Steam finally has a competitive competitor

[allinwonder]

Amazon video game download.

It looks insane. For new games much better than Steam. It now has Crysis 2 for 50 with $15 amazon credit ($50-$15=$35); and it has been like that for several weeks. Also discounts are CONSTANT not like Steam you only get discount during sale events.

AND! It also has sale events. Like now Easter Sale. 50% or 75% off for new releases (like %25 for Sims 3 Medieval, 14.95 for Need for Speed Hot Pursuit (WTF?))!

Oh I love competition.

 

[Gemore]

Probably still going to end up mainly buying my games from steam, but this competition, if true, can only be a good thing.

 

[The Lawn]

Does it also have a social platform where you can quickly and easily join games friends are playing?

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Cool, this might lower Steam prices even further than they already are. Looking forward to this.

 

[Woodsey]

Always good to see healthy competition.

The trouble is, the competition often doesn't realise that Steam is more than a store.

 

[Catalyst6]

Eh, I mainly use Steam for their deep discounts as it is; I rarely buy new games off of them. Perhaps I will have to look into Amazon if I ever decide to buy a new game.

That being said, you are getting $15 for use on Amazon, not a discount. Since I buy so much stuff on Amazon this isn't a problem for me, just noting the difference.

 

[Bags159]

If it's new then I'm sure it's going to come out of the gate with a lot of sales. But yes, competition is a good thing.

However, it's missing a lot that makes Steam Steam.

 

[JoshGod]

Doesn't seem any more user friendly. Also does not seem to have amazing deals.

 

[allinwonder]

Give it time. Steam was not steam back then.

 

[Radoh]

The only real problem with this is people who have Steam are likely heavily invested in it, and introducing a newer system is going to have a rough time, like how any MMO that isn't WoW is immediately kneecapped at the starting gate.

 

[Griffstar]

Competitive competitor. Lulz.

OT: Nah, Amazon will just be destroyed by the Steam fans, just like WoW.

 

[Terminate421]

Competitive Competitor? Lol

I will only get it if they put Halo: CE or Halo 2 vista on there.

 

[Judgement101]

Well, at least it is better than GFWL.

 

[thedeathscythe]

Does it also have a social platform where you can quickly and easily join games friends are playing?

This. And does it have forum links so I can find people who are also playing the game?

I guess if this drives steam prices even lower, that's cool, but I'll stick to steam. I don't buy games off the mac app store because of the social features steam gives me.

 

[allinwonder]

Does it also have a social platform where you can quickly and easily join games friends are playing?

This. And does it have forum links so I can find people who are also playing the game?

I guess if this drives steam prices even lower, that's cool, but I'll stick to steam. I don't buy games off the mac app store because of the social features steam gives me.

Not all people are the same. Some people never use the social feature of steam (like me, I turned it off), and Amazon is good for them. And some people are willing to trade social features for cash in their wallets.

 

[Daverson]

The phrase: "Too little, too late." come to mind.

Of course, I have only the best hopes for Amazon. Perhaps, if they can finalize their time machine, and go back 5 years, or so, they might be able to succeed in this business venture.

Otherwise, it would probably be best for them to try and capitalize where the market leader does not. Unlike Valve, Amazon are capable of supplying a much greater variety of content. The obvious examples are books and movies. (Steam can do movies though. I remeber that zombie movie, they had, in the early days. I thought it'd be the beginning of a new era... you know, like what it did for videogames, but for films. Guess that was wrong, huh?)

 

[Gennadios]

Alot of multiplayer games will be steamworks regardless of where you buy it, and really, the only selling point of steam is the multiplayer. Single player gamers don't care and the important games get steam anyway. What it boiler down to is that amazon won't charge sales tax even if the discounts stop.