Poll: Steam, how do you feel about it?

[Woodsey]

Well, I am glad everyone is loving renting instead of owning their games cause it's coming. I just hope that I adapt when the time comes, would hate to give up gaming.

I would ask what you're talking about, but I fear the answer is going to be the product of many incorrect assumptions.

You are renting the game. You don't own it. You have a license to play it, nothing more. What is coming is that eventually there will be no discs or the discs will only be for those with slow internet (like the games that require Steam now).

What do you think will happen if Steam and Valve ever have to shut down?

 

[ALuckyChance]

Well, I am glad everyone is loving renting instead of owning their games cause it's coming. I just hope that I adapt when the time comes, would hate to give up gaming.

I would ask what you're talking about, but I fear the answer is going to be the product of many incorrect assumptions.

You are renting the game. You don't own it. You have a license to play it, nothing more. What is coming is that eventually there will be no discs or the discs will only be for those with slow internet (like the games that require Steam now).

Probably not as long as there are people who enjoy having a hard copy. A digital age of gaming though, would probably happen sooner or later, though not necessarily in the immediate future.

What do you think will happen if Steam and Valve ever have to shut down?

Considering the incredibly ridiculous amounts of money Valve makes - and by all accounts, will continue to make - due to Steam existing, I doubt it.

 

[botobeno]

I didnt read the whole topic, sorry, it's 4 pages and it's 2:36 AM.

I like steam for:
> Easy to maintain a game collection.
> Updates.
> Easy access to new demo's.
> Cheap deals sometimes, like 'buy everything from company x with y% reduction!' Often includes games i dont really like, but when i like the whole package it's very tempting.
> I dont like messing around with CD/DVD's, they tend to get dirty and scratched and sometimes the box is poorly designed and seems like it actively tries to break your cd when you take it out or just damages your cd when you keep it in it's original packaging (i'm looking at you GTA: SA, worst dvd holder ever)
> Easy to play with friends, you can chat, see what they're playing and so on.

I dont like steam for:
> Dependency on Steam.
> Games are sometimes a bit cheaper in stores, even if they're steamgames and new, this doesnt make any sense to me.
> Games in stores that require steam dont always mention it on the box, that really annoys me, things like that should be clearly marked on the box.
> If you buy a new harddisk it seems to be a bit of a ***** to get steam to change it's folder. Havent found an option for it yet, copy pasting results in steam stubbornly staying on it's old location.
> I dont like the 'buy this game, get a fancy hat in that game', even if it has no influence on gameplay whatsoever. It annoys me and it wont be long till those items actually start having an impact ingame.
> Downloads are paused when playing anything, even if you're playing something offline or even watching one of your downloaded TF2 movies. This means that if you need to download a new game you cant play anything on steam for a few hours at the worst. Hugely annoying.
> Support was massively unhelpful, this is a very bad thing for something that basicly has your entire gamelibrary by the balls and has made me try to avoid buying games on steam from that point onwards.

 

[Woodsey]

Well, I am glad everyone is loving renting instead of owning their games cause it's coming. I just hope that I adapt when the time comes, would hate to give up gaming.

I would ask what you're talking about, but I fear the answer is going to be the product of many incorrect assumptions.

You are renting the game. You don't own it. You have a license to play it, nothing more. What is coming is that eventually there will be no discs or the discs will only be for those with slow internet (like the games that require Steam now).

What do you think will happen if Steam and Valve ever have to shut down?

You will lose your games. I do not believe for one second that the publishers would allow Steam to take the DRM off their games and you shouldn't either.

Steam isn't exactly a huge barrier to piracy in the sense of traditional DRM, and if they go under then publishers will not simply force games to not be playable. The PR damage will be insane for starters, not to mention recent games will be prevented from making more money on any planned DLC.

Add to that that Valve have made it abundantly clear to everyone that they've got a patch in place to remove the need for Steam. The only people who would actually have to deal with the removal of DRM measures are those that applied Steamworks to their games anyway, and they'd have been made especially aware of what would happen should Valve go under.

Other companies that have their games sold through Steam (but who's games do not use Steamworks) will either be selling DRM-free games anyway or will be selling it through Steam along with whatever DRM of their own they choose to implement, and will be unaffected.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

I love my steam! Makes shit so much easier when you have a bunch of computers.

 

[Woodsey]

Well, I am glad everyone is loving renting instead of owning their games cause it's coming. I just hope that I adapt when the time comes, would hate to give up gaming.

I would ask what you're talking about, but I fear the answer is going to be the product of many incorrect assumptions.

You are renting the game. You don't own it. You have a license to play it, nothing more. What is coming is that eventually there will be no discs or the discs will only be for those with slow internet (like the games that require Steam now).

What do you think will happen if Steam and Valve ever have to shut down?

You will lose your games. I do not believe for one second that the publishers would allow Steam to take the DRM off their games and you shouldn't either.

Steam isn't exactly a huge barrier to piracy in the sense of traditional DRM, and if they go under then publishers will not simply force games to not be playable. The PR damage will be insane for starters, not to mention recent games will be prevented from making more money on any planned DLC.

Add to that that Valve have made it abundantly clear to everyone that they've got a patch in place to remove the need for Steam. The only people who would actually have to deal with the removal of DRM measures are those that applied Steamworks to their games anyway, and they'd have been made especially aware of what would happen should Valve go under.

Other companies that have their games sold through Steam (but who's games do not use Steamworks) will either be selling DRM-free games anyway or will be selling it through Steam along with whatever DRM of their own they choose to implement, and will be unaffected.

If Steam goes under it will be because of competition which means that it won't be a big deal since there are other places to buy DD. In fact, I'll bet that sooner or later each publisher will be selling their own games via DD and that may kill Steam.

I think of it like this. Remember when Microsoft quit their online music business and did not release a no DRM patch? There wasn't a huge stink because people just went elsewhere and bought the music again. The stink was there but it wasn't like DD of music died so most people paid little attention.

If Microsoft can drop DD without a patch, why can't Steam? If Steam is going bankrupt they can't afford to fight against publishers. The games will just stop working like the music from Microsoft did.

Most publishers don't use Steamworks, and those that do will be well aware of what happens if Valve should go under (and no, that's not necessarily going to happen because of other DD sites) - there will be no one to fight against.

You seem to miss the point that Valve are a company who release all their DLC for free and spend the entire time trying to provide a better experience for their customers. What they are not is Microsoft.

The patch has already been created, there'd be no reason not to release it (because publishers wouldn't argue against it for the reasons I've explained).

 

[Swarley]

What do you think will happen if Steam and Valve ever have to shut down?

We will all continue to use steam offline, like it was prepared to do in the case it does fail.

 

[superbatranger]

I have it on my laptop, but due to technological limitations I can't actually use it for much. So, for the time being, I have no opinion on it. Just there, waiting until I can do anything with it.

 

[theSovietConnection]

I don't mind it, been able to find some games on there I haven't seen in stores for a while, but I don't want it to be the sole source of computer games, either (DD I mean). I'd rather have a healthy brick and mortar retail environment as well, if only to quell my own paranoia. My biggest problem with Steam, though, is that sometimes games that require Steam (I'm looking at you, MEtro 2033 don't make any mention of it on the box.

 

[RowdyRodimus]

Well, I am glad everyone is loving renting instead of owning their games cause it's coming. I just hope that I adapt when the time comes, would hate to give up gaming.

I would ask what you're talking about, but I fear the answer is going to be the product of many incorrect assumptions.

You are renting the game. You don't own it. You have a license to play it, nothing more. What is coming is that eventually there will be no discs or the discs will only be for those with slow internet (like the games that require Steam now).

What do you think will happen if Steam and Valve ever have to shut down?

You will lose your games. I do not believe for one second that the publishers would allow Steam to take the DRM off their games and you shouldn't either.

Steam isn't exactly a huge barrier to piracy in the sense of traditional DRM, and if they go under then publishers will not simply force games to not be playable. The PR damage will be insane for starters, not to mention recent games will be prevented from making more money on any planned DLC.

Add to that that Valve have made it abundantly clear to everyone that they've got a patch in place to remove the need for Steam. The only people who would actually have to deal with the removal of DRM measures are those that applied Steamworks to their games anyway, and they'd have been made especially aware of what would happen should Valve go under.

Other companies that have their games sold through Steam (but who's games do not use Steamworks) will either be selling DRM-free games anyway or will be selling it through Steam along with whatever DRM of their own they choose to implement, and will be unaffected.

If Steam goes under it will be because of competition which means that it won't be a big deal since there are other places to buy DD. In fact, I'll bet that sooner or later each publisher will be selling their own games via DD and that may kill Steam.

I think of it like this. Remember when Microsoft quit their online music business and did not release a no DRM patch? There wasn't a huge stink because people just went elsewhere and bought the music again. The stink was there but it wasn't like DD of music died so most people paid little attention.

If Microsoft can drop DD without a patch, why can't Steam? If Steam is going bankrupt they can't afford to fight against publishers. The games will just stop working like the music from Microsoft did.

Which means that of all the places I've seen that offer games this way, the one I'm going to use (as soon as paypal gets my bank deposit) is GOG.com. Their attitude seems to be "F all that stuff. Buy here and burn the games to disc and install them wherever you want."

I've got three people in this house that want to play a certain game they have (Redneck Rampage if anyone is interested) and it is so much easier to do it this way than to even attempt to set up 3 accounts on other sites, each of us pay for the game and then download it. They might not have the newer games but even looking at the prices for RR, it's much simpler and cheaper to just give GOG 5.99 and be done with it. Plus since I can download it to disc, I feel like I actually own the game instead of as you said, renting it.

 

[Serenegoose]

Indifferent. I did really enjoy it when I used it. However, there are people on my Steam List I am not allowed to interact with, which is why I don't go on it much anymore. Which sucks, but current circumstances mean I can't really go on Steam. :x

Erk, that sounds heavy, I hope it's not anything too serious. >>

However, you're aware you can set your status to invisible, which should stop interaction dead?


I can't remember if I've answered this thread already, but I'll go again.

As a games distribution platform, I find steam exceptionally useful. As someone who has partners who are as big gamers as I am, it's problematic. The idea that because I am playing one of my games, she cannot play ANY OF MY OTHER GAMES is a bit of a problem. Offline mode doesn't always work, and only serves as a partial, not great remedy. I've also noticed that steam sometimes will just randomly connect anyway, so using offline mode efficiently would necessitate turning off one of the wireless cards on one computer so as to guarantee no net connection would be made. Highly inconvenient.

 

[DyslexicWalrus]

Used to love it, now I have the good old "Steam.exe is still there" glitch and it hasn't worked for me in quite a while. Plus I don't remember how I fixed it the first time. I really don't think you should need it running to play the games, but the store is pretty amazing.