Gearbox: Steam and Microsoft Should "Play Nice"

[Fire Daemon]

You forgot their other attempt at PC/360 crossover that was epic failure. It was Halo 2. Yes, the PC version of Halo 2 came out AFTER halo 3, and then Microsoft wondered why it failed to do well. It WAS a crossover game, but I'm pretty sure all the Halo 2 servers are shut down now.

I'm not sure about that. Halo 2 PC is a different game to Halo 2 Xbox, mainly with extra guns. The same things goes for Halo 1. I've never heard of this being a crossover, do you have a source?

No, what I'm talking about is Modern Warfare 2, from what I gather there was something set up where they fought eachother pc vs console. It's not something in effect, just something that was set up. I have no links or anything it was word of mouth.

I suppose you could plug a 360 controller into a PC and have people use that against others using a M&KB, but I've only heard of that being used for Halo 2. It also comes down to the individual skill of the players but I suppose that the M&KB probably will be best for most FPS.

Shadowrun still has a large PC following. Not as large are games like Counter-Strike, but you can always find people to play with. In addition to that, there are the console kiddies to play with as well. The servers weren't shut down. It 'failed' on the PC because of the gold requirement to play cross-platform. People took this the wrong way, and thought it meant any multiplayer at all, which wasn't true.

I heard that the dedicated servers were shut down when FASA studios closed back in late 2007, but it isn't like I've bought a copy to check for myself so I probably am wrong. Of course people can always host their own servers.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I suppose you could plug a 360 controller into a PC and have people use that against others using a M&KB, but I've only heard of that being used for Halo 2. It also comes down to the individual skill of the players but I suppose that the M&KB probably will be best for most FPS.

To be fair I think I read about this too. It required a lot of modding but they managed to allow 4 PC players to vs 4 360 players. The PC players dominated them.

I heard that the dedicated servers were shut down when FASA studios closed back in late 2007, but it isn't like I've bought a copy to check for myself so I probably am wrong. Of course people can always host their own servers.

The PC servers are definitely still running, I sold my 360 Shadowrun a few months ago, but up until the last day I was playing it there were people on PCs in my lobbies.

I'm very tempted to buy it again, on PC as well this time...

 

[LoganN]

I'm very tempted to buy it again, on PC as well this time...

DOOOOOOO IT

I heard that the dedicated servers were shut down when FASA studios closed back in late 2007, but it isn't like I've bought a copy to check for myself so I probably am wrong. Of course people can always host their own servers.

Official dedicated servers, maybe. I don't know if FASA ever hosted their own. I only started playing it about a year and a half ago, but player dedicated servers and matchmaking both still work perfectly. I still play it to this day, it is probably the best FPS I have played, but that is only my opinion.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I still play it to this day, it is probably the best FPS I have played, but that is only my opinion.

I'll drink to this.

Took me by complete surprise, easily one of the best multiplayer FPS' I've ever played.

If only they would make a sequel ):

 

[Snotnarok]

Snip

You're misreading me, someone set this up from what I read to have console players vs pc, I dunno if it was just simply having a Xbox controller hooked up to a PC. It wasn't any official thing.

I never said it was actually cross platform, I said there was something set up I heard where it was console players vs pc players, that can mean ANY number of things. Stop trying to police posts.

 

[The Journey]

I am so in love with gearbox right now.

And while valve has become yet another (albeit rather good) industry giant, it's nice to have someone else in the industry standing up for the consumer. It is good business sense to keep your customers happy and this, this makes me happy. I think I'm going to go buy Borderlands just on principle.

Edit: Yes some of what he said isn't quite right on the money technically, but the feeling behind it to support the industry and the gamers who pay for it to keep on truckin' is just good to hear.

 

[tk1989]

With the inclusion of steam on the PS3 allow PS3 owners to play cross platform with those on OSX/Windows? I am pretty sure it doesn't...

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101384-E3-2010-Valve-Goes-PS3-With-Portal-2

Also, Steam is coming to the PlayStation Network, with cross-platform chat.

If chat's there...it sort of implies cross-platform gaming is also on the cards. Especially as Mac/PC is available and PC/XBox would be available if MS would allow it.

Now see, cross platform chat 'implies' that cross platform gaming is there, but it doesnt confirm it. I havent read anywhere else that cross platform gaming is coming. In fact, i havent read anywhere else that cross platform chat is coming either; all i have heard is that with the inclusion of steamworks PS3 owners will benefit from auto-updating, exclusive DLC and community features (i dont know what that means, access to forums/social steam profiles? Or maybe an improved friends system or something.)

Well Valve said that PS3 and PC portal owners will be able to play cross platform, so hopefully they'll extend it beyond just portal 2

you get me a link and ill believe you, but I have not read this anywhere.

 

[Kraiiit]

Leave us alone, GFWL! Can't you see Steam and I are meant to be together?! Steam got here first!

While they are both big corporations, I'd much, much rather have Valve at the top than Microsoft.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

The sooner Microsoft grow a pair and shut the fuck about PC gaming, the more the merrier. It's not our fault Microsoft did diddly in comparison to Valve.

 

[GiantRedButton]

As for friends list, both have them. Both have seamless joining and inviting of friends. Steam doesn't have cross-game voice chat. GFWL doesn't have text CHAT, but rather messages.

I used the cross game voice chat on steam just this saturday, you can activate it in the chat window.
Though it isn't necessary since your on a pc that allows for skype.

 

[Geoffrey42]

Barring seeing some actual evidence that products bought on D2D versus GFWL versus Steam don't play nice with each other on the PC, I'm going to have to say that this article is a giant journalistic fail.

"Someone said something interesting and potentially inflammatory! Let's report it! Skip the fact-checking! I'm sure other people will let us know if it's wrong..."

As opposed to, oh, I don't know... knowing what the ____ you're talking about: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/10/11/gearbox-confuse-me/ <--- Journalism.

 

[Woodsey]

I want Steam to stop ripping off European customers.

Valve doesn't set global prices except on their own games. Publishers set their own prices.

Valve was charging 20 bucks for L4D2 to Europeans when spiting Microsoft with 6.50$ for entire pack.

Also, you people need to familiarize yourself with the value of Euro.

We got that deal in the UK too - I guess they could be separating UK and mainland Europe.

 

[Jacob.pederson]

The Steam Version of Borderlands DOES use gamespy last time I played.

It does. It's hilariously buggy though. But it uses it.

If you haven't played in a while, they did eventually fix the whole needing to forward 4- 10 ports in order to host . . . thing.

 

[Anah'ya]

If you haven't played in a while, they did eventually fix the whole needing to forward 4- 10 ports in order to host . . . thing.

Fixed it, then broke it again, me-thinks. Been playing steadily the past few weekends and never could get it to work over GameSpy. Tunngle worked like a charm though.

Might give it another whirl though with GameSpy alone. Could of just have been bad timing.

 

[elvor0]

With the inclusion of steam on the PS3 allow PS3 owners to play cross platform with those on OSX/Windows? I am pretty sure it doesn't...

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101384-E3-2010-Valve-Goes-PS3-With-Portal-2

Also, Steam is coming to the PlayStation Network, with cross-platform chat.

If chat's there...it sort of implies cross-platform gaming is also on the cards. Especially as Mac/PC is available and PC/XBox would be available if MS would allow it.

Now see, cross platform chat 'implies' that cross platform gaming is there, but it doesnt confirm it. I havent read anywhere else that cross platform gaming is coming. In fact, i havent read anywhere else that cross platform chat is coming either; all i have heard is that with the inclusion of steamworks PS3 owners will benefit from auto-updating, exclusive DLC and community features (i dont know what that means, access to forums/social steam profiles? Or maybe an improved friends system or something.)

Well Valve said that PS3 and PC portal owners will be able to play cross platform, so hopefully they'll extend it beyond just portal 2

you get me a link and ill believe you, but I have not read this anywhere.

http://news.bigdownload.com/2010/06/21/portal-2-pc-could-support-cross-platform-multiplayer-with-ps3-co/

Says they're aiming for it, so it would be pretty cool, and given it's valve I don't see any reason why they would abandon the idea cept if they really couldnt get it to work.

 

[Jacob.pederson]

I don't really understand what he's saying about the retail copy not being able to play.
My friends bought Company of Heroes on steam and I bought it retail and I can play with them just fine.

I also didn't know games that used GFLW had separate "versions". I've never seen this in my life. Like, for instance, I've never seen game X that used GFWL which has a steam version which also does not include GFWL.

Just because Steam's version of Borederlands didn't use gamespy is really not the fault of Steam or Gamespy, it's the fault of Gearbox. Steam would have had no issues allowing gamespy to continue to provide the multiplayer for the game.

The Steam Version of Borderlands DOES use gamespy last time I played.

and wow does gamespy suck the connections are terrible and they did not work very well at all, people had to foward ports just to get the damn thing to work at all, the fact that they could not even get that right is pitiful.

I mean I think Steam host multiplayer beter then GFWL or gamespy

The port forwarding thing was eventually fixed ... about 6 months later. Despite its many many faults, I've actually found GWFL is actually pretty decent at getting through a NAT.