Shenmue 3 PS4 & PC SERIOUSLY HAPPENING

[Asura]

It's not that the customer is wrong exactly. Just inconsistent, reactionary and unable to fully back up why they had a little fit about it in the first place. In our modern times of internet rage, not all of it deserves credence and industries certainly don't have to "reorientate" to meet the whims of the loudest internet voices. They can listen, sure. And should listen. And then ultimately the publishers will do what they feel works for them.

That's absolutely true; they need a balanced approach or they'll just be pulled from pillar-to-post. You can't please everyone all of the time. I just believe that if Epic are in this for the long haul as they seem to be, they should try to sweeten the deal for the customer as well as the industry.

[vanpeebles]

This is why distribution platforms on the PC are a stupid idea. I was against steam from the get go, but if everything was on it fine. I’d rather have the old days back with installers and keys. We will end up with like ten distribution platforms on one pc, using up tons of space and resources, while also being huge security risks.

[fishbowlhead]

Sorry, but I disagree. You're totally right that the customer can't exert a "right" that a game appears on their platform, but they are allowed to complain about it and they are allowed to refuse to buy it on that basis. That opinion isn't "invalid"; people are expressing it so obviously it's how they feel.

We're talking about supply, storefronts, commerce - this is the very definition of "the customer is always right". If the customer isn't happy, the industry has to reorientate to satisfy their desires, not sit back and complain the customer's opinion is wrong.

When you have a company to run, that has employees, and those employees need things like wages, to feed families & pay rent, oh and those employees also expect things like pay rises as well, then, THEN, you can come back to me and say,

“You know what, I don’t need that 20% saving in sales commission on each copy sold, also I definitely don’t need the savings on not having to pay for unreal engine either, straight on steam for my game!”

Otherwise if people’s argument is, I have a keyboard and I have internet rights you know! Then it’s all moot, invalid, as you probably weren’t going to buy the game anyway.

If a company decides to sell its product, whatever that product may be, either exclusively or through everything, that’s up to them, end of.

Edit. I’m not having a personal go at you Asura on this. However the whole thing is really p*****g me off right now.

[Asura]

When you have a company to run, that has employees, and those employees need things like wages, to feed families & pay rent, oh and those employees also expect things like pay rises as well...

... then you should make the decisions that result in the best return, right? Ultimately that requires you sell your product where the customer is, not where you would like them to be. If you're definitely going to sell enough where the extra commission is worth it then that's what you do. I don't question this line of thinking one bit.

I just meant that this doesn't countermand the customer's right to not be happy about your decision, and to be vocal about that - perhaps to vote with their wallet and not buy your product.

[fishbowlhead]

... then you should make the decisions that result in the best return, right? Ultimately that requires you sell your product where the customer is, not where you would like them to be. If you're definitely going to sell enough where the extra commission is worth it then that's what you do. I don't question this line of thinking one bit.

I just meant that this doesn't countermand the customer's right to not be happy about your decision, and to be vocal about that - perhaps to vote with their wallet and not buy your product.

If people are that bothered about the product itself, then they will go buy it out of an unlabelled paper bag if they have to, or the epic store, or anywhere else they can actually get it.

[Asura]

If people are that bothered about the product itself, then they will go buy it out of an unlabelled paper bag if they have to, or the epic store, or anywhere else they can actually get it.

I don't agree with that, but in any case, we don't necessarily need to agree

[Neon Ignition]

I wonder if Epic are finding it profitable running a store front given the sounds of the deals they're having to make and the much lower profit margin they've gone for? I assume it slightly irks some developers too, they work on a game for years then see it released on a less popular store front than the one they thought it was going onto. It's essentially going to be the Publisher pocketing the cash rather than the devs. So far it seems like it's an inconvenience to users rather than anything else, little seems to have committed itself to not ultimately making the jump to Steam down the line.

[Dogg Thang]

I wonder if Epic are finding it profitable running a store front

While it strikes me as something that is completely wrong with the world, we don't seem to live an age where this is a concern. 'Disruption' basically means: how long can we throw money at something until we're one of the only players left? How long did it take for Amazon to turn a profit? Twitter? Will Netflix ever be profitable?

If they are serious about this, it's a long game for Epic. And it would be a long game for anyone looking to muscle in on Steam's territory and, actually, taking games away from Steam is probably one of the only ways to turn it from an infinite game into a long game.

As you say though, it's merely an inconvenience for users. And yeah, many if not most of their exclusives apart from their own will probably go to Steam eventually. But it's getting users in the process. I can't see myself moving from Steam any time soon and I haven't registered for the Epic store and actually this game will probably be the only reason to for me but, once it's there, it's there and I'm a user. And that's what these long game, 'throw money at them forever' businesses have in common - they're building a userbase slowly but surely in the hopes that, one day, it will be profitable.

[fishbowlhead]

While it strikes me as something that is completely wrong with the world, we don't seem to live an age where this is a concern. 'Disruption' basically means: how long can we throw money at something until we're one of the only players left? How long did it take for Amazon to turn a profit? Twitter? Will Netflix ever be profitable?

If they are serious about this, it's a long game for Epic. And it would be a long game for anyone looking to muscle in on Steam's territory and, actually, taking games away from Steam is probably one of the only ways to turn it from an infinite game into a long game.

As you say though, it's merely an inconvenience for users. And yeah, many if not most of their exclusives apart from their own will probably go to Steam eventually. But it's getting users in the process. I can't see myself moving from Steam any time soon and I haven't registered for the Epic store and actually this game will probably be the only reason to for me but, once it's there, it's there and I'm a user. And that's what these long game, 'throw money at them forever' businesses have in common - they're building a userbase slowly but surely in the hopes that, one day, it will be profitable.

Epic as a company are stupidly rich and profitable, so the whole can absorb the store divisions losses (if any, it’s probably already profitable).

If it was an indie store with no bottomless pit then it wouldn’t last obviously.

[Dogg Thang]

That’s exactly it. They can throw money at the store for a long time before profitability ever raises its head as an issue. And if they have made even the slightest dent, they’d have people queuing up to invest at that point delaying again the issue. It does strike me as wrong on a conceptual level though. If you can destroy a profitable business by being unprofitable long enough to take them down, that feels messed up to me. I don’t think there is any danger of Epic taking down Steam - I’m thinking more of Amazon’s casualties over the years they were making nothing.

[fishbowlhead]

That’s exactly it. They can throw money at the store for a long time before profitability ever raises its head as an issue. And if they have made even the slightest dent, they’d have people queuing up to invest at that point delaying again the issue. It does strike me as wrong on a conceptual level though. If you can destroy a profitable business by being unprofitable long enough to take them down, that feels messed up to me. I don’t think there is any danger of Epic taking down Steam - I’m thinking more of Amazon’s casualties over the years they were making nothing.

It’s the American way.

Steam aren't going anywhere either, Epic store will eventually establish itself and both will print money.

[Digfox]

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...lease#comments

Ys Net has provided Kickstarter backers of Shenmue 3 with an update regarding the fallout surrounding the game's exclusivity to the Epic Game Store - and will be providing refunds to unsatisfied customers, while more patient ones can wait a year for a Steam key so they can play on the platform of their choice.

In response to backers who have requested Steam keys for their rewards, we discussed offering the keys on the day of release. However, coordination with the sales policies of the involved companies was untenable, and as a result we are not able to make a day one distribution option for Steam keys available.

That we are not able to offer Steam keys for Kickstarter rewards at the time of the game’s release is a great disappointed and inconvenience for those backers who were expecting to receive them. We deeply apologize for the unrest caused by the announcement.

Along with Deep Silver and Epic Games, we have agreed that should the above proposal not be acceptable to backers, refund requests will be honored.

Ys Net announcement re: Shenmue 3 and the 'PC' situation. There are some other game updates contained with the PR statement too.

[phillai]

I might just get a refund just on principal - They shouldn't have done this in the first place to the die hard Shenmue fans!
It's just a shame I can't also cancel my PS4 version as well.

And plus, the Yakuza series is better now and not just on graphics either.

[Nu-Eclipse]

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...lease#comments







Ys Net announcement re: Shenmue 3 and the 'PC' situation. There are some other game updates contained with the PR statement too.

What an absolute sh1teshower.

[fuse]

Not disagreeing that there's some serious mishandling going on, but do also find it hilarious how we've gone from fans frothing at the mouth and practically offering up their homes and first-borns, to "you want me to install what?!"