Borderlands 3 preorders on Epic Store have been suspended

[cyba89]

That doesnt make any sense. Places like gmg and humble regularly have sales on pre-release games that steam doesn't mimic. How is that different?

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These stores probably make up for less than 10% of total revenue for these big AAA-titles and are not advertised in all the promo material for their game.

Places like Humble also gives pubs the ability to be excluded from storewide discount promotions. Eg. the Monthly discount is not available for Switch games.

 

[Viale]

There is kinda loophole for that. GMG eats their cut and does promotions with promo codes in most cases for bigger discount. Game is still full price technically or with like 10% off but in most cases for higher discount you need to be subscribed to their newsletter to get a promo code.

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But even without the promo, there will be discount for like 15-20% off or something pre release. Like I remember getting sekiro that way a few weeks before the game came out. steam wasn't doing that at all.

These stores probably make up for less than 10% of total revenue for these big AAA-titles and are not advertised in all the promo material for their game.

Places like Humble also gives pubs the ability to be excluded from storewide discount promotions. Eg. the Monthly discount is not available for Switch games.

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But wouldn't it still contribute to the "perceived value" of the game argument?

 

[spineduke]

They should have made the sale as a $10 credit when you buy things over the certain amount, and like a day later or something so it's far removed from the actual games you are buying.

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But they still don't have a shopping cart implemented - so if you buy two 10$ games, you're not going to qualify for that discount. If they had that in place, they could have easily made it for every $15 you spend, we'll give you $10.

 

[dex3108]

But even without the promo, there will be discount for like 15-20% off or something pre release. Like I remember getting sekiro that way a few weeks before the game came out. steam wasn't doing that at all.



But wouldn't it still contribute to the "perceived value" of the game argument?

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I mean in the end it could be simple as regional pricing that publishers have issue with. On GMG it is % based to if game is cheaper in other region discount is proportional. But who knows this industry is weird.

But they still don't have a shopping cart implemented - so if you buy two 10$ games, you're not going to qualify for that discount. If they had that in place, they could have easily made it for every $15 you spend, we'll give you $10.

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They cant give you credit because they don't have wallet support.

 

[Viale]

I mean in the end it could be simple as regional pricing that publishers have issue with. On GMG it is % based to if game is cheaper in other region discount is proportional. But who knows this industry is weird.




They cant give you credit because they don't have wallet support.

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That's fair. If it is an issue of the regional pricing mixing with the sale vs just the sale itself then that would make a good bit more sense to me. Would also explain why some devs seemingly understood the sale yet went back on it later (likely after regional issues came to light for them).

 

[Pixieking]

They cant give you credit because they don't have wallet support.

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Ohhh... oops. Like, all of us saying "do credit" were just assuming they do, because... Why wouldn't they?

I am almost certainly buying bl3, but of all the games on egs, this one has me concerned b/c 2k/gearbox are hosting their own servers this time, does steam version in 6 months use steamworks, thewrefore no playing with each other? this game cn backfire hard if mis handled.

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I honestly have no clue. It's one of the reasons why I'm going to wait and see even after the Steam release. Because Steam version multiplayer if there's no cross-play and all the players are on EGS is going to be a sad sight. Unlikely, but there's no harm in waiting to see.

 

[Conkerkid11]

There is kinda loophole for that. GMG eats their cut and does promotions with promo codes in most cases for bigger discount. Game is still full price technically or with like 10% off but in most cases for higher discount you need to be subscribed to their newsletter to get a promo code.

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That and it's something the publisher has agreed to do.

 

[Dorfdad]

Maybe I'm confused but I thought that epic was going to flip the cost of these sale prices to the developers. If that is the case why is everyone freaking out? I mean EPIC can't just drop the prices of games without permission correct?

 

[SirKai]

 

[Mentalist]

Lawl. They must've tracked too many ppl with Western IPs using VPNs to be get the game for some cheap regional price.

With a sale that last over a month and includes at least 3 AAA pre-orders (4 before VtMB2 pulled out), it's a major risk to the bottom line.

 

[Hamster Plugin]

Maybe I'm confused but I thought that epic was going to flip the cost of these sale prices to the developers. If that is the case why is everyone freaking out? I mean EPIC can't just drop the prices of games without permission correct?

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Publishers don't want a surprise 50% off sale on their game even if they got all the money for it. It makes people less likely to buy it for full price later. Borderlands 3 Epic version isn't even out until September.

 

[Deleted member 3196]

Lawl. They must've tracked too many ppl with Western IPs using VPNs to be get the game for some cheap regional price.

With a sale that last over a month and includes at least 3 AAA pre-orders (4 before VtMB2 pulled out), it's a major risk to the bottom line.

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I think it has more to do with the game appearing as $10 off on price tracking sites as its historical lowest price before it even releases. It a good look when the general attitude towards games is "I'll wait for a sale".

Part of EGS was about devs "maintaining the value" of their games and not having to race to the bottom on price.

 

[Pixieking]

Maybe I'm confused but I thought that epic was going to flip the cost of these sale prices to the developers. If that is the case why is everyone freaking out? I mean EPIC can't just drop the prices of games without permission correct?

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BL3's reason for removal is still unknown, but they dropped the price on Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 without the publisher's permission. Paradox weren't even aware of the sale until it occurred.

Edit: More accurately, Epic applied their 10$ discount on the product page of VtM:B 2, so that all editions appeared to have a discount, and Paradox was neither aware of nor give permission for this.

 

[Evolution of Metal]

I don't think it is about the 10 Dollars/Pounds/Euros which Epic provides. It has to be about regional abuse...

Cdkeys have the game for like €38.

 

[kiguel182]

Devs have the right to price their game how they want. If Epic decided to this without telling them and without an opt-out then it's unexcusable.

Trying to strong arm your way in the market by losing money with every sale is already kinda bad but if they don't inform devs or whatever then it's bad.

 

[PennyStonks]

I'm really curious if this is related to physical retail & first party (Sony/MS) deal terms.

Often, and obviously I have no knowledge of Gearbox/Epic/1stP business ties, but often when you have publishing distribution deals with retailers or platforms, there are "Favored Nation" clauses where if one distributor is given special terms, you (as the retail/platform with said terms) are also to be provided deal equal terms for yourselves. If this is the case, even if Epic is knocking down the price $10, Gearbox/2K would likely be obligated to provide an equal pricing structure for Amazon, Sony, MS, and anywhere else with Favored Nation terms (which is super duper common for distribution deals).

Definitely a bit of a mess. I legit appreciate Epic trying to drive more MAU for their store platform where it matters most to players while not at the publisher/developer expense, but it also kind of seems like they didn't really think through how complicated multi-platform pricing works.

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Thanks for this post. A lot of posts seem to be dismissing the idea that this deal could be pissing on distributors or a Chain of Comand.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

any word from Gearbox with an actual explanation? Surely they don't think their absence isn't noteworthy and that people wouldn't be due a reason why. We shouldn't have to speculate. Let us know.

 

[Deleted member 45414]

Jesus, the fuck is happening over there?

 

[dex3108]

Ohhh... oops. Like, all of us saying "do credit" were just assuming they do, because... Why wouldn't they?

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They don't even have cart and people Re getting their cards locked because banks are marking those multiple purchases as fraud and you expect them to have something advanced as wallet system? :D

 

[Deleted member 11370]

Oof, dodged a bullet. I already have the game pre-ordered!

... on PSN.

 

[Mentalist]

I think it has more to do with the game appearing as $10 off on price tracking sites as its historical lowest price before it even releases. It a good look when the general attitude towards games is "I'll wait for a sale".

Part of EGS was about devs "maintaining the value" of their games and not having to race to the bottom on price.

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GMG was doing the same type of pre- order discount for its VIP clients, so I doubt that's it.

 

[spineduke]

I don't think it is about the 10 Dollars/Pounds/Euros which Epic provides. It has to be about regional abuse...

Cdkeys have the game for like €38.

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this makes no sense, the games were available this whole time on pre-order, now that there is the $10 discount, its about regional abuse? please

 

[spineduke]

GMG was doing the same type of pre- order discount for its VIP clients, so I doubt that's it.

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GMG hides its sales deals behind a VIP page, for the same reason

 

[Pixieking]

They don't even have cart and people Re getting their cards locked because banks are marking those multiple purchases as fraud and you expect them to have something advanced as wallet system? :D

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Ohmygod, I didn't hear about the bank/fraud issue. :o

This shit really is funny. I mean, I'm sat here giggling, because I can't believe nearly two decades into the 21st century a store exists that's this bad.

 

[Saturday]

Hey man, I just wanted to buy borderlands 3 on sale, and the fact that I can't during a specific sale is weird. I've been trying to be real neutral about Epic's blunt force methods into the market because I can ultimately respect the hustle and I'm not beholden to a flipping game launcher, but this is actually kinda annoying.

 

[Evolution of Metal]

this makes no sense, the games were available this whole time on pre-order, now that there is the $10 discount, its about regional abuse? please

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So you think a €50 price is causing Gearbox to pull away from the store, even though you can pre-order BL3 EGS key for €38?

 

[dex3108]

Ohmygod, I didn't hear about the bank/fraud issue. :o

This shit really is funny. I mean, I'm sat here giggling, because I can't believe nearly two decades into the 21st century a store exists that's this bad.

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I don't know what to say to you. It's almost as their store isn't ready but what the hell I know.

 

[qrac]

Why are people spinning this to be epics fault when it's clearly the devs/pubs that took down the game?

 

[Mentalist]

Ohmygod, I didn't hear about the bank/fraud issue. :o

This shit really is funny. I mean, I'm sat here giggling, because I can't believe nearly two decades into the 21st century a store exists that's this bad.

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you'd think stuff like a shopping cart and a search function would be on the default list of mandatory features for a digital storefront launching in 2019.

you would be wrong.

 

[XR.]

Why are people spinning this to be epics fault when it's clearly the devs/pubs that took down the game?

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Do you think Sony (or any store, really) would need to remove the game from the store just because they had a store-wide sale?

 

[Reinhard]

The EGS discount needed to be proportional by region so in places like Russia it is say $2 instead of $10. In addition, they need to start banning people who buy games via VPN to be able to keep having regional pricing. Then I doubt any of the publishers would have pulled out of the sale.

 

[spineduke]

So you think a €50 price is causing Gearbox to pull away from the store, even though you can pre-order BL3 EGS key for €38?

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Yes? One is an official storefront, the other is a 3rd party vendor that they have no control over. FYI, cdkeys are selling keys from physical copies.

 

[Pixieking]

I don't know what to say to you. It's almost as their store isn't ready but what the hell I know.

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Can't...stop... laughing. :D

 

[Lump]

Yikes. I'm out of country on holiday and was looking forward to preordering this when I returned on Wednesday.

 

[cyba89]

So you think a €50 price is causing Gearbox to pull away from the store, even though you can pre-order BL3 EGS key for €38?

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CDkeys is not an authorized reseller. Just like in regular retail they don't have control over that price.

 

[Puru]

Why are people spinning this to be epics fault when it's clearly the devs/pubs that took down the game?

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Because they should have been asked if they wanted to be part of the sale to begin with and epic should have had a function to offer such a simple service as far as online storefront are concerned, the games shouldn't be unavailable but put back at their regular price, ends up it's not even possible right now. This is a basic feature really, it tells a lot at how primitive the egs is.

 

[Evolution of Metal]

CDkeys is not an authorized reseller. Just like in regular retail they don't have control over that price.

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They do have a limited control setting-up the initial price as a supplier of keys. If the retail wants to red, it is up to them, this is why key prices can vary from €32 to €48. Microsoft and Activision do not let their games be preordered for cheap (Sekiro, BO4, Sea of Thieves).

 

[Mr.Deadshot]

Next time they should just add a "while supply lasts" banner to avoid this confusion.

 

[mutantmagnet]

There is something about this sale Epic is not disclosing to their business partners for them to be previously openly supporting it to dropping it hours later. I wonder what harm could exist for those who are still participating in the sale but aren't in the loop yet?

 

[Pixieking]

There is something about this sale Epic is not disclosing to their business partners for them to be previously openly supporting it to dropping it hours later. I wonder what harm could exist for those who are still participating in the sale but aren't in the loop yet?

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It could just be everyone is in the loop about it now. Without knowing the reason for BL3 being removed, it's just impossible to reasonably speculate. Maybe there was some Favoured Nation/Parity clause? Maybe they saw the game being devalued? Maybe too many VPN tricks? Maybe none of the above, and they're standing in solidarity with Paradox about the treatment given to them?

Without more info, it really is the biggest *shrug emoji* imaginable. :)

 

[Deleted member 31817]

hahahahahaha

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"Why are you fucking me?"

 

[Deleted member 31817]

They cant give you credit because they don't have wallet support.

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Lmao

 

[Madjoki]

Huh, yeah I wonder if that is it.

Oh maybe not: https://www.resetera.com/threads/bo...ve-been-suspended.117650/page-2#post-20886026

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Getting virtual card from region is not rocket science.

 

[cowbanana]

Turns out developers don't like consumers getting a piece of the pie too, even when it's coming out of Epic's pockets and not theirs!

Even more reason to wait for their games to hit bargain prices before buying.

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Who would have thought? That's why the publisher's cut is at the absolute bottom of my gaming related concerns. I've been buying cheap PC keys for a decade now, the money I saved probably paid a good chunk of my new car instead of making Ubi, EA, Activision, T2 etc. more bloated.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I was thinking about getting this, along with Ashen and Afterparty.

I've been spacing purchases out and I'm wondering if those games will even still be available tomorrow. lol

 

[cyrribrae]

I get the Schaudenfreude here (and it's totally deserved for the problems around wallet and cart and all that jazz).

But at a more conceptual level, I think the publisher/dev response to this makes no sense. Yes, I would be concerned if my storefront was arbitrarily choosing certain games to put on deep sale. That would indeed potentially devalue the game and might have some knockon effects in the future. That's not what's happening here. The page is littered with "EPIC IS CUTTING $10 ON ALL GAMES". The sale price has nothing to do with perceptions of any game. That's not something that reflects on any given game, and is instead far more informative about the environment. I think that's a win for devs who have decided to be on the store.

Even worse, the perception that you're the people who are being petty about $10 that you get anyway, at the cost of screwing over consumers getting a good deal CANNOT POSSIBLY be worth "devaluing" your game. Right? I think letting devs opt out would have actually made this worse for everyone. Because then the games that stay in ARE getting devalued because of another dev's (perhaps reasonable) selfishness.

Not saying anyone is acting in bad faith or anything. It's too bad this had to end up with way, but I think the concept was fundamentally a good one if it had been handled differently.

 

[Darkstorne]

Hey man, I just wanted to buy borderlands 3 on sale, and the fact that I can't during a specific sale is weird. I've been trying to be real neutral about Epic's blunt force methods into the market because I can ultimately respect the hustle and I'm not beholden to a flipping game launcher, but this is actually kinda annoying.

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It's the devs pulling the games, not Epic, and you're essentially the reasoning why. When a consumer is aware they could have bought a game cheaper in the past, they feel cheated when asked to pay the full price, and they're less likely to buy it. Pre orders will go up during the sale, but down from then on. It devalues the game.

That's why most stores exclude pre-orders from sales.

 

[Demacabre]

This is the second most entertaining boycott next to the shitshow of Fallout 76. And this is a storefront. To be fair to Bethesda, I didn't pass on FO76 due to ethical reasons, just that the game with shite. TLDR, get fucked Sweeney!

 

[cowbanana]

I just checked the sale for funsies. Looks like most discounts have evaporated in EU/Scandinavia, hilarious.

Control is back to €60, Hades is €17.49 with no discount, John Wick Hex is €15.99 €15.19 (lol), Satisfactory is €29.99 again, Sinking City - no discount.

So much for that ePiC MEgA sAlE.

 

[Cecil]

I just checked the sale for funsies. Looks like most discounts have evaporated in EU/Scandinavia, hilarious.

Control is back to €60, Hades is €17.49 with no discount, John Wick Hex is €15.99 €15.19 (lol), Satisfactory is €29.99 again, Sinking City - no discount.

So much for that ePiC MEgA sAlE.

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Sweden here. The Hades discount is shown you go the specific store page for that page. $10 off, so $7.49.