BlizzCon returns to the Anaheim Convention Center in California this weekend for the first time in four years.
17.10.2023 - 10:27 / rockpapershotgun.com / Tim Sweeney / And How
Epic have dropped a bunch of details as to planned improvements for the Epic Games Store in the on-going race to out-Steam Steam - the Coca-Cola to Epic's Pepsi Max. Amongst other things, we can expect more robust search features, support for third-party subscriptions, better EGS launcher performance, a download manager with improved controls, and a new "for you" personalisation tab - all of that rolling out across 2024 and 2025.
Naturally, Epic will be continuing with their free games program through "2023 and beyond", and they've also put together a couple of special publishing offers for developers, Epic First Run and Now on Epic, which are designed to lure more studios from the amoeba-like embrace of Valve's gaming empire.
Originally announced at Gamescom, and live as of last night, the Epic First Run program allows developers who release their games exclusively on the Epic Games Store to receive 100% of their revenue from sales for the first six months. After that, Epic will take its 12% cut of revenues.
Now on Epic is the same deal, but for developers who launch their older games on the Epic Game Store. To be eligible, developers must bring either their entire catalogue to Epic or at least three older games - "older games", in this case, means games that were released prior to 31st October 2023 and are "currently live" on another store or subscription service. Now on Epic extends to early access titles, too. Participants need to enrol by 31st December 2024, and they'll need to release the games in question on EGS by 30th June 2025.
Epic are very keen to get more third-party developers involved with their store, which continues to be dominated by Fortnite players. Director of product and content strategy Kyle Billings offered some fighting talk in a livestream from Unreal Fest 2023, uploaded last week.
"Currently 67% of our player base is playing third party games," he said. "And 50% of them are exclusively playing third party games. These numbers, for me, highlight the significance of the third party games ecosystem and the importance of fostering that growth."
You can watch the full video here - 48 minutes of graphs, bullet points and magical phrases like "expanded merchandising surfaces". Don't say I never treat you to anything.
All of this follows in the wake of Epic laying off around 800-900 people, totalling 16 per cent of their workforce, after a period of heavy investment. Announcing the job losses, Epic's CEO Tim Sweeney (who hasn't been laid off) noted that Fortnite isn't quite the cash cow it used to be, which I guess is why Epic are especially keen at present to get more people playing a wider selection of games on the Epic Games Store.
"While Fortnite is starting to
BlizzCon returns to the Anaheim Convention Center in California this weekend for the first time in four years.
Before the release of the upcoming remaster (Retold), it's still worth your time booting up the original Age of Mythology. It's an even better use of your time to try out the best Age of Mythology cheats – cheating is fun.
The latest episode of VGC: A Video Game Podcast is now available for listening.
The Epic Games Store’s next free title has been revealed.
The Battlegrounds Mobile India brings various events and themes into the game from time to time. Recently to celebrate the spooky season, Krafton announced the Zombie Edge theme and various crates that gave users the chance to get themed outfits, weapon skins, vehicles, and more. Now, as the Halloween fever is over, the lights are back to the game with Diwali Delights Exchange Corner. Now, with the festival of lights is around the corner, the game is providing exclusive items for free but there is a catch! Know more about the Diwali exchange corner and its rewards.
In an incident yesterday, October 31, that rocked the Indian political establishment, at least nine political leaders from opposition parties received a shocking alert on their iPhones warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise” their device. It raised an alarm among leaders as they posted screenshots of the alerts on their X accounts, seeking clarification for the same. The government also raised a query with the iPhone maker to share more details about the alerts and to work closely as an investigation is conducted.
Sam Lake, creative director of Remedy Entertainment, has infused his impressive writing chops into all of his games, all of which are imbued with a filmic quality.
Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) conducted the Preliminary Eligibility Test for Group B and C posts as civil servants. The exam was scheduled for 28th October and 29th October 2023 which finally concluded. Now the candidates are waiting for the answer key to be released which is expected to be announced online sometime soon. If you are someone who appeared for the exam then know how to check UPSSSC PET 2023 Answer key online.
Battlegrounds Mobile India has recently announced the new 2.8 update which celebrates the spooky month. As Halloween is around the corner, the game has introduced a new zombie edge theme which enables the player to experience new abilities, events, rewards, and more. One such event that has grabbed players' eye is the Haunted Havens Exchange Centre. Gamers can earn exciting prizes, such as character costumes and scrap vouchers, at the new exchange centre. Know how the event works.
ARK: Survival Ascended is the brand new remaster of the original Ark title, DLCs and all.
The Epic Games Store’s next free titles have been confirmed.
Usually, movies are an escape from a world filled with scary, terrible things, but we all still enjoy the occasional trip into the darkness. Beyond stupid fun, scary movies can also bring people together: You can curl up into your loved one to feel safe, make jokes to alleviate the really intense parts, or laugh together afterward at gross-out moments.