Phoenix Point - Epic Games Store Announcement

My first of 100+ crowdfunding projects I want and requested a refund.
Even for failed projects I never wanted a refund - for me this exclusive deal is worse than a failed project.
 
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Figures indies love the Epic Store because of the profit split & exclusive cash payment.
This is actually digusting because this is a fully invested Fig crowd-funded game where the game literally would not exist without people wanting the Steam and GoG keys.
You'll still get them but a year after release.:(
 
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You'll still get them but a year after release.:(
No - as far as I've read backers will never get other than Epic keys.
You can buy the game on Steam or GOG 1 year after release - but as a backer you won't get a key for this stores.
 
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No - as far as I've read backers will never get other than Epic keys.
You can buy the game on Steam or GOG 1 year after release - but as a backer you won't get a key for this stores.
Read again please as I said a year after the Epic release.:)

As the developer has to honor the backer pledge if they promised you the keys. This would be considered bait and switch if they do not give Steam & GOG keys eventually.

Now if it's legally binding backers might have a legal case as this is a crowdfunded game. It's not comparable to Metro Exodus as they only offered early Steam pre-orders.
 
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From the video it is VERY clear Julian knows the dissatisfaction this announcement will cause. Free DLCs for a year and up front refunds address this. The Epic store must be giving developers significant funds up front for them to be willing to go with a smaller customer base and losses from such concessions.
 
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Yeah he gave the usual PR excuses again.
Gollop acknowledges that not everyone will be happy with the one-year exclusive, as they may have had "the expectation of playing it on a specific platform" when they backed it—understandably, since the first two questions in the Fig campaign FAQ still state explicitly that Phoenix Point will be on Steam and GOG.

That might still be technically true, since the Epic Store exclusivity is only for a year, but I suspect that not everyone will be satisfied with that interpretation."So if for any reason you are not happy with this change, we will be very happy to offer a full refund, and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you," he says.

As a bonus for early supporters who opt to stick with it, anyone who backed the Phoenix Point crowdfunding campaign or preordered it prior to today will get all paid DLC released during the game's first year for free. And for those with unresolved questions or uncertainties, an AMA will take place on the Phoenix Point subreddit tomorrow—that's March 13—at 12 pm PT/3 pm ET.
Link -https://www.pcgamer.com/xcom-like-phoenix-point-will-be-an-epic-store-exclusive-for-one-year/

Just get a refund and hurt his bottom line. As 10,000 refunds will cost a lot of money.
 
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Read again please as I said a year after the Epic release.:)

As the developer has to honor the backer pledge if they promised you the keys. This would be considered bait and switch if they do not give Steam & GOG keys eventually.

Now if it's legally binding backers might have a legal case as this is a crowdfunded game. It's not comparable to Metro Exodus as they only offered early Steam pre-orders.
Yep, the FAQ says that original backers will receive an Epic key at release, and a Steam or GOG key after the 1 year exclusivity period is done. If that's not good enough, you can request a refund.
 
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Wow, I didn't expect that. I'm kinda surprised here and a bit disappointed too. A lot of people on Youtube saying they've asked for refunding:

Refund time. First you drop Linux support, now this. I had faith in this project, but nope. Sorry I'm out.

I backed for Phoenix Point because GOG was announced as launching platform. This recent Epic Store deal really is a game changer - but not for the better. I'll go for a refund (...)

Hope they paid you enough to tarnish your reputation with hardcore fans.

And the rage goes on and on and on... How did Snapshot Games not anticipate all that? As someone commented 'So you saw other companies doing this and their fan base turns on them and thought "it wasn't a good idea for them, but maybe it's a good idea for us." '
 
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Read again please as I said a year after the Epic release.:)
Yeah you're right - it's hidden in their FAQ, last question.

From their initial statement:
We recognize that some of you may have backed or pre-ordered Phoenix Point with an expectation of the platform you’d be able to play it on, and that this update changes that.
They should't have stated it this way.

Anyway I'm happy with requesting a refund.
 
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And the rage goes on and on and on… How did Snapshot Games not anticipate all that? As someone commented 'So you saw other companies doing this and their fan base turns on them and thought "it wasn't a good idea for them, but maybe it's a good idea for us." '
Somebody asked that question on reddit.

Really hope they money from Epic was worth it because they just killed their game.

Something tells me EPIC games is providing data that shows otherwise. I find it hard to believe that Snapshot games would do this without doing their due diligence and having analysts examine the data - though I hope I am way the fuck wrong. This one hurts more than Metro for me…cannot believe this bullshit.

What data would they have to sway people? Other than Fortnite being popular they haven't said anything about how successful these exclusivity deals have been for games. I mean Metro has been out almost a month and not a peep from them. Can't be all that good.

What data would they have to sway people?

Fair question. I'm an analyst myself - so I'm just thinking out loud here….they would need some sort of data that could convince a publishing company to make the exclusive jump to Epic.

So, if I am Snapshot Games, I would need to know what my expected revenue is going to be on the new platform (accounting for the loss of sales) vs. what I would have gotten on Steam and other platforms. So let’s say EPIC has data from Deep Silver (Metro’s Publisher) that shows that despite losing X% of sales based on negative press and angering X of fans who will now either wait or buy later, the added revenue margin was able to add $Y in revenue. If Epic throws in a lump sum of cash, you add to the equation and leave the hard decision with the publisher. In many cases, human beings are going to act like human beings and take the sweeter offer with the larger amount of expected cash.

And what I mean to say is that it’s hard for me as an analyst to believe that Snapshot Games didn’t look at some sort of data and consider the hit they were going to take from the negative publicity as well as the loss of revenue from would be buyers. There’s a reason Julian Gallop mentions refunds for those who expected the game on “another platform” – he knows the fucking deal. He didn’t make that video not expecting people to be pissed. There’s no way an informed game dev like him did not see what happened with Metro

I mean Metro has been out almost a month and not a peep from them. Can't be all that good.

They don’t need to tell the gamers anything. The business is done in a board rooms with analysts and datasheets of information. Publisher’s don’t come to reddit and tell you what they are thinking. They don’t have to publicly reveal what the revenue numbers look like, or how many copies less they sell than steam. That’s all internal information and there is no obligation to share it. I wouldn’t expect it.
They have to figure the cancellations and bad press wont affect sales.
 
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At least Metro did honor pre orders, this is just pissing on all their supporters.
Killed all my interest in the game and I don't even hate epic like so many others do, I'd just like to avoid it like I avoid steam.
 
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Somebody asked that question on reddit.

Really hope they money from Epic was worth it because they just killed their game.

Something tells me EPIC games is providing data that shows otherwise. I find it hard to believe that Snapshot games would do this without doing their due diligence and having analysts examine the data - though I hope I am way the fuck wrong. This one hurts more than Metro for me…cannot believe this bullshit.

What data would they have to sway people? Other than Fortnite being popular they haven't said anything about how successful these exclusivity deals have been for games. I mean Metro has been out almost a month and not a peep from them. Can't be all that good.

What data would they have to sway people?

Fair question. I'm an analyst myself - so I'm just thinking out loud here….they would need some sort of data that could convince a publishing company to make the exclusive jump to Epic.

So, if I am Snapshot Games, I would need to know what my expected revenue is going to be on the new platform (accounting for the loss of sales) vs. what I would have gotten on Steam and other platforms. So let’s say EPIC has data from Deep Silver (Metro’s Publisher) that shows that despite losing X% of sales based on negative press and angering X of fans who will now either wait or buy later, the added revenue margin was able to add $Y in revenue. If Epic throws in a lump sum of cash, you add to the equation and leave the hard decision with the publisher. In many cases, human beings are going to act like human beings and take the sweeter offer with the larger amount of expected cash.

And what I mean to say is that it’s hard for me as an analyst to believe that Snapshot Games didn’t look at some sort of data and consider the hit they were going to take from the negative publicity as well as the loss of revenue from would be buyers. There’s a reason Julian Gallop mentions refunds for those who expected the game on “another platform” – he knows the fucking deal. He didn’t make that video not expecting people to be pissed. There’s no way an informed game dev like him did not see what happened with Metro

I mean Metro has been out almost a month and not a peep from them. Can't be all that good.

They don’t need to tell the gamers anything. The business is done in a board rooms with analysts and datasheets of information. Publisher’s don’t come to reddit and tell you what they are thinking. They don’t have to publicly reveal what the revenue numbers look like, or how many copies less they sell than steam. That’s all internal information and there is no obligation to share it. I wouldn’t expect it.
They have to figure the cancellations and bad press wont affect sales.

From the text you just quoted:

"This one hurts more than Metro for me…cannot believe this bullshit." -> my feelings too :(

I just don't know what to do now, I'm on the verge of asking for a refund (damn, I backed the game very early, whithin the 30 days of the original FIG campaign - "Congratulations!", they said, "You are officially the 581st backer of Phoenix Point by Snapshot Games."). Or perhaps I should wait for a few more days, maybe expecting another change, IDK. What's the deadline for refunding?

Mr. Gollop is advised to don his Adamantine Full Plate tomorrow when on the AMA. People will be foaming at their mouths :) Please @Silver;, don't forget to post here a newslink with the AMA questions/answers.
 
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It seems to me there are just too many games out there these days to limit your sales like this. I hope he enjoys his extra 10%, or whatever it is. I don't have the ability to look at real numbers, of course, but my gut feeling is a move like this just isn't worth it, especially if you're an indy just starting out. You need as many people to see your game as possible.
 
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Epic is like a trap, in that it appeals to the greed of developers. But they don't think about that the greed may actually end up costing them profits in the end.
 
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It's really not that big of a deal, but as usual, people are going to make it into something more.

There's nothing wrong with Epic. I'm currently using it to play Metro Exodus, and it launches faster than Steam and is just as hassle-free. People might as well get it now because it isn't going anywhere.
 
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