• CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
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      3 hours ago

      Exceptions mean there’s no rule, yeah?

      1. when you’re arguing that it’s impossible for a game to make a profit without Steam, yes

      2. my post was in reply to you listing a single game that wasn’t profitable for a year and blaming that on it not being on Steam. If my example is not a valid argument then you shouldn’t have argued that way in the first place.

      • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
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        3 hours ago

        impossible

        Strawman. It is demonstrably much harder for games to profit, when they’re not on Steam. Exceptions are rare viral hits. Alan Wake 2 was a popular and acclaimed game, and it did terribly on PC specifically, because it wasn’t on the one storefront that handles an overwhelming majority of PC sales. The difference between PC games not on Steam and iOS games not on the App Store is slim.

        So yes, there are games exclusive to Epic that do just fine, but not many. Odds say, fucked. Being unavailable on Steam means most PC gamers will not consider buying it, and may never even be aware of it. We have a word for that.

        • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
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          2 hours ago

          Alan Wake 2 was a popular and acclaimed game, and it did terribly on PC specifically

          Exceptions mean there’s no rule, yeah?

          • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
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            2 hours ago

            Struggling is the rule, not the exception. Most games do much worse when they’re not on Steam. Most means more. Do you understand that?