Is STEAM dying or near death?

[aaatoysandmore]

I know it's something we discuss and take sides on all the time but have you really noticed steam lately or for the past few years? All these B movie type games on the front page now. Hardly any mainstream titles and most of their sales games now are these B movie type games. I feel they are struggling now and trying to make the budget line with no-name titles and all these greenlite games that are pretty much all trash (platformers and fps) except for a few titles that we were waiting on long before there ever was this kickstarter program or green lighting. Now, I know Matrixgames has a few titles on Steam now but for them they could really use them for exposure, but a lot of these other games wouldn't make mint with enough exposure. I never seen so many I would even let in my house let alone on my computer even if they were free.

It's worrisome to say the least. As more and more crappy games make their way to the front page and not enough coming attractions I worry that all the games I bought on Steam may end up like that mess that Windows Live turned into and already several of the games that I bought on Steam do not work because Windows Live no longer supports them or is active. It's what I've been saying all along they can "promise" you the moon but when it comes right down to it when the plug is pulled it will be pulled and they won't give a hoot about you or anyone else.

Now, these 3rd party activations have to be processed like the new AOW III and you have to setup an account outside of Steam using your Steam account to link up with. UBIsoft or one of those UBI sites also has an outside activation and password setup system that I encountered when I bought Tropico IV. Everytime I launch it I have to put in my password from this UBI site and lauch the game with an outside launching system. What is this crap now?

[warspite1]

I don't really understand all this. You say that there are few mainstream titles nowadays. So what is happening then? Where are the mainstream titles? Are you saying there are less quality games being produced or that they are going elsewhere? If so where?

[DuckofTindalos]

Plenty of mainstream titles. What's happening is that Steam is trying to compete with Good Old Games by releasing oodles of very old games on the store, pushing out newer and better titles. With Valve's lack of quality control, a lot of garbage gets put out there, in both old and new titles.

As for whether or Steam is dying, that's unlikely (sorry, Steam haters). I don't think you realize precisely how much money Valve has.

[jday305]

Sorry aaatoysandmore but I don't really agree as I check out Steam on a weekly basis. I see several new games each week that include mainstream and greenlite games. I usually wait until the game is on sale before I buy it anymore as I can't afford $50+ price tags. Personnally, I think Stream pushes the Greenlite games before they are ready for the consumer. I do agree that more of their games are being activated by 3rd parties (UBIsoft) as I found with FarCry3 recently when I bought it on sale. Though I haven't bought any Greenlite games yet some of them I have found interesting; just waiting until they are out of beta.

[aaatoysandmore]

Dunno just less than a few years ago. Taking 5 years or more to make games had to catch up to them sometime. They've been giving discounts on many of the older titles for years but now there aren't enough new old titles to keep up that tactic. They are seemingly becoming Big Fish Games. Check it out sometime. Lots of games that are on Big Fish Games are now making it to Steam as well as Gamers Gate who I've noticed is also presenting more B Movielike game material. Plusl, the saturation of discount games is more prominent. I have everything I can think of I would want and so no longer spend $100's of dollars a year on gaming. So, if I have maxed out my gaming library and things I want I'm sure others have too. Thus, less sales, the spiral down effect just appears to be happening and they are grabbing at straws to make budget and ends meet. Watch for layoffs in the near future I think that will be a sign. As most of us know when businesses start to lose money payroll is the first to get cut.

[DuckofTindalos]

ORIGINAL: jday305

Sorry aaatoysandmore but I don't really agree as I check out Steam on a weekly basis. I see several new games each week that include mainstream and greenlite games. I usually wait until the game is on sale before I buy it anymore as I can't afford $50+ price tags. Personnally, I think Stream pushes the Greenlite games before they are ready for the consumer. I do agree that more of their games are being activated by 3rd parties (UBIsoft) as I found with FarCry3 recently when I bought it on sale. Though I haven't bought any Greenlite games yet some of them I have found interesting; just waiting until they are out of beta.

Greenlight is going to be discontinued shortly, exactly due to all the complaints about non-existent quality control.

[neofit]

I am sure Steam is doing fine, thank you very much . What new "mainstream" or AA+ titles did you see that a publisher, other than EA who has a competing platform, can afford not to put on Steam? What we are seeing is that few AA+ titles are being produced, and they are drowning in a sea of low quality indie crap that I wouldn't have bothered even copying for my ZX Spectrum back in the day . All the good indies are in the "Early Access" section. They have apparently figured out that Desura, GoG and consorts are making a lot of money selling this kind of games, and even if less people are buying each than AA+ games, as long as it costs less to put them up for sale, it's still extra profit.

[DuckofTindalos]

Of course, the problem with Early Access is that people might give up before finishing the product. It's happened a few times recently, and if you bought an Early Access game, your money is basically gone down the toilet.

Translation: don't buy Early Access. It's even more stupid than buying preorders.

[wings7]

Steam is not dying! Sure, there are alot of garbage games on it but there are alot of great mainstream and indie games also. If it were not for Steam (and others) we would never see these terrific indie games [:)] (think Banished). If Steam falters someone (or group) will step in and take over...look how many members that are on Steam. [X(]

Patrick

[Werewolf13]

When it comes to online distribution of games and effectively marketing them STEAM is the 800 lb Gorilla on the block. Heck - I can't remember the last time I bought a boxed game for the PC or the Playstation. Online distribution is it and STEAM right now is number one.

They've got some competition - Amazon for one - and Steam may not be the 800 lb gorilla forever. But they are for now.

Personally - I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Terminus
Translation: don't buy Early Access. It's even more stupid than buying preorders.

Soo...are you suggesting that the $500 preorder check that I sent Warspite1 for WiTP 3: WE (Warspite Edition) may have not have been in good judgement?

[DuckofTindalos]

Yes. You should have sent me $750 instead.

[wodin]

Highly unlikely. Unless they've blown shed loads of money in bad investments I'm sure they are more than fine.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Terminus
Translation: don't buy Early Access. It's even more stupid than buying preorders.

Soo...are you suggesting that the $500 preorder check that I sent Warspite1 for WiTP 3: WE (Warspite Edition) may have not have been in good judgement?

warspite1

Relax CB your money is safe. As soon as I've learned how to program a computer I will have the game up and running in no time.

WITP: WE will be THE bestest, most accurate war game ever, and will be free of the sort of stupid, childish mistakes that plague rubbish games like World In Flames, WITE and WITP: AE etc; namely, HMS Warspite will of course be unsinkable.

Used correctly, she will naturally win any battle, against any opposition, at any time in the war. Examples include: Running low on Spitfires during the Battle of Britain? send for the Grand Old Lady, Having trouble with Uranus? Ouch! Don't send for Zhukov, call for HMS Warspite, Getting hurt in the slot? The US Navy isn't the answer, call for everyone's favourite battleship, having trouble getting rid of a rather unsightly Bulge? Kick Patton into touch, dial 999 and request the assistance of HMS Warspite, The Allies favourite superheroine.

You know it makes sense [:)]

[Josh]

Greenlight is to be discontinued shortly? Damn that was the part I liked the most about Steam you know... these oldschool sidescrollers, hardcore RPG's all there in Greenlight.

[zakblood]

steam is what steam is, you either like it or don't, myself i have a few games on there, but don't use it most weeks, don't like the direction it's going but not bad enough to not use it at all.

updates and no cd/dvd protection is good, but a lot of clutter there i don't like, green light is ok if you like what's on offer, but mostly low end budget stuff thats not mainstream enough to sell either for me and some of it really is poor/rubbish, below even free tbh would be over priced at

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Terminus
Translation: don't buy Early Access. It's even more stupid than buying preorders.

Soo...are you suggesting that the $500 preorder check that I sent Warspite1 for WiTP 3: WE (Warspite Edition) may have not have been in good judgement?

warspite1

Relax CB your money is safe. As soon as I've learned how to program a computer I will have the game up and running in no time.

WITP: WE will be THE bestest, most accurate war game ever, and will be free of the sort of stupid, childish mistakes that plague rubbish games like World In Flames, WITE and WITP: AE etc; namely, HMS Warspite will of course be unsinkable.

Used correctly, she will naturally win any battle, against any opposition, at any time in the war. Examples include: Running low on Spitfires during the Battle of Britain? send for the Grand Old Lady, Having trouble with Uranus? Ouch! Don't send for Zhukov, call for HMS Warspite, Getting hurt in the slot? The US Navy isn't the answer, call for everyone's favourite battleship, having trouble getting rid of a rather unsightly Bulge? Kick Patton into touch, dial 999 and request the assistance of HMS Warspite, The Allies favourite superheroine.

You know it makes sense [:)]

warspite1

I've had a lot of PM's in the last couple of hours. Don't worry. I can confirm that WITP:WE WILL be available on both Steam and Physical copy.

[gradenko2k]

What aaatoysandmore is seeing is Steam/Valve simply being (even more) liberal with what they allow into their store. The long-term goal is for "Steam" as we know to simply be a distribution platform but with publishers maintaining their own front-page "stores". It would be somewhat similar to how Google Play or iTunes operates - wherein you wouldn't necessarily shop for an app that you need from the Google/Apple storefront, but rather simply use it as a method of delivery to your gadget.

The community itself is still healthy with a peak of 6 million users within the last 48 hours as of this writing.

[Aurelian]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Terminus
Translation: don't buy Early Access. It's even more stupid than buying preorders.

Soo...are you suggesting that the $500 preorder check that I sent Warspite1 for WiTP 3: WE (Warspite Edition) may have not have been in good judgement?

warspite1

Relax CB your money is safe. As soon as I've learned how to program a computer I will have the game up and running in no time.

WITP: WE will be THE bestest, most accurate war game ever, and will be free of the sort of stupid, childish mistakes that plague rubbish games like World In Flames, WITE and WITP: AE etc; namely, HMS Warspite will of course be unsinkable.

Used correctly, she will naturally win any battle, against any opposition, at any time in the war. Examples include: Running low on Spitfires during the Battle of Britain? send for the Grand Old Lady, Having trouble with Uranus? Ouch! Don't send for Zhukov, call for HMS Warspite, Getting hurt in the slot? The US Navy isn't the answer, call for everyone's favourite battleship, having trouble getting rid of a rather unsightly Bulge? Kick Patton into touch, dial 999 and request the assistance of HMS Warspite, The Allies favourite superheroine.

You know it makes sense [:)]

Where do I sign up?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Aurelian

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy




Soo...are you suggesting that the $500 preorder check that I sent Warspite1 for WiTP 3: WE (Warspite Edition) may have not have been in good judgement?

warspite1

Relax CB your money is safe. As soon as I've learned how to program a computer I will have the game up and running in no time.

WITP: WE will be THE bestest, most accurate war game ever, and will be free of the sort of stupid, childish mistakes that plague rubbish games like World In Flames, WITE and WITP: AE etc; namely, HMS Warspite will of course be unsinkable.

Used correctly, she will naturally win any battle, against any opposition, at any time in the war. Examples include: Running low on Spitfires during the Battle of Britain? send for the Grand Old Lady, Having trouble with Uranus? Ouch! Don't send for Zhukov, call for HMS Warspite, Getting hurt in the slot? The US Navy isn't the answer, call for everyone's favourite battleship, having trouble getting rid of a rather unsightly Bulge? Kick Patton into touch, dial 999 and request the assistance of HMS Warspite, The Allies favourite superheroine.

You know it makes sense [:)]

Where do I sign up?

warspite1

Thanks Aurelian. I need to buy some books, en-roll in a college course on programming, and update my computer. Please send me £1,000 GBP in cash and I will put your name down as one of the first to receive a free game when its ready.