Table of Contents

Overview

The Epic Games Store is a digital video game storefront and distribution platform owned and operated by Epic Games. It was launched in December 2018 as a competitor to Valve’s Steam platform. Epic Games Store offers a curated selection of games, exclusive titles, and discounts.

Key Features

Exclusive Games: The Epic Games Store is known for its exclusive titles, such as Fortnite, Rocket League, and Borderlands 3. These games are only available on the Epic Games Store and cannot be purchased from other platforms.

Curated Selection: Epic Games Store offers a handpicked selection of games, ensuring that users can find high-quality and reputable titles. The store features indie games, AAA releases, and everything in between.

Discounts and Promotions: The Epic Games Store frequently offers discounts, promotions, and giveaways. Users can subscribe to Epic’s newsletter or follow the store on social media to stay updated on the latest deals.

User Interface: The Epic Games Store’s user interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy for users to browse and purchase games. The store also offers a wish list feature and a library where users can manage their purchased games.

Business Model

Revenue Split: Epic Games Store takes a 12% revenue cut from game sales, significantly lower than Steam’s 30% cut. This lower revenue share model has attracted many developers and publishers to the platform.

Free Games: The Epic Games Store offers free games every week as part of its "Free Game Thursdays" promotion. These games are permanently added to users’ accounts and can be played indefinitely.

Comparison with Steam

Feature	Epic Games Store	Steam
Revenue Split	12%	30%
Exclusive Games	Yes	Yes
Curated Selection	Yes	No
Free Games	Weekly	Occasional
User Interface	Clean and modern	Cluttered and outdated

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Lower revenue share for developers
Exclusive games
Curated selection
Frequent discounts and promotions
Free games

Cons:

Smaller game library than Steam
Lack of community features
Some technical issues

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How do I create an Epic Games account?
A: You can create an Epic Games account on the official website or through the Epic Games Store app.

Q: How do I purchase games on the Epic Games Store?
A: You can purchase games on the Epic Games Store using a credit card, PayPal, or gift cards.

Q: Can I refund games purchased from the Epic Games Store?
A: Yes, you can refund games purchased from the Epic Games Store within 14 days of purchase if you have played less than 2 hours.

Q: How do I download games from the Epic Games Store?
A: You can download games from the Epic Games Store using the Epic Games Store app.

Q: What is the difference between the Epic Games Store and Steam?
A: The Epic Games Store takes a lower revenue share from developers, offers exclusive games, and has a more curated selection of titles. Steam has a larger game library and more community features.

Conclusion

The Epic Games Store is a formidable competitor to Steam, offering a wide range of games, exclusive titles, and attractive discounts. Its lower revenue share model and curated selection have made it a popular choice for developers and publishers. While it still lacks some of Steam’s community features, the Epic Games Store is rapidly expanding and improving, making it a strong contender in the digital game distribution market.

References

Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine is a high-fidelity real-time 3D creation platform developed by Epic Games. It is widely used for creating games, films, simulations, and other interactive experiences.

Key Features:

Advanced Graphics: Supports state-of-the-art rendering techniques, including ray tracing, global illumination, and dynamic lighting.
Physics and Simulation: Realistic physics simulation with support for rigid bodies, soft bodies, fluids, and destruction effects.
AI and Gameplay: Robust AI systems and gameplay mechanics, including pathfinding, navigation, and behavior trees.
Cross-Platform Support: Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
Community and Marketplace: Large community and marketplace with access to assets, plugins, and tutorials.

Fortnite

Fortnite is a free-to-play online video game developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available on various platforms, including PC, Mac, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.

Battle Royale Mode:

The most popular mode in Fortnite is Battle Royale, where up to 100 players compete on a shrinking island to be the last one standing.
Players scavenge for weapons, resources, and materials to build structures and defenses.

Other Modes:

Fortnite also offers other modes, such as Save the World, a cooperative campaign against alien creatures.
Creative Mode, where players can create their own islands and structures.

Cross-Platform Play:

One of the unique features of Fortnite is its cross-platform play, allowing players on different devices to compete together or cooperate in Save the World mode.

Popularity and Impact:

Fortnite has become a global phenomenon, attracting over 350 million registered players worldwide.
It has influenced popular culture, inspiring merchandise, live events, and collaborations with other brands.

Paragon

Paragon was a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game released in 2016. Developed by Epic Games, it featured a roster of heroes with unique abilities, team-based objectives, and an emphasis on strategy and teamwork. The game’s premise involved players competing in 5v5 matches across a variety of maps, with the goal of destroying the opposing team’s base. Despite its early promise and positive reception, Paragon was discontinued in 2018 due to financial difficulties and a lack of player support.

Rocket League

Rocket League is a vehicular soccer video game developed and published by Psyonix. In the game, players control rocket-powered cars and use them to hit a soccer ball into the opponent’s net to score goals. The game features various game modes, including online multiplayer, local multiplayer, and single-player matches. Rocket League also includes a customization system that allows players to customize their cars with different skins, decals, and accessories. The game has been praised for its fast-paced gameplay and its unique blend of soccer and vehicular combat.

Shadow Complex

Shadow Complex is a side-scrolling action-adventure game developed by Chair Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Players take control of Jason Fleming, a soldier who discovers a hidden underground complex while investigating a cave-in. The complex is home to a sinister organization called The Foundation, which is attempting to create a new world order through the use of advanced technology.

Jason must navigate the complex, battling enemies, solving puzzles, and uncovering the secrets of The Foundation. Along the way, he gains new abilities and weapons, including a plasma rifle, a grappling hook, and a jetpack. The game features a variety of environments, from dark caverns to futuristic laboratories, and a gripping story with multiple endings.

Gears of War

Gears of War is a third-person shooter video game series developed by The Coalition and first published by Microsoft Game Studios. The series focuses on a squad of soldiers known as Delta Squad as they fight against an alien race known as the Locust. The games take place on the planet Sera, which has been ravaged by war and has become a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Players control various members of Delta Squad as they battle the Locust Horde using a variety of weapons and vehicles. The series is known for its dark and gritty tone, as well as its intense and action-packed gameplay. The Gears of War franchise has been a critical and commercial success, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide.

Bulletstorm

Bulletstorm is a first-person shooter where players progress through levels by accumulating "skill points" for performing elaborate and creative kills. The game features stylized graphics, an over-the-top storyline, and a variety of weapons with unique abilities. Players must use a combination of skill, strategy, and environmental awareness to survive and succeed. The game’s "skillshot" system rewards players for creative and stylish kills, encouraging them to experiment with different ways to dispatch enemies and maximize their points.

Infinity Blade

Infinity Blade is a series of action role-playing games developed by Chair Entertainment and released for iOS devices. The games feature a blend of action and role-playing elements, with players controlling a character as they battle through a series of levels, defeating enemies, and collecting loot. The series has received critical acclaim for its graphics, combat system, and story.

The first game in the series, Infinity Blade, was released in 2010. The game was a commercial success, selling over 2 million copies in its first month of release. The game was followed by two sequels, Infinity Blade II (2011) and Infinity Blade III (2013). The series has also been ported to other platforms, including Android, Windows Phone, and Ouya.

The Infinity Blade games are set in a fantasy world where the player character is a member of an order of knights who are tasked with protecting the Infinity Blade, a powerful weapon that is said to be able to control reality. The player character must battle through a series of levels, defeating enemies and collecting loot, in order to reach the Infinity Blade and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

Chair Entertainment

Chair Entertainment is a video game development studio based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in 2005 by former employees of Westwood Studios, Chair is best known for the "Shadow Complex" series and the "Infinity Blade" series of mobile games. The studio has a reputation for creating critically acclaimed games with innovative gameplay and stunning visuals. Chair Entertainment was acquired by Epic Games in 2018 and continues to develop high-quality games for various platforms.