How do they win with exclusives? The strategy is nonsense.

For Sony, I get it. I want to play Demon Souls, I buy a PS5, now I own a PS5 I'm gonna buy more games for it.

But for EGS this doesn't make sense. It costs me nothing to install both stores on my PC. I buy Alan Wake 2 on EGS, great, that doesn't make me any more likely to buy the next game I want there. Nothing about the platform is sticky or requires a sunk cost.

Unless they're making enough money on the exclusive games to justify the deals on their own (which, given this announcement, seems unlikely) I don't see how they or you think it could work.

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lmm 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> It costs me nothing to install both stores on my PC.

But you wouldn't bother unless you have a reason to. I put off buying games I wanted to for months because I'd've had to install a new store. No-one is going to install a store for nothing.

> I buy Alan Wake 2 on EGS, great, that doesn't make me any more likely to buy the next game I want there.

Now every time you launch Alan Wake 2 they get a chance to sell you another game. If you see a game you like, why wouldn't you buy it on EGS now that you've installed it and know it works? They've got your email address now and can send you recommendations or tell you when there's a sale on.

Sure, it's still going to be an uphill struggle. But if they can't get you to install the store then they can't even start.

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lux-lux-lux 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This is definitely wrong, Steam’s stickiness is a massive selling point.

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hamdingers 6 hours ago | parent [-]

What part? Finish your thought.

Steam is sticky (social features, network effects, etc) and EGS is not, so EGS exclusives do not work. What part of this is "definitely wrong"?

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johnnyanmac 3 hours ago | parent [-]

It's called a network effect. At some point, you use it because you use it. And without any killer feature, you have no reason to move. It's not "wrong", but it explains why "just do better than Steam" does not work.

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hamdingers 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Comment is suspect. Defines a term I already used like you think you're introducing it, and addresses an argument I didn't make.

Did you use an LLM to generate this? Don't do that.

	▲	johnnyanmac 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		No, I am sadly human. Heck, these days I'm sloppier with my typing specifically to avoid such accusations. You asked why and I answered with the real reason. It's not that deep. People don't leave because people don't leave. If that's not a satisfying answer, I agree. But reality can be irrational.

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3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

[deleted]

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johnnyanmac 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Historically, exclusives have been the only way to get an edge in. And it only takes one system seller to pull it off.

Or at least, that's how it worked 20 years ago. Thing is, games got so diverse, as well as the rise of "forever games" that there's fee actual "systrlem sellers" these days. It's really just GTA that comes to mind now.