future instances will just read as more of the same, regardless of how much closer to being true they are.

 

[Pryme]

Because it's the usual "we pay your for a year exclusive".

That's PR bullshit.

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That's an assumption.

So competition is good but now that Mordhau is the new king we can excuse Chivalry devs from taking the money upfront from Epic instead of... being competitive.

Must be nice being on the EGS side, when you have no moral compass you always win.

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Or perhaps they took that money to make a better game to be more competitive?

 

[m_dorian]

Is there a reason why no one is mentioning that they've said Epic's invested in the game itself, making the final product better ?

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Judging from Sweeney's credibility this is why exclusivity happened and not because Epic wanted the game off Steam.

Spoiler

It's because Epic wants games off Steam. If it happens that the product is made better that is a sideffect.

 

[swift-darius]

Not supporting TB after they abandoned Chiv 1 and Mirage.

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after reading this, I was 100% done with torn banner. I was a huge chivalry fan too. it's messed up how mismanaged some indies can be, and how much workplace abuse goes on behind the scenes


I'd be playing mordhau right now if I had an up-to-date laptop..

 

[Javetus]

Or perhaps they took that money to make a better game to be more competitive?

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They abandoned their previous games rather quickly and the whole ''Steam is too crowded thing'' doesn't have much credibility when Mordhau is a huge success.

TB had the upper hand given their past experiences, I'm not really against them taking the money but then just say it, don't try to PR control everything just say ''yeah we like the big bag of money upfront, thanks'' if more devs that go to the EGS did that I would have a lot more of respect for them.

 

[Igniz12]

I loved Chivalry, it was completely unlike anything I had played before and ended up putting a lot of time into it. I was sad when their next game turbo bombed so definitely can see why they'd take the deal.

Still not bought Mordhau yet but if given the chance I'd take that over Chiv2, the true madness of these games cannot be experienced unless you play with a ton of players and idk if Chiv 2 can reach and maintain a healthy player base for the long haul.

Surprised they did not go for f2p, maybe the deal with Epic does not work unless its for paid copies. Or maybe they did not want to end up with people playing to try the game out to see what its like but then opting to get Mordhau for whatever reason.

I wonder how many Dauntless players played that game then went on to get MHW right after.

So competition is good but now that Mordhau is the new king we can excuse Chivalry devs from taking the money upfront from Epic instead of... being competitive.

Must be nice being on the EGS side, when you have no moral compass you always win.

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It would be interesting to see in the long run if this effects future games and the implications of forgoing a bigger player base for cash upfront. When all is said and done, both Mordhau and Chiv 2 devs could have the same amount of money in the bank but one of them is earned and the other is just a business transaction that might not translate to people playing your game.

How will that affect a studio I wonder? Probably not much maybe.

 

[Pryme]

Judging from Sweeney's credibility this is why exclusivity happened and not because Epic wanted the game off Steam.

Spoiler

It's because Epic wants games off Steam. If it happens that the product is made better that is a sideffect.

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Oh, I don't doubt that. Epic definitely is in this for timed exclusivity and to draw more people to their store.

But this thread has been more about vilifying the devs who may well have made the choice as a sound business decision, and as an avenue to polish their game even more.

 

[EVA UNIT 01]

Mordhau sales about to blow up

 

[m_dorian]

Oh, I don't doubt that. Epic definitely is in this for timed exclusivity and to draw more people to their store.

But this thread has been more about vilifying the devs who may well have made the choice as a sound business decision, and as an avenue to polish their game even more.

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We have people arguing that this decision is not very sound and list their reasoning about this.
And if we believe what some of the posts say, they do seem to not care about their games too much so there is an excuse here for being called out.
Apart from taking the sweet Epic money, ofcourse.

 

[Hasney]

Honestly? I have more faith in EGS being better at that point than I do Torn Banner supporting thier game long term, unless Epic have given them contractual obligations.

Just interested to hear what the excuse will be for stopping support this time.

 

[Ruruja]

Chivalry is dead

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Noice.

 

[.exe]

I would hope it's better a six months from now. Especially since it'll supposedly open up for self-publishing by then.