PHJF wrote on Feb 15, 2011, 18:34:

This. by buying second hand you've given them as much money as someone who stole the game.

Except buying it used presupposes somebody bought in the first place you FUCK.

Dev wrote on Nov 12, 2010, 00:00:

Nxs wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 23:19:
I just thought that I would bring up some things that I do not like and there would be some conversation about how steam or an offspring from it could help the PC gaming community.

It is very apparent that that is not the way it is going to go.

For the fourth time, I am OK with this. I just thought that my views would bring forth some thought on how valve/steam works and how to make people like me want to use it or a derivative of it. I am going to have to say that I was wrong!

People that like and use steam have no reason to want a PC game without the use of a third party, from what I can tell, due to stats.

Did you notice that OTHERS agree with you about things they don't like about steam? Such as not being able to sell games? Some of them it stops them from using, some it doesn't. I wouldn't mind the ability to resell my games, but it doesn't stop me from using steam.

Did you know that impulse has mentioned they want to implement the selling of "used" digital titles? I think the publishers will love it when/if it happens, it lets them get another cut out of the used market, they hate gamestop over that. If it succeeds there will be pressure on steam to do the same thing, and they likely will.

The stats don't mean that "people don't want" other features and alternatives to steam. It just means the alternatives out there haven't beat steam. Going by pure stats you could say that no one likes anything but MS, which isn't true, there's a lot of people that like and use apple/mac stuff, millions in fact.

If you really want alternatives to succeed you should put your money where your mouth is and start buying from places like impulse or D2D, or EA store, or amazon, or gamestop, or whatever. If you don't want to do that or help start a company with an alternative, the next best thing to do to achieve your goal is to make your opinion known (just like in politics). Write to the game publishing companies (physical letters and email) and let them know you want alternatives. Write to steam, let them know you want such and such features. Write to impulse and tell them you want such and such features and would they hurry up with reselling games. Post your opinions on the internet (bluesnews is fine, but you should post on wider read places).

If you really want it, don't give up with a few negative replies in bluesnews.

Note: I love steam, it has its issues, but there's a lot to like about it for me. I'm just giving you some objective advice on how to work towards achieving your goal if you desire it enough to work at it. Plus, competition is good for the marketplace.

Sepharo wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 23:38:
Child, troll, or idiot?


I'm voting child!

No, I don't think he's any of the above. I think he's just a non native english speaker. I've learned to recognize it. He still types it pretty well however. His word/phrasing choices sometimes hamper the points he's trying to make. Sadly, I've seen native english speakers worse, our public schools aren't exactly the best in the world.

Verno wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 18:35:

It makes no sense to me why everyone seems to be defending steam/steamworks.

Err, why do we have pick sides? Seems kinda childish. I use Steam but I'm well aware of the potential consequences it poses to the industry. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of alternative for consumer choice right now. The PC platform would be in terrible shape without it and it does implement features that consumers want so in the end you take the good with the bad and hope for better in the future.

Please by all means, feel free to design your own Steam clone with published APIs and open systems. Then somehow manage to convince the industry that your central ownership and management of it is in their best interests while they scream and howl about DRM and whatnot. I'll be your first customer even. Until that time though, we work with what we have.

DrEvil wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 17:51:

Nxs wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 16:41:

Nxs wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 12:22:
Wrong! What is really driving people to steam? You can't play a damn PC game without it! IN other words, you have no choice but to play almost any PC game on steam no matter where you bought it.

Almost any game? What? Nonsense, plenty of games don't use steam. You are talking full steamworks games which are a minority, not a majority. Just because you can buy it on steam and use it on steam, doesn't mean steam is required if you buy a retail copy.

It does if that retail copy uses steamworks DRM, which a lot of retail copies do.

While there are some titles soled on Steam and also sold in the store without steam, those seem far less common than the "steam-only" variety.

Nxs wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 12:22:
Wrong! What is really driving people to steam? You can't play a damn PC game without it! IN other words, you have no choice but to play almost any PC game on steam no matter where you bought it.

bhcompy wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 12:57:

Nxs wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 12:22:

Shataan wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 12:15:
"what really is driving people to Steam"

= convenience

Wrong! What is really driving people to steam? You can't play a damn PC game without it! IN other words, you have no choice but to play almost any PC game on steam no matter where you bought it.

Wrong? Nah. Steam provides better prices(generally), much greater accessibility(no CD, no key management, works on any PC or Mac with only the limit that you can only be logged on to your account on one machine at a time), and they provide direct matchmaking/friend tracking for games sold through Steam(which is my favorite daily use feature).

Shataan wrote on Nov 11, 2010, 12:15:
"what really is driving people to Steam"

= convenience