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"Steam is not your enemy. 30% cut is fair" says CEO of Larian Studios

abracadaver

abracadaver

Banned
Nov 30, 2017
1,469
German magazine Gamestar did an interview with Swen Vincke, founder and CEO of Larian Studios (Divinity: Original Sin 2) about Steam


Some snippets:

Original text:
Steam ist nicht euer Feind. Steam ist offen, frei, fair und tut unglaublich viel für unser Hobby. Steam hat für die besten Preise gesorgt - für Spieler und Entwickler gleichermaßen. Das tut allen Bereichen des PC-Spielemarktes gut. Steam ist mitverantwortlich auch für Wachstum in vielen anderen Softwarebereichen, die man oft gar nicht so stark sieht - VR-Programme und -Präsentationen auf Messen, zum Beispiel.
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Google translate:
Steam is not your enemy. Steam is open, free, fair and does a great deal for our hobby. Steam has provided the best prices - for players and developers alike. That's good for all areas of the PC gaming market. Steam is also responsible for growth in many other software areas that you often do not even see as strong - VR programs and presentations at trade shows, for example
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Original:
Steam kümmert sich sehr gut um uns und ist sein Geld wert.
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Google translate:
Steam looks after us very well and is worth the money.
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Original:
Verkäufe auf Steam und GOG sind für uns meilenweit rentabler als Verkäufe im Einzelhandel. Generell braucht man 2018 weniger Mittelsmänner als noch vor fünf oder zehn Jahren.
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Google translate:
Sales on Steam and GOG are miles more profitable for us than retail sales, and in general we'll need fewer middlemen in 2018 than we did five or ten years ago.
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Original:
Wenn Steam als neutrale Plattform an Marktmacht einbüßt, fließt diese noch stärker an die Publisher zurück. Das ist nicht gut für die kreative Freiheit der Entwickler.
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Google translate:
If Steam loses market power as a neutral platform, it will flow back to publishers even more. That's not good for the creative freedom of the developers.
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Full article here:
https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/ste...inal-sin-2-swen-vincke-interview,3335089.html
 
cw_sasuke

cw_sasuke

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,496
They provide the plattform ofc 30% is fair - no dev/publisher or gamer is forced to use Steam.
 
GhostTrick

GhostTrick

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,399
30% is the norm in the industry.
30% is the cut Valve, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Google, GoG are taking.
The exception being Humble Bundle (25%) and Itch.io (decided by the devs).

Although, Valve are the ones giving the most for that 30% cut. And to my knowledge, they may be the only one allowing devs to bypass this 30% cut by selling steam keys generated at no cost and sold elsewhere.
 

Deleted member 35777

User requested account closure
Banned
Dec 9, 2017
907
I agree but it's also why most publishers have their own platforms now.

30% x amount of purchases adds up and people don't like losing that kind of money.
 
tolkir

tolkir

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,255
It's fair if you sell >100.000 copies full price. Maybe it would be good to have a different cut depending on the game sales. No only Steam, I mean every company with a store.
 

Ebtesam

Self-Requested Ban
Member
Apr 1, 2018
4,638
wait why attack Valve when other take the same Cut?? Microsoft, Nintendo & Sony all take 30% as cut
 
AshenOne

AshenOne

Member
Feb 21, 2018
6,178
Pakistan
No shit sherlock. When other do it, its fine but when steam does it while offering a barrage of consumer requested features and services, "why would any publisher want their share cut by 30%!?"," I hope one day every other publisher takes its game off steam and sell it on their on store/launcher ".

Publishers like to do it because they all want of that share without spending any resources on making a consumer centric launcher/store. The only publishers doing it the right way are Ubi and GOG. They sell their own games with incentives on their own platform while also giving the consumers the choice to buy it platforms like Steam where millions of PC gamer reside.
 
Dr. Mario

Dr. Mario

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,931
Netherlands
There's no denying Steam offers the best value for money compared with all the other platforms.

Still makes the big three walk away though.
 
potentialtodisplease

potentialtodisplease

Banned
Mar 17, 2018
2,927
I think it is fair too. Steam is a huge, cohesive, and immersive platform. There is nothing else even remotely close on PC.

The only problem is 30% is too much to handle for a lot of people.
 
Aztechnology

Aztechnology

Community Resettler
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
14,152
Certainly, I'm all for competing platforms. But steam is pretty far above the pack in many ways.
 
Schnitzelfee

Schnitzelfee

Member
Oct 25, 2017
361
Germany
la_briola said:
Epic
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Ah right, forgot them... so 5...
thats some "AAA" games Steam is missing, but still a drop on on a hot stone compared to all the (good) games released on Steam...
And people act like pubs are leaving Steam like rats a sinking boat :P

and as others said, at least Steam offers a lot of tools and other stuff for those 30% and even the option to circumvent the 30% completely if they really wanted too
 
IIFloodyII

IIFloodyII

Member
Oct 26, 2017
24,112
Ebtesam said:
wait why attack Valve when other take the same Cut?? Microsoft, Nintendo & Sony all take 30% as cut
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Double Edged Sword of being on a open platform, eventually some will push their own platform over Valve's. Bit shitty for consumers having to juggle multiple accounts, but I can't really blame any of the parties involved.
 
Tuco Benedicto Pacifico

Tuco Benedicto Pacifico

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
8,466
GhostTrick said:
30% is the norm in the industry.
30% is the cut Valve, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Google, GoG are taking.
The exception being Humble Bundle (25%) and Itch.io (decided by the devs).
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Let's clarify that this isn't even the entire story.
Valve takes a 30% cut on any copy they sell directly from their stores (and no cut at all if a Steam key is sold elsewhere).
Console manufacturers on the other hand do the same thing from their stores and ON TOP OF THAT they also take an additional cut out of any copy (wherever is sold) as "royalties" (typically a 18-20%) for the "privilege" of developing on their closed platforms.

So yeah, it's hilarious that a PC digital store is going has take shit for a common practice they actually offer more fairly than others.
 
Nzyme32

Nzyme32

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,266
Let's be honest, the vast majority of the last "Valve don't deserve 30%" argument comes from a whole bunch of either platform warriors or those angry Valve hasn't released X game yet.

These are the same people completely unaware that Valve is one of the few companies taking 0% from all keys devs devs choose to generate, giving them access to 100% revenue if sold on their own sites and whatever deals they want to arrange with 3rd party stores.

Considering the myriad of features, support and tools Valve keeps putting out to support devs and customers, there are few companies truly earnings that percentage.

Ebtesam said:
wait why attack Valve when other take the same Cut?? Microsoft, Nintendo & Sony all take 30% as cut
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All those companies take MORE than 30%, which makes the argument even more stupid ridiculous. Console royalties still exist and so do extra costs for additional service such as ad space and cloud use - all things Steam either doesn't charge or provides as part of their own cost
 
Nzyme32

Nzyme32

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,266
BossAttack said:
Valve's job isn't to "make the market better" but to create a profit for its shareholders.
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*Facepalm*
It's a private company. It has no share holders

Valves get success (and profit) by providing a better marketplace, tools and abilities that others don't, as well as providing better services on its platforms. This is why it is so popular and successful at an ever increasing rate.
 
GameZone

GameZone

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,838
Norway
Schnitzelfee said:
Most?

EA
Blizzard/Activision
Ubi (still sells on Steam too)
Bethesada partly

am I missing someone? thats four... dont think thats most
and running your own server farm and shop frontend and stuff isnt free either, this isnt just about saving those 30%
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Bethesda have released all their games on Steam. They make their online only titles timed exclusives though.

Ubisoft release everything on Steam.

Blizzard/Activision have only released Destiny and CoD on their launcher. Crash Collection was released on Steam and they do have a AAA single player game confirmed for Steam.

I wouldn't worry.
 
Schnitzelfee

Schnitzelfee

Member
Oct 25, 2017
361
Germany
GameZone said:
Bethesda have released all their games on Steam. They make their online only titles timed exclusives though.

Ubisoft release everything on Steam.

Blizzard/Activision have only released Destiny and CoD on their launcher. Crash Collection was released on Steam and they do have a AAA single player game confirmed for Steam.

I wouldn't worry.
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totally, I'm not concerned at all.... I forgot MS on my list too tho... but even some of those W10 store games end up on Steam...
Its overall really just EA and Blizzard developed games that dont end up on Steam at all
 
GameZone

GameZone

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,838
Norway
Schnitzelfee said:
totally, I'm not concerned at all.... I forgot MS on my list too tho... but even some of those W10 store games end up on Steam...
Its overall really just EA and Blizzard developed games that dont end up on Steam at all
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Most of their less important games are timed exclusives to MS Store. They just released a bunch of games on Steam, and I bet State of Decay 2 sometime during next year.
 
Ionic

Ionic

Member
Oct 31, 2017
2,735
potentialtodisplease said:
I mean for most publishers. It just becomes too much for them not to try their own thing. If it were say 15% they might not even try their own thing.
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I think one of the biggest reasons some publishers are doing launcher exclusives goes beyond the 30 percent. As games as a service become more ubiquitous you want players spending as much time as possible on your game as opposed to competitors. Having your own platform guards your player's attention against a huge amount of other games. Epic doesn't want somebody to boot up a client for Fortnite and see ads for PubG or Black Ops 4 or something that might steal player interest. It's all about trying to consolidate users to specific games.
 
GameZone

GameZone

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,838
Norway
Every time someone create these threads people are blaming Valve for taking a 30% cut. Yet Steam is optional, and publishers keep using them. Why? Because creating your own client will result in losing a ton of visibility among PC users. I can't count how many games I've purchased for no other reason than seeing a good deal on the Steam front page, or trough their app or wishlist.
 
Alex840

Alex840

Member
Oct 31, 2017
5,124
Schnitzelfee said:
Most?

EA
Blizzard/Activision
Ubi (still sells on Steam too)
Bethesada partly

am I missing someone? thats four... dont think thats most
and running your own server farm and shop frontend and stuff isnt free either, this isnt just about saving those 30%
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Sony, MS, Nintendo and CD Project too. You've mentioned most of the biggest publishers and seemingly proved his point.
 
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