Steam vs PC?

[PureFlight]

I can't seem to a good answer for this question, so I thought I'd open up to you guys (hoping that escapists won't spam the forums with "omg noooooob" everywhere).

I'm a PS3 guy who wants to play some games that have not been released on PS3. I'm primarily interested in 1-player games like Mass Effect and the Orange Box. I'm trying to figure out the difference between buying/playing games on Steam and just buying the PC game in a store. The biggest differences i can figure out thus far are that 1) Steam games are downloaded and therefore instantaneously available and 2) Steam has its own network, similar to XBL and PSN.

Which should I go with? Why do you like Steam or PC?

 

[pantsoffdanceoff]

Steam is fantastic, as there is no need for a CD and you can have multiple copies on each comp, you also can't lose the CD, because you won't need one.

I am a steam whore.

 

[MorsePacific]

Steam is a constant backup for your games no matter where you are or what computer you're using. They also offer absolutely great deals for the games you want. Steam is really the way to go for PC games.

 

[Dys]

Steam downloads force updates in such a way so as to make games unplayable while they are being downloaded, tends to break if your offline and links games to a single account, meaning that if the account is lost your games are lost.

Boxed games on the PC are much like boxed games on the PS3, you got a game disc, put it in your computer, install and play.

As you can clearly see, I was absent when god decided to make everyone a steam fanboy. It is a shit system and I wouldn't reccommend it to anyone who didn't have a kickass internet connection (if you, like me, are Australian, this is a NO).

 

[Pifflestick]

Discs are breakable, scratchable, and generally destroyable, whereas the data that Steam has for your games is, at least to my knowledge, indestructable. Plus, finding stores that sell a good variety of games and not just the trendy bullshit is near impossible.

 

[Jark212]

I love Steam on my PC. It takes some time to download games onto your computer depending on your internet connection...

Welcome to the Escapist...

 

[Bat Vader]

I don't have a credit card so I really can't buy things off Steam. It would be nice if they let people buy point cards for Steam that could be used to buy games.

 

[GDW]

Steam is God.

Use Steam.

USE STEAM.

 

[ClaptonKnophlerHendrix]

Steam. Much cheaper and reliable. Just be prepared for some monumental download times.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Other then what you've already listed, the only difference is you don't have to bother fiddling about with CDs.

 

[Worgen]

I really like steam but I always preffer a box altho it also depends on cost, if you can get it cheap on steam then go steam

 

[Lift]

A few things to note about the two games you mentioned. you will need to install steam to play The orange box, because it uses steam to play online in TF2. I love Steam its a good way to access, hop for, and backup games. But, this has been fixed BTW, Mass effect updates dissident work on steam when they came out. and I don't know if their will be problems in the future. I blame EA personally. Steam is good 90% of the time but their is the occasional game you should buy for just "PC" their own executable without access to the steam HUD.

Hope this answered your questions Ive been a PC gamer since the Commodore 64 days throw me a PM if you have any other questions id be happy to answer them.

 

[Lordtommy]

I like steam because they have really good deals.. like that holiday sale they had for the last two weeks, with games 80% off and stuff. I got like four goods games for under $20. The downside of course is having to download them, which can take Hours if you have less than a 1Mb internet connection. I enjoy having CDs though, in case something ever happened to Steam, and I was unable to ever play those games again. (or get my money back.

 

[Mr. Grey]

I found that Steam overcharges for games you can get for cheap at Good Old Games. And Good Old Games has a manual for every game there, I have yet to actually get a manual for any of the games I've purchased off of Steam.

Good Old Games actually offers a lot of great stuff with what they have to sell, unfortunately it's not a widespread business. It's Good Old Games, after all.

I also said that Steam itself is one huge DRM. If it doesn't want to work, neither will your games.

I only put up with it because of that one sale it had, now I doubt I'll purchase anything else from it. I prefer boxes, not digital.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

Usually steam is cheaper. Plus once you buy the game you have it linked to your steam account forever so you'll always have it. AND the disc won't get scratched. That's always good.

 

[The Madman]

I found that Steam overcharges for games you can get for cheap at Good Old Games. And Good Old Games has a manual for every game there, I have yet to actually get a manual for any of the games I've purchased off of Steam.

Good Old Games actually offers a lot of great stuff with what they have to sell, unfortunately it's not a widespread business. It's Good Old Games, after all.

I also said that Steam itself is one huge DRM. If it doesn't want to work, neither will your games.

I only put up with it because of that one sale it had, now I doubt I'll purchase anything else from it. I prefer boxes, not digital.

GoG.com is indeed amazing, but methinks the topic's creator is more interested in shall we say 'newer' games than the variety of classics gog offers, and for that purpose Steam serves well enough. If you're ever going to be buying an older game though look it up on gog before Steam however, as gog is without a doubt the superior of the two distribution methods, no doubt about it!

Personally I prefer to have a physical copy of my games, if only because I like actually physically 'owning' the games I bought. Got a nice shelf in my library set up to display games all the various games I've bought over the years, pretty impressive display if I do say so myself if a weeeeeee bit on the nerdy side. Still, that's my preference.

Steam works just fine though for its purposes.