Like what the title says. There’s always a catch unless it’s FOSS. So, what is the catch with them giving games for free that you can keep forever? What will the developers of the games get as a thank you?
It’s likely a scheme to entice people onto their platform because they’re not as trusted as valve or gog. If they become a monopoly then we’ll get to see all the various catches to that.
it’s not “forever”. it’s however long they don’t have any ideas to the contrary.
why it was implemented - so that executive #279 can show executive #114 that number go up. look how our engagement is rising! look at all them people downloading our app! when I took over from exec #317, number was this big, lookie now!
same way google made their search worse, so you have to search multiple times, thus upping the engagment, page views, etc. and then exec X goes to exec Y and say “look there’s a huge rise in searches where my bonus at!”
it’s not “forever”.
So true. Today it is known that you only buy a license of the games from Steam. And since Epic Games works in the same way as Steam, this also applies to them. They can delete any games from your library whenever they want - just like that *click*. I stopped buying games on Steam when that came out publicly and moved to GOG instead.
At least in the first years, most of the games released on the Epic Games Store were DRM-free, in the strictest sense in that you could move the folder from PC to PC without needing the launcher, like on GOG. You can see the data as of today here.
Still below 600 (if the numbers are dead-exact) which makes me glad. GOG should be the only place for DRM free games. But that’s my opinion. What I know of, GOG is today the only place for downloadable installation files of games.
The numbers represent confirmed cases, so there could be more. There used to be a GOG thread dedicated to testing games for DRM on Epic, but then it was locked and its main contributors have switched to adding the information to the wiki.
It’s not about engagement. As the court documents have shown, they want to increase the number of users and then see how many of those convert to paying customers.
They want you to use their service. You’re more likely to use the service if you already have a library of games on it.
What will the developers of the games get as a thank you?
They wouldn’t be making them free without making a deal with the developer first. There was a leak that showed the actual amount a while back.
One catch is that Epic’s mystery code is allowed to execute on your computer.
Note that I don’t mean just their launcher. Often, if not always, the games themselves are linked with Epic code, ostensibly for license checks and/or integration with Epic services. This gives them the ability to snoop on stored data, installed/executing processes, biometrics, etc.
Running those free games with an alternative launcher does not protect against this.
It’s not just a theoretical concern, either. Epic has already been caught copying Steam files, collecting friends play history, and scanning running processes.
https://old.reddit.com/r/fuckepic/comments/wakewr/epic_games_spyware_vs_steam_vs_as_comparision_ea/
https://www.pcgamesn.com/epic-launcher-spyware
I don’t trust them, their CEO, or Tencent (which owns a significant chunk of Epic), so I don’t run games that come from them.
Is this an issue when using the Heroic launcher as well? None of the links mention this being an issue with Heroic.
Heroic Games Launcher doesn’t change the code in the game executable itself, so yes, it is still an issue when using Heroic.
This is such an underrated comment for such an important point.
Trying to discredit people because of the forum on which they discussed a topic, or because you view them as beneath your skill level, is a more than a little misguided, and frankly, disingenuous.
Epic themselves have admitted to copying Steam data and scanning running processes, as has been documented in various news articles. (example, example)
In any case, the point is not one particular incident or report, but rather that they have the capability, grant themselves permission to use it via their policy documents, and have earned distrust among a lot of gamers. Posting condescending emoji here doesn’t change that.
Edit: P.S. In future comments defending Epic, you might do readers the courtesy of stating up front that you are moderator of an Epic Games forum.
Why would I trust a random cropped screenshot from a bad faith subreddit about hating everything related to Epic? Either of us can run Process Monitor, filter by the desired process, and see if their claims have merit. They don’t.
The article and post I linked already explain the Steam and process list parts. How in your opinion does any program that needs to check if a process is running do that? Where would you expect Epic to get your Steam friends list if you’re asking it to import your Steam friends?
The catch is you have to install the Epic app or whatever it is called.
Also they hate Linux and shitcanned the already-existing native Linux port of Rocket League when they bought it. It’s fair to say you won’t dump resources into making new Linux ports but shitcanning a quality one that already existed? They can eat shit.
I never played Rocket League again after that.
Heroic Launcher ftw
Or don’t use Epic at all.
You have always been able to claim the games for free on the website.
The catch is now you have games in their ecosystem and are more likely to spend more time and money there.
