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Steam - The Future is Now

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:52 pm
by Leisher
Bad news for those waiting for Steam to disappear *cough*Gordon*cough*.

The sequel for Half-Life is going to come out in episode format. Four episodes are due to be released starting with #1 sometime soon. They will be released via Steam and have boxed versions, but Steam will still be required.

Several other games, not just Valve ones, are moving to Steam for distribution including the new SiN game which is also doing the episode format.

Valve claims Steam has fought piracy in a big way (I doubt this is as true as they want people to think) and they claim sales of certain titles have actually outsold their boxed counterparts through Steam. That's all well and good, but Steam can still easily be viewed as yet another program that runs in the background of a PC and let's not forget the controversy of the game verifying itself online (although it should be noted that Valve claims all the issues from the early days of Steam have been fixed).

On the plus side, Steam has allowed Valve to make user created mods available to its users for free and in one easily accessed place. So a lot of mod makers whose work would never be seen by the majority of game players get a bigger audience. Valve also has gone out of its way to release a lot of professional free content.

To sum up, it's not going away anytime soon and I think you'll see it becoming more of a standard.

With broadband becoming more common in homes, I'd bet money that within the next decade or two we'll see them distribute games in this way as well. Not only will it eliminate the costs of middle men, but if they can figure out a way to make it so you can rent games this way they could put people like Blockbuster and Netflix out of the game rental business.

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:08 pm
by GORDON
God damn it.

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 1:39 pm
by Leisher
On a sidenote, Penny Arcade was discussing HL Episode I today and how it compared to the big name release Black.

Black is for the consoles as I'm sure you're aware due to the millions they spent on marketing. Anyway, it's not getting great reviews and has about 6 hours of gameplay for $49.99.

Valve is releasing HL: Episode 1 for half that cost and has about 7 hours of gameplay.

That's the problem with Steam. The technology is hated, but the company behind it just kicks ass.

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:35 pm
by TheCatt
#s like that make Eve look cheap.

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:35 pm
by Leisher
#s like that make Eve look cheap.


You mean to say, #s like that make ALL MMOs look cheap and you would be correct if you only wanted to play one game. Most gamers, including those who play MMOs, do not. That has been proven in marketing surveys done by various companies and mags.

And truthfully, there are free MMOs, so if you were focused on cash, they make pay to play MMOs look ridiculously expensive.

Hell, pogo.com has hundreds of thousands of users, if not millions, is free (you can pay for extra content and the price is cheaper than any other commercial MMO), has over 50 quality games, and gives out prizes (cash and other) daily.

So please stop trying to compare apples to oranges.

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:49 pm
by TheCatt
Well, screw other gamers. I prefer 1, maybe 2 games on which I can focus.

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 6:03 pm
by GORDON
In the past my routine was to have a game I liked for quick multi, like Team Fortress Classic, and then a game I could play solo... depending on my mood.

And then UO on and off for 7 years, or so.

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:30 pm
by TPRJones
I play one at a time, all obsessive-like.

Auto-assualt might tempt me away from Eve. It's looking tasty.

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:07 pm
by GORDON
All right, on the topic of Steam:

I've decided I'll purchase Steam-requiring games when they hit the bargain bin. That means waiting until these Half Life "episodes" are sold for less than full price. Hopefully when each 6-8 hour "episode" is released the previous episodes will drop in price... because I aint paying $80 for what amounts to one full $45 dollar game from Best Buy.

Is Half Life 2 sub-$20, yet?

Doesn't look like it. http://storefront.steampowered.com/v2/index.php?area=game&AppId=220

Also, I'm going to start actively looking for games on 1 DVD instead of 5 cd's.




Edited By GORDON on 1143688102

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:50 pm
by TPRJones
oh, yeah, the topic:

I will never buy a game using Steam. If all games become Steam-driven, I'd stop playing games before buying a game using Steam.

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:37 am
by Cakedaddy
I'm already boycotting EA, and I don't intend to buy anyting via/requiring Steam either.

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:53 am
by Leisher
I usually have two games I'm playing at a time and they are selected to have different gameplay. So I won't play two RPGs at once, etc. That way, I can take a break from a game and not feel like I'm still playing it.
Auto-assualt might tempt me away from Eve. It's looking tasty.


You think so? I'm a big Autoduel fan and this is sort of a child of that game and the more I read about it, the more it sounds like it'll suck to me.

I've decided I'll purchase Steam-requiring games when they hit the bargain bin. That means waiting until these Half Life "episodes" are sold for less than full price.


You'll have them in about two years then. They'll release them all over one year. (4 are planned, but I think #4 might start a new storyline so it may not be associated.) Once all are out, they'll release a pack with them all, and you'll just have to wait until that price hits $20.

Hopefully when each 6-8 hour "episode" is released the previous episodes will drop in price... because I aint paying $80 for what amounts to one full $45 dollar game from Best Buy.


Actually, your math is wrong there. At 6-8 hours each, these episodes represent 24-32 hours of gameplay over the course of the 4 episodes.

Consider that a lot of full releases (Black and that Mars one with the destructible environments come to mind) only have 6-8 for the full $45. Other FPSs might run you 10-12 hours, and still other may get you a max of 15.

So at best, you're getting $200 of gaming at the normal price for your $80. At worst, you're getting $80 for your $80.

Is Half Life 2 sub-$20, yet?


Nope and you can blame the modders. They've been having a field day with HL2. There are dozens of mods from new multiplayer maps and modes to full single player adventures to things like Gary's mod, which is apparently the best thing since sliced bread.

Let me check Steam itself tonight. Maybe you can get it cheaper through it.

I will never buy a game using Steam. If all games become Steam-driven, I'd stop playing games before buying a game using Steam.


Out of curiousity, why?

I'm already boycotting EA, and I don't intend to buy anyting via/requiring Steam either.


Same question.

I mean, you both play MMO games and they require you to register and log onto a server everytime you play, so what's different about STEAM in your minds?

Keep in mind that I'm not a fan of it either, but I realize why it exists.

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:13 am
by TheCatt
I play one at a time, all obsessive-like.

Auto-assualt might tempt me away from Eve. It's looking tasty.
Tell me about it. Cuz I tried their website, and it sucked.

Took me 5 minutes just to figure out it was a MMOG. Still couldn't figure out if it had a per-month cost or not.

Bah.

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:42 am
by TPRJones
Well, I don't know much about it, except it's in some ways a car-based game similar to Eve. Although I'd miss the nifty trading and market stuff. But the trade off looks to be direct control of the vehicle, and the one thing I absolutely HATE about Eve is the point-n-click flying of the ships. I want to fly my Ferox by joystick something fierce.

But I admit I don't know squat. I don't do first-day anyway, it'll be around for a few months before I realy consider it. Should be more info around by then.

As to Steam, I have no problem logging into MMOGs to play. But if it's a single-player game, then I want to be able to play it when internet is down, or after the Steam service goes out of business. If I can't be sure I'll be able to play it again 20 years from now when I find the disks stuck in a box in the basement and want that blast of nastalgia, then forget it.

With an MMOG I'm buying a service, so I know someday it will be gone. With a traditional non-networked game, I'm buying the game, and want to have access to it forever.

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:08 pm
by Malcolm
You know, back in my day, we didn't need Steam for Ultima I, Pong, or any other shit. And we liked it, goddamnit.

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:20 pm
by Troy
In Soviet Russia, Steam registers you!

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:55 pm
by Leisher
Well, I don't know much about it, except it's in some ways a car-based game similar to Eve. Although I'd miss the nifty trading and market stuff. But the trade off looks to be direct control of the vehicle, and the one thing I absolutely HATE about Eve is the point-n-click flying of the ships. I want to fly my Ferox by joystick something fierce.


Don't worry, ALL MMOs will have some form of trade/market. You will be smart to wait a few months though as it may become free to download (ala EVE), they'll get rid of some bugs, and it'll give you time to check out reviews and such.

As to Steam, I have no problem logging into MMOGs to play. But if it's a single-player game, then I want to be able to play it when internet is down, or after the Steam service goes out of business. If I can't be sure I'll be able to play it again 20 years from now when I find the disks stuck in a box in the basement and want that blast of nastalgia, then forget it.

With an MMOG I'm buying a service, so I know someday it will be gone. With a traditional non-networked game, I'm buying the game, and want to have access to it forever.


You have bought into hysteria about Steam. You can, in fact, play offline.

When you install your game, Steam registers it online. After that process is done, you can set your game up to be playable without connecting to Steam.

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:09 pm
by GORDON
As to Steam, I have no problem logging into MMOGs to play. But if it's a single-player game, then I want to be able to play it when internet is down, or after the Steam service goes out of business. If I can't be sure I'll be able to play it again 20 years from now when I find the disks stuck in a box in the basement and want that blast of nastalgia, then forget it.

With an MMOG I'm buying a service, so I know someday it will be gone. With a traditional non-networked game, I'm buying the game, and want to have access to it forever.
You have bought into hysteria about Steam. You can, in fact, play offline.

When you install your game, Steam registers it online. After that process is done, you can set your game up to be playable without connecting to Steam.
Yeah but wht about his example... he finds it in the basement in 20 years and wants to load and play it, but Steam is gone... since he can't register, he can't play?

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:43 pm
by Leisher
Yeah but wht about his example... he finds it in the basement in 20 years and wants to load and play it, but Steam is gone... since he can't register, he can't play?


This stuff has been discussed on the Steam forums and I know there are workarounds. Besides, in what fantasy world do you live where a person can pop a 20 year old game into his PC and just start playing?

I think there are 3 working Ataris left, but people can still play their whole library via the magic of emulators. So, in 20 years I'm sure his game will be available via free download that won't require a registration.

I should note that his game also won't play if the CD gets broken. Is that Steam's fault too? If he becomes homeless and can't afford a PC to play it on, is that Steam's fault?

Besides, Steam IS going to be around in 20 years. Steam isn't just about Valve games. Other companies are releasing their games through Steam too. It's becoming an industry thing. You MMO peeps better get used to this type of thing too because Sony has already been toying with the idea.

Imagine Steam becoming your "hub" of gaming. You can buy games, rent games, get news, reviews, and trailers, launch your single player games, download mods, jump into MMOs, etc. and all of it delivered through one program despite all the content being delivered from multiple companies that probably aren't working together.

That's the future of Steam.

Not saying I like the idea any more than anyone else here. I'm just spreading the news.

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:44 pm
by Cakedaddy
I boycott EA because they kill games and game companies in the interest of making money. They buy companies that make good quality fun games, and kill both the company and the game. EVERYTHING they do is in the interest of making money. Too many startups with the GAME being the priority were bought, eliminated and their games modified for maximum profit. Etc.

Steam killed Counter Strike. Counter Strike was the most played online FPS ever. HUGE number of servers. LARGE community. Many add-ons that made cheating damn near impossible. Many variations of the game to choose from (War Craft mod was wacky). Then EA bought Valve, got rid of WON, made everyone load Steam and NONE of the anti-cheat software worked. 9 out of 10 servers I tried had cheaters. You were FORCED to upgrade to the latest version of CS even though the version just prior to that was far more popular. You couldn't play it any more. (The latest version added shields and changed many of the gun physics, etc) No more War Craft mod, etc. Granted, all those issues might be fixed now. I don't know. I uninstalled Half Life and just don't care enough to try Steam. It was buggy, FAR too invasive, and I won't participate because they didn't do it for ME, the end user. They did it to make sure their wallets got fatter. CS started out free. They did it for free. And it was damn damn damn good. Then EA bought it and made sure they made money from it. Made it too hard to play. Had to play THEIR way. Not the way 100's of thousands of people were already happy playing it.