Pelican Parts Forums - What happened to PC gaming (Steam)?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by john70t (Post 8294052)

Consumers already seem accepting of using pure digital content vs. something tangible.
But I'd guess that trend would affect sales to a portion of user base over thirty years old, who grew up "having" and "owning" a product instead of "licensing" it.

With STEAM, you can't just install that Win95 game onto your new computer and start playing.
You have to re-purchase it.
I have a real problem with that concept.

To go on a small tangent:
That "licensing" aspect in business models is a growing trend, and not just in the gaming industry.

The entertainment industry went through a round of using DRM rootkits(viruses) and other draconian measures(bankrupting families for life) to quash the piracy for $10 worth of "lost" product which may not have been purchased anyways.
In a way they were justified but have really soured the whole field.
Moreover, they quenched new interest and actually made consumers afraid of their product.
It also seemed myopic. I illegally(probably legally actually) downloaded a few songs from artists I hadn't listened to before, liked it, and then went on to purchase several CDs from brick-n-mortars and then saw them in concert where the artist makes their real money.

The scary part: When that "licensing" trend spills over to other products, vehicles even, with all types of legal clauses attached(i.e. no pubic criticism), then the world turns upside down and all sorts of pitfalls await the average consumer who just wants to own and use their fully purchased product.

There is a difference between consumers choosing between discs or digital and being forced to only accept digital.

Also the catalog for digital distribution was / is so much larger than what was / is available at retail that it was natural for consumers to migrate to a "store" that had the largest selection of product.

This may sound odd but there is a difference between a PC gamer and a console gamer. They are different consumers, have different mind sets. That difference is less than it used to be but does exist.

And we never really owned games anyway, the EULA's only granted you licenses, been that way for a long time.

I'm unclear why you have to repurchase that old Win95 game? It was not STEAM enabled when you bought it and STEAM has no bearing on non STEAM enabled product.

One of the advantageous of STEAM is your library of purchased product is always available wherever you are.

For example if you go to a friends house, load up STEAM on their PC, log in under your account you can play your purchased games. Naturally you have to wait for the download but other than that.....

It's actually one of the advantages of STEAM and the way their license works. You can't ever lose your games to a hard drive failure.

We've published products from developers who use their own DRM that phones home to their authentication server and only allows for a maximum of three installs, ever.

Assassin's Creed is one of those I won't buy because of the constant phone home DRM. We have "broadband" but it isn't 100% reliable. With Steam at you can at least play "off line".

I have Battlefield 2 and 3. 3 was part of a bundle a year ago and I have yet to install it. 2 was such a mess I can't stand to play it. They dumbed down the flight dynamics so much my dog could fly.

Neither supports a local LAN.

Quote:

Originally Posted by john70t (Post 8294052)

With STEAM, you can't just install that Win95 game onto your new computer and start playing.
You have to re-purchase it.
I have a real problem with that concept.

What?

If you own the game and have the media, you can just install it and start playing (Provided it is compatible with current hard/software).

Steam doesn't enter into it. I have a mess of games that don't interface with Steam at all.

There is also a ton of older stuff available from GOG.com, cheap and DRM free.

On edit: On the other hand, you buy stuff through Steam and get a new PC, you install the Steam client, go to library, right click and install any game in steam. No fuss, no digging through boxed for a DVD/CD.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey (Post 8294076)

I'm unclear why you have to repurchase that old Win95 game? It was not STEAM enabled when you bought it and STEAM has no bearing on non STEAM enabled product.

Alright. Got that one wrong. Thx.
I had a misconception based on internet comments/complaints. (Maybe that was the old version?) Guy said he bought a game but was limited to one install on one computer. Glad Steam got that one right. Other than the consumer tracking part, it seems like a viable system which works best for everyone.

But now I'm going to have to change my legal name to "First M.I. Last" :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by john70t (Post 8294363)

I don't ever recall that but if it were the case I can pretty much guarantee it was mandated by a publisher and not STEAM. It would have been when the service was new and publishers were afraid it would be a way for consumers to pirate extra copies of a game.

Apple had the same concerns when they 1st tried to launch the iTunes store. The record companies were highly resistant because they did not understand the new model.

I'm unclear about consumer tracking. STEAM is a PC based service that is only self aware. They sell virtual goods. They don't track your web browsing or activity. They need to keep track of who you are so they know what you bought. Do they collect demographic information, sure, they are sort of required to in order to remain COPA compliant as well as compliance with age ratings boards like ESRB, OFLCA, PEGI. Yes they track how long you've been playing but that is another thing that gamers actually ask for. Gamer stats, rankings, are a big deal in the communities.

One thing they do run is VAC (Valve Anti Cheat) to detect cheaters for the purpose of banning them. Their motivation is to keep the games and gamers honest so everyone has a positive experience.

You'll also notice there is no outside advertising on the STEAM site or in the launcher. IE, your info is not an ad revenue stream for them.

Generally any info they collect is for the benefit of the service and its users.