Epic Games is providing third-party developers 100 % of revenue for six months, in trade for game exclusivity on its storefront.
Epic’s newly introduced First Run program is an decide in scheme. If a developer chooses to take part within the initiative, they may obtain 100 % revenue for six months.
Once this era of exclusivity ends, the break up will revert again to the shop’s unique arrange of 88 % going to developers, and 12 % going to Epic.
First Run can be accessible to developers “of any scale”, Epic has mentioned, and can grant members quite a lot of perks designed to extend total publicity for their product. This contains benefiting from inclusion in “relevant store campaigns” resembling gross sales and occasions, in addition to “exclusive badging, homepage placements, and dedicated collections”.
Epic’s First Run program is on the market to each developers and publishers with registered Epic Games developer accounts and “eligible products” releasing any time after 16th October, 2023.
In Epic’s phrases, an eligible product is: “A new release game or app which has not been previously released on another third-party PC store or included in a subscription service available on another third-party PC store.”
The firm acknowledged that any video games or apps that have already got an exclusivity deal in place with the Epic Games Store usually are not eligible for the First Run program.
All that being mentioned, developers might be part of First Run and nonetheless concurrently launch their merchandise on a first-party retailer or web site, with Epic stating: “Products in the Epic First Run program can also be released simultaneously on publishers’ and developers’ own stores or launchers with direct sales, sale of an Epic digital redemption code, or integration with our keyless redemption program.”
Sharing the information on X (formally Twitter), Epic boss Tim Sweeny mentioned with this new scheme, “everyone wins”.
“Devs earn more money, Epic reaches new customers,” he wrote.
Epic Games Store launched in 2018 with an 88% / 12% revenue break up. Now developers can even select a brand new possibility: launch your PC game on EGS first for 6 months for a 100% / 0% revenue break up. Devs earn more cash, Epic reaches new clients, everybody wins.https://t.co/T2GJAkwy1g
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) August 23, 2023
As just a little apart, within the replies to this submit, Sweeney mentioned a “big development effort” is at the moment underway to “optimise” the Epic retailer.
“It’s roughly doubled performance over the past year but it has further to go,” Sweeny shared in response to a query concerning the retailer’s total expertise.
For extra on exclusivity, our Tom simply sat down with Phil Spencer to talk extra about what’s in retailer for Xbox. You can learn extra right here.
