Indie zoo management game Let's Build a Zoo apparently only sold 1% of all copies on EGS.

Tentative source. I haven't been able to get a second confirmation of this yet, so this is more for discussion purpose for now.

Basically, this game sold 32,000 copies so far, breaking even with development cost. The game is sold on two storefronts: Steam and Epic Games Store. According to the article, the split is 99% Steam, 1% EGS - in other words, the game sold a grand total of 320 copies on EGS.

Now, there are many variables here: such as different audiences, different game discovery systems, having no exclusivity deal with Epic, the fact that the publisher's Twitter page only promoted the Steam store page, etc. That being said, if these numbers are correct, it might be an indication that Epic still have a long way to go to truly challenge Steam's dominance, especially in the indie market.

Update: confirmed through Twitter.

Ouch.

EGS audience is mostly Fortnite players.

There is no reason to buy from Tencent-Epic Game Store outside if exclusive titles, and IMO that is even a reason *not* to buy from them.

Tencent-Epic offers an inferior experience to literally every other storefront, and yes I am including EA Origin, Ubisoft's whatever, GoG, etc.

Also this.

Really curious to see how viable their storefront is if all Fortnite players were removed from it.

It's been nearly 3 years and the Epic Store has barely gotten better or obtained more features. Epic should stop throwing around money for timed exclusives and hire some more programmers so they can actually make a decent platform to compete with.

Fortnite's success is the reason Epic is being so bold to try and take Steam on. The money and userbase Fortnite is pulling in is what is allowing Epic to throw around countless multi million dollar deals on exclusives and believing they have enough users to challenge Steam. Even with Fortnite's userbase hardly anyone is buying games on their store. Pretty much 90% of people use the Epic store for either Fortnite and/or the free games. If Fortnite started significantly declining in how much money it makes Epic would be in serious trouble with all the money they were giving out for exclusives and free games. It is one of the reasons they can even do the 12% cut.

Epic only taking a 12% cut is one of the reasons why they're aren't putting in much effort into making their platform as a good as Steam. A major thing Epic doesn't do is cover payment process fees. Valve covers this in their 30% cut. This is why Steam is doing so well in Asian countries and other poorer countries because Steam allows them to pay for games the most accessible way they can and cover the cost. Many on internet have said upfront they couldn't afford to buy games from the Epic Store because of them not covering the payment process fees.

I'm surprised people even know the game existed.

Steam sucks.

Maybe, but Epic sucks more.

They suck so bad they only sell 1% of a game's total sales. They suck so bad they have to pay for exclusivity, and it's only for one year; if they were any good, developers would be flocking to them without having to pay for exclusivity.

Is anyone surprised?

I don't know a single person who uses EGS as their main store. They might sign up for the free games, but they don't stick around to buy anything.

Well, there is an option to play most of the EGS games offline without even launching the app. It's basically an inferior GOG with a bunch of free games to attract people.

No one in their sound mind would buy an undiscounted game on EGS over Steam. EGS is for getting free games and sometimes they give extra discounts beating Steam sale prices. That's it.

@sakaixx: I seen it advertised on Steam main page. I love animals but not into building a Zoo lol.

But anyway, GoG & Steam are my main clinets. All the others are their when I need'em and EGS is no different. So I'm more lax on it than anyone else here.

During the Apple vs Epic case, Epic revealed more than 90% of their revenue comes from just Fortnite. Unreal Engine and Epic Store combined contribute less than 10% of their revenue. And they've still yet to turn a profit on the Epic Store, which is just burning some of that Fortnite money. The Epic Store is pointless. The only useful purpose it serves is just as a PC launcher for Fortnite.

The only tactic Epic Store has is bribery. They tried, and continue to try short-term wads of cash to get Publishers on board thinking the PC market operates like the console market.

Except that's not how PC operates. A lot of it is through word of mouth. And they have decidedly bad word of mouth. When EGS is uttered, it's not in a positive light.

Basically GFWL ver. 2

Something people are having to put up with, hoping will die out.

Stuff like Steam and GOG have largely well-earned rep. To the point people who normally would pirate now legitimately buy games on the platforms.

EGS has none of that. New kid of the block who's first move is to remove the games from other platforms and declare "know what it good for you" through PR blurbs from cockheads like Randy Dude Wheres My USB and game journos declaring we are "toxic" for not eating shit.

Even games I really wanted to play like Samurai Shodown, as soon as that was announced EGS, na, i'm not.

Aside from segmenting the community, it basically killed what would already be a dead ass game. Murdered horribly by Strive with saw record numbers on Steam.

@davillain-: if its advertised an only selling that much... hmm seems to me they have public awareness problem not both Steam or Epic problem.

Just a small update: I said that the source is "tentative" because I haven't been able to independently confirm this data yet. Now I have, through Mike Rose's Twitter:

And ominously, he went on to say this:

Ouch. This is the mountain every storefront that seeks to challenge Steam has to climb: the fact that it's so entrenched and ubiquitous publishers and developers have to weigh the advantages of selling on Steam versus the disadvantages of selling on other storefronts.

Just wanted to tie up a loose end.

Can't quote on Mike Rose tweet, damn GS can't even get this crap right. But anyway, back in the dark ages of PC, everyone dislike Steam when it first came out, Valve got more angry rants but Valve continue working the client with its features and it paid off. Steam is in a better spot, while GoG is also sitting in a good spot so both clients are the must go for PC gamers. Its kinda why post think Steam has a monopoly in the PC market because they had a head start vs anyone else trying to replicate their own client.

I don't have a love/hate for EGS, I only use it if its a game I cannot play anywhere else and I only bought 2 games on the store and the rest were given to me for free.