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The Epic Games Launcher is run and handle by Epic Games; that is a digital video games storefront for Microsoft Windows and macOS. This launcher was launched in December 2018 as a website as well as a launcher. You have to download the launcher and then you can play games. The storefront consists of some main categories, friends’ management list, matchmaking, and some other features. The epic games made strategies to increase and widen the features of storefront but not as many as other digital distribution platforms like discussion board for users or users review. Rather its plan to use the existing social media platforms to support such features for the users.
Game Launchers revenues:
After the success of Fortnite; epic has entered the distribution market. At the time of Fortnite; epic distributed that through their own channels on Windows and macOS systems rather than using other storefronts. The creator and CEO of the epic games is Tim Sweeney. While giving his opinion about Steam; a prominent games storefront run by Valve, he said Steam collected as much revenue as 30%. Tim said he can run a storefront with as little as 8% of revenue and the remaining would be profit. Epic games launcher had 12% of revenue cut for the store published titles. The launcher also offers to drop licensing fees for the games develop by the Unreal Engine and take 5% of the revenue.
Epic Offers Minimum Revenue In Case Of Game Crash:
Epic Games Launcher tempts the creators and publishers for their services offering them a fixed time agreement to publish on the store. In case; if the epic commit loses in the form of crashed games; still the launcher offers a minimum of revenue. The draw users are entertained with two games in a week only for the first two years of operation. The storefront is successful; developers’ and creators’ criticism is delivered to Epic games. While those creators and publishers who get exclusive deals are segmenting the market.
Popular Free Games and Discounts by Epic Game Launcher:
Epic offered one free game in two weeks for its users through 2019; while in June 2019 it offered one free game in one week. Now; Epic games are planning for offering free games program again in 2020 and beyond. In the first 18 months of this program, it is estimated by PCGamesN that epic offered more than two thousand dollars of games. Among these games, some were really popular such as Grand Theft Auto V through the month of May 2020. The popularity of the game crashed the server temporarily. Latter; in January 2021 a game named Star Wars Battlefront II got 19 million users who copied the game for free. Epic games also offered a discount on games such as in May 2019 epic games offered US $10 off on any game worth the US $15 or more.
New Features in Epic Game Launcher:
The Epic games launcher had a set of barebones features but it is planning to add some other features comparing other digital storefronts. Finally, the storefront offers the feature of user reviews but the feature will be opt-in for the developers to avoid misuse of the feature like review bombing. The Cloud Saving feature added in August 2019; support for the achievement of the users and users’ modification was add in July 2020. While; the launcher has no plans for internal user forms. If the users want to report any bug or technical issue of the game to the developer; the storefront will offer a ticket-based support system for this. On the other hand; the developers will support joining external forums and social channels such as Reddit and Discord. Another feature of Open Critics added to get the users’ critical reviews about the games in January 2020. The launcher lacks the feature of virtual reality headset support.
Features for Creator and Publishers:
In December 2019, the launcher gave the option to the creators and publishers to set up their own in-game storefront microtransactions and purchases of other games. Epic Games Launcher also tries to give the feature of “Support a Creator” where it is possible such as in the Fortnite Battle Royale game. Through this program; users can highlight a steamer choose by Epic bases submitted applications to support. Epic Games will pay revenue to the supported streamers on the transactions made through Epic Games Launcher.
Criticism about Epic Games Launcher:
All the complaints that registered against the epic game launcher also include disputed claims such as the epic or the store collecting client data and use to sell to China as it is spyware. The criticism stimulated by the Reddit post ensuring that the Store client was using the users’ information and declared that the launcher involved with Tencent’s collaboration with the Epic. Tencent is the largest video game publisher globally and also 40% owner of the Epic Games since 2012. China’s government has oversight on the products produced in China; Tencent is a tech firm and it has to keep a close link with the government and allow a partial oversight of the company. Due to the US-China, political relations people boycott the Store and the publishers who sell their games on stores. Epic Game Launcher claims that there are some data tracking only for useful purposes.
