Digital Distributors Boycott Modern Warfare 2

[Sulu]

Good move from D2D. Steam gives me the feeling that I don't own the game I bought. Sometimes it freezes updating or won't install properly and leaves me without the game I own.

 

[stabnex]

At least someone's doing the right thing and not letting that horrid filth out of its pen.

 

[Quick Ben]

I like Steam, but I still think this is the right move. Way to go D2D!
[small]Additionally I might be a bit influenced by the fact that Infinity Ward and Activision have pissed me off with the lack of dedicated servers, higher price etc.[/small]

 

[deathyepl]

I've always refused to have anything to do with D2D anyway, but not for the usual reasons. D2D is an extension of FilePlanet, and FilePlanet is the root of all evil for inventing the concept of standing in line on the internet. They can kiss my shiny metal *bleep*.

 

[Pendragon9]

Let's hope more people boycott this game. Perhaps they'll put some good features back in and make it more accessible.

 

[ZombieGenesis]

There's a boycott every week in gaming.
I stopped feeling influenced by it some time ago.

 

[j0z]

"If you send us money for the game, you have to install our competitor for updates! And that could show them that it is better than us! WE'RE NOT SELLING IT!"
-D2D

*sigh* Oh well, if D2D and Impulse doesn't want to carry what will be the biggest game of the year, then so be it. Their loss.

 

[DazZ.]

but thats business for you, any word if steam will take up digital distribution now that D2D has pulled?

What? Do you know what Steam is?

 

[DazZ.]

but thats business for you, any word if steam will take up digital distribution now that D2D has pulled?

What? Do you know what Steam is?

yes I do, Im asking if steam was going to take up digital distribution now that D2D [direct to drive, a company] had dropped selling MW2 instead of just offering the support for it.

Steam has been selling stuff since it came out...

You've been ranting about PC games in a lot of threads and you don't even know what Steam is?...

I like the way you felt you had to point out what D2D is as well. Cheers for the clarity lol.

 

[Pingieking]

The problem here is that steam is the most popular not because they are involved in shady business pracitices but because they offer a better service than their competitors. if direct2drive, impulse and others want to compete with steam they have to do what valve is doing and offer a service thats as easy to use and as feature rich as steam is, something that NONE of its competitors offer. impulse, d2d, gamersgate, etc. all have one thing in common and that is that all they offer is a digital distribution platform. none of them have community features as steam has, none of them have anything like steamworks, vac, etc integrated into the platform as valve has done.

valve has gotten a monopoly because they offer a more comprehensive service with a single application, not because of shady business practices, and valve, despite having such high market share in this area, is constantly improving steam in every way. this is the epitome of capatalism really, offer a better product and reap the rewards.

I wasn't suggesting that Steam was dealing in shady businesses in any way. My point is that D2D's decision made perfect sense. It really doesn't matter if Steam is better, the point is that D2D doesn't want to promote their competition. I read a lot of posts that suggested that D2D/Impulse/Playasia were being morons by not selling MW2; my response is that by selling MW2, they would effectively be providing a huge advertisement campaign for their largest competitor for free. No sane company would willingly do something like that.

Valve has been doing well, and for good reason. But monopolies are never good for any market. Monopolies cause markets to stagnate; in the case of community software, where a large amount of success is dependant on how many users you already have, it becomes very difficult for anyone else to enter the market. So it becomes possible for Valve, if they achieved market monopoly, to simply keep what they have and never improve their system. They can do this simply because anyone who wanted to compete with them would need to have extremely deep pockets and a system that is so good that it can blow Steam out of the water; quite a rare combination.

 

[DazZ.]

but thats business for you, any word if steam will take up digital distribution now that D2D has pulled?

What? Do you know what Steam is?

yes I do, Im asking if steam was going to take up digital distribution now that D2D [direct to drive, a company] had dropped selling MW2 instead of just offering the support for it.

Steam has been selling stuff since it came out...

You've been ranting about PC games in a lot of threads and you don't even know what Steam is?...

I like the way you felt you had to point out what D2D is as well. Cheers for the clarity lol.

okay, let me make it a little more clearer:

Now that D2D has dropped MW2 for being sold, will Steam add MW2 to its buyable list.

or even more simpler if you cant understand that even: Is steam going to sell MW2 now.

or if that is still to hard: IZ S734|\/| g01|\|g 2 $3|_|_ |\/| \/\/ 2 n40? lulzlulzlulzlulz

Seeing as you need Steam to play it, and wherever you buy PC MW2 you're going to need Steam, why wouldn't it sell it? It sells the rest of the franchise so are you really asking if the one that requires Steam is going to be sold on Steam?

Now that D2D has dropped MW2 for being sold, will Steam add MW2 to its buyable list.

Clearer still for you, it has been on sale on Steam way before this was announced.

 

[Joeshie]

Can't really blame them for doing so. Why would you want to sell a product that requires the use of one of your competitors. As much as I love Steam, there is room for improvement and I would wish that Direct2Drive or Impulse would create a service that gave Steam a run for it's money.

Regardless, it's almost amazing how badly MW2 for the PC has self-destructed just before release. First you piss off your fanbase, then you piss off your online retailers. It's hilarious and pathetic all at the same time.

 

[DazZ.]

Now that D2D has dropped MW2 for being sold, will Steam add MW2 to its buyable list.

Clearer still for you, it has been on sale on Steam way before this was announced.

and yet the only time I opened steam is when I turn on my computer, before promptly closing it because im too lazy to turn off its auto launch.

so instead of sarcasm you could of simply just said yes and moved on.

Would have done if it was clear you meant that particular game.

 

[Something Amyss]

Doesn't seem very smart. Refusing to sell the game because it "endorses" their competition will just end up with all potential MW2 customers being sent directly to their competitor.

That sums up my opinion on the boycott. However, they very much seem damned if they do and damned if they don't.

 

[Worsle]

Doesn't seem very smart. Refusing to sell the game because it "endorses" their competition will just end up with all potential MW2 customers being sent directly to their competitor.

That sums up my opinion on the boycott. However, they very much seem damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Not totally. Activision is in it for the money I am willing to bet they wont be to happy about stores pulling there products, as even if it is only a little it will hamper their sales (as not every one wants to use the pile of crap that is steam). This will either make them think twice about doing this again or in a best case scenario put out an altered version for sale. Even if they are not that lucky it will make activision think twice about doing this again and even taking a hit on a big name like this is worth it if you have a long term pay off.

 

[scotth266]

ALL HAIL STEAM!

But yeah, it's a move that makes sense for them, even though I doubt that it'll do much in the end.

 

[Travdelosmuertos]

Why are people advocating for market monopoly? Did the world suddenly decide to drop capitalism while I wasn't looking?

Not surprizing really. Not too much sense hosting something to promote your competitor and playing yourself out of the market.

Purchasing a product from an inferior retailer/service for the sake of market diversity is at best doing yourself a disservice and at worst reinforcing mediocrity. I don't think that anyone here is advocating market monopolies, just saying "oh, well that's cool for valve, because I like them."

What D2D needs to do is reevaluate market standards (now set by Steam) and adapt accordingly. They shouldn't have used MW2 as a soapbox, either. Now they'll have hundreds of thousands of loyal customers pissed at them. What they should have done was out this months ago and use their customer base as leverage. Even that would only be a temporary fix. They need to adapt. You can't try to hold the market where you want it, you have to move with the ebb and flow. Adapt or die!