BF2S Forums [Steam] Edge Article 'Age of Steam'

Flecco wrote:

"We even sell games to somebody in‭ ‬Antarctica.‭"

wat

I wish the other digital distribution platforms were more viable. I've used EA Link maybe twice and you don't keep your games forever like steam, just one year or 5 if you spend an extra £3. Good old games has a nice idea but lacks a big enough catalogue to get me interested. Steam has come a long way from being universally hated but I'd hate for them to keep the monopoly they currently have over digital distribution.

Fat_Swinub wrote:

Steam has come a long way from being universally hated but I'd hate for them to keep the monopoly they currently have over digital distribution.

Agreed. I love Valve and Steam but without competition, prices will go up (already the case really) and they'll be less aggressive getting more games and services on board.

Competition is always good

Last edited by Spidery_Yoda (2009-03-10 09:20:21)

Fat_Swinub wrote:

I wish the other digital distribution platforms were more viable. I've used EA Link maybe twice and you don't keep your games forever like steam, just one year or 5 if you spend an extra £3. Good old games has a nice idea but lacks a big enough catalogue to get me interested. Steam has come a long way from being universally hated but I'd hate for them to keep the monopoly they currently have over digital distribution.

Agreed.

Flecco wrote:

What irks me is that even though I know that a total monopoly would be terrible, I really don't want to have to open 5 different xfire/steam/EALink/Games for Windows LIVE style programs just to be able to play my games.

And agreed.

I have a feeling we'll start to see the different digital publishers joining forces somehow - to both compete with and support each other.

Well while it's true that Valve only sets the Valve game prices, thats not where it ends.

The whole mess with the European pricing (where it went up by about 40% or something overnight for the whole of the EU was all Valve. They told publishers what they were doing, and had a suggested price for everything (where they basically replaced the $ sign with a euro sign) and allowed the publishers to change it if they wanted.

Of course few did because since Valve were adopting the new huge price increase, everyone else decided they could get away with it too. So because of Valve, Steam went from a choice to customers in the EU to a massively overprised store overnight. They keep saying publishers can choose lower prices if they want but now the standard is set, and they managed to alienate a huge chunk of the EU in the process.

Last edited by Spidery_Yoda (2009-03-10 09:38:38)

That's another thing I really hated about steam for a long time, the lack of localised currency and therefore no inclusion of tax in the price and having to charge extra to pay in USD. EA link used pound sterling from day 1, steam took about four years or so.

Don't you think it's a bit biased having a six page article that's pro steam and a one page article that's anti-steam?

Well I wouldn't say it's biased. After all the original article was about Steam, and the 'comeback' one was just a short statement from a competitor.

I do hope Steam stays alive, I've had nothing but good service from it's launch to now; of course there were bugs, but none that caused me to quit playing the games (looking at you, BF2). Then again, I mostly use it for buying/playing Valve games. Most others I've bought boxed.

My aversion to download services is if the company goes under and the registry servers fall. What then? Well, Valve has set a service precedent that let's me comfortably believe they'll have a pillow for that.

Fat_Swinub wrote:

Don't you think it's a bit biased having a six page article that's pro steam and a one page article that's anti-steam?

I don't believe that article is explicitly anti-steam. The author's main point is that Steam has no real competition at the moment. There are other services, but none with a solid platform that Steam has established. All he finally says is that it's a matter of time for the competition to kick up and the monolithic Steam to be challenged. He hints at annoyances with Steamworks, but it is no focus of the article.

Last edited by Defiance (2009-03-10 22:14:17)

TopHat01 wrote:

What's also interesting is how much the console industry is using the "download-to-play" features, and the $5 expansion pack here, or $.99 add-on pack here (looking at you, EA. ) really lets them milk every last dollar/pound/euro/etc. out of a game.

Episodic content and micro-purchases. Lots of it on consoles, less on PC unless you count games like Gunbound. Holy shit is that game stupid if you pay for it...

For us in the UK it worked out the best because we pay tax with our prices and no extra charge on our CC to covert prices to USD.

globefish23 wrote:

What really pisses me off with Steam/Valve was the switch in the pricing system not too long ago.
Previously, all prices where in US$, which meant we Europeans could get the games cheaper than retail according to the respective exchange rates.

But suddenly they switched to € pricing, which suddenly means that 1$ = 1€.
What were they thinking?
Cheaper prices are actually the prime vantage of digital distribution, because it omits retail distributors and the price for packaging/shipping.

But now it costs me more to download via Steam than importing from say the UK.
I now have the decision between a high-priced crappily localised retail version, a high-priced Steam version, or import a cheaper version and wait for the post to arrive.

What a Brave New World!

^this. The only reason I´d buy a download is it being cheaper. Or coming with a nice bonus (like the Hawx pre-purchase offer). Otherwise I´ll stay with my UK import.
Cause most games in german are just localised horribly. Like horribly. Seems us germans are only good for speaking the damn nazis in games

Last edited by Sisco10 (2009-03-12 01:55:17)