Something tells me that they(the retailers) will still stock AAA games regardless of the outcome.
UK Retailers Threaten to Ditch Steam Games
- Thread starter Logan Westbrook
- Start date
Quite frankly, Gabe Newell has already set off a lot of red flags.Cousin_IT said:
For starters, there's his "Steam isn't DRM" line. It's blatantly dishonest. I see him get up there and talk about how DRM is bad, then shill his own DRM because, apparently, cloud saves mean that having to activate your game online isn't DRM anymore!
Then there's his "Xbox Live needs to changes it's rules so that we can do things the way we want" tantrum. Nevermind that Microsoft has good reasons for wanting to seperate bugs fixes from content- Gabe Newell wants the same control he has over his own platform on Live.
The idea of Steamworks being integrated into consoles makes my skin crawl. Steamworks is very much centered around control, and I don't want the same crap that is driving me off of buying PC games coming to consoles.
OH NOES!
After years of ignoring, mis-selling and failing to promote PC games in favour of their more expensive console counterparts, someone else has picked up the slack. And we can only think of Steam because GOG, Underdogs, CEX, Amazon, Ebay, Play aren't as well known.
So we've decided to stop selling the sort of PC games that actually sell!
And this is only HMV (ignore games anyway) and GameStation (Obsessed with midnight openings and fluffy stores) that are doing it? Ignoring PCWorld, who might just sell a few more PC games.
How terrible. So now I'll actually be able to buy my games without some spotty herbert patronising me over my game choice while trying to sell me a worthless loyalty card?
How will I ever cope.
Well...I could install Steam...which is...just what they say they want to avoid...
Yeah...Thumbs up for that escapade.
After years of ignoring, mis-selling and failing to promote PC games in favour of their more expensive console counterparts, someone else has picked up the slack. And we can only think of Steam because GOG, Underdogs, CEX, Amazon, Ebay, Play aren't as well known.
So we've decided to stop selling the sort of PC games that actually sell!
And this is only HMV (ignore games anyway) and GameStation (Obsessed with midnight openings and fluffy stores) that are doing it? Ignoring PCWorld, who might just sell a few more PC games.
How terrible. So now I'll actually be able to buy my games without some spotty herbert patronising me over my game choice while trying to sell me a worthless loyalty card?
How will I ever cope.
Well...I could install Steam...which is...just what they say they want to avoid...
Yeah...Thumbs up for that escapade.
None of what you wrote has anything to do with Steam being bad, but rather a lack of competition in the online distribution business. You can't blame Steam for lack of another quality digital distribution service.HellsingerAngel said:
Oh and GfWL is a terrible, terrible service. It doesn't "prove how hard making a digital distributor is". Steam is a monopoly because nobody has bothered competing with it.
Not quite, ads and vouchers do not serve a purpose to a Steam-bought game, while Steam provides server and social networks for Store-bought games. There is actually a practical reason behind Steam being included or required for a game.Aurora219 said:
Right now, the only reason why buying a physical game is better than downloading it is that you don't have to download it. Steam games are cheaper, more convenient, no need to carry a physical copy(or even worse, break it!), always in stock guaranteed, etc.
Retailers are obsolete already.
No oofense, but games on steam are either the same price or even more expensive, besides, I doubt that they will stop selling games like fallout and COD.
By any chance, are the two major retailers HMV & GAME?
By any chance, are the two major retailers HMV & GAME?
If say, GAME, could have gotten me New Vegas on the PC at £30 or less on preorder, with the caravan pack, plus maybe extra goodies, then I would have considered it.
However, Steam got me the game for £30 on preorder, with extra DLC for preordering.
However, Steam got me the game for £30 on preorder, with extra DLC for preordering.
The two main UK retailers are GAME and Gamestation. Everyone else does it as a side line (HMV is mainly music and music/pop culture merchandise)BJ777 said:
However, Gamestation don't really support PC gamers, and GAME doesn't compete where it matters.
I will not purchase a game that requires any kind of "online activation" to play a single player game until such time as a modification exists to avoid me having to ask permission to use my own property.
Because of this the publishers will miss out on my money the first few crucial weeks after release.
I wouldn't put up with it any other product (toaster: you verify your item purchase number with westinghouse because you can use this product to warm your bread) and I won't put up with it for a game.
Because of this the publishers will miss out on my money the first few crucial weeks after release.
I wouldn't put up with it any other product (toaster: you verify your item purchase number with westinghouse because you can use this product to warm your bread) and I won't put up with it for a game.
Well I buy a lot of stuff from Steam, but also from stores. Quite often stores are cheaper than Steam even for new releases. I save £5 on New Vegas and Civ V by buying from a game shop than Steam. They had Steam built in, and so I downloaded and run them through Steam.
I like Steam a lot. Automatic patches, good sales, and it means I don't have to swap disks about to play different games. It's easier.
OT: The reason developers put in Steamworks is to help stop piracy and hacking. Both of these are problems for the retailer as well. Then again I see their point. Would Game stores really not stock Call of Duty or Fallout to make a point? It's a risky proposition.
I like Steam a lot. Automatic patches, good sales, and it means I don't have to swap disks about to play different games. It's easier.
OT: The reason developers put in Steamworks is to help stop piracy and hacking. Both of these are problems for the retailer as well. Then again I see their point. Would Game stores really not stock Call of Duty or Fallout to make a point? It's a risky proposition.
Some of us don't like the idea of Valve having absolute control over the entire PC platform, which is where things are headed. Without retail, Valve will be able to set whatever terms they like and there will be no other way to play PC games aside from Piracy.Callate said:
But, in fairness, Gamestation mostly deals with used games, but then again CEX ONLY deals with used games.Evil the White said:
Really the article might as well read
"Mummy! He stole my teddy bear!"
But steam is a great platform all they should do is stop stocking PC if they do stop stocking so what?! Steam is a good platform and instead of shunning it should embrace it not everyone is up to the idea of waiting hours to download a game. Oh well.
"Mummy! He stole my teddy bear!"
But steam is a great platform all they should do is stop stocking PC if they do stop stocking so what?! Steam is a good platform and instead of shunning it should embrace it not everyone is up to the idea of waiting hours to download a game. Oh well.
I can see where you came to that conclusion, but how you can say it has nothing to do with retailers is beyond me. It's a game, being distributed, which means that any other competitor could have my business. The example has nothing to do with a digital distributor, it has everything to do with how Steam Support handled my case due to them having majority market hold. They couldn't give a shit if the sale had passed and they refused my card. "Go buy it full price, where else are you going to get it!?" That's the problem with monopolies, unfortunately. Because they own the entire market, they can do whatever they want with it. That's why they're illegal. And yes, there are methods you can use to corner a market, such as undercutting all the businesses around until they're driven into the ground, then jacking up your prices to recouperate your "losses". Steam holding 100% of the power is not good. Anybody holding 100% of the power is not good. If anyone ever holds 100% of the power over a market like PC gaming, except it to die, and quickly.fundayz said:
Well then maybe you should start fucking selling PC games! They're not a competitor if you barely even sell their games anyway!
Do none of you understand that they will also stop stocking console games from those companies? if the retaielrs honestly did do that, of course they would go for it:
the console market for their games is MUCH bigger than the PC market; more than twice as big, in fact.
It's still an idle threat though.
the console market for their games is MUCH bigger than the PC market; more than twice as big, in fact.
It's still an idle threat though.
Please, that's nothing. I saw Gears Of War 2 collectors edition new for £30, and second hand for £40 missing half the stuff.Legion said:
You are awesomeTsunamiWombat said:
OT: I get the feeling this will just alienate consumers. From experience, PC gamers are mostly aware of internet downloads and online shopping sites to purchase their games. To not stock two of the biggest titles on PC is just gong to cause them to purchase their goods elsewhere from say... Steam?
You want to stay in the game retail market GAME, don't alienate consumers. Give them a service that can't be offered by online purchasing. Maybe sign up groups, good customer service or anything that consumers don't get from online purchasing
Call me old fashioned, but I like having a hard copy of all my games. I like to have them mounted on a bookshelf like a trophy rack, showing off my impeccable taste for all to see. But that's really the only thing brick and mortar stores have over Steam. Take away the physical medium, delivery, and employee costs and that's Steam for you. The only way I can see Gamestop competing with Steam is to launch their own digital distribution platform. But even then, Steam is so great that I just don't see them going down any time soon.