Shenmue 3 - Exclusive to Epic Store

@Engadget Shenmue 3 has been announced as an Epic Store exclusive.

Surprise! The PC version of Shenmue 3 is now an Epic Games Store exclusive. That means the crowdfunded sequel, which was originally unveiled as part of Sony's E3 press conference in 2015, won't be sold through Steam or any other PC-centric storefront. "In looking for the most enjoyable experience on PC, it was decided together with Deep Silver after much discussion that the Epic Games Store would be the best distribution platform option," developer Ys Net said in a Kickstarter update. For now, it's unclear if backers who wanted the Steam version will be offered any kind of refund, or forced to accept the Epic Games Store version.

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Another shitty move by devs and Epic.

Deep Sliver/THQ Nordic is the publisher so I'm not surprised by this move.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Deep Sliver/THQ Nordic is the publisher so I'm not surprised by this move.

I would say Deep Silver are the snake in this partnership as they have autonomy.

Originally Posted by Silver
I would say Deep Silver are the snake in this partnership as they have autonomy.

Yep same bull-shit move with Metro Exodus but that was Koch Media. They are also part of Deep Sliver who has autonomy also, but is funded/owned by THQ Nordic.

Anyway If I want to play an exclusive badly I'll buy it on the Epic Store. Simple as that.

I wonder how they decided that epic provided the 'best' experience for pc players. Naturally this is executive speak for we want the money today instead of tomorrow. Hopefully it will bomb and the executive will be beheaded.

Why do people hate Epic so much? Is it that you'd rather have everything on one launcher like Steam? I have no opinion one way or another, just curious.

Two reasons:

They are spending lots of $$$$$ to limit consumer choices; in general the fewer launchers I install the less I have to worry about shitty corporate programmers (and shitty executives adding nefarious behavior to their launcher).
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I like gog style - optional launcher but the ability to download the raw binaries. This of course doesn't mean something nefarious has been added to the binary … then again epic privacy rights (or lack of) certainly has to make one wonder what they have or intend to at a future date add to their launcher.

Originally Posted by FizzyShellfish
Why do people hate Epic so much? Is it that you'd rather have everything on one launcher like Steam? I have no opinion one way or another, just curious.

If it will not be available on Steam, I will not buy it. I don`t hate Epic. But as they can ignore backers (some sort of legal deal is made via Kickstarter imho and then one-sided broken) I will ignore them.

I'm a sponsor of this project, so I find it a bit irksome that they chose to go this route. I guess I'll have to simply wait until the game becomes available on either great old games or steam, I don't dislike epic but no one is going to force me to utilize a new client. Nobody.

Originally Posted by Carnifex
I'm a sponsor of this project, so I find it a bit irksome that they chose to go this route. I guess I'll have to simply wait until the game becomes available on either great old games or steam, I don't dislike epic but no one is going to force me to utilize a new client. Nobody.

Well bad news then as it's not a timed exclusive and wont be sold anywhere else.

won't be sold through Steam or any other PC-centric storefront

Basically they picked only one client to sell it on.

Originally Posted by Radorin
If it will not be available on Steam, I will not buy it. I don`t hate Epic. But as they can ignore backers (some sort of legal deal is made via Kickstarter imho and then one-sided broken) I will ignore them.

For all I remember Shenmue KS project never said it'll appear on Steam.
Instead they just said - PC.

Posted in another thread, I don't care which platform it uses as long as it runs on my rig and not some outdated crapware.

Forced exclusivity is a bad deal in the short and long run for us consumers. I'd rather have them add the Epic store next to Steam, if you want to share the better cut they offer, share it with the consumer by making your game $5 cheaper on that storefront than on others.

No loss for me on this game, as it's not in my sphere of interest, but it makes me even more weary about upcoming games and what to expect.

Originally Posted by joxer
For all I remember Shenmue KS project never said it'll appear on Steam.
Instead they just said - PC.

Posted in another thread, I don't care which platform it uses as long as it runs on my rig and not some outdated crapware.

I agree about not caring about the distribution platform.

I'll look for the sauce later but it wouldn't surprise me if it was stated "PC Digitial Distribution" on the KS page and folks just read that as Steam.

I hate Epic. I don't like that they are Chinese-owned (spying concerns) and don't allow reviews on their site, and basically that their whole site sucks compared to steam and they try to force pc gamers to buy from them just based on using their wealth as a sledgehammer on gamers.

Originally Posted by Arkadia7
… I don't like that they are Chinese-owned (spying concerns) …

Do you have proof of that and can you share the source? As to the spying, it's pretty funny that folks have no compunction when it's their own government spying on them but that is a topic for another discussion entirely.

In the end, they're all just multi-billion dollar corporations. The trick is to keep them locked in a Battle of the Bastards, to keep their attention away from shafting us more thoroughly.

Well, if the game won't be coming to either great old games or steam, I suppose I'll just have to request my money be returned.

Originally Posted by Cthulhufan
I agree about not caring about the distribution platform.

I'll look for the sauce later but it wouldn't surprise me if it was stated "PC Digitial Distribution" on the KS page and folks just read that as Steam.

They sent out a survey for preferred platform to backers and Steam was on it.

Originally Posted by Carnifex
Well, if the game won't be coming to either great old games or steam, I suppose I'll just have to request my money be returned.

No refunds are being offered.

Originally Posted by basharran
Forced exclusivity is a bad deal in the short and long run for us consumers. I'd rather have them add the Epic store next to Steam, if you want to share the better cut they offer, share it with the consumer by making your game $5 cheaper on that storefront than on others.

Not possible. The contract with Steam prevents you from selling the game for a lesser price on other stores, you have to remove it from Steam to sell it cheaper elsewhere. If it wasn't for that, then the publishers could put the game on Steam but at a higher price to make up for Valve's cut, and people who are hell-bent on using Steam would be taken care of. But Valve doesn't allow it.