Although disc-based gaming still thrives on the console market, it has all but disappeared in the realm of PC gaming. This has, in part, been facilitated by digital storefronts that make purchasing games on PC exceptionally easy. For many years, the market has been dominated by theValve-owned Steam store, which has a reputation for luring gamers into building irrationally large libraries thanks to frequent sales. However, Steam now faces significant competition fromEpic Games Store, which has been steadily attracting gamers thanks to its constant free giveaways.
AlthoughEpic Games Storecan be counted on to hand out free triple-A games such asGrand Theft Auto 5,Control, andA Plague Tale: Innocence, there are many ways the online store still trails behind Steam. Despite having the powerhouse Epic Games behind it, it lacks a few basic features that make it just a tad more inconvenient to browse than its competition. If Epic Games Store could fix just a couple of basic issues, the store could become one of the best places to pick up PC games.
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Epic Games Store Should Let Players Gift Each Other
Gaming is often a social experience that allows people from around the world to interact and form friendships. Sometimes, as a token of kindness, one might wish to buy a game for a fellow gamer. This is possible on Steam, although there are a few restrictions. However, quite glaringly, Epic Games Store lacks this feature altogether.
This is inconvenient not just for gamers, but for the friends and families of gamers who are not given an easy way to buy games for an account that is not their own. Not having the ability to gift gamers is astrange choice for Epic Games, as it would result in more sales for the company. Not only would gamers be buying games for themselves, but they would also be buying games for others.
Epic Games Store Needs More Social Features
Many ofEpic Games Store’s shortcomingsstem from how long it has taken it to acknowledge the social aspects of gaming. Although the store has done well to establish itself as a viable alternative to Steam and a great place to buy the latest PC games, it has been slow to integrate itself into gaming’s social scene, which is vital if the store wishes to maintain relevance in the long-term.
Although Epic Games Storedid introduce a few new social features in 2021, the store could expand its social features by letting players have more detailed user-profiles and maybe even having game-specific forums. While it does not need to go so far as to become a Discord clone, there is plenty that the store could do to compete with Steam’s robust social features. Fortunately, Epic Games has stated that it is in the process of a social overhaul of the store.
User Reviews Need to Come to Epic Games Store
Even with plenty of sales and free giveaways,gaming can quickly become an expensive hobby, and even if one has all the money in the world, there is still the time investment to take into account. For this reason, video game reviews are useful to many, and plenty of players rely on them when deciding which titles to pick up. Reviews from professional publications will suffice for some, but for others, a more relatable perspective is better appreciated, which is where the value of user reviews comes from.
While Epic Games Store does feature reviews from Opencritic, a review aggregator, it does not feature the ability for players to leave reviews or read the reviews of other players. This can be frustrating to players who rely on user reviews, as it means visiting other websites to read the opinions of fellow gamers. Of course, user reviews do have their flaws, including review bombing, but they can still help inform players looking to make a purchase. The inclusion of user reviews could go a long way to making Epic Games Store feel like a digital storefront that is worthy of dominating gaming.
Since launching in 2018,Epic Games Storehas had a meteoric rise and has managed to establish itself within the gaming industry. However, it does still lack a few features that are expected of any modern store. Although the store is not perfect, with a few improvements it could realize its full potential and give gamers a good reason to considerturning away from Steam.
