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Metro publisher Koch Media stated that it would not rule out the possibility of partnering with Epic Games again for exclusive launches in the future (via GamesIndustry.biz).
Metro Exodus was one of the first AAA games to agree an exclusivity deal with Epic Games, along with Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, and Borderlands 3. Although an Epic exclusivity arrangement comes with an advantageous revenue split, the backlash has warned other developers and publishers off. Koch Media is not one of them.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, CEO Klemens Kundratitz said that Koch Media is ‘very happy with the commercial results’ of Metro Exodus on the Epic Games store, despite the initial controversy. ‘We have a strong relationship with Epic and we continue to have a strong relationship with Steam as well,’ Kundratitz explained. ‘Overall, I'm still of the opinion like I was at the beginning that, as an industry and as a publisher, we should welcome Epic and their business model.’
Additionally Koch Media is open to future partnerships with Epic Games for its games. ‘We have many games on Steam, including many new releases like Iron Harvest. But I'm not ruling out to do an exclusive with Epic again,’ said Kundratitz. ‘We need to embrace a digital partner that offers a much more compelling rev share model than anybody else, and I think they act as a role model for us and for other digital partners as well; a 70/30 split is quite frankly anachronistic.’
Steam’s revenue model is based on the movie distribution industry of VHS tapes, which an Ubisoft executive called ‘unrealistic’ for the modern commercial landscape. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney stated that its distribution platform will create a more flexible and more constructive multi-store market.
