Epic Games Store Fails to Impress Analysts

The Epic Games Store is facing an uphill battle in its attempt to challenge Steam's dominance in the market.

According to Emmanuel Rosier, director of market intelligence at Newzoo, the Epic Games Store's overhaul may be "too little, too late" in its bid to catch up with Steam.

Rosier argues that Steam's unshakeable grip on the market makes it difficult for the Epic Games Store to recover. He points out that the Epic Games Store's free game giveaways often fail to build lasting engagement, as players tend to stick to one launcher rather than fragment their collection.

In fact, Rosier notes that free game giveaways can sometimes even boost a game's sales on Steam instead of the Epic Games Store. This is because players often log in to the Epic Games Store solely to claim the free game and then don't even play it.

The challenge facing the Epic Games Store is that it tries to compete with multiple platforms at once, including Steam, Apple, and Google Play. This may be a losing battle, as Rosier suggests that the Epic Games Store is "running out of steam" in its attempts to fight on all fronts.

However, Rosier is more optimistic about Epic's prospects as a developer than as a storefront operator. He points to the renewed focus on Fortnite as a rare bright spot, highlighting the growing use of crossover cosmetics from other publishers' games.

For example, Fortnite's current season features crossover cosmetics from Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man, as well as Kingdom Hearts' Sora and Persona 5's Joker. Rosier notes that this level of thought and effort is a positive sign for Fortnite's future.

Despite this, Rosier's assessment of the Epic Games Store itself remains less enthusiastic. He suggests that it is increasingly unlikely for the Epic Games Store to seriously challenge Steam as a storefront.

The Epic Games Store overhaul is still in the works, with promises of a faster, redesigned storefront and tailored recommendations. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to turn the tide in the Epic Games Store's favor.

In related news, Epic Games' Steve Allison has stated that Xbox has "welcome[d]" the idea of including the Epic Games Store on its hardware, with plans to have it available on day one.