In March 2018, the game’s player share was 0.8% globally, 1.7% in the Czech Republic, 1.4% in Slovakia, and 1.2% in Hungary-all higher than before the game was free.Interestingly, more than two months after the game was free on the Epic store, Subnautica’s player share was still higher than before it was free-globally and in all the markets mentioned above.The Czech Republic had the biggest spike (from 0.7% in November to 7.2% in December), followed by Slovakia (from 0.6% to 6.1%) and Hungary (0.4% to 5.2%). Subnautica’s player share spiked even more in some markets.In December 2018, when the game was free on the Epic Games Store for two weeks, 2.9% of core PC gamers played it-that’s month-on-month growth of +625%. In November 2018, the title was played by 0.4% of core PC gamers across the world.After Subnautica went free on the Epic Games Store, the global share of core PC gamers who played it increased dramatically.Subnautica’s Player Share Rises Above the Surface After Going Free on Epic In this article, we will use our PC Game Tracker to discuss the success of these titles following them going free for two weeks on the Epic Games Store. One of the more recent examples was Slime Rancher, which was free between March 7 and 21. The first free game was Subnautica, which was free on the store between December 14 and 27. Using our PC Game Tracker, we currently track more than 1,000 games in 42 markets, including the games that went free on the Epic Games Store. Though these strategies have had a mixed reception from players, our data indicates that both players and developers have benefitted from Epic’s free game initiative. Others have review bombed (submitted poor reviews to) previous releases from publishers who announced Epic Games Store exclusives. While platform-exclusive titles are common on console, many core PC gamers are not used to third-party (timed) exclusivity deals within the PC ecosystem, with some even boycotting the Epic Games Store. Timed third-party exclusives are a new phenomenon within the PC store ecosystem. Another one of Epic’s key strategies to attract core PC gamers is by offering a new free game every two weeks. In a bid to get the edge over long-term market leader Steam, Epic leveraged its massive Fortnite audience to attract consumers to its new Epic Games Store, while also offering exclusivity deals and a better revenue split for developers wishing to add their games to the store. The tail end of 2018, however, saw Valve’s store facing some serious competition, especially from Epic Games, the publisher behind Fortnite. On PC, Steam had a relatively unopposed monopoly on the digital game store market for over a decade. Rankings See the top games, gaming companies, streamers, and more!.Free Reports Access free downloadable Reports and Whitepapers about games and gamers.Blog Read the leading blog on games market data and insights.Consulting Consult our experts and access the most relevant data and insights for your gaming project. Global Games Market Report Discover games market sizing, forecasts, and trends on a global and local level.
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