Steam: what's so great about it?
I am not trolling. I am genuinely interested to understand why so many people seem to be so enamoured with Steam. On these very forums, we have read quite a few times phrases like "I would not buy the game from anywhere else than Steam". More generally, the posts by Steam ooze with a passion for that platform. I have bought a few games on Steam but as far as I am concerned, this is just another distribution channel. I also bought from GOG, GameTree Mac, or directly from Indie developers. So really, I would really like somebody to educate me about what I have been missing for so long about Steam.
Post edited by Jalily on
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I'm forced to use it because Fallout New Vegas and Skyrim use it.
-deep discount sales which allow me to get games I would never play otherwise
-practicality its a pretty useful to have all your games in one place and linked to one service
-its easy to use
-the overlay and social aspects admittedly I have only a couple of friends but I like the overlay and the in built chat etc
-gifting was a big plus for me back when I first used it too
-also it brings to your attention games you would never notice otherwise
-payment methods
also
if you have no choice in the matter as is the case with many games id rather have steam then the alternatives
its worth noting I was pretty negative about steam for the longest time
I only use credit cards when I travel abroad.
Call me weird but I owe to no one.
Basically, frequent sales and a bunch of little useful community features buy a lot of loyalty. I have become more aware of how poor Steam is with indies, though, and so I've tried to fight the "wait until it hits Steam" impulse more.
Even without it, it's a great platform to make gaming friends and play together ofc.
You can chat while you play different games or invite ppl to your game with one click.
I don't use it anymore as i can't play games as much.
Alternative here: http://www.gog.com/game/system_shock_2 $9.99 Same price worldwide, no DRM, no login to play.
The problem, though, is that no one is the hero forever. I'm basically betting that I'll grow tired of all my Steam games before Steam becomes something bad in the distant future.
For me, its not Steam per se. If EAs or Ubisofts DDL services were as good, I'd use them. Alas, they are not.
huge sales
community overlay
built in web browser
automated patching
consolidated place for my games.
Whenever I upgrade my PC or OS, it's handy just to click "install" on the games I want and walk away. No switching CDs or anything. Most people prefer Steam, because if we HAVE to have an online game client, Steam is by far the best over GFWL, Origin, etc.
The no nonsense approach of digital distribution (which applies to all distributors, not just Steam) is more efficient than hunting for a physical copy, which will not only take more time, but also cost more, if it is actually in stock. It is also better than waiting 3-5 days for delivery when ordering from an online retailer, if it doesn't get lost in the post, or turn up damaged. As stated, this applies to all digital distribution providers, but Steam was one of the first (credibility), it is one of the most popular (large community), and Valve are considered to be one of the more financially secure distributors (dependability) meaning there is no fear of a game collection becoming lost should a hard drive give up the ghost.
I am one of those who prefers to have my digital games all in the same place. It's similar to having my physical games all on the same shelf, as oppose to scattered around separate rooms. Moreover, it's a matter of having my personal details, especially if bank details are required, in as few a places as possible on the world wide web. Nevertheless, I do like to support developers where possible. I purchased BGEE and BG2EE via Beamdog, and I picked up FTL: Faster than Light, as well as Game Dev Tycoon, direct from their respective developers.
For a long while it wasthe easiest, most convenient method of downloading games straight onto your harddrive without having to go out and purchase a physical copy.
Now that this has become standard industry practise, the service has become less relevant. However, the bi-annual sales it runs with deep discounting are still a pretty attractive reason to buy games on steam
The way I see it is this, and it is similar wording to what @PhillipDaigle said: no one is the hero forever.
As absurd as it might sound, what happens to your library when Valve retires the server space for some of the more aged games? Doesn't sound all that bad right now, but in another ten years when you feel somewhat nostalgic? Consolidating all your games under one service just means that when something bad does happens, that consolidated games library crumbles entirely and you lose everything, not just a game or two. All those eggs in one basket, yada-yada. Something not quite as bad as that happened to me not so long ago, in fact, and I lost every single money off coupon I had in my inventory, and I had about 30 in total. It wasn't just me, either. Unlike some of the individuals within that link, I didn't get them back.
Steam is a good enough service, when it works.
Aside from that, I feel like I should be paying the people actually doing the work; Overhaul/Beamdog/IdeaSpark Labs in the case of BG[2]:EE, Telltale in the case of The Wolf Among Us, TaleWorlds in the case of Mount & Blade, etc., etc., rather than the middleman.
Edit: or am I just misunderstanding what you guys are referring to?