AAAHHHHHHH

[Meshugger]

You can't stop the digital future. You will be the grumpy old men(and women) of the internet.

 

...and that's a bad thing because....?

[Spider]

I dislike crap installed on my computer a lot as well, but I've come to terms with Steam. Yes, it does install additional software on your computer, but it's unintrusive enough to be ignorable. You only need to run Steam when playing and autostart can safely be disabled. Since it's effect on perfomance is so low, it won't affect your gaming experience, at least not provided you have a decent internet connection. Also, you don't have to manually start Steam when starting a game, it will be done whenever you launch a steam game (and you will be automatically logged in). You do have to shut it off manually after you're finished playing though.

 

In return for this inconvenience, you get access to a nice gaming community, easier multiplayer and the ability to go on a shopping spree on the good deals that pop up from time to time. Buying games from steam is a very smooth experience all in all. The main drawback is the price, games on steam are considerably more expensive than in stores, at least new games in Europe. Another slight drawback is that the games will go in your steam folder, no way to have the app installed in folder and the games in another. Or to have games in multiple folders (which can be inconvenient if you run out of space for instance).

 

So yeah, MC, I'd go there. Try it out with the sniper game and if you find out you hate it, just uninstall Steam when you're done with the game and don't get another one.

[Purkake]

It's not bad, but it is a futile gesture.

[Monte Carlo]

It's not bad, but it is a futile gesture.

 

?

[Purkake]

Not using DD on principle.

[Mamoulian War]

Not using DD on principle.

 

Steam != every DD in the world... i am using few digital services without problem... they have less intrusive DRM, which does not infringe on my customer rights...

[213374U]

It's not bad, but it is a futile gesture.

Seriously, do you even think before delivering your inane one-liners? I'm betting you could do it asleep.

 

How is not installing unwanted software and not participating in a deal you don't think is advantageous to you "futile"? How is it even a "gesture"?

 

Uh...

[Thorton_AP]

The much of my support for Steam does come because Valve appears to actually support the PC game market.

 

If that's your primary criterion then you'd be far better off buying from Impulse (Stardock) or Gamersgate (Paradox) as neither associated company makes console games at all.

 

I doubt Valve even think of PC as being a platform at all any more. The platform they support is Steam, not PC, as evidenced by the move to Mac and PS3.

 

I do buy games from Impulse and Gamers Gate

 

Though you do mention other pros of the Steam platform with the support of Mac and PS3. I love the idea behind allowing owners of a single title to allow it to be played both on Mac or PC.

[Hassat Hunter]

Telltale Games (Monkey Island, Sam&Max) offer DD, then allow you to get a DVD shipped for shipping cost.

 

Personally that would be the best solution to DD, where people would want a physical copy...

[Thorton_AP]

Matrix games offers something similar.

 

Do they just burn you a CD on command or do they hold stock?

 

 

I wouldn't be surprised if, given time, the people that demand physical copies of stuff are left SOL. I think this is still a long ways away though.

[Gorgon]

Do I try Steam? The copy of the Sniper game is sitting there. Looking forlorn.

 

Do I dare go there? Open this scary Pandora's Box of digital scariness?

 

I am scared and alone in this. Help.

Try it, but don't get suckered into buying games just because they are on sale. What's with the Alpha Protocol pre order. This I do not understand.

 

There is no physical media, and thus no reason at all to pre order and pay full price, the interest for which the publisher will have for several months... ohh there is a reason.

Edited July 12, 2010 by Gorgon

[Monte Carlo]

I don't understand why, when their distribution model is so lean and there is no physical content... why are their games so expensive on Steam?

[WorstUsernameEver]

I don't understand why, when their distribution model is so lean and there is no physical content... why are their games so expensive on Steam?

 

Greed.

[Amentep]

A lot of businesses are built upon what price the market (ie customers) can sustain, not anything to do with what it costs to make or distribute.

[Hurlshort]

A lot of businesses are built upon what price the market (ie customers) can sustain, not anything to do with what it costs to make or distribute.

 

And I consider $50 a very fair price for a game that costs millions to develop.

[Amentep]

That price range seems to be what price most people will accept from a game.

 

And honestly at $50 game with 20 hours of gameplay is a better investment cost vs entertainment time compared to most other entertainments (heck in most places $50 for 10 hours is still better than movies and I say this as someone who loves going to the movies) from a purely practical point of view (the value for the individual will, of course, vary).

Edited July 12, 2010 by Amentep

[mkreku]

And honestly at $50 game with 20 hours of gameplay is a better investment blah blah

I hate this argument. Why on earth are you comparing games to movies? Hey, try it with a book! A book costs like $20 and it lasts for up to 100+ hours. Gee, suddenly the deal isn't looking so good, is it?

 

It's so pointless to try to compare different media this way. Is 10 hours of entertainment worth $50 for you? That's the only question you need to answer.

[Amentep]

And honestly at $50 game with 20 hours of gameplay is a better investment blah blah

I hate this argument. Why on earth are you comparing games to movies? Hey, try it with a book! A book costs like $20 and it lasts for up to 100+ hours. Gee, suddenly the deal isn't looking so good, is it?

 

It's so pointless to try to compare different media this way. Is 10 hours of entertainment worth $50 for you? That's the only question you need to answer.

 

My point was that the market supports specific price points because there is some kind of value there as determined by the market (what the company and customer can afford from their respective perspectives). And that value for the customer is what they're willing to pay for it as you say. However, the price/value for the company might be viewed very differently. I'd think (and perhaps be wrong, I admit) that the companies would look at pricing in a way that compares it to movies, which is why I brought the comparison up (in that I don't think gaming companies will go to a pricing system that places their product as more expensive per time invested by the customer than movies or DVDs and that they probably see their competitors in those arenas and not in books, comic books, radio, etc.).

 

Or something. Wasn't trying to start an argument but look at the customer-company business relationship; perhaps I could have been clearer?

[LadyCrimson]

You can't stop the digital future. You will be the grumpy old men(and women) of the internet.

I was a grumpy fart on the internet 15+ years ago...the digital (game) future only means I have more & more space cash to spend on other things. Which probably isn't a bad thing.

 

Is 10 hours of entertainment worth $50 for you? That's the only question you need to answer.

For myself, I'd rather spend $100 on a game that I'm confident will last 80-100+ hours (because I like to replay it - ie, Diablo's) than $30 on a game that when I finish it once, ends up on the shelf never to be played again. For me it's about replay or long-term value, rather than one-shot value. But I'm also aware not everyone likes to get so obsessed with/replay single games, they want to move on to the next, or get bored easily in general, and they're going to see cost-worth entirely different than I would.

[Amentep]

I love playing games over, but I also like my fair share of games that I doubt I'll ever finish again (heck, I only ever beat Baldur's Gate once).

 

Worth - for me at least - is an upfront thing, ie does it interest me enough to pay for and play it at all. Re-playability doesn't typically factor into it for me.

[LadyCrimson]

Aye...there is still some upfront consideration for me, since even a game that I think I'll love may end up sitting on that shelf. The hoped for replay value is what pushes me over the edge to buy full price new releases, however. Once it's down in the $9.99 or less category, it's less of a factor.

[Thorton_AP]

I don't understand why, when their distribution model is so lean and there is no physical content... why are their games so expensive on Steam?

 

I don't understand the issues with the Euro, but I do know in North America large scale retailers use their purchasing power to ensure that DD games are not sold at a cheaper cost at release.

[Hurlshort]

And honestly at $50 game with 20 hours of gameplay is a better investment blah blah

I hate this argument. Why on earth are you comparing games to movies? Hey, try it with a book! A book costs like $20 and it lasts for up to 100+ hours. Gee, suddenly the deal isn't looking so good, is it?

 

It's so pointless to try to compare different media this way. Is 10 hours of entertainment worth $50 for you? That's the only question you need to answer.

 

I compare games to movie or television because it is usually a choice between those two forms of entertainment. Books are a completely different form of media. I can take it with me, I can read a few pages before bed, I can even sneak a few pages at work. My free time for gaming/movies is much more limited, made worse by the fact I hate distractions when I'm doing either activity.

[Purkake]

It's not bad, but it is a futile gesture.

Seriously, do you even think before delivering your inane one-liners? I'm betting you could do it asleep.

 

How is not installing unwanted software and not participating in a deal you don't think is advantageous to you "futile"? How is it even a "gesture"?

 

Uh...

I was not talking about installing unwanted software on your PC, my point is that DD is going to become the norm sooner or later, there is no stopping it. Whether or not you will have to install stuff on your PC is to be seen.

 

I don't understand why, when their distribution model is so lean and there is no physical content... why are their games so expensive on Steam?

 

I don't understand the issues with the Euro, but I do know in North America large scale retailers use their purchasing power to ensure that DD games are not sold at a cheaper cost at release.

It's pretty much that. The publishers have to keep the retailers happy because they still largely depend on them, also going all DD on the consoles means giving control over to the platform holders and the publishers are probably not too happy about that either.

[Gromnir]

I don't understand why, when their distribution model is so lean and there is no physical content... why are their games so expensive on Steam?

 

'cause that is what you is willing to pay? when the dealers/pushers/publishers set prices for their product, am doubting that their cost to bring to the junkie/user/consumer is the main factor they is considering.

 

a few years ago an obsidian developer indicated that production and distribution accounted for more than 1/2 of game cost to publisher. remove these costs will eventually be a boon to indie developers as they attempt to compete with the publishing giants... we may eventual see some creative game developers who take big risks in hopes o' a big payoff. even so, am increasing dubious that you will see a price drop, particularly as the few Win games from publishers has gotta subsidize their considerable number o' Loser games.

 

HA! Good Fun!