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No company is your friend. But Valve does a great job at being consumer friendly. Steam is a great low-pressure sales environment. It provides features that mak
by TehCorwiz 2y ago
No company is your friend. But Valve does a great job at being consumer friendly. Steam is a great low-pressure sales environment. It provides features that make it more enjoyable for users to play, hang out, communicate, share content, mods. It doesn't harangue you or change your settings, or the UI, or your games (mostly) without reason and warning. Things work like you expect them to in other apps, back buttons work. You can pop open multiple windows. It gets out of your way. You can even set your kids accounts to not have access to the store, something that literally no other company does. I'd love to disable the Minecraft Marketplace for my kids because sometimes they spend more time looking at things there than playing.
GabeN called piracy a service problem. And he's right. I've received games free on other platforms like Epic or EA and I've bought them from Steam just so I don't have to use the terrible apps. If I was younger or couldn't afford it, maybe I'd be sailing the seas. I bought Alan Wake 2 on Epic since it's a timed exclusive. I plan on buying it again once it releases on Steam because Epic is just so terrible. All the effort went into the store and almost none into the actual act of playing the game which is where I'm spending the majority of my time while I'm in the app!
Most companies don't care about customer satisfaction or post sales support. They have your money, why would they. Oh, yeah, repeat customers.
EDIT: Just to add a gripe about Amazon. Their games app is so bad that if you use the back button on your mouse while a screenshot is open the page changes but the image stays until you close it. If you click on a game to view the details in a long list of games and then go back it loses your sort order and position in the games listing. It's frustrating to use even just to find something to play. Steam has its own rough edges, but they're not in the golden path of discover -> buy -> install -> play -> share
- sylens 2y ago> I've received games free on other platforms like Epic or EA and I've bought them from Steam just so I don't have to use the terrible apps. I got Star Wars Outlaws free on the Ubi Soft app with my GPU last year. Haven't touched it yet - waiting for the Steam version to drop to a low enough price and some free time to open up on my calendar to warrant picking it up
- FirmwareBurner 2y agoDo something more useful with your money like lighting it on a bonfire. That flop of a game isn't even worth pirating, that's why it came for free.
- SOLAR_FIELDS 2y agoThe sticky thing that keeps me in the steam platform is the software itself: notably, Steam Workshop. I normally source my games DRM free but after some experience trying to manage mods of heavily modded games like Rimworld I have come to discover that the value add of package management via Workshop for the exact same price is 100% worth it. Even though I trade DRM for it.
- TehCorwiz 2y agoYeah, GoG is my other go-to for games. I'm not a big fan of DRM, but I'm OK with DRM that respects me. Valve has never abused the DRM or let it get in my way. I can play offline, I can use multiple computers, I can share games with my family on their computers. All things considered it's pretty respectful of the reality of how people want to experience and share their content.
- butlike 2y agoGOG fixed Diablo 1 AND the janky expansion for modern computers, so they're alright in my book.
- freedomben 2y agoThis is how I feel as well. I typically buy games on GOG if they have it, but if they don't I don't really sweat buying it on Steam as they are straightforward about what I'm getting. In the case of several games that I really like, I bought it on both!
- candiddevmike 2y agoFWIW RimWorld on steam is DRM free. You can copy it and launch it without steam.
- atrus 2y agoYeah, people complain about steam DRM, but it's not even enforced. Games have to choose to enable steam drm. I'm not going to begrudge Valve for having an optional tool.
- fendy3002 2y agoyeah valve are scummy on loot boxes, but their steam service is top notch. And they're right, since not only they compete with publishers or f2p live service games, they also compete with pirated service, which can be highly reliable, and free. Steam is more convenient, reliable, and affordable, so no wonder they can compete with piracy
- butlike 2y agoI just wish the platforms weren't beholden to the publishers. To a certain extent, pulling a game from Steam is like pulling it off the shelves at big box stores, but the difference is the games CAN'T find their way to resale shops; they're gone forever. Story time: I was pretty upset when my original copy of GTA: Vice City was intentionally broken, then the "Definitive Edition" was released a short time later. Especially in the case of GTAIII, they removed the top-down camera so it's not a 1:1 flat upgrade. I find it quaint and fun to try and beat that game using the top-down camera of GTA1 and 2, so was rather disappointed.
- j1elo 2y agoThat's why lots of us are worried about when something happens to Gabe, and some black suited C level raven is promoted as CEO and starts asking questions like "why don't we push for the latest expansion packs? why don't we gate features behind subscriptions?" and all that anti-consumer shit that breaks with the original spirit of so many products.
- dtech 2y agoThat's unlikely to happen with Valve's ownership structure
- benterix 2y agoHe can sell his share at any moment.
- toxicunderGroov 2y agoIf he has enough, and his kids will have enough he does not strike me as a guy that wants more for the sake of amassing it, and risk the loss of actual legacy.
- jerojero 2y agoMany kingdoms have fallen because the offspring of the King couldn't rule. I'm not sure about the internal governance structures at Valve but that's really what should be important when it comes to maintaining the corporate culture alive. I think they've done a good job so far, and I'd be surprised if they didn't have plans in place to try keeping the company going in much the same way once Gabe is gone.
- dividefuel 2y agoHe's also in his 60s. What happens to the company when he passes away?
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- Shacklz 2y agoSteam really is a blessing for gaming. It just works. The absolute trash that especially ubisoft tries to push on its users made me hold off on buying some of their games. It's just that bad.
- happymellon 2y agoAnd how many of these "game" services don't work with controllers. For fucks sake, what decade is it? I especially hate games that work 99% on Steam, but have a 1% issue with them requiring cookie banner dismissal (fuck you Rockstar) even after dealing with the logins. Steam is just so much better than everyone else that they can have a cut of Rockstar and Electronic Arts money.
- ffsm8 2y ago> Just to add a gripe about Amazon. Their games app is so bad that if you use the back button on your mouse while a screenshot is open the page changes but the image stays until you close it. That's more a critiques to how software development happens today. Its a consequence of decoupling the product ownership from the developer, who only implements what's required according to the ticket/feature requested by the PO. To be clear, I'm not saying that passing full ownership of the software to the developers they've hired to be effectively code monkeys would work. And neither do I think that the approach of having the developers be the owners of the software "scales" (teams like that will always be small and have very little space for Jr. positions). It's very illuminating if you look at the average developer salary at valve, they're just approaching software development differently then Amazon and Epic (and rest of the industry for that matter)
- TiredOfLife 2y agoMany of the consumer friendly decisions were a direct result of lost lawsuits. Valve also has unleashed the scum that is lootboxes, paid battle passes, paid leveling, nft store (technically not nft, but 90% of one).
- Cpoll 2y agoCrates were in TF2 (and in some MMOs before that), but I think you can more readily blame Overwatch for that one. And paid levelling was a KMMO staple long before. But I can't argue about the DotA2 battle passes, or the expensive hats/stat-track weapons.
- mystified5016 2y agoWhile I know that Steam has DRM, it's never been as onerous as other types of DRM. I also know that Steam DRM isn't that hard to bypass. Generally just some patched DLLs. But I've never had a real need to bypass it. Steam lets you play offline with no connection. My games are, to a first approximation, mine and Valve doesn't need to be informed every minute I'm playing if I so choose. Gabe's premise is right on. We pirate from Netflix and Epic because it's orders of magnitude easier than playing by the rules. I buy from Steam because it's easier than piracy. As a rule, I don't pirate steam games. If it's something I'm interested in, it's probably worth my money. I do pirate from EA and others because the Sims 4 is not worth $500 in any universe. I pirate shows and movies because it's too much time and money to even figure out who has what I want this week. You beat pirates by making your service more attractive than piracy. Steam is a better experience than free, and a better experience than all the other paid options. This is how you win.
- lupusreal 2y ago> Steam is a great low-pressure sales environment. Eh.. It seems very common for Steam users to have libraries of thousands of purchased games, 99% unplayed, purchased at steep discounts during sales. The way Steam operates does a great job of instilling Fear Of Missing Out, and getting people to buy things they never end up using.
- jasonjmcghee 2y ago> very common for Steam users to have libraries of thousands of purchased games, 99% unplayed source?
- SXX 2y agoI not sure about these numbers, but here is article on this topic: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/is-the-total-value-of-unplayed-steam-games-really-19-billion-probably-not/ https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/is-the-total-value-of...
- Cpoll 2y agoSome quick googling: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/is-the-total-value-of-unplayed-steam-games-really-19-billion-probably-not/# https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/is-the-total-value-of... Anecdotally, myself and most of my friends are in this boat, with very large "piles of shame." Humble Bundles tend to contribute greatly to this.
- jasonjmcghee 2y agoRight but 30%-60% is very different than 99%. Users paying 2x for games, not 100x.
- lupusreal 2y agoIt's true for nearly all of my gamer friends, and is the subject of memes in gamer social circles generally. https://i.imgflip.com/7uzmif.jpg https://i.imgflip.com/7uzmif.jpg https://memes.ucoz.com/_nw/86/80233222.png https://memes.ucoz.com/_nw/86/80233222.png https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2F5ovhjzquk7t41.jpg&rdt=56367 https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2F5... https://i.imgflip.com/2fcexh.jpg https://i.imgflip.com/2fcexh.jpg Search for "steam library memes" and you'll find lots of these. Very scientific, I know.
- vel0city 2y ago> I bought Alan Wake 2 on Epic since it's a timed exclusive. I plan on buying it again once it releases on Steam because Epic is just so terrible. Epic is so terrible, I'll pay them twice for the same game! And we wonder why the game industry is in such a shit shape...
- TehCorwiz 2y agoI know that some portion of profits from the game, even on Steam, will go to them because they funded and published it. But after the exclusivity expires I'd expect Remedy Entertainment will probably have the standard 70/30 split with valve and whatever Epic see from that sale will be a smaller percentage. I love Remedy and how they practice their craft and art. Economic semantics aside, yes. I hate Epic so much I'll pay them again not to have to use it any longer.
- vel0city 2y agoPaying them for their tactics aren't going to change their decisions, only reinforce them.
- TehCorwiz 2y agoWell. It’s literally the only game on epic I’ve paid for. And I’ll be giving their competition equal dollars. So game theory wise it’s a wash. They haven’t earned me as a repeat customer and I do what I can to avoid them.
- hackpelican 2y agoIs it a wash, though? From their perspective, they ended up getting a sale from you they weren’t getting otherwise.
- TehCorwiz 2y agoThey took a loss funding the game. And they've invested far more in their store platform, and advertising, and in free games, in order to encourage my purchase. I dare say they've probably spent more to get my purchase than I've paid them.
- zenorogue 2y agoFor Epic, I am using Heroic Games Launcher, I believe it is much better than the official Epic app.
- hinkley 2y agoIf I could copy one feature from Steam to the Apple Store it would be seasonal sales. And bundle prices. If I could copy two features from Steam to the Apple Store... My friend had to go through huge gyrations to offer a discount for upgrades on a productivity app. Your choices seem to mostly be either never get paid again by old customers or over/undercharge people. On Steam you can sort it out with a bundle discount.
- miki123211 2y agoSteam also did the legwork to adapt to other countries' cultures, means and payment systems. They do regional pricing, including systems which make it difficult to pretend you live in a poor country, which you absolutely need if you want publishers to adopt that. They do local payment methods. They let kids (and kids and teenagers are an important part of this market) buy gift cards in physical stores, and pay for them with cash. Mobile App Stores are a lot worse at all of these, especially Apple's.