Russian giant 1C has told CVG that a recent "command" from a major outlet/s was sent to publishers, warning that any PC title containing Steamworks "would not be stocked"
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Speaking in a fascinating new CVG interview on the subject of how Steam and digital distribution has helped 1C flourish, UK publishing director Darryl Still told us:
"Steam do not dictate at all. They are supremely easy to deal with and superbly competent at what they do.
"Their confidence in their offering, which pays no heed to any rival in-store activities, compares very favourably to that of the retail chains - who recently sent a command to publishers that if they include Steamworks in their title it will not be stocked. Those guys need to grow up, stop bullying, and focus their attentions on making their offerings as attractive as the people they are obviously looking over their shoulders in panic at."
In the interview, Still boils down the difference between selling a game on store shelves and selling online, via Steam or its other partners such as Green Man Gaming and Gamersgate.
"Well the easiest way is to look at a sale of a game made today," he commented. "Let's say one of our titles was sold through a till in a retail store right now for, say, £20. After retail report the sale to our third party publisher - at the end of the quarter following sale - and they then report the sale to us - 60 days after receiving their cut - 1C would receive around £7 for the sale of the game. That would come into our bank, in around September.
"But if we sold the same game through someone pushing the download button at one of our digital partners' websites for the same £20, we would net £14 - twice as much - into our bank by the end of May; three or four months' sooner."]
1C, the second-biggest European owned publisher in the world, is the creator of bestselling PC series such as IL-2 Sturmovik, Men Of War and Kings Bounty.
Seriously, I stopped by my local Gamestation today and the only PC game they had was WoW.
