The Valve and Steam Platform Discussion Thread

[Caim]

Valve is the saviour and the cancer of PC Gaming at the same time.

No, Valve is like a bomb waiting to go off one day. You all better hope Gabe doesn't die of a heart attack or something and Valve gets bought by EA/Activision/etc.

Not sure how this works legal-wise in the Kwa, but isn't Gaben one of few owners of Valve, and upon his or those of his partners' death(s) does their part get divided equally amongst the survivors?

 

[Infinitron]

As far as anybody knows, Gabe Newell is the sole owner of Valve. There used to be another guy, though, Mike Harrington: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Harrington

 

[DragoFireheart]

Not sure how this works legal-wise in the Kwa, but isn't Gaben one of few owners of Valve, and upon his or those of his partners' death(s) does their part get divided equally amongst the survivors?

It would likely go to his wife depending on how his will is written.

 

[Astral Rag]

Valve has said Early Access is "the way games should be made.

 

[Zewp]

No, Valve is like a bomb waiting to go off one day. You all better hope Gabe doesn't die of a heart attack or something and Valve gets bought by EA/Activision/etc.

With practically every giant publisher having financial trouble and the way Valve has been expanding likely, I doubt anyone would be able to afford buying Valve in its entirety a few years down the line. Activision maybe, depending on whether WoW and CoD remains cash-cows.

 

[DragoFireheart]

With practically every giant publisher having financial trouble and the way Valve has been expanding likely, I doubt anyone would be able to afford buying Valve in its entirety a few years down the line. Activision maybe, depending on whether WoW and CoD remains cash-cows.

That's why I said they are a time bomb and not a issue now.

 

[Metro]

Fargo is right. Obviously not through the games they develop but the Steam platform has given a huge lift to designers who otherwise wouldn't be able to put their game out. The only negative on Steam is the whole 'game ownership' debate which, in the grand scheme of things, is trivial compared to 99% of people's daily living expenses. There is no problem with Early Access -- it's entirely optional. I've bought a couple of Early Access titles but have now decided it usually takes too long to reach released state that there's no point in playing an alpha/beta. Again, completely the consumer's choice. If you don't think you should pay for access to a game in alpha... don't.

As far as Valve ownership, I believe Gabe is either the sole or the majority partner by a significant majority. He has a wife. He has a child. I'd say the chances are high that it stays in the family. Maybe twenty or so years from now something bad will happen but at that point the Steam detractors will look like idiots: bunch of fifty year olds grousing about whether they can still access some thirty year old games.

 

[Metro]

Or maybe the unthinkable will happen and Drago will spawn children so they can grouse about game ownership issues while he passes a kidney stone.

 

[tuluse]

Or maybe the unthinkable will happen and Drago will spawn children so they can grouse about game ownership issues while he passes a kidney stone.

His philosophy is that it's better to get reamed in the ass now by Microsoft and Xbox than to potentially get reamed later on by Valve.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Wasteland 2's Brian Fargo: Valve "the saviour of the PC"

And yet Brian Fargo doesn't get it HOW Valve became the savior of the PC.

Spoiler

By relieving developers of the pressure of having to charge $60 for their products.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Valve has said Early Access is "the way games should be made.

Well, it's beta testing by people who are so interested in the task they are willing to pay for it. As long as the devs ignore the stupid suggestions and don't run away with the money, everyone is happy.

 

[Destroid]

Valve is the saviour and the cancer of PC Gaming at the same time.

No, Valve is like a bomb waiting to go off one day. You all better hope Gabe doesn't die of a heart attack or something and Valve gets bought by EA/Activision/etc.

Indeed, I've been saying this for a while, when Gabe dies it is going to be a disaster of unprecedented scale for PC gaming.

 

[Metro]

In twenty years you might be right!

 

[Delbaeth]

Maybe twenty or so years from now something bad will happen but at that point the Steam detractors will look like idiots: bunch of fifty year olds grousing about whether they can still access some thirty year old games.

Yeah.
Fargo does look like an idiot for sure: he was trying to revive a 25 YEARS OLD IP.
And the whole Codex is full of idiots praising games like Fallout: OMG, IT'S MORE THAN 15 YEARS OLD!

Just stick to recent popamole crap.

His philosophy is that it's better to get reamed in the ass now by Microsoft and Xbox than to potentially get reamed later on by Valve.

Ooooooh Yeah. There's nothing else for sure.

Binary minds don't deserve choice and freedom.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

^woosh

 

[Kane]

Valve has said Early Access is "the way games should be made.

Well, it's beta testing by people who are so interested in the task they are willing to pay for it. As long as the devs ignore the stupid suggestions and don't run away with the money, everyone is happy.

And that's exactly the problem I have with it. The developers have absolutely no obligation to not do just that. I mean, I assume that around 90% of all studios are owned and operated by morally sound individuals that are in business for making games first and money second. But that still leaves 10% that potentially just want to screw you over. Only paying for existing and finished products effectively zeros that possibility.

 

[Zewp]

My problem is that Steam doesn't seem to have any way of checking whether Early Access developers are actually competent enough to get around to ever finishing their games. What Early Access has essentially done is empower a whole generation of hobby developers to put their games on Steam without doing anything about the fact that hobby developers very often don't finish products because they get bored halfway through or they get 'burned out' like the Towns dev.

You can just check out the Desura Alpha Fund section the see where Steam Early Access is heading in the next few years. Desura's Alpha Fund is filled to the brim with games that have been abandoned for years already simply because the developers got bored or couldn't be arsed to go back and finish them.

 

[Kane]

My problem is that Steam doesn't seem to have any way of checking whether Early Access developers are actually competent enough to get around to ever finishing their games.

And there will never be a way to 100% guarantee that. Investing in early access is just that: an investement. You're gambling your money on the positive outcome of the game's development.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

Desura's Alpha Fund is filled to the brim with games that have been abandoned for years already simply because the developers got bored or couldn't be arsed to go back and finish them.

I think that there's also the simple problem of devs getting too much money at once. Either they'll start working on too many things at once or just will enjoy the sudden extra cash for their own needs. Imagine being Notch, working on your little pet project and over a short period of time getting all that money - I sure wouln't mind stopping working at my late 20s/early 30s or w/e.

 

[DragoFireheart]

In twenty years you might be right!

More like in 20 points of BMI.

 

[Spectacle]

I can't see any reason why gaben would sell Valve. He's already filthy rich, and Valve provides him with infrastructure and constant income to fund any kind of crazy project he might want to play around with.

My problem is that Steam doesn't seem to have any way of checking whether Early Access developers are actually competent enough to get around to ever finishing their games.

And there will never be a way to 100% guarantee that. Investing in early access is just that: an investement. You're gambling your money on the positive outcome of the game's development.

Depends on the game. Many "early access" games are playable and worth the money even if they're not finished yet. Caveat Emptor applies of course, but a good rule of thumb is to only pay for early access if you want to play the game in its current state.

 

[tuluse]

And that's exactly the problem I have with it. The developers have absolutely no obligation to not do just that. I mean, I assume that around 90% of all studios are owned and operated by morally sound individuals that are in business for making games first and money second. But that still leaves 10% that potentially just want to screw you over. Only paying for existing and finished products effectively zeros that possibility.

You must really hate kickstarter then.

 

[Kane]

And that's exactly the problem I have with it. The developers have absolutely no obligation to not do just that. I mean, I assume that around 90% of all studios are owned and operated by morally sound individuals that are in business for making games first and money second. But that still leaves 10% that potentially just want to screw you over. Only paying for existing and finished products effectively zeros that possibility.

You must really hate kickstarter then.

Hate is the wrong word but yes, I am highly critical of KS.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

And that's exactly the problem I have with it. The developers have absolutely no obligation to not do just that. I mean, I assume that around 90% of all studios are owned and operated by morally sound individuals that are in business for making games first and money second. But that still leaves 10% that potentially just want to screw you over. Only paying for existing and finished products effectively zeros that possibility.

Well, there's always the possibility of being screwed over with finished products too: bugged game won't be patched, multiplayer game gets abandoned in a wekk, or the game can just be really shitty

 

[Kane]

Well, there's always the possibility of being screwed over with finished products too: bugged game won't be patched, multiplayer game gets abandoned in a wekk, or the game can just be really shitty

Sure, but you know what you get if you buy a finished product. Plus, reviews.