Steamworks question

[Morgoth]

That's the point. Now that I know FEAR2 will also use Steamworks, I know I'm not gonna get it anymore (except later for the bargain bin) due to the fact I can't make money for selling it back, thus forcing me to buy less games.

[Hurlshort]

I think you need to weigh in exactly what you are getting for $50. These are games that cost millions of dollars to make. It can't really be compared to other media forms, but the closest is probably the movies.

feh, this is a very silly argument. print publishers spend millions too - check out how much it costs to print all those copies of the latest John Grisham novel or copy of the New York Times. yet nothing stops you from reselling your book or your newspaper (assuming you can find anyone willing to shell out for it).

 

hell, in London, Rupert Murdoch is spending over 40 million pounds a year to produce a newspaper that he gives away for free five nights a week.

 

there might be good reasons for the business model adopted by software publishers, but trying to justify it by reference to production costs is foolish.

 

I agree with everything Mamoulian War says. I know I buy more titles because I can trade in my console games towards a new game. I'm just also recognizing the Steam model and I understand why they are moving towards it. I will miss having a trade in market, but it won't be the end of the world for me.

 

newc's response is one of the silliest I've ever read. Comparing a print publications to games is a huge stretch. They aren't paying John Grisham $20 million just to write a single book, but that is the investment that a publisher has to make on a video game developer to get a big title finished. Publishing and advertising costs are an entirely separate issue.

 

As for Rupert Murdoch, what does that have to do with anything? He is either making money from advertising, or he is just too rich to care that the paper is losing money. How does that compare in any way to game publishers?

[Nightshape]

[so from my point of view elimination of second hand market will at the end lead into decreasing profits for publishers and developers...

 

 

That's totally true from my point as well. If I buy a game for $50 and then get $20 from a resell, that $20 plus a bit more would go into buying another game, most likely at retail price. Good post.

 

It's not always forced to be the case that the money will go towards that, but it isn't what I have an issue with personally... I actually agree, my point is more that the retailer is the one making the most amount of profit, opposed to the developer, but that's just the nature of things in general.

 

People have an impression that games make alot more money than they do, IMHO the retailer is the winner regardless.

 

I begrudge giving the retailer $20.

 

Edit: I also don't like recieving mail from game telling me product X is worth

Edited January 27, 2009 by Nightshape

[Gfted1]

Why is your ire directed specifically at games resellers vice a used car dealership, book store, movie rental, etc... This part fascinates me, why is the game industry the sole beneficiary/whiner of after-market sales? Why are they the only IP that should get paid for life?

[alanschu]

I like Steam because I'm a lazy twit, and would rather not leave my home, and waste money on gasoline and crap, and just d/l my purchase.

 

I also like that if my computer goes Kaboom, Steam gets me my games back. Sure Steam could explode, but I find it less likely than me losing or damaging my discs.

 

I bought Fallout 3 at 1 AM. It was good times. I was also done NWN2 when people on this forum were still complaining that their local store hadn't received any copies yet

 

So nyah!

[Moatilliatta]

I like Steam because I'm a lazy twit, and would rather not leave my home, and waste money on gasoline and crap, and just d/l my purchase.

 

I also like that if my computer goes Kaboom, Steam gets me my games back. Sure Steam could explode, but I find it less likely than me losing or damaging my discs.

 

I bought Fallout 3 at 1 AM. It was good times. I was also done NWN2 when people on this forum were still complaining that their local store hadn't received any copies yet

 

So nyah!

+1

I love that steam allows me to buy games at late hours.

 

Isn't this a repeat discussion, word for word, anyway? I seem to remember some of these arguments.

[Morgoth]

I'd exclusively buy at Steam if it would be cheaper. Forking out 50€ for a new game that I also can get for 30€ at play.com+free shipping? What's the point then?

 

Steam is only good if the prices drop after 6-12 months or when there's some special christmas sale offers or things like that, but it's crap for new releases. Way too expensive.

Edited January 27, 2009 by Morgoth

[Nightshape]

Why is your ire directed specifically at games resellers vice a used car dealership, book store, movie rental, etc...

 

It's not. It's directed at retailers.

 

This part fascinates me, why is the game industry the sole beneficiary/whiner of after-market sales? Why are they the only IP that should get paid for life?

 

It's all about profits, I'm merely pointing out that the retailer wins, regardless.

 

I get tired of hearing about how developers should do better, and publishers are greedy etc... It's a sack of crap.

[alanschu]

I'd exclusively buy at Steam if it would be cheaper. Forking out 50

[Hell Kitty]

What do I do when I buy a game that doesn't work? Am I just out of luck?

 

Basically, yeah. Because it's not true that the game doesn't work, rather it's a case of it doesn't work well enough or it's not compatible with particular systems.

[Slowtrain]

What do I do when I buy a game that doesn't work? Am I just out of luck?

 

Basically, yeah. Because it's not true that the game doesn't work, rather it's a case of it doesn't work well enough or it's not compatible with particular systems.

 

 

It does turn out that way, doesn't it.

 

Which is why I shop from the bargain bin and discount rack as much as possible. If I have to buy a game that doesn't work, at least I can often avoid paying full price.

 

Its not much, but it is something.

[alanschu]

If only those that used high cost as a reason for piracy saw things the same way.

[Mamoulian War]

I like Steam because I'm a lazy twit, and would rather not leave my home, and waste money on gasoline and crap, and just d/l my purchase.

 

I also like that if my computer goes Kaboom, Steam gets me my games back. Sure Steam could explode, but I find it less likely than me losing or damaging my discs.

 

I bought Fallout 3 at 1 AM. It was good times. I was also done NWN2 when people on this forum were still complaining that their local store hadn't received any copies yet

 

So nyah!

 

Believe me or not i am buying from UK with preorders (and i live in central europe) and every single copy i get directly in my home brought by postman 1 day before official release... all i have to do is open the door when the postman comes

[Mamoulian War]

I'd exclusively buy at Steam if it would be cheaper. Forking out 50€ for a new game that I also can get for 30€ at play.com+free shipping? What's the point then?

 

Steam is only good if the prices drop after 6-12 months or when there's some special christmas sale offers or things like that, but it's crap for new releases. Way too expensive.

 

 

Hmmm, the prices tend to be comparable for me.

 

Because you live in North America... Steam for Europe sucks with prices compared to retailers... It's the same why i never ever buy games in Slovakia, tey just cost up to 20EUR more for new release than in UK!!! To hell even if i import stuff from HongKong it is still cheaper than buying game diractly at Slovakia...

 

Not to talk about the regional locking of games, if i buy retail game with mandatory Steam activation during vacation in USA or Canada, if install it home the game can get locked out the steam account... that happened with few games in the past because publisher did not like people buying games for USD instead of EUR which is in most of the cases same number...

Edited January 28, 2009 by Mamoulian War

[Mamoulian War]

If only those that used high cost as a reason for piracy saw things the same way.

 

High cost as a piracy is bull***... If you think the game is to costly wait 6 - 12 months you can get the game in cheaper edition... I did that sometimes for console games, because i was "pure" PC gamer who changed 3 years ago with release of Wii...

 

The biggest reason from my experience/point of view is that people pirate because of "collector's greed" (dont know better word for it)... Lot of people i know who download games, buy a lot of games aswell, but they download everything they think they will play, and as i know them, most of the games (about 80 - 95%) they download, they just burn on CD/DVD and put under the bed, without even installing it, because at the end they spend to much time playing the games they purchased legally...

Edited January 28, 2009 by Mamoulian War

[Niten_Ryu]

I'd exclusively buy at Steam if it would be cheaper. Forking out 50

[Morgoth]

I agree. Going for 30

[alanschu]

I like Steam because I'm a lazy twit, and would rather not leave my home, and waste money on gasoline and crap, and just d/l my purchase.

 

I also like that if my computer goes Kaboom, Steam gets me my games back. Sure Steam could explode, but I find it less likely than me losing or damaging my discs.

 

I bought Fallout 3 at 1 AM. It was good times. I was also done NWN2 when people on this forum were still complaining that their local store hadn't received any copies yet

 

So nyah!

 

Believe me or not i am buying from UK with preorders (and i live in central europe) and every single copy i get directly in my home brought by postman 1 day before official release... all i have to do is open the door when the postman comes

 

Your cookie is in the mail.

[alanschu]

I agree. Going for 30