What Happened
Earlier this month, Epic Games Store announced that its free game giveaways are positively impacting the sales of those games on Steam. This phenomenon, referred to as a “measurable halo effect,” suggests that offering games for free on the Epic Games Store boosts their visibility and sales on competing platforms.
Why It Matters
Dave Oshry of New Blood Interactive highlighted this trend, noting that the increased sales of games like Blood West on Steam during its free giveaway on the Epic Games Store exemplify this effect. Oshry remarked that while he initially believed the giveaway would harm Steam sales, it actually resulted in a 200% increase in sales during the promotional period. This indicates that the Epic Games Store can serve as a powerful marketing tool for developers, despite criticisms regarding its overall effectiveness.
What’s Next
As the Epic Games Store continues to offer free games, developers may increasingly consider utilizing this platform as a promotional strategy. The success of such giveaways could lead to more collaborations between developers and Epic Games, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape of PC gaming.
