The Valve and Steam Platform Discussion Thread

[tuluse]

I really do hope that steam expands into mobile devices. Not that I would use it, but I'd much rather see those mobile dollars go towards gaben's ice cream fund than apple/google's corporate coffers.

It will likely be a combination of both. Google, Apple and Microsoft won't losen their grip on what can be put onto their phones, so there will be a 'marketplace tax' for every game sold.

Then developers can pay 20% royalty to apple/google, 30% to valve and keep whatever scraps leftover for themselves.

There are already alternate stores for android. Google gets no money from these.

 

[Kane]

I really do hope that steam expands into mobile devices. Not that I would use it, but I'd much rather see those mobile dollars go towards gaben's ice cream fund than apple/google's corporate coffers.

It will likely be a combination of both. Google, Apple and Microsoft won't losen their grip on what can be put onto their phones, so there will be a 'marketplace tax' for every game sold.

Then developers can pay 20% royalty to apple/google, 30% to valve and keep whatever scraps leftover for themselves.

There are already alternate stores for android. Google gets no money from these.

well, then steam on android should not be an issue

 

[Infinitron]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/05/20/alienware-steam-machines/

Alienware: Steam Machine Will Be Our ‘Least Profitable’ Ever
By Nathan Grayson on May 20th, 2014 at 9:00 am.

I find it interesting how Valve both is and isn’t investing a lot of time and precious, precious GabeNcoins into its Steam Machine initiative. On one hand, this is the PC juggernaut’s plan to bull-rush through the living room’s console-lined walls and play jump rope with the entrails of enemies within, but on the other Valve is hedging its bets as cautiously as possible. It’s letting countless hardware manufacturers take the risk on building and distributing these things, and it’s hoping audiences will give them some clue as to what they should do after that. It’s not a terrible strategy by any means. It’s just a very Valve-centric one. Hardware manufacturers like Alienware, then, are worried, even as they place utmost faith in Valve’s time-proven ability to prime penniless pumps until money cascades out like a Biblical flood.

The Wall Street Journal spoke with a number of said hardware manufacturers about their thoughts on Valve’s mad plan to take over the world one room of your house at a time, and many were skeptical. Alienware’s Frank Azor, especially, thinks his company will come out of this with a pretty sizable hole in its wallet.

“It’s going to be very challenging. This will absolutely be the least profitable system we ever sell.”

And yet, even with that in mind, Alienware’s leading the Steam Machine charge. This, said Azor, is because Valve has dwarfed all previous notions of PC gaming success in the past, and they could well do it again.

Falcon Northwest president Kelt Reeves and Telltale CEO Dan Connors were on the same page as Alienware. “If anyone can do this, Valve can do it,” Reeves said.

Other companies, however, weren’t so sure, with iBuyPower’s Tuan Nguyen noting that Steam Machines might lead to a fragmented living room crowd even as they stand to provide a set-in-stone-ish target spec for game developers to aim for. ”It’s like the Android phone marketplace,” he explained. “You have phones all over the place with wild specs and pricing.”

In other words, Steam Machines might narrow down the PC market a little, but not enough to avoid confusing potential buyers – especially when there are so many options in so many different price and power ranges. Some will be upgradable, others won’t, etc, etc, etc.

Much like Steam Machines themselves, then, hardware manufacturers’ perspectives on Valve’s outside shot of a plan are many and varied. Has anything at all convinced you to maybe even mull over the idea of picking one up? Personally, I’m not sold. My current PC is already great, and I can use it in my living room. Steam Machines, meanwhile, don’t strike me as simple/accessible enough for console crowds or versatile enough for longtime PC gamers. I’m not sure if Alienware is right to be this worried, but I do think there’s cause for concern.

 

[DalekFlay]

Today's update:

• DLC can now be disabled in the DLC properties page for a game

FINALLY!

 

[garren]

Nice.

 

[SwiftCrack]

That was out for like a few weeks already though?

 

[Infinitron]

Steam Machines delayed to 2015: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamuniverse#announcements/detail/1820891223906967821

We've been getting emails from the Steam community asking us how our in-development Steam Machines are coming along. It's great that you're excited about it, and we know you appreciate it when we keep you in the loop on stuff like this, so we wanted to give you all a quick update.

We’re now using wireless prototype controllers to conduct live playtests, with everyone from industry professionals to die-hard gamers to casual gamers. It's generating a ton of useful feedback, and it means we'll be able to make the controller a lot better. Of course, it's also keeping us pretty busymaking all those improvements. Realistically, we're now looking at a release window of 2015, not 2014.

Obviously we're just as eager as you are to get a Steam Machine in your hands. But our number one priority is making sure that when you do, you'll be getting the best gaming experience possible. We hope you'll be patient with us while we get there. Until then, we’ll continue to post updates as we have more stories to share.

As always, we love getting feedback on the Steam Machine and Steam controller from the community. After all, you're the people we want to be happiest when we release them.

Feel free to continue posting your thoughts and suggestions to the Steam Universe discussion group.

 

[Metro]

Seems like they're better off waiting for Maxwell architecture since it's more compact and requires less power.

 

[tuluse]

Seems like they're better off waiting for Maxwell architecture since it's more compact and requires less power.

This is computing, it will always be true.

 

[DalekFlay]

Seems like they're better off waiting for Maxwell architecture since it's more compact and requires less power.

Sounds more like they can't fix the controller's obvious problems.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/290770/

Looks a bit like The Swapper. Might get it after they finish the whole trilogy.

 

[Flying_Dutchman]

This just in:

Valve confirms some Early Access games may never be finished

Valve has updated its FAQ on Steam's Early Access games program to explicitly state that games may never be completed by their developers.

The response to the question "When will these games release?" now reads:

"Its [sic] up to the developer to determine when they are ready to 'release'. Some developers have a concrete deadline in mind, while others will get a better sense as the development of the game progresses. You should be aware that some teams will be unable to 'finish' their game. So you should only buy an Early Access game if you are excited about playing it in its current state."

The best part? The FAQ also says: "This is the way games should be made."

Source.

 

[Cazzeris]

I think that Early Access is PC Gaming's most worrying problem.

It only brings dissapointment to our computers and developers should use it only if they have done a kickstarter campaign or something like that.

 

[Spectacle]

Early Access is not a problem if people follow this little bit of advice:

you should only buy an Early Access game if you are excited about playing it in its current state

Buy the game if you think it's worth the money right now, and consider any development that happens after that as a bonus.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

EA is a poor-man's substitute for proper publisher-funded QA testing. Also, that 'playing a game first time' should be 'best time' sentiment has been murdered by EA.

 

[DalekFlay]

Early Access is not a problem if people follow this little bit of advice:

you should only buy an Early Access game if you are excited about playing it in its current state

Buy the game if you think it's worth the money right now, and consider any development that happens after that as a bonus.

Yep. I only bought one early access game for exactly this reason. The vast majority of them I would rather wait until they're done. f you don't agree with early access then don't pay for it, and when games get abandoned you can laugh at the suckers like I will.

 

[Spectacle]

Also, that 'playing a game first time' should be 'best time' sentiment has been murdered by EA.

If that is an issue for you then don't fucking play Early Access games. Problem solved.

There are enough challenges facing quality gaming today, we don't have to invent imaginary ones.

 

[Turjan]

Also, that 'playing a game first time' should be 'best time' sentiment has been murdered by EA.

If that is an issue for you then don't fucking play Early Access games. Problem solved.

They are brothers. It always works. Selling an unfinished game at full price is EA tradition.

 

[Telengard]

The benefits of Early Access are countless, but I will just list the top 5.
1) Do work that you should be getting paid for, for FREE.
2) Help shape the game by spending hours of your day filling out questionnaires that NO ONE WILL EVER READ!
3) Give the developers even more disincentive to ever finish their game by giving them your money now, and thus REDUCING THE MONEY THEY GET IF THEY COMPLETE IT!
4) Get permanently banned from the forums and multiplayer for giving improper feedback BEFORE THE GAME IS EVEN RELEASED!
5) It's not just a purchase, it's an investment* in your future enjoyment, that you get to enjoy NOW!

*All normal rules of investing apply.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I think that Early Access is PC Gaming's most worrying problem.

lolnope, you have complete control over whether you want to play a game in EA or not...unlike with DRM, casualization and microtransactions.

Early Access is not a problem if people follow this little bit of advice:

you should only buy an Early Access game if you are excited about playing it in its current state

Buy the game if you think it's worth the money right now, and consider any development that happens after that as a bonus.

The problem is that many of those games are getting "BUY NOW WHILE THE PRICE IS LOW" ads, which causes people to see EA as a pre-pre-order.

 

[Caim]

Also, that 'playing a game first time' should be 'best time' sentiment has been murdered by EA.

If that is an issue for you then don't fucking play Early Access games. Problem solved.

They are brothers. It always works. Selling an unfinished game at full price is EA tradition.

Obviously, all the shovelware on Steam is a plot by EA to damage Steam's reputation and to get more people to use Origin.

 

[Cazzeris]

I think that Early Access is PC Gaming's most worrying problem.

lolnope, you have complete control over whether you want to play a game in EA or not...unlike with DRM, casualization and microtransactions.

Nobody forces me to buy microtransactions, so I just ignore them. DRM is quite harmful, but Steam has revived PC Gaming; so it's a necessary evil (not on other forms, like UPlay or Origin).

And casualization is not that worrying if we are talking about PC Gaming. There are always devs who are sick of casual games.

Anyway, Early Access can destroy a development's evolution and players' trust; so most of the developers shouldn't release games in Early Access

 

[DalekFlay]

Anyway, Early Access can destroy a development's evolution and players' trust; so most of the developers shouldn't release games in Early Access

Those things are only harmed when people buy early access games expecting them to be finished games. It's like the people too retarded to find Cossades in Morrowind bring about quest arrows, and the fucks who buy shit like Watch Dogs in droves because of marketing. The publishers have never, ever been the enemy. It's always been the retardos buying games.

 

[Don Peste]

The publishers have never, ever been the enemy. It's always been the retardos buying games.

Aren't all those multi-million dollar marketing campaigns a work of the publishers?

 

[DalekFlay]

The publishers have never, ever been the enemy. It's always been the retardos buying games.

Aren't all those multi-million dollar marketing campaigns a work of the publishers?

Doesn't that shit only work because retardos fall for it?