![]() ![]() (That said, many smaller online games don't really need voice chat, and plenty of gamers are content with Discord.) All major online games struggle to stop cheaters, and your average multiplayer indie game doesn't ship with integrated voice chat. I don't think we're giving Epic too much benefit of the doubt by taking its word that these things are expensive and difficult to build and run. The main difference is that Epic Online Services can be used on any platform and aren't tied to one store.įor small developers, free anti-cheat and voice chat seems like an obvious win. Valve also offers friends lists, matchmaking, voice chat, and other systems. It sounds a bit ominous when I frame it as a plot to control all of gaming, and maybe it is ominous, but it's also worth pointing out that Epic Online Services is basically the same thing as Steamworks, which Valve describes as "a set of tools and services that help game developers and publishers build their games and get the most out of distributing on Steam." Valve's anti-cheat system is called, well, Valve Anti-Cheat System (better known as VAC), and is free for developers. Sony, for one, thinks this is a pretty good plan: It has recently invested $450 million in Epic's vision (which is a little ironic given how resistant Sony has been to crossplay on the PlayStation). There are over 500 million of those accounts right now, according to today's announcement. The more games that tap into Epic's systems, the more gamers there'll be with Epic Games Store accounts. You have to imagine that, if such a metaverse existed, the company running its backend would be in a pretty good place. A small, mundane example is the way I can access my Epic friends list in Rocket League even though I still launch it from Steam. "Metaverse" can refer to an MMO-like virtual space, like in the novel Ready Player One, but in this context Epic is talking about building an online gaming and entertainment ecosystem that knows no platform borders-not just crossplay, but cross-everything, where players, money, and game assets can move freely across devices. ![]()
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