The Epic Games Store contains its fair share of non-exclusive games such as Darksiders III and a plethora of Ubisoft titles. Yet, according to a developer for the upcoming skating title SkateBIRD, they were denied a listing on this storefront because the Epic Games Store is focusing on exclusives.
Founder of Glass Bottom Games Megan Fox announced on Twitter yesterday that their upcoming game, SkateBIRD, will not be listed on the Epic Games Store. The reason, according to Fox, is because Epic is "focusing on exclusives, and SkateBIRD promised Steam keys in its KS, therefore nah."
She adds:
Though it isn't especially clear if that was with respect to Epic grants, store release, both, or what. I should clarify that we did (last year? a while ago) submit to Epic grants, because sure, why not!
Later in the Twitter thread, she says she doesn't regret the mention of Steam keys on her Kickstarter page. As of right now, SkateBIRD has over 15 thousand users wishlisting it on Steam; conversely, the Epic Games Store does not have a wish option.
While the Epic Games Store is still in its infancy, the storefront is trending towards exclusives. Recently, Piranha Games, developers for MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, announced its game will be exclusive on the Epic Games Store for an entire year. Other titles such as Julian Gollop's Phoenix Point and Gearbox's Borderlands 3 hold some sort of exclusivity as well.
For now, you can read our Crowdfunding Spotlight on SkateBIRD for a full overview of this adorable skating title. Until then, it is available to wishlist on Steam, and releases likely next year.
Quick Take
I cannot pretend to understand the logistics of running an online storefront, but this move by Epic seems puzzling. They are a curated storefront, true, but at the same time, restricting your storefront to mostly exclusives seems like a weird move. Then again, most people are forced to buy from the storefront due to exclusivity to begin with.
