It is safe to say that every time you are buying a game from any storefront, some of the revenue is going to the storefront the game is published on, and there is nothing wrong with it, either. However, today, Xbox Game Studios chief Matt Booty wrote a blog post and talked about how Microsoft is taking a new direction with PC gaming, and this time around, they are focused on a “player-first approach” and how they are going to focus on empowering people as well, so they can achieve more.
One of the most interesting revelations that were made in the blog post was how Microsoft is cutting down the commission it takes from sales in Microsoft Store. Instead of taking their usual 30% commission, it is going to be now 12% on games. For those wondering, this is the same cut Epic Games has been taking and Microsoft going for the same move is a competitive decision, to say the least.
As a matter of fact, letting the developers keep 88% of the revenue is exactly what the gaming industry needs as far as the overall process is concerned. However, it is important that Microsoft is not looking to take over Epic Games Store. Microsoft is already aware of the fact that gamers are known for getting their games from multiple storefronts. That is why many Microsoft titles are already available on Steam.
The purpose of this move is to make the Microsoft Store a more attractive option for developers who are looking to publish their games on various storefronts.
The new revenue share program is going into effect on August 1, later this year. Microsoft has also talked about giving the developers an option to release the games the way they want. For instance, they are now going to allow the developers to offer DirectX 12 Ultimate on both PC as well as consoles.
Needless to say, Microsoft’s introduction of these changes is great, and if you want to know more about it, you can check the blog post.
