The Epic First Run programme allows developers of any size to claim 100% of revenue if they agree to make their game exclusive on the Epic Games Store for six months.
After the six months are up, the game will revert to the standard Epic Games Store revenue split of 88% for the developer and 12% for Epic Games.
Any exclusive clearly is bad for consumers. If you want to tell yourself that Steam exclusives are better than EGS ones, Origin ones, or UPlay ones for some bizarre reason, do it. But that doesn’t make it true, sensible, or sane.
I don’t want games to be exclusive to any launcher. In fact, I have never purchased a game that is exclusive to one launcher. I have always either waited until the game was available multiple places (ideally somewhere like GOG that doesn’t require a launcher at all), or just never bought it. This includes Steam exclusives. But, sure, I’m just an EGS apologist.
But, sure, all of you guys who waited until publishers were being paid to use shitty launchers before you cared about consumer options have the moral high ground over those of us who realized it was shitty to require a launcher and started caring 20 years ago (and have been fighting it ever since).
As far as I’m concerned, consumers lost as soon as launchers were required. I don’t care why they’re required. To me, feeling better about it just because no one got paid to require the launcher makes no damn sense. It makes about as much sense as getting shot and then saying, “You know what? I feel better knowing that nobody got paid to shoot me. I’d feel a whole lot worse if someone got paid.” The problem isn’t that someone got paid! The problem is that you got fucking shot! You’re missing the point if you make that statement.
Launcher exclusivity is bad. Full stop. EGS isn’t worse. Steam isn’t worse. They’re all fucking bad.