9 ms·

Lionsgate is making its films available on Steam

232 points by AndrewDucker 11y ago

tronje 11y ago
> according to Lionsgate’s President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution, Jim Packer, it’s just part of the company’s “commitment to remain at the cutting edge of innovation in delivering content to online audiences around the world.” He says that, but renting a Lionsgate movie through Steam for 48 hours costs about half as much as a 1-month Netflix membership? I kind of don't think this was a particularly game-changing move on Steam's or Lionsgate's behalf.
- MichaelBurge 11y ago
  I don't use Netflix, but my guess is that they don't carry the Lionsgate films.
  - tronje 11y ago
    Yeah, probably. But I think most people looking for some light entertainment will look for 'a movie', not 'this particular Lionsgate movie', and in any case, with Netflix being so wildly popular, and average Steam users probably being fairly well-versed in today's online entertainment options, I just can't believe that this is very significant at all.
    - alistairSH 11y ago
      That's my experience. Since dropping cable and going to 100% Netflix, my watching is very much "what's on Netflix this month?" And with full seasons of TV shows posted at once, I can binge watch one of those if I don't see an interesting movie.
- mistagiggles 11y ago
  Alternatively, you can now rent a blockbuster film using money you have made while playing games. Trading cards, skin drops, crates/cases etc can all be acquired without putting money into the system but can be sold for credit on the steam marketplace. Personally, I have used profits from selling trading cards and unwanted tf2 weapons to buy games, why not rent films?
  - tronje 11y ago
    Oh yeah, that's a good point I hadn't considered. I supposed it remains to be seen if enough people use it that (or another) way to make it a profitable endeavor.
  - TeMPOraL 11y ago
    > Alternatively, you can now rent a blockbuster film using money you have made while playing games. Trading cards, skin drops, crates/cases etc can all be acquired without putting money into the system but can be sold for credit on the steam marketplace. But where you can earn enough money? The total value of all items I've earned on Steam probably doesn't even sum to 1 Euro...
    - jon-wood 11y ago
      You might be surprised, when I first discovered you could sell trading cards I listing all the ones I'd collected and made ~£30.
      - cmrx64 11y ago
        I had a similar experience, and over the years I've bought 3-4 games using trading cards that I'd gathered.
    - knd775 11y ago
      Well, I guess it depends on how you use steam. If I sold all my CS:GO skins, TF2 items, and trading cards, I'd have several hundred USD.
      - etimberg 11y ago
        Yeah, with enough time and consistent playing you can make some money. I play CSGO pretty consistently and I've made enough to cover all the DLCs so far. Usually my strategy is: buy the DLC and play a lot right after it comes out. You're bound to get a few drops from the new set. Selling those immediately can easily make some money.
    - 11y ago
- yummybear 11y ago
  "around the world" and 11 titles in UK vs. 100 in US is a bit disappointing.
  - tronje 11y ago
    That too! I'm not located in either of those two countries, and I can only imagine how atrocious options over here will be, with a start like that. I also prefer watching movies in original language, because even professional dubs are often terrible; it wouldn't surprise me if they offer limited language choices as well...
- yAnonymous 11y ago
  It's £3.49. How much cheaper do you want it to be?
  - tronje 11y ago
    For all I care it can be a million pounds, I probably won't use it either way. My point is that it's not a competitive price. For around £8 you can get a Netflix or Amazon Prime subscription (don't quote me on that, I'm not from the UK, but a few pounds don't weaken my argument, I believe). These subscription-based services offer unlimited content for a month, whereas these £3.49 give you maybe 2h of entertainment. I'm just saying I don't believe it's a great business model in this day and age. I remember iTunes allowing you to rent movies for similar prices years ago, but that never became very popular, did it?
    - jamespo 11y ago
      Amazon, Playstation Network also allow you to rent films at this price point, they seem to be doing OK. You're simply not in the target audience. Netflix is not unlimited, it is a buffet where you might not like what's on offer.
    - mnem 11y ago
      I suspect more people watch specific films rather than just have them on as background anything-but-the-silence-of-my-brain fillers. If that's an accurate suspicion then the Lionsgate approach isn't so odd.
      - kristianc 11y ago
        That logic hasn't worked out so well for Tidal. Why is film any different to music?
        MatthewMcDonald 11y ago
        When I play music it's usually the background for another activity (coding, exercise, parties, etc.). When I play a movie, it is the activity - I actively minimize distractions so I can focus entirely on the movie. It's easier to use a substitute for something that isn't being focused on.
- ctdonath 11y ago
  Netflix doesn't carry all movies, and rarely streams recent big budget ones. Typical rental of a recent (or obscure) release from the convenience of wherever you happen to be is typically about $5, the price you're complaining of. Nice to see a major studio delivering their goods practically direct to viewers. About time! The licensing wars are irritating.
  - tronje 11y ago
    That's also a perspective I hadn't considered, but it doesn't explicitly say anywhere that they'll publish newer releases right away, and then there's the localization thing where UK gets a grand total of 11 movies. That's still in stark contrast to Mr. Packer's statement, which promised “commitment to remain at the cutting edge of innovation in delivering content to online audiences around the world.”
    - oblio 11y ago
      > and then there's the localization thing where UK gets a grand total of 11 movies My, my, the irony is jarring. The UK has localization problems? Then the rest of the world is screwed :p
      - trelltron 11y ago
        I wouldn't be surprised if for lots of the content like this the UK is actually in the worst group. The example that is currently annoying me: Sky has an exclusive deal with HBO for some of their shows, so I can't legally watch some of the best TV currently being made without paying for a mountain of other stuff I'll never watch.
      - pluma 11y ago
        Localization doesn't just refer to translation but more importantly to distribution rights. Even the publisher can't give away distribution rights in regions where they previously already promised exclusivity. This is the anachronism that results in paradoxical situations like being able to only offer Lord of the Rings part 1 and 3 but not part 2 because some obscure TV channel has the exclusive rights in your country for the next five years.
- nsgi 11y ago
  £3.49 is about standard for pay-per-view
- hawski 11y ago
  If you are watching 2-3 movies a month (a little more than once in two weeks), than you pay the same as for Netflix, but you can choose from all available PPV platforms. It works for me. I sometimes watch movies from Google Movies, because they have better selection of titles in my country than Netflix and are cheaper than watching at cinema (not same experience, but if you just want to watch a nice movie with your wife it's a bargain). For me at this point Netflix is for TV series and some classics that I missed, because it's convenient.
- Joof 11y ago
  I thought it was for purchasing the movies and still thought "meh, overpriced". If it's just renting for 48 hours, that's even worse.
  - Ntrails 11y ago
    I think the thing is I wouldn't rent games from steam. That isn't what I want it for. I want it as a repository of things I've bought and can access again at will without storing media. I'd almost certainly buy films in the steam sale when they're 60% off because I'm an idiot and can't help myself. There's no way I'm going to consume media as rentals. I look forward to seeing whether this makes way for steam as a more general media platform though - it's super exciting.
    - jfoster 11y ago
      They've got a lot of catching up to do to Google Play. Multi-device, convenient, big selection, etc. It seems inconceivable that they could catch up. What do they have going for them that Google doesn't have multiple times over? It's certainly not audience, capital, or technology.
      - giancarlostoro 11y ago
        Well it may take time, but they will work their way up. I really hope they eventually allow you to "buy" movies. The convenience of Steam for me has always been that I can download things I own and not take up a ton of space with CD's that will eventually be scratched and possibly break.
        jfoster 11y ago
        What's their "in", though? It seems Google (and others!) have a stronger position on every front. It looks untenable.
        Joof 11y ago
- Keyframe 11y ago
  In some countries, Netflix is barely worth it / if at all. Limited and lousy selection.
  - ghaff 11y ago
    Netflix streaming isn't really for movies unless your use case is along the lines of "I'll watch whatever is available." The primary value is TV shows. If the only thing on Netflix streaming were its movies, I'd drop it in a moment. I still use Netflix DVD for this reason.
- vlunkr 11y ago
  If they really want to be at the cutting edge they would sell movies DRM free so you could watch them on ANY platform. The movie industry is taking way to long on this.
- yuzi 11y ago
  Which is still much cheaper than renting a 48 hour movie from Apple iTunes which seems to still have a market. Sure this is not a game changer per say, but fits the criteria of "remaining" on the cutting edge in delivering content.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
michaelbuckbee 11y ago
What's interesting about this is that positions Steam more directly against XBox and Playstation stores (which we don't generally consider as VOD portals, but I suspect makes up the majority of their direct revenue).
sleepychu 11y ago
The steam video player is terrible though!
- cwyers 11y ago
  I wish I could upvote this twice. It's a load of hot garbage.
  - levemi 11y ago
    How is it bad? I've never had a problem with it.
    - leetNightshade 11y ago
      The buffering tends to be pretty bad for me, not very aggressive or just bad. The initial loading takes a little long, especially considering I'm on fiber at work right now. This 1080p video isn't buffering very quickly. Switching stream quality takes a bit long, even switching down to 360p. At home Steam struggles on game trailers, usually after going fullscreen for some reason; if I don't go fullscreen it can be okay.
      - sleepychu 11y ago
        >At home Steam struggles on game trailers, usually after going fullscreen for some reason; if I don't go fullscreen it can be okay. Yes! When I go full screen I get terrible tearing.
woodfordb 11y ago
Can't wait to see the future of how this pans out. Would be amazing to have steam movie sales!
Navarr 11y ago
I think the purpose of this is likely in regards to VR. As far as I am personally aware, Steam is now the only mainstream video rental platform with first-party support for Virtual Reality. (To exclude Google Cardboard further, "all-in virtual reality" where you don't leave VR)
- tantalor 11y ago
  Netflix: http://www.polygon.com/2015/9/24/9394383/gear-vr-netflix-hands-on http://www.polygon.com/2015/9/24/9394383/gear-vr-netflix-han... YouTube: http://lifehacker.com/you-can-now-watch-any-youtube-video-in-google-cardboard-1740947161 http://lifehacker.com/you-can-now-watch-any-youtube-video-in... Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/labs/huluvr http://www.hulu.com/labs/huluvr
  - Navarr 11y ago
    So my criteria was very specific so I'm proud to say I'm still "not wrong" :p Netflix and Hulu are not renting services - though I'm excited to learn they have full VR theater support! YouTube's cardboard stuff I don't think allows you to browse for videos to select, you select them and then launch it into VR mode. Cardboard is still rough around the edges that way - though with some of the hints of Android N enabling a VR mode I'm excited. I'm also not sure whether or not the YouTube app allows you to watch your rentals (you might only be able to do this in Google Play Movies)
  - serge2k 11y ago
    regarding hulu > Available in Oculus store Nope. Fuck that shit.
touristtam 11y ago
TLDR; 100 films on rental (rather than purchase with digital locker) for US customers only.
staticelf 11y ago
The other day my gf and I tried to rent a movie on xbox. It didn't work out so well, it had the cover and all the sequels but not the original version. I got frustrated and illegally streamed the movies instead.
luso_brazilian 11y ago
The sad state of things is that, although the technology evolved to our current 21st century level, the legislation didn't follow suit. Here is the 11 titles available for international markets (like Brazil, for instance): Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland Deck the Halls Leprechaun Leprechaun 2 Leprechaun 3 Leprechaun 4 movie collection Leprechaun 4: Lost in Space Natural Born Pranksters Return of the Living Dead 3 Russkies Two Family House Excellent selection if you are the #1 fan of the Leprechaun series, not so much otherwise.
- guhcampos 11y ago
  Not to mention that these are 48 hour rentals.
- grecy 11y ago
  I see what you mean, but let's not criticize them for at least trying. These companies are behemoths that take a long time to move and adapt. At least they're trying, and hopefully the selection will improve over time. Nobody is perfect on their first try.
  - luso_brazilian 11y ago
    My opinion, based on what is apparent by the quality of the offer, is that this not a serious attempt of providing service to the international audience. It appears that these few titles were made available to the international markets only as a way to give strength to the PR claim. The press release title is "Lionsgate launches films on Steam's global digital distribution platform" [1] and, although the blockbusters are prominently mentioned by name (like Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent & Saw Franchises), nowhere in its text it is mentioned that, apart from those 11 token titles, these are available only to U.S. customers. The press release forwards any inquire about availability or pricing to another site [2] but that doesn't mention this limitation either, simply displaying the available titles and prices. As said, in my opinion they are not trying, the apparent reason they made these 11 titles available was to be able to announce "Available to Steam Customers" instead of "Available to U.S. Steam Customers" [1] http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lionsgate-launches-films-on-steams-global-digital-distribution-platform-300256508.html http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lionsgate-launches-f... [2] http://store.steampowered.com/sale/lionsgate http://store.steampowered.com/sale/lionsgate
Jordrok 11y ago
Not sure how I feel about this. I guess that's cool and all, but I'd rather have Steam be focused on just games. Can't see myself ever really wanting to do this. I was never really a huge fan the (non-game) software section on Steam either though, so I dunno.
hsivonen 11y ago
What DRM, if any, does this use? Does Steam provide a viewer app, or is each movie packaged as a viewer application to fit the game distribution model?
nitrogen 11y ago
Questions: Does it really work on all Linux clients as the article claims? Does this mean Lionsgate will distribute a Half Life movie? Or the more likely outcome, that the Half Life franchise is now completely hopeless? Why only rentals?

232 points by AndrewDucker 11y ago

> according to Lionsgate’s President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution, Jim Packer, it’s just part of the company’s “commitment to remain at the cutting edge of innovation in delivering content to online audiences around the world.” He says that, but renting a Lionsgate movie through Steam for 48 hours costs about half as much as a 1-month Netflix membership? I kind of don't think this was a particularly game-changing move on Steam's or Lionsgate's behalf.

MichaelBurge 11y ago
I don't use Netflix, but my guess is that they don't carry the Lionsgate films.
- tronje 11y ago
  Yeah, probably. But I think most people looking for some light entertainment will look for 'a movie', not 'this particular Lionsgate movie', and in any case, with Netflix being so wildly popular, and average Steam users probably being fairly well-versed in today's online entertainment options, I just can't believe that this is very significant at all.
  - alistairSH 11y ago
    That's my experience. Since dropping cable and going to 100% Netflix, my watching is very much "what's on Netflix this month?" And with full seasons of TV shows posted at once, I can binge watch one of those if I don't see an interesting movie.
mistagiggles 11y ago
Alternatively, you can now rent a blockbuster film using money you have made while playing games. Trading cards, skin drops, crates/cases etc can all be acquired without putting money into the system but can be sold for credit on the steam marketplace. Personally, I have used profits from selling trading cards and unwanted tf2 weapons to buy games, why not rent films?
- tronje 11y ago
  Oh yeah, that's a good point I hadn't considered. I supposed it remains to be seen if enough people use it that (or another) way to make it a profitable endeavor.
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  > Alternatively, you can now rent a blockbuster film using money you have made while playing games. Trading cards, skin drops, crates/cases etc can all be acquired without putting money into the system but can be sold for credit on the steam marketplace. But where you can earn enough money? The total value of all items I've earned on Steam probably doesn't even sum to 1 Euro...
  - jon-wood 11y ago
    You might be surprised, when I first discovered you could sell trading cards I listing all the ones I'd collected and made ~£30.
    - cmrx64 11y ago
      I had a similar experience, and over the years I've bought 3-4 games using trading cards that I'd gathered.
  - knd775 11y ago
    Well, I guess it depends on how you use steam. If I sold all my CS:GO skins, TF2 items, and trading cards, I'd have several hundred USD.
    - etimberg 11y ago
      Yeah, with enough time and consistent playing you can make some money. I play CSGO pretty consistently and I've made enough to cover all the DLCs so far. Usually my strategy is: buy the DLC and play a lot right after it comes out. You're bound to get a few drops from the new set. Selling those immediately can easily make some money.
  - 11y ago
yummybear 11y ago
"around the world" and 11 titles in UK vs. 100 in US is a bit disappointing.
- tronje 11y ago
  That too! I'm not located in either of those two countries, and I can only imagine how atrocious options over here will be, with a start like that. I also prefer watching movies in original language, because even professional dubs are often terrible; it wouldn't surprise me if they offer limited language choices as well...
yAnonymous 11y ago
It's £3.49. How much cheaper do you want it to be?
- tronje 11y ago
  For all I care it can be a million pounds, I probably won't use it either way. My point is that it's not a competitive price. For around £8 you can get a Netflix or Amazon Prime subscription (don't quote me on that, I'm not from the UK, but a few pounds don't weaken my argument, I believe). These subscription-based services offer unlimited content for a month, whereas these £3.49 give you maybe 2h of entertainment. I'm just saying I don't believe it's a great business model in this day and age. I remember iTunes allowing you to rent movies for similar prices years ago, but that never became very popular, did it?
  - jamespo 11y ago
    Amazon, Playstation Network also allow you to rent films at this price point, they seem to be doing OK. You're simply not in the target audience. Netflix is not unlimited, it is a buffet where you might not like what's on offer.
  - mnem 11y ago
    I suspect more people watch specific films rather than just have them on as background anything-but-the-silence-of-my-brain fillers. If that's an accurate suspicion then the Lionsgate approach isn't so odd.
    - kristianc 11y ago
      That logic hasn't worked out so well for Tidal. Why is film any different to music?
      - MatthewMcDonald 11y ago
        When I play music it's usually the background for another activity (coding, exercise, parties, etc.). When I play a movie, it is the activity - I actively minimize distractions so I can focus entirely on the movie. It's easier to use a substitute for something that isn't being focused on.
ctdonath 11y ago
Netflix doesn't carry all movies, and rarely streams recent big budget ones. Typical rental of a recent (or obscure) release from the convenience of wherever you happen to be is typically about $5, the price you're complaining of. Nice to see a major studio delivering their goods practically direct to viewers. About time! The licensing wars are irritating.
- tronje 11y ago
  That's also a perspective I hadn't considered, but it doesn't explicitly say anywhere that they'll publish newer releases right away, and then there's the localization thing where UK gets a grand total of 11 movies. That's still in stark contrast to Mr. Packer's statement, which promised “commitment to remain at the cutting edge of innovation in delivering content to online audiences around the world.”
  - oblio 11y ago
    > and then there's the localization thing where UK gets a grand total of 11 movies My, my, the irony is jarring. The UK has localization problems? Then the rest of the world is screwed :p
    - trelltron 11y ago
      I wouldn't be surprised if for lots of the content like this the UK is actually in the worst group. The example that is currently annoying me: Sky has an exclusive deal with HBO for some of their shows, so I can't legally watch some of the best TV currently being made without paying for a mountain of other stuff I'll never watch.
    - pluma 11y ago
      Localization doesn't just refer to translation but more importantly to distribution rights. Even the publisher can't give away distribution rights in regions where they previously already promised exclusivity. This is the anachronism that results in paradoxical situations like being able to only offer Lord of the Rings part 1 and 3 but not part 2 because some obscure TV channel has the exclusive rights in your country for the next five years.
nsgi 11y ago
£3.49 is about standard for pay-per-view
hawski 11y ago
If you are watching 2-3 movies a month (a little more than once in two weeks), than you pay the same as for Netflix, but you can choose from all available PPV platforms. It works for me. I sometimes watch movies from Google Movies, because they have better selection of titles in my country than Netflix and are cheaper than watching at cinema (not same experience, but if you just want to watch a nice movie with your wife it's a bargain). For me at this point Netflix is for TV series and some classics that I missed, because it's convenient.
Joof 11y ago
I thought it was for purchasing the movies and still thought "meh, overpriced". If it's just renting for 48 hours, that's even worse.
- Ntrails 11y ago
  I think the thing is I wouldn't rent games from steam. That isn't what I want it for. I want it as a repository of things I've bought and can access again at will without storing media. I'd almost certainly buy films in the steam sale when they're 60% off because I'm an idiot and can't help myself. There's no way I'm going to consume media as rentals. I look forward to seeing whether this makes way for steam as a more general media platform though - it's super exciting.
  - jfoster 11y ago
    They've got a lot of catching up to do to Google Play. Multi-device, convenient, big selection, etc. It seems inconceivable that they could catch up. What do they have going for them that Google doesn't have multiple times over? It's certainly not audience, capital, or technology.
    - giancarlostoro 11y ago
      Well it may take time, but they will work their way up. I really hope they eventually allow you to "buy" movies. The convenience of Steam for me has always been that I can download things I own and not take up a ton of space with CD's that will eventually be scratched and possibly break.
      - jfoster 11y ago
        What's their "in", though? It seems Google (and others!) have a stronger position on every front. It looks untenable.
        Joof 11y ago
Keyframe 11y ago
In some countries, Netflix is barely worth it / if at all. Limited and lousy selection.
- ghaff 11y ago
  Netflix streaming isn't really for movies unless your use case is along the lines of "I'll watch whatever is available." The primary value is TV shows. If the only thing on Netflix streaming were its movies, I'd drop it in a moment. I still use Netflix DVD for this reason.
vlunkr 11y ago
If they really want to be at the cutting edge they would sell movies DRM free so you could watch them on ANY platform. The movie industry is taking way to long on this.
yuzi 11y ago
Which is still much cheaper than renting a 48 hour movie from Apple iTunes which seems to still have a market. Sure this is not a game changer per say, but fits the criteria of "remaining" on the cutting edge in delivering content.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

michaelbuckbee 11y ago

What's interesting about this is that positions Steam more directly against XBox and Playstation stores (which we don't generally consider as VOD portals, but I suspect makes up the majority of their direct revenue).

sleepychu 11y ago

The steam video player is terrible though!

cwyers 11y ago
I wish I could upvote this twice. It's a load of hot garbage.
- levemi 11y ago
  How is it bad? I've never had a problem with it.
  - leetNightshade 11y ago
    The buffering tends to be pretty bad for me, not very aggressive or just bad. The initial loading takes a little long, especially considering I'm on fiber at work right now. This 1080p video isn't buffering very quickly. Switching stream quality takes a bit long, even switching down to 360p. At home Steam struggles on game trailers, usually after going fullscreen for some reason; if I don't go fullscreen it can be okay.
    - sleepychu 11y ago
      >At home Steam struggles on game trailers, usually after going fullscreen for some reason; if I don't go fullscreen it can be okay. Yes! When I go full screen I get terrible tearing.

woodfordb 11y ago

Can't wait to see the future of how this pans out. Would be amazing to have steam movie sales!

Navarr 11y ago

I think the purpose of this is likely in regards to VR. As far as I am personally aware, Steam is now the only mainstream video rental platform with first-party support for Virtual Reality. (To exclude Google Cardboard further, "all-in virtual reality" where you don't leave VR)

tantalor 11y ago
Netflix: http://www.polygon.com/2015/9/24/9394383/gear-vr-netflix-hands-on http://www.polygon.com/2015/9/24/9394383/gear-vr-netflix-han... YouTube: http://lifehacker.com/you-can-now-watch-any-youtube-video-in-google-cardboard-1740947161 http://lifehacker.com/you-can-now-watch-any-youtube-video-in... Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/labs/huluvr http://www.hulu.com/labs/huluvr
- Navarr 11y ago
  So my criteria was very specific so I'm proud to say I'm still "not wrong" :p Netflix and Hulu are not renting services - though I'm excited to learn they have full VR theater support! YouTube's cardboard stuff I don't think allows you to browse for videos to select, you select them and then launch it into VR mode. Cardboard is still rough around the edges that way - though with some of the hints of Android N enabling a VR mode I'm excited. I'm also not sure whether or not the YouTube app allows you to watch your rentals (you might only be able to do this in Google Play Movies)
- serge2k 11y ago
  regarding hulu > Available in Oculus store Nope. Fuck that shit.

touristtam 11y ago

TLDR; 100 films on rental (rather than purchase with digital locker) for US customers only.

staticelf 11y ago

The other day my gf and I tried to rent a movie on xbox. It didn't work out so well, it had the cover and all the sequels but not the original version. I got frustrated and illegally streamed the movies instead.

luso_brazilian 11y ago

The sad state of things is that, although the technology evolved to our current 21st century level, the legislation didn't follow suit. Here is the 11 titles available for international markets (like Brazil, for instance): Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland Deck the Halls Leprechaun Leprechaun 2 Leprechaun 3 Leprechaun 4 movie collection Leprechaun 4: Lost in Space Natural Born Pranksters Return of the Living Dead 3 Russkies Two Family House Excellent selection if you are the #1 fan of the Leprechaun series, not so much otherwise.

guhcampos 11y ago
Not to mention that these are 48 hour rentals.
grecy 11y ago
I see what you mean, but let's not criticize them for at least trying. These companies are behemoths that take a long time to move and adapt. At least they're trying, and hopefully the selection will improve over time. Nobody is perfect on their first try.
- luso_brazilian 11y ago
  My opinion, based on what is apparent by the quality of the offer, is that this not a serious attempt of providing service to the international audience. It appears that these few titles were made available to the international markets only as a way to give strength to the PR claim. The press release title is "Lionsgate launches films on Steam's global digital distribution platform" [1] and, although the blockbusters are prominently mentioned by name (like Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent & Saw Franchises), nowhere in its text it is mentioned that, apart from those 11 token titles, these are available only to U.S. customers. The press release forwards any inquire about availability or pricing to another site [2] but that doesn't mention this limitation either, simply displaying the available titles and prices. As said, in my opinion they are not trying, the apparent reason they made these 11 titles available was to be able to announce "Available to Steam Customers" instead of "Available to U.S. Steam Customers" [1] http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lionsgate-launches-films-on-steams-global-digital-distribution-platform-300256508.html http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lionsgate-launches-f... [2] http://store.steampowered.com/sale/lionsgate http://store.steampowered.com/sale/lionsgate

Jordrok 11y ago

Not sure how I feel about this. I guess that's cool and all, but I'd rather have Steam be focused on just games. Can't see myself ever really wanting to do this. I was never really a huge fan the (non-game) software section on Steam either though, so I dunno.

hsivonen 11y ago

What DRM, if any, does this use? Does Steam provide a viewer app, or is each movie packaged as a viewer application to fit the game distribution model?

nitrogen 11y ago

Questions: Does it really work on all Linux clients as the article claims? Does this mean Lionsgate will distribute a Half Life movie? Or the more likely outcome, that the Half Life franchise is now completely hopeless? Why only rentals?