to Steam, or not to Steam

(BioSnark) #181

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3330-IAGK-7663&l=english

(DarkangelUK) #182

Seems like a good enough reason to me

(tokamak) #183

The ability to host free weekends and hand out guest passes is something that I really look forward to in Brink and wish ETQW had it.

(SockDog) #184

Thanks for digging that out. I’m sure some would disagree but seems fair enough to me.

Along with free DLC. :slight_smile:

(kamikazee) #185

[QUOTE=DarkangelUK;226387]Seems like a good enough reason to me[/QUOTE]Well, it is a system that works but is extremely clever as well: it can be summarized as “gives us money to prove you mean it”.

[QUOTE=SockDog;226404]Along with free DLC. :)[/QUOTE]I still find it ironic that we used to call that stuff “patches”. You know, like the RtCW updates / map packs which brought more SD goodies. It’s not as if Valve / Microsoft / whoever invented it…

(tokamak) #186

It’s marketing. People pay for DLC, they don’t pay for patches.

(SockDog) #187

No its just different and perhaps a more accurate terminology. Sure it’s more synonymous with paid for products rather than free but that is mainly due to the pervasiveness of consoles more than an actual definition.

Nobody said anyone invented DLC, it just seems more logical to define a content package differently to a bug fix one. Especially when many people have to pay for it rather than install it to fix bugs. Frankly I applaud Valve for still sticking with free DLC and hope Bethesda/SD see it in a similar way.

It’s also ironic that Kamikazee takes issue with using an alternate term and then uses patch, update and map pack to refer to exactly the same thing. :slight_smile:

(kamikazee) #188

It’s not as much the term that bothers me - it is the fact that you prepended “free” to it. This never happened for the term “patch” which is free by default (at least I hope it remains so - mostly it’s because the product was faulty).

You are right though that “patch” doesn’t imply that it contains content nor that it should.

(SockDog) #189

I was just saying that where Valve does charge for DLC on consoles they don’t on the PC. So the emphasis on free is necessary, especially when the point was that I would like SD/Beth to do the same.

Which brings me to something else. I’d really love to see smaller patches and hotfixes rolled out fast via Steam updates rather than wait for the larger point releases. Consider it a wider QA beta test before doing the console patch. I guess if Beth was twitchy you could do it as a Beta Opt-In. I just hate doing the hacks and tricks to bypass bugs until a point release is QA’d, packed, passed certification etc etc etc.

(H0RSE) #190

In all fairness, Valve doesn’t charge for DLC on consoles - that is Microsoft’s doing. Valve wanted it to be free.

(SockDog) #191

In reality Valve has a vesting interest in bringing people to the PC/Mac and Steam and less in making people happy on Live. While I’m sure the whole MS makes them pay has some if not most bearing on the issue I do also think they’re trying to say “if you want this for free get it on a PC and via our own platform.”

(BioSnark) #192

a patch generally refers to a small fix for a program bug or glitch. Reference being patching (covering over with a material) a hole.

(Bernard the Beast) #193

I’ve been looking at Brink for the past few weeks now, and it looks like the culmination of a dozen great game ideas put into a single, heavenly blend. The magical protein shake that infuses one with raw power and adrenaline, giving them the encouragement to punch out an angry bear or drive a monster truck over the flaming wreckage of a demonic Subaru…

…which concludes indirectly with the reason I just signed up on these forums: to throw another ‘No’ vote to Steam Exclusivity.

For the past months, my gaming rig has been fouled by Steam in more than one unwholesome way, from technical issues, to community issues, to being punched in the face by the [Store] window every time I open it, despite telling it to show only the Games tab. It’s tiresome having another process (or two) running when dedicating my computer to a single game. It’s annoying when I’m not connected to the internet, and just wanting to enjoy a single-player experience, having to go through the bother of starting Steam, waiting for it to fail to connect, and restart Steam in Offline mode, and then realizing I can’t play the game because it wants to install an update that I didn’t finish downloading, or that it didn’t start downloading in the first place.
It’s a great program in theory–let’s merge community with marketplace with entertainment access…but the multitude of issues that I’ve experienced involving Steam trying to dictate to me what games I can play and when that fails to endear me to it.

Steam Compatible? Surely! Steam Exclusive? Hopefully not…

Anywho. I’ve said ‘I’ in this post more than I normally do, so I’m going to wander off and try to figure out a way to introduce myself in a more pious way towards Brink. And a belated ‘howdy’ to Splash Damage forums!

(Senethro) #194

Steams in. Its not going to be out. No point in moaning about it.

Steam takes up barely any resources when minimized. No computer capable of running Brink will even notice Steam running in the background. Its a multplayer game online primarily so complaints about online requirement don’t carry much weight. You shouldn’t have used the Steam beta UI until it was out of beta.

That about covers it.

(Ashog) #195

Steam is ****. Seems you are the only one who likes ****.

(DarkangelUK) #196

Yes, Senethro is the only person that has Steam installed on the planet, 1,376,238 current users is just made up.

(Kl3ppy) #197

I think thats a good idea.

(LyndonL) #198

Irrespective of what people want, it is what it is.

(Pytox) #199

It’s way more then that :tongue:, sometimes it’s over 2 million :smiley:

(Apples) #200

Oh :open_mouth: this debate is not over yet!

charging guns "Go over pagants! it will be steam ! period!

Yahaaaaaa