After news of their rejection of Epic's exclusivity contract had permeated the internet, the founder of Unfold Games and the creator of DARQ has called out Epic Games and Tim Sweeney for not giving gamers what they wanted.
For years, game designers would have to join major game development studios and hope that their ideas were chosen for publication. Now, with the rise in fundraising platforms like Kickstarter, many individuals have been able to start their own game studios where they are able to publish what they want without fear of creative stagnation. The founder of Unfold Games followed this same path and, after three and a half years of work, they were able to publish their first game, DARQ, on August 15 this year. Despite this, news quickly got out detailing that the company had turned down an exclusivity contract with Epic Games. In light of the situation, the studio's founder and the creator of DARQ decided to make a post detailing the reason why they had decided to turn down Epic's offer.
Given the difficulty that indie developers have with reaching many consumers, this news is a strong indication that Epic needs to work harder to make sure its platform is welcoming to small game developers. If this news continues to have a negative impact on Epic's bottom line, it could force them to rethink their policies as it relates to exclusivity.
According to a post by the game's creator, Epic's refusal to allow them to publish DARQ on Steam and GOG is the primary reason why they turned down the offer. They go on to say that while they liked the fact that Epic was willing to pay them upfront, exclusivity was not an option because "a lot of Steam users added DARQ to their wishlist and patiently waited for its release date for almost a year." Additionally, they called out Sweeney for his hypocrisy related to GOG whereby he praises the company for its non-exclusivity model, all while preventing indie developers like Unfold Games from using the platform along with the Epic Store for their games.
The fact that DARQ's creator is willing to call out Epic Games and its founder is proof that the company has a long way to go in order to rival competitors like Steam. Sweeney's decision to praise GOG also shows that Epic is willing to drop exclusivity for games like Cyberpunk 2077, but isn't willing to do so in the case of smaller game developers.
While releasing this information could harm Unfold Game's ability to secure contracts with big game publishers initially, public outcry could cause Epic to rethink its position and offer DARQ a spot in the store in a non-exclusive manner. Both Epic Games and Sweeney will need to offer fairer contracts to game developers if they hope to compete with other game store platforms.
DARQ is currently available for purchase on both GOG and Steam for $19.99.