The Platform Wars: Steam, Epic, and GOG
I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a Valve fanboy. It all started when I bought Half-Life from Gamestop years ago. Half-Life led me to Counter-Strike, and Counter-Strike led me to Steam. At first I was a bit frustrated. What is Steam? Why do I need to register this account just to play a game I already own? That feeling of consternation didn’t last, however. It soon became evident why gamers would fall in love with Steam. All of your games, automatically updated, and all in one place. In 2019, physical media does possess its own unique charm and nostalgia, but at the time I was just thankful I didn’t have to worry about scratched up CDs, CD keys, and the other drawbacks of physically possessing a game.
IF you play games on a PC, your desktop (or taskbar) probably looks vastly different than a few years ago. EA’s Origin and Ubisoft’s Uplay arrived, to the annoyance of many gamers, including myself. Steam, however, remained the unquestioned default for any serious PC gamer. And I was glad about that. I didn’t (and don’t) welcome Origin or Uplay. But now we have two (somewhat) new players entering the fray: GOG Galaxy and Epic Games. This time it’s different. At least for me. But let’s take a look at how these stores differ and how they’re positioning themselves as we close out 2019.
1. Steam: The Comfortable Giant
Towards the end of 2019, Valve’s position might best be described as stale. Having pioneered the digital distribution of video games, Valve has been coasting and taking its standard 30% revenue cut from developers, all the while appearing to be more of a passive utility than an innovative platform.
That’s not to say Steam hasn’t innovated before or that it lacks features now. It has community hubs, a comical and userful user review system, the Workshop for mods, and the massive marketplace itself. Still, after the initial success of products like Gary’s Mod, it’s starting to feel a bit bloated with asset flips and “low effort” products.
Until recently, it didn’t feel like anyone could challenge Valve. But some competitors have finally started to emerge, and Steam has finally started to wake from its slumber by overhauling its library UI last month.
2. Epic Games: The Aggressive Disruptor
If Steam is the empire, then Epic Games is the rebel force fueled by their Fortnite spoils. The Epic Games Store launch at the end of last year, and it has spent this entire year trying to challenge Steam. Its strategy includes Timed Exclusives and The Free Games Program.
In another swipe at Steam, Epic offers developers an 88/12 revenue split, using their capital to buy up rights to games like Metro Exodus and Borderlands 3.
But for everyday players who have massive game libraries on Steam, Epic’s strategy feels a bit like a bribe. Stop by every week and claim a free game. But maybe bribe is too strong of a word; after all, they’re giving away high-quality games like Subnautica, Celeste, The Batman: Arkham Trilogy, and more. They’re giving away good stuff.
While you won’t hear any complaints about free games, their launcher still feels a bit barebones. Maybe minimalism is the point, but it still lacks features like a shopping cart, user reviews, cloud save functionality, and message boards.
You could say it’s a “loss leader” trying its best to chip away at Steam’s dominant position in the market place. But regardless of what you call their business model, who doesn’t like free games?
3. GOG Galaxy: The DRM-Free Preservationist
If Steam is the empire and Epic Games is the rebels, then what does that make GOG? Maybe the neutral sage sitting in a remote forest. It loves and nourishes all things but does not lord it over them. That kind of thing. While Valve and Epic Games battle it out, CD Projekt Red’s GOG Galaxy is doing something quite different.
Launched years ago to salvage classic, unplayable PC games, GOG has carved out a nice niche centered around DRM free games. When you buy a game on GOG, you own it completely. There are no online check-ins and no background piracy monitoring efforts. You can even download offline installers without even opening the GOG software itself.
GOG sweetens the deal with extra goodies thrown in when you purchase games. You might get hi-res wallpapers, DSTs, digital manuals, concept art, and other swag bundled with your purchase.
And I must say, I’ve taken joy in buying up some classic Sim City titles as well as some old school Sierra games like Lords of the Realm II. I’m not really a DRM purist or a collector of swag, but I do certainly love re-living games I spent hours playing as a kid.
A Quick Platform Comparison
| Feature | Steam | Epic | GOG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | Huge Library + Mods | Aggressive Growth | DRM-Free |
| Revenue Split | 30/70 | 12/88 | 30/70 |
| Best For | Mods, Reviews, Huge Library | Free Games, Exclusives | Classic Games, DRM Free, Offline Play |
| Platform Status | Dominant but old | New but lacks features | Niche |
Takeaways
Why not use all three? Enjoy Steam’s massive library and modding community. Get an Epic Games account and snap up all of the free games they’re giving away. If there’s an exclusive you must have, get it. And if you’re into retro games, definitely get GOG as well. To me, each of these platforms bring unique value to the table.
If I had to eliminate one, I guess it would be Epic Games. Once they stop offering free games, they’ll have to offer value in some other way. What is their exact plan after 2019 ends? Regardless, this “battle” among PC gaming clients is a welcomed one—especially when you consider EA and Ubisoft’s seemingly valueless publisher-specific clients. Their platforms make everyone’s gaming experience needlessly complicated while offering almost nothing unique in return.
So let’s enjoy the competition. The battle will hopefully drive useful new features on each platform while gamers like us reap the benefits of rekindled competition.
