Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney Really Shouldn’t Be Allowed on Twitter

Steam has been the recipient of its fair share of condemnation over the years for what are widely regarded as pretty dire terms for studios using the platform to release their games.

Despite this, Valve’s platform remains the go-to store for digital video games, with publishers effectively biting the bullet of a hefty 30% cut solely for access to such a vast market.

However, according to a new report published by IGN, Steam’s 30% share isn’t all that uncommon. In fact, it’s fairly standard within the industry. GoG.com, the Microsoft Store, and even the Humble Store (albeit with 10% going to charity) either hit the 30% cut or slightly below.

Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney Jumps into Revenue Share Debate

When the Epic Games Store sauntered onto the scene last year, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney made a song and dance of the store’s comparatively publisher-friendly 12% cut. Alongside lucrative exclusivity deals, the low sales cut acts as a lure to attract developers in Epic’s ongoing effort to secure market share.

Unsurprisingly, Tim Sweeney has used the latest IGN report as further ammunition to flaunt the merits of the Epic Game Store in a fashion that makes you wonder whether he should be allowed to use Twitter.

He penned the following tweet:

Using sarcasm to relay a point isn’t what you’d expect from the CEO of one of the highest-profile publishers in the gaming industry.

When onlookers prodded Sweeney for the perceived lack of features on the Epic Game Store – a gripe many players reticent about jumping aboard the storefront share – Sweeney retorted with the following tweet.

When a Twitter user floated the idea of Epic Games conjuring up its own console, Sweeney came up with this gem:

Sweeney’s little jaunt on Twitter has led to the usual deluge of criticism surrounding the Epic Games Store.

In retrospect, it may have been best if he’d kept quiet, even though he does raise a few pertinent questions about the report’s rather blinkered take on the matter.

Nevertheless, I kind of like Tim Sweeney for the way he doggedly sticks to his guns in praising the merits of the Epic Game Store despite widespread criticism.

He may not have the most tactful approach on Twitter, but his company has done lots to aid smaller developers that would have otherwise faded away into obscurity through exclusive deals that instead set them up for years.