Is STEAM dying or near death?

[aaatoysandmore]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

http://steamcharts.com/app/214950

Rome 2 is a TERRIBLE game. They've fixed a lot of stuff, but have obviously given up on the main issues, ie the braindead AI.

And no, it doesn't average 20K players a day. As we can see, by Steam's OWN NUMBERS, it's been steadily leaking players since release. Why? Because it's a BAD GAME.

The people behind it came out and said that they developed the game with the goal of getting a specific MetaCritic score (somewhere in the 90s, I forget which). That's pissing up and down the backs of their audience, no matter how you spin it.

You can like the game if you want to, but don't pretend that anybody who doesn't like it don't have a leg to stand on, and don't make up user statistics that can be disproved by two mouse clicks.

Wow Terminus I have new found respect for you. [:)] I was gonna say that Rome 2 no matter what anyone says got the lowest scores ever on Metacritic even with the glowing pro review scores. It's just bad and I doubt will ever crawl out of the mess it's in. I think this to will reflect on their next game they attempt to sell.

[gradenko2k]

Digital distribution doesn't have shelf or rack space issues. That by itself sets it on a completely different plane with regards to what is and isn't "acceptable" to be selling.

[Terminus]

No, but Valve would like us to believe so. Less expenses and MOAR MONEY for them.

[gradenko2k]

Speaking of Steam, Unity of Command is 80% off there for the whole week.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: aaatoysandmore

Well, having worked in a lot of hardware stores along the way in my life I saw a lot of closures and going out of business sales when they started taking on products they didn't usually carry. Selling anything and everything they could get their hands on and $6 1/2" 4x8 sheets of plywood just to make book on payroll. Course I know this is not hardware but think of if this way. Steam only really sells one product "Software", when that one product becomes saturated or not as popular sales dwindle. Hardware stores on the other hand sell thousands of products and still find themselves not able to make ends meet. As I said I'd just watch for layoffs in the future then the worrying can begin. Even GoG type games won't last forever. Sad thing is "nothing" ever does really.

Steam isn't a hardware store, and your whole analysis is fundamentally flawed.

You seem to be forgetting what they actually do; with the exception of Valve's own (hugely successful)games they are distributors. They don't buy in and sell stock like a retail business, they sell on behalf of others and take their cut. There is therefore no reason for them not to sell whatever any developers/publisher wish them to sell, other than - arguably - quality control issues. Steam is the dominant online software source, hence (virtually) everybody wants to get their games 'on Steam' because a Steam release sells more copies than all other outlets put together. A burgeoning number of titles is an indication of success, not failure. And it's great for gamers - how many great 'B movie' games would most gamers never even have heard of were it not for release on Steam?

[aaatoysandmore]

Will the Matrixgames patches and expansions work on it though?

[CGGrognard]

STEAM is a distributor of software as Herston posted. To understand what STEAM does, just look to cable or satellite television. These industries distribute programming to you, not all catered to your tastes, but covering many different tastes (ala 300+ channels). Recently a study found that most subscribers to cable or satellite tv only watch about 13 channels, which tells you, these industries are trying to accommodate the widest audience possible. Which is why STEAM distributes many, many different games.

[TigerTC]

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000

Speaking of Steam, Unity of Command is 80% off there for the whole week.

The very same UoC I bought here at Matrix Games last night?

[aaatoysandmore]

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: CGGrognard

STEAM is a distributor of software as Herston posted. To understand what STEAM does, just look to cable or satellite television. These industries distribute programming to you, not all catered to your tastes, but covering many different tastes (ala 300+ channels). Recently a study found that most subscribers to cable or satellite tv only watch about 13 channels, which tells you, these industries are trying to accommodate the widest audience possible. Which is why STEAM distributes many, many different games.

And why cable TV is dying out.

[gradenko2k]

The cable TV analogy is apt as far as a representation of how "clogged" a market can get once you're a major player, but it's incomparable in the sense that Steam does allow you to just watch to 8 channels you really want instead of trying to sell everything to you in a bundle. Again, the real problem is that it is sometimes difficult to sift through all of the releases to get to the game that you really want, but that's hardly an argument to make Steam's market capture any less inclusive.

[Alpha77]

Steam and Ebay seem to be cool ideas to make money... You dont sell yourself but take your % of each interaction on your platform.... bad bad that I never have good business ideas [:@]

[aaatoysandmore]

ORIGINAL: Alpha77

Steam and Ebay seem to be cool ideas to make money... You dont sell yourself but take your % of each interaction on your platform.... bad bad that I never have good business ideas [:@]

Offer discounts on your merchandise if people come back to your store and buy $10 worth of merchandise. A 10% discount you'd be surprised how many people flock back to stores for a $1.00 off thinking it's $10 but that is the purchase requirements. [:D]

[Athelas2211]

Steam has been dying from the start of it. It's not dead though and I never spent so much money on games like I do now.
Distant Worlds was my favourite, and it's going to be mineeeee.......prescious.