Stop with the agenda... FD have not said steam keys themselves cost money, just that the process of doing the work does. We get that you want a steam key, that's nice, heck I'll take one too, but stop stating that people are lying, it's technically slander. Oh and on top, even if it was free, it's still FD's decision whether to bother with the hassle.
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I bought ED on Steam a week or so ago as I needed an Alt account to play with my son in the core systems while the "main" me is off exploring the Orion nebula
The way it worked was that after I purchased on Steam, it was Steam which gave me a CD key which I then had to use to create an account on the FD site (in order to play).
So - if FD were to give everyone "Steam" keys, those would generate CD keys which you could then use to create a totally separate (and free) account. Given that there's 350,000 copies of ED sold before Steam came along, that's quite a few free copies which would be sloshing about, so that isn't going to fly as most people will give them away.
What FD need to investigate (imho), is the ability to issue a code which allows people to add ED to their Steam library without creating (or being issued a key for) a new account. They simply then run it and log in with their existing (non-steam) account information.
I've never seen that done on Steam tbh, but it must be possible - just like when Steam have "free XX weekends" etc and games apppear in your library automatically (but not downloaded). All that needs to be done is to add a link on the Steam side to add ED to your Steam account without actually buying it, and that could be time limited I guess. If you don't have an FD account already, you'll still have to buy it and Steam would want you back through their store for that (maybe a slightly different launcher?).
So - rather than FD giving Steam keys away, I guess the question would be if Steam would let us add the game to our Libraries if we already own it. If people are using the same email accounts on both the FD and the Steam side, that becomes relatively easy I would imagine. If not, then an add-to-library code could be generated in the store page for previous purchasers (but not future ones most likely) and manually typed in.
But I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
TBH, as someone who owns both, it makes really no difference to me either way (but then I'm not bother about the Steam overlays, and I don't have any problems patching).
I bought ED on Steam a week or so ago as I needed an Alt account to play with my son in the core systems while the "main" me is off exploring the Orion nebula
The way it worked was that after I purchased on Steam, it was Steam which gave me a CD key which I then had to use to create an account on the FD site (in order to play).
So - if FD were to give everyone "Steam" keys, those would generate CD keys which you could then use to create a totally separate (and free) account. Given that there's 350,000 copies of ED sold before Steam came along, that's quite a few free copies which would be sloshing about, so that isn't going to fly as most people will give them away.
What FD need to investigate (imho), is the ability to issue a code which allows people to add ED to their Steam library without creating (or being issued a key for) a new account. They simply then run it and log in with their existing (non-steam) account information.
I've never seen that done on Steam tbh, but it must be possible - just like when Steam have "free XX weekends" etc and games apppear in your library automatically (but not downloaded). All that needs to be done is to add a link on the Steam side to add ED to your Steam account without actually buying it, and that could be time limited I guess. If you don't have an FD account already, you'll still have to buy it and Steam would want you back through their store for that (maybe a slightly different launcher?).
So - rather than FD giving Steam keys away, I guess the question would be if Steam would let us add the game to our Libraries if we already own it. If people are using the same email accounts on both the FD and the Steam side, that becomes relatively easy I would imagine. If not, then an add-to-library code could be generated in the store page for previous purchasers (but not future ones most likely) and manually typed in.
But I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
TBH, as someone who owns both, it makes really no difference to me either way (but then I'm not bother about the Steam overlays, and I don't have any problems patching).
Peachy, that would do it
Now I guess the next question is if FD are happy for people who bought from their store, to access the game via Steam and then use that infrastructure for future purchases (as it'll be served up to them via the Steam interface). It's not an issue currently, but if DLC comes out in a year or so if eveyone goes the steam route who has already purchased it, that's 30% (or thereabouts) off FD's bottom line.
I imagine that's less than ideal for a company who were very very keen on self publishing. I wonder if there's a way for those "shroud of the avatar" style accounts to punt them back to FD's site for DLC rather than via Steam itself - but I guess Steam won't be interested in that
A lot of people asked during in KS if steam would be an option as that was their buying preference. There was no solid information at that time and they needed to back the KS anyway to make the game happen at all for it to even get onto steam. So a lot of people pain a lot of money ad early backers on the assumption should steam become an option they would be fairly accommodated just like they have been for pretty much every single other KS game that has made it's way to steam.
Is demanding a steam key entitled of them? Yes. Frontier never promised them one and doesn't owe them one.
Does Frontier not providing one reflect poorly on them as a developer? Also yes. It's pretty much universally accepted by developers and customers alike in the crowdfunding scene (and even the majority of the larger digital distribution scene on PC in general) that it is the least that they could do.
It doesn't really justify making accusation of foul play and misdirection. That's absurd. But I can totally understand the large swath people who want and a steam key (and even those who just flat out expected they'd get one eventually if the game went to steam) who are expressing such in clam matter of fact manner. In the current climate it's a perfectly reasonable request and expectation. Frontier is going against convention and it stands out. It's not just entitled steam fan boys who a kicking up a stink, even the gaming press is reporting on it because it so blatantly stands out as not consumer friendly practice alongside other crowdfunded projects.
So it makes perfect sense to me.
Also I want a magical unicorn that poops gemstones.
