The Valve and Steam Platform Discussion Thread

[Jigawatt]

Here is the brave new design I guess... Jesus Christ. Makes my eyes bleed.

At least it finally answers what is an RPG

 

[Abhay]

Ubuntu Changes Its Mind, Says it WILL Continue to Support 32-bit Apps

Follow up to earlier news about Steam dropping official support for Ubuntu

Spoiler

Canonical has issued a statement on Ubuntu’s 32-bit future — and gamers, among others, are sure to relieved!

The company says Ubuntu WILL now continue to build and maintain a 32-bit archive going forward — albeit, not a full one.

In a response emailed to me (but presumably posted online somewhere) the company cite “the huge amount of feedback this weekend from gamers, Ubuntu Studio, and the WINE community” for persuading them to change track.

That outcry, almost unparalleled in Ubuntu’s history, resulted in Valve, makers of the hugely popular games distribution service Steam, announcing that it would not support future Ubuntu releases.

This, combined with worries from users relaying on legacy applications or Windows-only software ran through WINE, has resulted in a change of plans.

Accordingly, Canonical says it “…will build selected 32-bit i386 packages for Ubuntu 19.10 and 20.04 LTS,” they say.

Notice the word “selected” there. It seems the full 32-bit archive we enjoy now wont stick around, but a curated collection of libraries, tooling and other packages will be made available.

This should ensure that vital consumer software like Steam, and legacy Windows apps many businesses and education establishments rely on, continue to function on future releases.

Canonical adds that it: “…will put in place a community process to determine which 32-bit packages are needed to support legacy software, and can add to that list post-release if we miss something that is needed.”

Shocked? Surprised? Of course you aren’t! The moment Steam signalled it wouldn’t support Ubuntu 19.10 if 32-bit packages weren’t available a volte-face from Canonical was inevitable.

Which, to their credit, they swiftly done.

“The Ubuntu developers remain committed as always to the principle of making Ubuntu the best open source operating system across desktop, server, cloud, and IoT. We look forward to the ongoing engagement of our users in continuing to make this principle a reality.”

This isn’t a total reprieve for 32-bit fans. Ubuntu has no plans to re-add 32-bit install ISOs or provide 32-bit library support in perpetuity.

Instead, it hopes to work with WINE, Ubuntu Studio and gaming community to explore the use of container technology to ‘address the ultimate end of life of 32-bit libraries.’ The aim: to create a safer, secure way to run old applications on newer versions of Ubuntu.

 

[Sentinel]

Steam wasn't dropping support for Ubuntu, it was the other way around. Hence Ubuntu backpedalling (and not Valve).

 

[Alienman]

I don't understand this event. This is my Steam event page now:

I'm 1000 points from getting the 5 euro discount, which is the only thing I want which requires one more of these boosts. But it's grayed out and have been so for half a day now, so I'm wondering am I stuck here now or will I able to boost one more time? Not even sure what is hindering me from bootsting.

 

[markec]

I don't understand this event. This is my Steam event page now:

I'm 1000 points from getting the 5 euro discount, which is the only thing I want which requires one more of these boosts. But it's grayed out and have been so for half a day now, so I'm wondering am I stuck here now or will I able to boost one more time? Not even sure what is hindering me from bootsting.

I think it resets at the time when sale started then you can earn same amount as yesterday.

 

[Dexter]

I'm 1000 points from getting the 5 euro discount, which is the only thing I want which requires one more of these boosts. But it's grayed out and have been so for half a day now, so I'm wondering am I stuck here now or will I able to boost one more time? Not even sure what is hindering me from bootsting.

Start a game that has a lot of Achievements unlocked and idle for half an hour or do some of the tasks displayed below in any of the "Participating Games" till you gathered the remaining 10273 points.

How do I fill up my Boost Meter with points?
You can fill up your Boost Meter by completing quests in participating games and by earning Steam Achievements. Your point total cannot exceed your Boost Meter's capacity.

 

[Alienman]

Can I start whatever game I want? I tried BB where I have some achievements, but it's not showing up on the event page. Is 30 minutes the minimum limit?

Edit:

Okay, it worked. Finally got the last boost and can use that 5 euro discount. Thanks Dexter

 

[Sentinel]

 

[Dickie]

 

[Silentstorm]

Only 2034?

With how much that joke is said, i'd think it would be up for release on 2200 or more.

 

[Plaguecrafter]

Hell, I thought we'd already get to the year 3000 with how much the joke has been thrown around.

 

[LESS T_T]

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news...fusion_as_games_are_pulled_from_Wishlists.php

Devs hit by Steam promo confusion as games are pulled from Wishlists

A number of developers are seeing their games being pulled from Steam Wishlists due a confusing Summer Sale promotion.

As spotted Tom Vian, co-founder of Snipperclips developer SFB Games, Steam is currently running a Summer Sale 'Grand Prix' competition that offers users a chance to win their "most wished for games."

The explainer on the official Steam website advises users to "update your Wishlist" before entering the competition, because the winners "will be awarded their Most Wished For games throughout the event."

Because of that wording, some players seem to think the promotion could result in them being gifted any title from their Wishlist, resulting in them deleting cheaper games to boost their odds of winning a more expensive triple-A release.

In actual fact, as shown by Steam's own tweets, players will only ever be gifted one of their "top-ranked Wishlish games," meaning they simply need to reorder their Wishlist rather than delete games entirely.

It's a frustrating situation that yesterday resulted in SFB Games witnessing more people deleting its titles from their Wishlists than purchasing them, which as Vian notes is something that has never happened in a sale before.

It's not just the Snipperclips maker that's been affected, either, and others including The Swindle developer Dan Marshall and Rise to Ruins creator Raymond Doerr have seen an abnormal number of Wishlist deletions in the past 24 hours.

At the time of writing Steam has yet to amend the wording on its official website. (Update: Valve has since shared a blog post that aims to better explain what it means by "most wished for games.")

https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/1612767708777544444

Behind the Scenes at the Summer Sale Grand Prix Races



We’ve heard your feedback about the complexity of the Steam Grand Prix event. We designed something pretty complicated with a whole bunch of numbers and rules and recognize we should’ve been more clear. We want to apologize for the confusion that this has caused, and also apologize for the broken mechanics that have led to an unbalanced event.

Based on your feedback, we’ve made some updates to the game, which should make it more fun to play:

• We've made improvements to the Driver's Dash and Manual, to help clarify how to play.
  
  
• We’ve made some back-end changes to help mitigate some of the snowball effects we’ve seen that have led to Team Corgi running away with the first two days of the races despite their tiny legs.
  
  
• We’ve changed some code to help deal with the imbalanced team sizes across the board.
  
  
• We've added a new random drop drivers can receive upon boosting called STEAL BOOSTS. If another team is way ahead, use this attack against them to help close the gap by stealing their boosts for your own team.

To clarify one point: if your team makes it to the podium and you are randomly chosen to win something off your Steam Wishlist, then we’ll grant you the top item. Just move your favorite item to the top of your wishlist and you should be good to go. There's no need to remove other items from your wishlist -- keep them there so you'll be notified when those items release or go on sale.



We’re hoping some of these changes will help make the event more clear and enjoyable. We’ll keep an eye on things and continue to adjust the game as needed. Our goal is to host a fun event where you get to explore and use Steam in new and interesting ways, but it’s clear that this time around we could’ve done better. To help make up for all this, for everyone who was active on day 1 we’re going to increase the max points you can earn by 1000, and further increase this by another 1000 for everyone who was active on day 2 (so if you were active on both days, you’ll be able to earn another 2000 points). This will increase the maximum number of points you can earn through completing quests or achievements in your games, which you’ll then be able to spend at the Pit Stop.

This will all roll out during today’s race on day 3, at Magic Mountain. Thanks for your patience and best of luck!

Sincerely,
The Steam Team

 

[Latelistener]

To help make up for all this, for everyone who was active on day 1 we’re going to increase the max points you can earn by 1000, and further increase this by another 1000 for everyone who was active on day 2 (so if you were active on both days, you’ll be able to earn another 2000 points).

So, I was suppose to get 5226 points, but for some mysterious reason got only 2249. On the second day I got 100, plus aforementioned 1000 right now because I was active on the first day. 3349 total instead of 5226. Is this what they call "make up for all this"?

 

[Silentstorm]

Valve, quick tip, if you want to keep looking better than Epic, please make sales a lot simpler and avoid gimmicks, or make sure they are properly explained and work at least rather than making people take indie games out of their wishlists.

 

[LESS T_T]

I guess they could make it explicitly clear by directly displaying user's top wishlist game on the event page. "See? You'll receive this game if you win. Move order if you want other game."

 

[BlackAdderBG]

If the fat fuck dies or sells Valve Steam is doomed. There is so much retardation going on outside the top brass or whomever is calling the shots in Valve it's unreal. I get the feeling one or two people are holding the hordes of fucking up everything.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

A lot of the good parts of Steam are due to Gabe directly intervening -- e.g., not being the videogame police was his idea. After they delisted Hatred he received word of backlash and intervened.

 

[J_C]

Valve, quick tip, if you want to keep looking better than Epic, please make sales a lot simpler and avoid gimmicks, or make sure they are properly explained and work at least rather than making people take indie games out of their wishlists.

I'm all for this, I hate this gimmicy shit when it comes to sales. But unfortunately I see that people outside our circles are all over crap like this. When Valve doesn't make a minigame for the sales, gamers are always saying that the sale is shitty.

 

[LESS T_T]

Rare footage of the old man GabeN moving in real-time, raytraced. It has a joke the illusionary number of three. No one gave him a mic:



(GabeN from 2:27)

 

[Vault Dweller]

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news...fusion_as_games_are_pulled_from_Wishlists.php

Devs hit by Steam promo confusion as games are pulled from Wishlists

A number of developers are seeing their games being pulled from Steam Wishlists due a confusing Summer Sale promotion.

People delete wishlisted games they never really cared about or were planning to buy anyway. Panic and confusion spread across the globe.

 

[PrettyDeadman]

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news...fusion_as_games_are_pulled_from_Wishlists.php

Devs hit by Steam promo confusion as games are pulled from Wishlists

A number of developers are seeing their games being pulled from Steam Wishlists due a confusing Summer Sale promotion.

People delete wishlisted games they never really cared about or were planning to buy anyway. Panic and confusion spread across the globe.

Not necceseraly. They just delete cheaper games, so that their free game will save them more money.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Rare footage of the old man GabeN moving in real-time, raytraced. It has a joke the illusionary number of three. No one gave him a mic:



(GabeN from 2:27)

Aaaaaaaaand he's wearing Flip Flops of course.

 

[Fedora Master]

I don't think I'm ever going to see even a single 5 bux coupon with my point limit. Shit's retarded.

 

[Dexter]

I guess they could make it explicitly clear by directly displaying user's top wishlist game on the event page. "See? You'll receive this game if you win. Move order if you want other game."

Having won the Top10 Off my Wishlist back in 2011 during the Summer Sale I pretty much know the deal (although I'm not sure if they still do staggered Releases e.g. some of the games weren't even on Sale at the time and were added later).

Can't stop people from being retarded even though it kinda clearly said what the deal was, but they seem to have "fixed" it and made it clearer within a day while "Epic" still doesn't have a Cart function:

Although the usual suspects will try to ride this one out for a bit longer: http://archive.is/thRGQ

 

[Vault Dweller]

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news...fusion_as_games_are_pulled_from_Wishlists.php

Devs hit by Steam promo confusion as games are pulled from Wishlists

A number of developers are seeing their games being pulled from Steam Wishlists due a confusing Summer Sale promotion.

People delete wishlisted games they never really cared about or were planning to buy anyway. Panic and confusion spread across the globe.

Not necceseraly. They just delete cheaper games, so that their free game will save them more money.

My point is that deleting wishlisted dirt-cheap games during the summer sale (instead of buying them) means you aren't really interested in them. The avg wishlist conversion is 10-15%, so 85-90% of people who wishlist games have no intentions of buying them anyway, so complaining about lost wishlists is like complaining about piracy, thinking it's lost sales.