We are now living in a society where gaming marketplaces are willing to pay you to buy their games. While this may sound odd a few years back, this is exactly what Epic Games Store is looking to accomplish with its new rewards program.
Epic’s new program, aptly called “Epic Rewards,” will purportedly involve them giving back 5% of all made sales in the Epic Games Store. This includes video game purchases, app purchases, and in-game currencies. The rewards will then be credited to the player’s registered account. It will give them a portion of the sales which they can use in various ways. They can either use it as a discount for their next purchase or save it for up to two years.
Take note that every user with an existing Epic Games Store account will automatically be a part of this new program.
Furthermore, it is best that you know right from the start that it will take about two weeks for the aforementioned rewards to reflect on your account. This is to ensure that you have the game for a certain duration first before you qualify for the free money, voiding its refund policy. After all, Epic wouldn’t want to reward anyone who just takes advantage of their refund system.
What Epic Aims To Gain Through The New Rewards Program
Here are a few things we believe Epic Games Store intends to achieve with their newly-introduced rewards program, “Epic Rewards”:
- To build a larger user base. When users are given free stuff, they are more likely to create an account and start using the store. This helps to increase the visibility of the store and makes it more likely that users will buy games from it in the future.
- To attract more developers to the platform itself. When developers see that Epic Games is willing to pay users to buy games, they are more likely to consider publishing their games on the store. This can help increase the number of games available on the Epic Games Store, which can make it more attractive to users.
- To better compete in the tough digital game stores space. The Epic Games Store is a relatively new entrant into the digital game store market, and it is facing stiff competition from established stores like Steam. By offering free games, Epic Games is able to differentiate itself from its competitors and attract users who might otherwise use other stores.
- To create a sense of loyalty and trust among users. When users are rewarded, they will feel like they are getting a good deal from the platform and are more likely to continue using the Epic Games Store. This loyalty can be valuable in the long run. It can help to keep users coming back to the store. Think of it as having a go-to place to buy your necessities. If the store gives you discounts and free stuff for going to it again and again, why wouldn’t you be happy about it and continue doing so, right?
Epic Games Store vs. Steam
Interestingly, Epic Games Store’s announcement of its new rewards program came just a few days after its main adversary, and the current king of online marketplaces for games, Steam, made an announcement for themselves.
Giving in to the demands of its users, Steam finally introduced a free trial program. They kicked it off with the recent Dead Space Remake. Now, gamers can test out a game for 90 minutes to get a feeling of it first. Ultimately, this helps them make smarter decisions before actually placing an order for it on the platform.
The Current State of the Epic Games Store and its Future
Epic Games has been offering free games on its store for years now. Although controversial and risky, it’s clear that this strategy is working. In fact, a recent report found that Epic has paid out over $11.6 million in free games to users, and in return, it has gained over five million new users.
This is a huge investment for Epic, but it’s one that seems to be paying off. The company is clearly trying to build a strong user base for its store. And. frankly speaking, it’s using free games and giving away free stuff as a way to do that.
Of course, not everyone is happy with Epic’s strategy. Some people argue that it’s unfair to developers, who are essentially being forced to give away their games for free. Others argue that it’s just a way for Epic to try to get ahead of its competitors.
However, regardless of your opinion on the matter, there’s no denying that Epic’s strategy is working. The company is gaining users, and it’s doing it in a way that’s not costing it any money.
So, what does the future hold for Epic Games Store? It’s hard to say for sure. However, it’s clear that the company is committed to its strategy of giving away free games. It will be interesting to see how this strategy plays out in the long run.
