Poll: Does Steam look better after the Xbox One?

[Shoggoth2588]

Steam looks better compared to the current Xbox Live Gold standard. I'm unable to use it on my current rig (which is hardly capable of Beneath a Steel Sky). Based on what I know of Steam though, you still don't technically own those games that you pay to play. That could just be my digital prejudice shining through though.

 

[Ambitiousmould]

I have dipped my toe in the pool of Steam, but I am a console (Xbox 360) gamer, for now. I currently use a laptop which isn't very good, but I have already decided to get on board the PC train and plan to buy one when I can afford it. I will not abandon my Xbox though, because I prefer console gaming (not next gen, though, obviously) and will get games like Destiny and the odd game for the Xbox, but I will be expanding my Steam library very much and very soon.

 

[Lunar Templar]

lol, the two aren't even comparable as anything other then a joke.

but in answer to your question, Been using Steam for awhile now, all the Xbone has done is make me not want a console i wasn't going to get even more then before

 

[Voulan]

Hopefully they'll still support game versions for this generation for a while like last time - I didn't need to get a PS3 for up to three years after its release.

The only thing putting me off is a lack of credit card to actually buy the games, and these constant threads about upgrading PCs. Do you seriously need to do them constantly? My laptop is nearing three years old, but it easily beats system requirements for all the games I've looked at. Is that not good enough? How much money do I need to sink into this thing? I know nothing about CPUs or motherboards, and there's no way in hell I'm going to build a PC. If anything, its this constant obsession with upgrading to have all the best shiny things that's putting me off.

 

[SecondPrize]

Hasn't changed my view of Steam at all. I accepted not being able to resell PC games long ago because other benefits of the PC as a platform outweigh this negative. I'm not willing to accept a change to this on consoles because this was one of the few advantages they had over the PC, and if i'm going to be buying licenses, i'll do it on my PC.

 

[Wafflemarine]

It's still DRM, but it certainly looks better if this is to be the next generation of console security.

Only reason to hate steam is if you want to pirate games

Yes, only criminals hate DRM. And by that logic, only criminals have something to hide, so I'm sure you won't mind giving me all your personal details. I mean, you're not up to anything suspect, are you? So why would you want privacy?

If you are afraid a DRM will steal all your personal info off your computer then thats your own paranoia.

There is no reason the companies should trust you or anyone not to try and pirate games. Saying they shouldn't use DRM is the same as saying business should not lock up their stores when they leave. Steam avoids all of the annoying problems with other DRMs has offline mode so single player games still work.

 

[LetalisK]

Steam is the most barebones of DRM that is more of a patching service, social network, and digital store than anything.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Steam's massive discounts are worth not being able to resell games. It's that simple. It's a matter of "I am willing to buy into this service and be restricted to an extent because of the ridiculous savings". Yes, it's DRM, and no I don't appreciate that Valve can take all my games if they want, but the savings are WORTH IT.

 

[Danial]

I've been a console gamer my entire life, from NES onwards, I could never get into PC gaming and preferred the simplicity of a console, a pad and a TV.

That being said, If the PS4 is even slightly like the Xbone when it comes to DRM i am going to just go ahead and buy a gaming PC, the Xbone has nothing that really suits my interests, that being the interests of a gamer. The things i liked about the console experience, the simplicity has been removed and replaced with DRM and instillation's. Wanna play a game? enter the code and install it.

So its basicly a shitty PC with worse DRM and more expensive games.... ok... If im going to be forced to not be able to trade in my games might as well be on the platform with £30 games brand new and steam sales.

Edit: also one i don't have to use IE and Bing. That alone is worth the change.

 

[Vigormortis]

Huh.

Where's the "Yes Steam looks better in comparison to the Xbone, on almost all fronts, but I'm already using Steam and openly admit it's still DRM." option?

Because that's where I stand on the whole thing.

 

[NightHawk21]

IMO steam is the single greatest thing to happen to my PC gaming career. What little amount of DRM is present is done right so that it doesn't feel like DRM (its gotten to the point where I prefer to have my games on steam and won't buy something if it doesn't come with a steam key). Not to mention that steam allows for people like me who aren't rolling in dough to buy and still experience a lot of cool games for really cheap prices. That and combining all my gaming into one little package, along with achievements and friends makes it the best in my opinion.

No steam is still horrible the Xbone is also horrible I refuse to use steam and will refuse to use the Xbone purely because of the horrible systems in place that do not have to be there and just exist as a barrier between you and your product.

If PS4 follows suit I wont buy that either so I guess that would leave Nintendo and GOG. I suppose I see steam in a slightly better light than the Xbone but crap is still crap.

Genuinely curious what barriers do you reprieve between you and your game on Steam?

 

[Trueflame]

Steam isn't perfect, but games on it cost a fraction of anything any of the consoles have, so it more than balances out. Add to that the fact that Steam, and PCs, have access to all prior generations of video games, and you have a winner.

 

[Raioken18]

Something else a lot of people seem to be skipping over is the relationship between the modding community and Xbox and Steam. The Xbone has shunned the modding community that pretty much salvaged the original Kinect from being a total failure. Meanwhile Steam appears to be trying to encourage modders.

Mind you Steam's modding client still blows and you are usually better of DLing the mods of the modders official sites, but they are at least trying, and you can still use 3rd party mods (Usually the same ones available through steam but as direct DLs XD), but it's still better than no modding at all.

 

[Souplex]

Maybe if things go well, PC gaming will recover enough to actually warrant retail releases.
I can't tolerate digital distribution.

 

[Chefsbrian]

I never found steam DRM intrusive to my work. Rarely is there a time when my computer doesn't have a moment of internet connection in its running time. Yes, I am aware that technically speaking, I've never "Owned" most of the titles in my library (activated a few with physical keys, awesome feature btw) but my entire library cost is a pittance compared to what buying them all at full price would have been. The only major game pulls on steam I've seen would be when EA pulled some titles as they created origin.

Publishers are always going to want DRM on their service. Its their job to make sure everybody pays for their copies, and honestly, pirates will always find ways around. Steam seems to be more focused on making it much, MUCH more worthwhile to live within the reasonable restrictions of their service, and I actually feel rewarded for doing so (Steam sales ahoy). Xbone seems content to make the noose tighter, and some of its just plain silly, and some of its just the internet doing what it does and overreacting. Of course all that could be proven wrong tomorrow when the E3 conferences start up. Oh man will this place be on fire.

So yea, my hats solidly in with the PC MASTER RACE, I might buy a next gen if some of the exclusives prove tempting enough. Gonna take a hell of a game to justify that though, have fun Microsoft (Your not off the hook yet either Sony, I don't like how quiet you've been here as of late)

 

[Stg]

Steam looks better compared to the current Xbox Live Gold standard. I'm unable to use it on my current rig (which is hardly capable of Beneath a Steel Sky). Based on what I know of Steam though, you still don't technically own those games that you pay to play. That could just be my digital prejudice shining through though.

It has been posted many times before and even by Gabe Newell himself that if Steam ever went out of business, they would release a patch that allowed you to burn every game you have in your library to physical disks so you can play them outside of Steam. Granted, some games like Team Fortress 2 would be useless without a dedicated server, but outside of the tin-foil hat wearers, Steam is possibly the best service out there for buying PC games.

As many people mentioned previously, every game on Steam goes on sale at some point and quite frequently. I bought Terraria for 74 cents which cost most people $20. Magicka and all the DLC available to date cost me $7. Entire publisher packs for $20 - $40 when they normally cost upwards of $200 - $300 (gotta love holiday sales).

Again, it only seems the hardcore console fanboys or the aforementioned tin-foil hat club are the only ones who hate Steam. I own every Sony console, every Microsoft console (though the 360 will be my last), and every Nintendo console stopping with the Gamecube (all handhelds past the Gameboy are excluded from this list). If there is a really good game for the PS4 that I see down the road, I'll wait for the PS4 to drop in price (assuming they don't follow Microsoft's BS), then buy one. However, when a good game comes out on the PC, I don't have to wait for a new console to come out. I don't have to worry about it being sold out in stores. I don't have to become a paid subscriber to play the demos, take the game online, or even watch the trailers. With the PC, I can just hope it comes out on Steam, pre-order the game, and play something else in the meantime while I wait for it to come out or wait for it to go on sale after it's released. Hell, even if it isn't released on Steam, I'm sure GoG can offer me the same game at almost the same discount as you could find it on a Steam sale.

So in essence, if you are just blindly hating on Steam because of some tall tales of Steam monitoring everything you do online or secretly storing your credit card information to rob you blind later or sell it to someone, do some research and then make an educated opinion. This biased "Steam is spying on you!!!" crap was old five years ago and it hasn't freshened at all since then. Besides, Steam DRM (which it is and it's the type I enjoy since it dissuades pirates) is a hell of a lot better than the new XBOX One's DRM.

 

[Abomination]

The difference is that I trust Steam because I know steam lowers their prices, allows modding and has great support.

Oh, it doesn't cost anything either.

Who needs second hand games when you have sales up to 80% off.

While I would love to be able to sell my games I've recently learned I prefer having a massive library that I can call upon at a moment's notice. Download a full game in an hour or two - while I play another game - and enjoy some nostalgia again. Oh, you can also mod things, you can use it on any console... if you trust someone else you can share an account much like you could share a game.

Steam blows XBone out of the water at every turn.

 

[JSF16]

I'll go with steam because of one reason. I get great service on it and Valve at the very least pretends to give a shit about its customers, with things like free copies of major games being sprinkled about here and there, while MS refused to budge an inch on prices over their market, and complicated the process with bullshit like Microsoft points and gold memberships. Maybe, maybe Valve is secretly as evil as MS, but no other company has done so well hiding their evilness that I've actually had fun buying things from them, with their sales treated as practically holidays and whatnot. I'll stick with Steam because they've given me lots of good times and good games, and MS hasn't.