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If Steam(Half Life 2) succeeds...
- Thread starter DSN2K
- Start date
crawlingpeter
Member
Steam will be used to distribute at least one MMORPG (cant remember the name) in the future.
Well, Steam is the goal Sony eventually wants to get too.
As connections get fasters, we'll be able to get gigabyte games in matters of minutes. Hell, some lucky people can do that right now. Future of the industry. Also, steam isn't the only service to let you buy full versions of games and let you download them. I'm starting to notice this pop up at a couple of gaming download sites.
As connections get fasters, we'll be able to get gigabyte games in matters of minutes. Hell, some lucky people can do that right now. Future of the industry. Also, steam isn't the only service to let you buy full versions of games and let you download them. I'm starting to notice this pop up at a couple of gaming download sites.
Stuggernaut
Grandma's Chippy
Depends...
How much is the Steam Version of HL2?
Better be a bunch cheaper.
How much is the Steam Version of HL2?
Better be a bunch cheaper.
Couple of thoughts:
1) People who want to "support the developers" should love steam. More of your money goes to the people making the game, rather then the retailers and the packaging/marketing guys.
2) If Valve licenses Steam to other game developers, won't Steam just replace publishers as the middlemen, thus defeating my first thought?
1) People who want to "support the developers" should love steam. More of your money goes to the people making the game, rather then the retailers and the packaging/marketing guys.
2) If Valve licenses Steam to other game developers, won't Steam just replace publishers as the middlemen, thus defeating my first thought?
SentientStone
Member
If it was PC games I wouldn't care one way or the other, but I want actual physical copies of my console games that I can smell and taste.
1.) Many people, especially if they're going to pay over $30 for a game, want a hard copy straight from the manufacturer.
2.) Piracy is already popular, but if downloading games becomes popular too, piracy is going to absolutely skyrocket. It makes it that much easier to pirate games, despite anti-piracy measures taken. One of the best measures against GameCube piracy, for example, is that the disc itself is difficult to copy. Physical protection goes a long ways in stopping casual piracy.
3.) How exactly would distribution take place? Will there be 200 sites/programs like Steam eventually? You can't expect consumers to go to 200 places to get games.
4.) And if there were 200 places like Steam, that would probably lead to someone making a "central" site for games, and that organization would likely charge royalties just like current publishers do -- elminating one of the main current advantages of Steam.
5.) If something like Steam took over, even more shitty games would be released. A lot of people complain about low-budget games now, but they'd explode in number if Steam became popular, since the cost of distribution would be lower. A few gems might come from it, but a lot more shit would be released.
2.) Piracy is already popular, but if downloading games becomes popular too, piracy is going to absolutely skyrocket. It makes it that much easier to pirate games, despite anti-piracy measures taken. One of the best measures against GameCube piracy, for example, is that the disc itself is difficult to copy. Physical protection goes a long ways in stopping casual piracy.
3.) How exactly would distribution take place? Will there be 200 sites/programs like Steam eventually? You can't expect consumers to go to 200 places to get games.
4.) And if there were 200 places like Steam, that would probably lead to someone making a "central" site for games, and that organization would likely charge royalties just like current publishers do -- elminating one of the main current advantages of Steam.
5.) If something like Steam took over, even more shitty games would be released. A lot of people complain about low-budget games now, but they'd explode in number if Steam became popular, since the cost of distribution would be lower. A few gems might come from it, but a lot more shit would be released.
the market would also shrink. companies would have to spend more money advertising through web based solutions, which is pretty ineffective. the good thing about boxed copies is that more people "see" the game, the problem isn't distro. but marketing. game companies are falling over themselves trying to market a product, so instead of learning about the market they are just going to do their own thing and alienate everyone in the process.
Isn't Valve gonna try and have other developers publish their games over Steam too? I got HL2 pre-loaded, and I'm sure I'll buy it over Steam just because I'm lazy.
Uh, swoon, why would they use a less effective method of marketing just because a game is downloadable? Almost no PC games are advertised on TV, anyways.
Also, from what I've read, Vivendi gets paid regardless of whether you buy over Steam or in-stores. So there's not much to the "support the developers" argument.
Uh, swoon, why would they use a less effective method of marketing just because a game is downloadable? Almost no PC games are advertised on TV, anyways.
Also, from what I've read, Vivendi gets paid regardless of whether you buy over Steam or in-stores. So there's not much to the "support the developers" argument.
Crazymoogle
Member
Yusaku said:
Wouldn't that directly conflict with the ongoing lawsuit?
There already are sites were you can download games instead of going to the store (not piracy i mean paying for them), its popular for MMORPGs and stuff. It wont do away with publishers at all because without publishers, who will pay to make the game? There wont be many devs who have a big enough reputation to get funding from outside sources (valve is definitely not a typical developer in terms of the revenue they control).
I think this kind of thing is something the PC market will start moving towards more and more now though, its great for the PC because it ensures a world wide release. Consoles are probably gonna take a couple more generations.
I think this kind of thing is something the PC market will start moving towards more and more now though, its great for the PC because it ensures a world wide release. Consoles are probably gonna take a couple more generations.
Yusaku said:
why would stores promote titles if they aren't getting money to do so? that leaves internet, which is shakey at best and niche magazines. which may be find, but it's not the most effective use of marketing and if its not the most effective use of marketing why do it? there would have to be a great great incentive for the distro companies to go 'net only, to make up for lower sells, which i'm sure it won't. smaller developing companies aren't going to be able to afford to host the bandwidth needed, thus they'll have to get a distro companies which defeats any benefits the net would provide for smaller companies getting their games out.
element
Member
It is highly doubtful that an independent developer could bank roll such a project like Steam. Valve can do it because they are one of the wealthiest independent developers in the world.
The same was said about iTunes when it came out, that it wouldn't catch on since the user got 'data' not a disc. But iTuens have proven that people don't mind buying 'data' and not getting a hardcopy of the product.snapty00 said:
well considering how difficult it was to play Counterstrike Source without buying CSZ. Valve has done a pretty good job.
there are tons of shitty games already. While their might be an easier way for them to get to the user, it doesn't mean people would buy them.
Not having a hardcopy doesn't bother me at all. Hell, I like it better this way. Steam allows me to no have the disk for a game I own, but at any time if I want to play I can download the game and go at it.
My HL disk is long gone, but I still have my steam account. So as long as the service will be up for a good amount of time, I actually like it better this way.
My HL disk is long gone, but I still have my steam account. So as long as the service will be up for a good amount of time, I actually like it better this way.
ravingloon
Member
Considering I think collecting of anything is a waste, this idea sucks IMO. Probably be something stupid like 5 or 10 dollars cheaper and be a non-transferable transaction. Games are over-priced as it is, we don't need to be paying those prices for what are essentially rentals.
ravingloon
Member
Hooker said:
And this I don't mind. If you could pay a monthly fee of say 10 dollars, this is how I'd play HL2. But with all these screwy packages being listed, I fear the only way to play HL2 is by purchasing one of these.
MrPing1000
Member
its definately good for the developers and we all want good developers surviving (mucky foot, bullfrog, westwood, origin all dead dead dead) but at the same time i prefer having a hard copy.
dilema
dilema
clipunderground
Member
dark10x said:
IAWTP
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
DSN2K said:
I see Microsoft and Sony pushing for a similar model: they would own the network infrastructure and license it out to developers which only need the bandwidth.
The costs should not be too high as we have a system that is like Bit-torrent: if there are enough seeders and lots of users are trying to download at the same time the same game, then the server side costs should not be too huge.
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
Slo said:
2) --> no, as the server costs are much much lower than the publishers' cut.
The Faceless Master
Member
i'd want a hard copy too... though i guess if you could legitimately back up to a cd/dvd it would be closer to being not so bad...
open_mouth_
insert_foot_
It's going to be a long while, imo, before video games are predominantly bought through download services.
is everyone ignoring something here? you can easily make backup copies of all steam games. hell, it's encouraged. no copy protection involved.Firest0rm said:
also, once buying a steam game, you can download it as many times as you want, on as many different machines as you want. however, only one of them will work with your cd key at one time.
epmode said:
Well, in my case, I still hate that idea...
I want to see a Half-Life 2 box sitting on my shelf and actually have a nicely labeled disc from Valve in my hands...
This is the case with HL2 (they are releasing boxed versions), but I'd hate to see this go any further and completely remove their products from retail stores...
i understand, and even agree with you. but i think of it this way: if this digital delivery phenomenon can free talented (but small) developers from horrible publishing deals that destroy so many other companies, i'm all for it. for the system to be perfect, all they'd need to implement is an option to order a legitimate copy/manual directly from the company for a small charge.dark10x said:
That'd be easy to get around. One way, of course, would be to simply crack it, disabling that functionality altogether.DSN2K said:
Another way would be to create a server on your own computer that acts as Valve's server does, effectively tricking your Half Life 2 program into thinking it has successfully connected to Valve's real servers. You can do simple redirects like this using HOSTS files. The hardest part would be writing the "server" software, but someone out there would obviously take the time to do it.
So, this would really be a wasted effort. It'd basically waste Valve's bandwidth for nothing, since the people who would be using Valve's bandwidth would be legitimate Half Life 2 owners.
ArcadeStickMonk
Member
I'm totally with dark10x on this one. We get together and build giant forts out of our PC game boxes and I really don't want to see that tradition die.
It bothers me already that MMORPGs are games that I can put out an exhorbanant amount of money for, but be still be unable to play in ten years, or less. Even my XBOX Live games can be suprious, in that how can I ever expect Pandora Tommorrow or Burnout 3 or even Halo 2 to have all their modes fully playable in eight years. Don't even talk about LOC.
This is the reality of online games. I'll probably still have my Planetside cds when I die but after another four years I'll never be able to play it again. Its the idea of paying for an onegoing experience, or renting gameplay, if you prefer. Any online game essentially has an expiration date, after which it can never be played again.
With Steam, we come very close to applying this dynamic to offline, single player games. While a properly kept machine, with HL2 downloaded onto it would remain playable forever, how long until the Steam service itself becomes defunct, and no longer offers a legitimate customer the ability to re-access his product?
My copy of Doom3 was bundled with my 6800 GT. No box or even a manual, and I'm okay with that, for now. But a game that is only available to me as long as a complex, remote service is supported by powers beyond my control is absolutely terrifiying. I don't want my games to have expiration dates of any kind, and it is unthinkable for a completely self-contained game experience to have one applied to it. Even if I download HL2 through Steam for convenience, I will still secure a legitimate, hardcopy.
It bothers me already that MMORPGs are games that I can put out an exhorbanant amount of money for, but be still be unable to play in ten years, or less. Even my XBOX Live games can be suprious, in that how can I ever expect Pandora Tommorrow or Burnout 3 or even Halo 2 to have all their modes fully playable in eight years. Don't even talk about LOC.
This is the reality of online games. I'll probably still have my Planetside cds when I die but after another four years I'll never be able to play it again. Its the idea of paying for an onegoing experience, or renting gameplay, if you prefer. Any online game essentially has an expiration date, after which it can never be played again.
With Steam, we come very close to applying this dynamic to offline, single player games. While a properly kept machine, with HL2 downloaded onto it would remain playable forever, how long until the Steam service itself becomes defunct, and no longer offers a legitimate customer the ability to re-access his product?
My copy of Doom3 was bundled with my 6800 GT. No box or even a manual, and I'm okay with that, for now. But a game that is only available to me as long as a complex, remote service is supported by powers beyond my control is absolutely terrifiying. I don't want my games to have expiration dates of any kind, and it is unthinkable for a completely self-contained game experience to have one applied to it. Even if I download HL2 through Steam for convenience, I will still secure a legitimate, hardcopy.
Burger
Member
I love the way Steam has been developed.
The copy of Halflife that I brought way back when it came out is near useless now. I can throw away the disc if I like, it's always going to be available to me.
I could even publish my cd-key right in this very forum, and it would be worthless to everyone. Unlike nearly every other PC game out there, my Halflife (and soon to be Halflife 2) cd-key is permanently mine and nobody else can use it. The only way would be to know my Steam login and password. I'm never going to have to worry about someone generating my key.
I can login to Steam on the otherside of the world and play all the Valve games I own.
Fuck, I don't even have to download patches anymore. If Valve release High Dynamic Range Rendering for HL2 in the future, Steam will know if my computer can handle it, and deliver it right into my game. New texture pack... done.
Steam is the most well intergrated and thorough content management system developed for any videogame, ever.
The copy of Halflife that I brought way back when it came out is near useless now. I can throw away the disc if I like, it's always going to be available to me.
I could even publish my cd-key right in this very forum, and it would be worthless to everyone. Unlike nearly every other PC game out there, my Halflife (and soon to be Halflife 2) cd-key is permanently mine and nobody else can use it. The only way would be to know my Steam login and password. I'm never going to have to worry about someone generating my key.
I can login to Steam on the otherside of the world and play all the Valve games I own.
Fuck, I don't even have to download patches anymore. If Valve release High Dynamic Range Rendering for HL2 in the future, Steam will know if my computer can handle it, and deliver it right into my game. New texture pack... done.
Steam is the most well intergrated and thorough content management system developed for any videogame, ever.
