> [!NOTE] Preface > I'm going to lament how inferior the Epic game store feels to Steam, because I actually want it to do well but I myself am drawn to Stream. I'd guess this post will be about network effects and how difficult competition can be in the digital realm. [[Tim Sweeney]] recently did a long-form interview, which I found very interesting: https://youtu.be/477qF6QNSvc?si=GYJdYAwscfooWker Among other things, he talked about the challenge of trying to compete in the Apple-controlled ecosystem. His sentiments resonate a lot. I myself have very strong feelings about the direction Apple is trying to push software distribution in, and regard competition as the most viable solution. Tim Sweeney also discussed Steam in the interview. Apparently the Epic store _cannot_ offer games at lower prices, due to pressure from Steam on their publishers. That's a lot of power for Steam to wield. I'm on occasional player of games and I get them exclusively through steam. Not due to any Steam loyalty, but because the Steam model is quite convenient for my gaming habits: - I generally buy games without any idea of when I will actually have time to play them. - I treat my games library like an actual library, in that it's what you haven't read that's most interesting. - (I've played less than half of the games in my library, a situation I find quite agreeable) This makes the idea of a _game library_ rather appealing. I don't need to store games in case I one day might play them, they get to live in the library and I can download them as needed. Still, the Epic games store provides this same benefit, so why not switch? It's not like there's a strong network effect to having most of my existing games in Steam. Having one game in Steam doesn't improve the experience of having other games in Steam, at least not as far as I can tell. ## Ease of payment? There may be a minor bit of friction associated with entering payment details in a new store. However, Steam makes it annoyingly difficult to pay for your own games again and again. It feels like every time I want to pay for a game, I have to re-log in and re-authenticate using their useless mobile app. which their authentication system forces you to install. In other words, paying for games on Steam _already has significant friction_[^1]. ## The Interface? To some degree, I prefer the UI of Steam. However, I suspect that's simply due to my own familiarity with it. Not because it's inherently better from a design standpoint. However, there are some significant omitions in the Epic store UI I'd like to call out. ![[CleanShot 2025-06-02 at 13.10.51.png]] Steam, very helpfully tells you what sort of nonsense you're getting into when you purchase. One of the most egregious sins routinely committed by game publishers is requiring you to register in order to play their game[^2]. This is more than a red flag, it's reason enough to forego a purchase. I've passed up many games in the Assassins Creed franchise, games which are excellent in their own right, because Ubisoft requires registering an account with them. Many gamers will view this as a minor annoyance. I can certainly respect that, however it should be made clear up front that you will have to create a separate account (and will subsequently have to block marketing spam) in order to enjoy the game _you've already purchased_[^3]. The Epic store also only shows three reviews, all from "critics", which I find deeply inferior to the myriad user reviews Steam shows on a game page. ## Reviews? This is where Steam really shines, and is the reason it would be difficult to purchase via the Epic store without cross referencing on Stream. Steams review system has become a de fact purchase decision in my book. Namely, a game with "Overwhelmingly positive" reviews is _going to be good_, full stop. Anything less than that warrants a bit of consideration, but for any game that achieves such positive reviews I can feel certain it will be good, without knowing anything else about the game. Steam reviews can be insightful, funny, irreverent, even irrelevant, but they most often have the ring of an honest gamers opinion with no ulterior motive. These reviews critique the entire gaming experience, not merely the game plan. Here's an example of a very helpful negative review, indicating that you will face friction and frustration if you play this game. Many will still buy the game, which is totally up to them, but at least more people will be able to make an informed decision knowing that Ubisoft[^4] is forcing them to use unwanted software. ![[CleanShot 2025-06-02 at 13.25.26.png]] The combination of straightforward, honest feedback along with the estimate user play time gives reviews like these quite a bit of credibility. It's also because of negative reviews like these that when you see a game with overwhelmingly positive reviews, you can know sight unseen that it's going to be good. These reviews are the network effect. Even if I were to purchase games elsewhere, I'd likely check how that game was rated on Steam, and since I'm already on Steam perhaps I'd simply buy it from them as well. This is difficult to overcome. Regardless, it's heartening to see Epic games compete. The more options players have the better. [^1]: It's possible this is because I purchase games from abroad and they have some policy regarding foreign IP addresses. Even so, it's a surprising amount of friction just to _give them money_. [^2]: I find this particularly egregious because you can purchase before you register. It's only after you purchase that you are forced to enter your email and provide them with marketing information. When I pay I don't want to also be forced to help them with marketing. [^3]: I'm honestly a bit perplexed that traditional game reviewers don't seem to mention these aspects of a game. For example, it's not only the requirement of an account. Some games require you to be online, even if you're playing in single player. Traditional game reviewers seem to systematically disregard various annoyances and elements of friction imposed by the game publisher. These paper cuts imposed by game publishers should very-much contribute to the overall review score, and on Steam they do. [^4]: I am indeed picking on Ubisoft here, but it's not just them. Rockstar employs similar tactics. In Rockstar's case, I have no doubt people will continue to buy Grand Theft Auto no matter how onerous them make the game launching experience.