The Xfire Game Store: Digital Distribution Gets Social

[Jordan Deam]

The Xfire Game Store: Digital Distribution Gets Social

If you're an Xfire user, hide your wallet: It's about to get a lot easier to buy games.

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[LoopyDood]

They've been selling games for a month and I didn't even know about it?!

I guess it's time to get back on Xfire.

 

[Caliostro]

Unlike Steam, Xfire started as a social networking platform for players, incorporating functionality like instant messaging,

Wait... What?

Steam doesn't have Instant Messaging...? In fact Steam doesn't have IN-GAME overlay instant messaging? Shit, I must be doing some heavy drugs then... Also a web browser...

screenshots and video capture into a desktop client that ran in the background while users went about their gaming

For all the 2 people that don't have Fraps?

And Steam also has this lovely thing, the Blotter, it's active by default and lets you know exactly what your friends are buying, who they're friending, what achievements they're getting...etc.

Ok, ok, let me try to stop sounding like such a constant downer. The "in-built fraps" seems interesting. But not enough to justify picking this over steam. Last time I tried to use this god forsaken piece of software it was a malfunctioning and obtuse pile of ass that made the very first ever version of steam look flawless.

I honestly haven't heard anyone talk about xfire in the past...3 years or so, which leads me to conclude those 14.5 million accounts are one of those very sketchy numbers, like MMOs usually use in campaign ads, that also include accounts used once, accounts that were never fully registered, duplicate accounts and accounts that haven't logged in since this century rolled around. In fact it probably counts anything that has ever hit that "register/sign up" button as an account. I quite honestly doubt they have 100 000 active accounts, let alone 14 million.

Take into account that steam currently holds around 70% of the PC digital sales population, their constant sales and "weekend deals" and I just don't see what this has to offer...

 

[Pielikey]

Unlike Steam, Xfire started as a social networking platform for players, incorporating functionality like instant messaging,

Wait... What?

Steam doesn't have Instant Messaging...? In fact Steam doesn't have IN-GAME overlay instant messaging? Shit, I must be doing some heavy drugs then... Also a web browser...

I dunno, man, but I think whatever drugs you're on, I'm on it too...

I guess Xfire looked at steam and was like "They're making lots of money off of THIS? Sweet!"

 

[LoopyDood]

Unlike Steam, Xfire started as a social networking platform for players, incorporating functionality like instant messaging,

Wait... What?

Steam doesn't have Instant Messaging...? In fact Steam doesn't have IN-GAME overlay instant messaging? Shit, I must be doing some heavy drugs then... Also a web browser...

I think he means that Steam started out as a store, while Xfire started out as a social networking service.

 

[DazZ.]

For all the 2 people that don't have Fraps?

Ok, ok, let me try to stop sounding like such a constant downer. The "in-built fraps" seems interesting. But not enough to justify picking this over steam. Last time I tried to use this god forsaken piece of software it was a malfunctioning and obtuse pile of ass that made the very first ever version of steam look flawless.

Recorded Videos/pics will upload automatically to xFires version of Youtube where people can comment/rate it. Only advantage over Fraps I can see, but it is quite a good one as I like watching things my friends have uploaded there, and seeing all the stupid things they have made in G-mod.

I've used xFire alongside Steam for a few years, I was in a CoD2 clan before Steam had it's overlay and stuff so it was the easiest way of communicating in game, plus it recorded gaming hours and gave server details for games.
Steam does only give server details for Steam games, so I still use it for all my non-steam games.

I wouldn't buy games from there however, as the whole program feels "weak". It's not bulky like Steam. Kind of a weird way of explaining but I know what I'm on about.

 

[j0z]

eh, I wish companies would innovate instead of just stealing ideas from successful companies. From this article I see no reason to choose Xfire over steam.

 

[Shamus Young]

I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago. Games for Windows Live + Steam + XFire + Impulse = Lots of companies trying to make the One Platform to Rule Them All.

You can only play Valve games through Steam. You can only play certain MS games through GFWL. I think Stardock games are locked to Impulse.

This is going to get messy.

 

[Dys]

For all the 2 people that don't have Fraps?

Ok, ok, let me try to stop sounding like such a constant downer. The "in-built fraps" seems interesting. But not enough to justify picking this over steam. Last time I tried to use this god forsaken piece of software it was a malfunctioning and obtuse pile of ass that made the very first ever version of steam look flawless.

Recorded Videos/pics will upload automatically to xFires version of Youtube where people can comment/rate it. Only advantage over Fraps I can see, but it is quite a good one as I like watching things my friends have uploaded there, and seeing all the stupid things they have made in G-mod.

I've used xFire alongside Steam for a few years, I was in a CoD2 clan before Steam had it's overlay and stuff so it was the easiest way of communicating in game, plus it recorded gaming hours and gave server details for games.
Steam does only give server details for Steam games, so I still use it for all my non-steam games.

I wouldn't buy games from there however, as the whole program feels "weak". It's not bulky like Steam. Kind of a weird way of explaining but I know what I'm on about.

Hmmm, that wall of text I had quoting him seems somewhat redundant given you've already worded exactly what I was planning to say, but better.

As far as it goes for a gaming platform, I'm not convinced it will be worth it, steam sure as hell isn't. If it's cheaper than importing the games from overseas I might use it, but I've not exactly been playing AAA PC releases lately, I'm still a little crushed from the disgrace that was DoW 2 (released unplayable, for those of you interested. Took about a month to get a fix out).

 

[Mromson]

Don't even try to purchase anything from Xfire - it's all a giant mess. I bought something once - and I swear to never buy from them again. Christ what a hassle. I'm sticking with Impulse and Steam.

 

[hansari]

Don't even try to purchase anything from Xfire - it's all a giant mess. I bought something once - and I swear to never buy from them again. Christ what a hassle. I'm sticking with Impulse and Steam.

Took Valve a while to get Steam's act together...probably be the same with xfire...

 

[Miral]

Unlike Steam, Xfire started as a social networking platform for players, incorporating functionality like instant messaging,

Wait... What?

Steam doesn't have Instant Messaging...? In fact Steam doesn't have IN-GAME overlay instant messaging? Shit, I must be doing some heavy drugs then... Also a web browser...

Steam didn't start out with those features -- they were only added about three years ago, I think (around the HL2:E1 era).

Steam actually started out as a server browser for Valve online games. Then it became a store/activation platform for Valve games. Then it branched out into non-Valve games. Only *then* did it add the community features, and after that the achievement system.

Whereas Xfire started out as a chat system and server browser for whole piles of games. And now it's branching out into being a store.

So they actually do have the "server browser" roots in common, and seem to be aiming for the same destination -- they just took different paths to get there.

 

[Caliostro]

Steam didn't start out with those features -- they were only added about three years ago, I think (around the HL2:E1 era).

And 3 years is... Recent...?

I'm quite aware of how Steam started, and that would be very meaningful if xfire had released this, say, 3 or 4 years ago... But it didn't... It's launching it now, when steam already has those features. Arguing "oh but steam didn't come with it out of the box!" seems like arguing that xfire is better because steam defaults to a green skin.

What does Xfire have to offer NOW that steam doesn't? That's the question that matters right there. Who cares about what Xfire can offer now steam didn't 3 years ago?

 

[Miral]

And 3 years is... Recent...?

I'm quite aware of how Steam started, and that would be very meaningful if xfire had released this, say, 3 or 4 years ago... But it didn't... It's launching it now, when steam already has those features. Arguing "oh but steam didn't come with it out of the box!" seems like arguing that xfire is better because steam defaults to a green skin.

No, of course it's not recent, and I don't disagree with you that it just seems like Xfire is late to the party and playing catch-up -- but Jordan specifically said in his article that he was contrasting the origins of the two programs.

 

[goteborgs_rape]

Great news.

I've always hated Steam because all the games you buy there, you can't run them separately from Steam client.
Hell... you can't even use a different in-game name in a game bought over Steam, it's has to be same as your name you use with your Steam account. I hate all those games integrated like that into Steam.

What does Xfire have to offer NOW that steam doesn't? That's the question that matters right there. Who cares about what Xfire can offer now steam didn't 3 years ago?

Xfire has always been better than Steam. It's only good and popular among those who play Valve's games like Half-Life 2 or Killing Floor. But people like me for example have never even used Steam. I've always played the Unreal Tournament Series and never needed that shit.

No offence steam fanboys... i know there's many of you out there due to low quality games like CS Source. xD

And of course, why should anyone prefer Steam over Xfire when it only supports the games you buy from them? Xfire gives shows your stats with all games, no matter where you bought em.

So basicly the diffence it:
Xfire is a social gaming community with Store.
Steam is a game store and a community for the games bought from them.


PLUS:
Steam copied the in-game communication from Xfire anyway.

 

[Nova5]

Unlike Steam, Xfire started as a social networking platform for players, incorporating functionality like instant messaging,

Wait... What?

Steam doesn't have Instant Messaging...? In fact Steam doesn't have IN-GAME overlay instant messaging? Shit, I must be doing some heavy drugs then... Also a web browser...

screenshots and video capture into a desktop client that ran in the background while users went about their gaming

For all the 2 people that don't have Fraps?

And Steam also has this lovely thing, the Blotter, it's active by default and lets you know exactly what your friends are buying, who they're friending, what achievements they're getting...etc.

Ok, ok, let me try to stop sounding like such a constant downer. The "in-built fraps" seems interesting. But not enough to justify picking this over steam. Last time I tried to use this god forsaken piece of software it was a malfunctioning and obtuse pile of ass that made the very first ever version of steam look flawless.

I honestly haven't heard anyone talk about xfire in the past...3 years or so, which leads me to conclude those 14.5 million accounts are one of those very sketchy numbers, like MMOs usually use in campaign ads, that also include accounts used once, accounts that were never fully registered, duplicate accounts and accounts that haven't logged in since this century rolled around. In fact it probably counts anything that has ever hit that "register/sign up" button as an account. I quite honestly doubt they have 100 000 active accounts, let alone 14 million.

Take into account that steam currently holds around 70% of the PC digital sales population, their constant sales and "weekend deals" and I just don't see what this has to offer...

Really to put it simply, there's nothing positive I can think to say of the service from prior experience. It also crashed a lot for me, their Fraps thing didn't work as well as, say, Fraps.

On a related note, I've been seeing a lot for things like Direct2Drive - and a few other services I can't recall the name of - and this kind of bothers me. Really, I don't want to have a shitload of different accounts/clients installed just to buy my damn games. That hassle is worse than having to go to stores to buy the things in the first place.

 

[goteborgs_rape]

I don't think Direct2Drive requires some sort of 3rd-party program to run in order to play games bought from them. Unlike Steam (you gotta use their program to play game, join their community, earn achievements).

Oh... and going to a store to buy a game is the best option of course.