Sunsetting the Bethesda.net Launcher & Migrating to Steam

[Zarathustra[H]]

Those are valid points, but the Microsoft store isn't going away anytime soon if ever. Unless Microsoft removes it from Windows 12, which I doubt. Likewise I'm sure you'll see the process repeated again, and there is a big possibility of them throwing it behind the Microsoft store.

Microsoft killed the Start Menu, then brought it back, and now is kind of trying to kill it again in Win 11. One thing is certain - Microsoft has a history or repeating themselves and trying again after a few years. Remember Games For Windows Live? This isn't the first time Microsoft killed a PC based client and pushed games to Steam.

I have no idea what the financials from the Microsoft store look like, but it is costing them more to maintain it than it is bringing in in revenue, I'd imagine eventually someone will pull the plug.

You know, it was worth the try, it didn't work out, oh well. Don't throw good money after bad. That sort of thing.

I have no idea if that is where they are though. For all I know the Microsoft Store is hugely profitable.

 

[OutOfPhase]

What's the issue? The launcher was every bit as great as Fallout 76.

 

[Lakados]

Those are valid points, but the Microsoft store isn't going away anytime soon if ever. Unless Microsoft removes it from Windows 12, which I doubt. Likewise I'm sure you'll see the process repeated again, and there is a big possibility of them throwing it behind the Microsoft store.

Microsoft killed the Start Menu, then brought it back, and now is kind of trying to kill it again in Win 11. One thing is certain - Microsoft has a history or repeating themselves and trying again after a few years. Remember Games For Windows Live? This isn't the first time Microsoft killed a PC based client and pushed games to Steam.

The start bar is overrated..... But fixing the Microsoft Store doesn't hurt anybody and does a lot of things that can help keep PC's running cleaner over time as things are added or removed, it then also allows software updates to then be included in the windows updates, it also does a better job at cleaning up programs when removed by not letting them spread their parts all over the system, Microsoft's end goals at least at a technical level aren't bad, but sweet Jesus their business goals are just a sweaty nut sack of terrible, whoever drafted their initial business plans for the store must have paid somebody to take their degree for them because it was laughable and very out of touch.

I do remember games for windows live, but I also remember how Steam launched itself in the exact same way only earlier and worse when most people had shittier internet so... again that launch was just outdated and stale, but had they done it 10 years earlier I think it would have actually worked.

Microsoft now is a much hungrier predator than it was even 10 years ago, their new leadership is keeping things agile, unlike the old guard who was more than happy to wallow around and try to crush their competitors under their fat rolls, Microsoft has real competition now in just about every space they compete in and their investors now are not so happy as to let them do what they think best. The new groups keep them on their toes with some big incentives for sure but they keep that stick handy and on display. Microsoft does not have any financial incentives to keep any titles under their own store and their own numbers show that it would only hurt their progress in the market, Valve is their most logical partner in this space because for all Gabe's noise about how terrible Microsoft is, at the end of the day Valve isn't any better and they are very much co-dependent.

Linux gaming while vastly better than it was even just a few years ago is still a long way off for the majority of people, and until Valve can get the vast majority of its user base off of Windows their entire business model is completely dependent on Microsoft.

Microsoft likewise, unless they are able to give a very clear and concrete set of reasons for users to migrate from Steam to the Windows Store will never take their user base away, and the endeavor to do so would be so costly that it would never recoup it, not only would they have to find some method of combatting some 20 years of shady business practices to win back the actual trust of gamers but they would likely need to purchase entire steam libraries for users to then have active in the Microsoft Store which would be such an expensive undertaking that it would flat out kill any chances for the Microsoft store to ever turn a profit. Microsoft knows this and they have come to terms with the fact they will have to keep Valve as a bedfellow and not an enemy.

I can actually see a few scenarios that would lead to Microsoft purchasing Valve (or at least trying to), and simply merging the services which is pretty much the only way Microsoft will get those users because honestly the alternative is Epic, and I would use the Microsoft Store before I spend any more money there.

 

[Lakados]

I have no idea what the financials from the Microsoft store look like, but it is costing them more to maintain it than it is bringing in in revenue, I'd imagine eventually someone will pull the plug.

You know, it was worth the try, it didn't work out, oh well. Don't throw good money after bad. That sort of thing.

I have no idea if that is where they are though. For all I know the Microsoft Store is hugely profitable.

For games, it's not super profitable but it does alright, but for productivity software, it does some big numbers and Microsoft is very aggressive with their commissions there and has been for a long time. There are options through the store to manage volume purchasing and other things with Azure Active Directory tie-ins and blah blah blah Intune deployments.

But the Xbox Game Pass from what I understand ties into the Windows Store and often has cross deals with subscriptions services like EA Play which does very well for a consistent revenue source not tied to particular launches.
When you look at numbers from Valve or Epic you see their revenue spikes very heavily with the bulk of their numbers coming from 1 or 2 AAA titles any given year and the rest of the catalog trickling in some 20-30%. That is the reason why Epic went for the paid exclusives because it's those few big titles that make or break the year financially, the Apple/Epic lawsuit may not have actually changed anything but it sure did give us a good look at how they all actually operate.

 

[zehoo]

The launcher was so bad it was either write a completely new one or give up. They gave up.

 

[HockeyJon]

Good, one less annoying launcher.

 

[Lakados]

The launcher was so bad it was either write a completely new one or give up. They gave up.

Why spend the money, not like the launcher had enough of a user base to justify the expense.

 

[AceGoober]

Good to hear. Bethesda.net launcher is slower to launch than Epic and others. Interface is rather clunky and slow. Glad they chose Steam over others.

 

[Flogger23m]

I can actually see a few scenarios that would lead to Microsoft purchasing Valve (or at least trying to), and simply merging the services which is pretty much the only way Microsoft will get those users because honestly the alternative is Epic, and I would use the Microsoft Store before I spend any more money there.

Valve isn't for sale as long as Newell is alive. But I can see Microsoft buying Epic.

 

[Lakados]

Valve isn't for sale as long as Newell is alive. But I can see Microsoft buying Epic.

Gabe's gonna retire at some point, but yeah not while he has any say in the matter.

If Microsoft bought Epic I can honestly say that would be an upgrade, but I don't know if regulators would let them because of how it could affect users of the Unreal engine on non-Windows platforms.
I mean Microsoft isn't completely stupid (somebody smacked some smarts back into them for the time being at least) I doubt they would buy Epic then cut off half its customers because.... reasons? But I could see EA and Valve pumping money towards a few lobbyists to try and tank or at least complicate the deal.
But yeah if they bought Epic I would get behind that, I don't agree with much of what Microsoft does, but they are still better than Epic, but getting them away from Tencent would be tricky.