General / Off-Topic Steam OS

[Vicks]

I've been moaning about Steam for years. (Almost 10 years old account here) I've always preferred OS retail installations; I’m not a newbie Pc user so I know what I’m doing. It hasn't been until recently that I’ve been forced, in a way (Arma 3) to embrace Steam. But thanks to Valve I have a founded good reason now to like it: 'get rid of Windows'.

Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of things about Microsoft, but they have certain things, behaviors or policies, name it as you like, one of them I dislike the most is forcing product obsolescence early. Basically forcing people to keep buying their new shinny toys every few years... I hate that.

I certainly prefer the freedom to choose that Linux brings to the table. And a good thing that SteamOS will bring indirectly is a much better native OpenGL support for games in Linux. Win-Win.

I've been always one of the 'i only use windows because of the games' arguing-type-guys. And it is mostly true, there are only a few other type of software that i would miss in Linux, and that would be very specific... Photoshop and 3DSMax, for example.

Remains to be seen what we will be able to do with SteamOS as a general purpose Linux OS. I mean, installing other non-steamclient-native software and all that...

But one thing is certain, if Valve is working with hardware manufacturers to support their OS and that OS is Linux based, that is only but a good thing for everyone. (And a bad thing for Msoft, obviously)

Going back to Elite, I hope they release their game in Steam. I would be ok if they do it in retail mode only, but I guess they'll earn much more money and popularity through Steam, it would be silly not to do so.

 

[Mobius]

back when HL3 required steam to install I hated the idea, I much preferred my NOCD cracks. after about 3 months of hating steam I learned to embrace it. now I have over 400 titles on steam. and with an upcoming feature that allows you to share your steam games with friends opens up new possibility's.

oddly enough I refuse to install and use ORIGIN for the simple reason that it belongs to EA, but for ED sure Steam would open up new avenues but Im guessing that though it may go to steam I wouldn't be surprised if Frontier use their own servers for distribution.

 

[StarTux]

Yes, name me a Frontier Developments game that's on Steam already? None as far as I know.

Frontier on Steam

 

[StarTux]

Steam? No thanks... Next topic.. move along now... move along....

I've seen players who won't buy any game unless they can purchase from Steam.

Remember, its not Steam or nothing, two types of games exist.

1. Fully integrated Steam only release, the type of game no matter where you purchase it from states "Steam required".

2. Guest Steam release; DCS World, Star Trek Online, Rise of Flight and a multitude of other games fit into this category. If you don't want to purchase through Steam you don't have to, and in most cases you'll share the same multi-player experience no matter what the delivery method.

 

[Alien]

I would love to see E: D on Steam. Steam is just fantastic as a content delivery platform - I really fail to see what some have against it. I have a huge library of games on Steam, and I add more every month when things I fancy pop up on sales.

No discs. No copy protection (other than the platform). As many clients as you wish. Hard drive failure? No problem.

You fail to see what some people have against it? Fair enough, nothing I can say will persuade you. However, here's how I view Steam:
Steam is like Microsoft and their XBox 360. Not interested in their customers, only interested in getting their customers to spend money. Tell me, have you tried Steam's customer support? I have heard nothing good about it. Also, why should one company be allowed to be so powerful that they can dictate to you, how you use, store and install games you pay for?

Try using sites like GamersGate (although that still has many titles that require Steam) or GoodOldGames (no Steam ... ever) and tell me you still honestly believe Steam is the better option.

I'm using Steam at the moment for no reason other than I paid for Godus and I'm damn well going to play it.
I have a 2nd key for Godus, and trust me, the moment there is a non-Steam PC download, I will ditch Steam.

and for the record, I never ever want to see Elite: Dangerous on Steam

 

[Juniper]

You fail to see what some people have against it? Fair enough, nothing I can say will persuade you. However, here's how I view Steam:

Actually, I was hoping someone would present a counter argument.

Steam is like Microsoft and their XBox 360. Not interested in their customers, only interested in getting their customers to spend money. Tell me, have you tried Steam's customer support? I have heard nothing good about it. Also, why should one company be allowed to be so powerful that they can dictate to you, how you use, store and install games you pay for?

Fair enough. No, I've never used customer support. But that is bad all over these days... I've yet to come across any large organisation who gets customer support right - they all direct you to a call centre in Bangladesh or India where the first barrier is getting "Steve" to understand plain English...

Try using sites like GamersGate (although that still has many titles that require Steam) or GoodOldGames (no Steam ... ever) and tell me you still honestly believe Steam is the better option.

Sites like GoG are great, but they aren't a delivery platform like Steam is. They will not automatically keep your games up to date (hardly worth it, as it's filled with mostly abandonware). Not seen GamersGate to be fair. No need really... Steam just works.

I'm using Steam at the moment for no reason other than I paid for Godus and I'm damn well going to play it.
I have a 2nd key for Godus, and trust me, the moment there is a non-Steam PC download, I will ditch Steam.

I think that's your loss, but your decision.

and for the record, I never ever want to see Elite: Dangerous on Steam

How would it hurt you if there was a Steam option for E: D? Most indies who publish on Steam also publish on their own website - no reason why E: D can't be the same IMO.

Steam is just more convenient to have all your games in one place. And with Steam OS coming, along with the facility to share your games with others, well...

 

[amigacooke]

Tell me, have you tried Steam's customer support? I have heard nothing good about it. Also, why should one company be allowed to be so powerful that they can dictate to you, how you use, store and install games you pay for?

I've never had to use Steam's customer support because I've never had a problem with Steam on PC or Mac.

Even if a don't use Steam I still have to use Windows for some games that are exclusive to that OS, allowing Microsoft to dictate to me, how I use, store and install games I've paid for.

 

[JazHaz]

Funny I could have sworn that I picked up Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 : Platinum for a bargain price during the summer sale.

You may well have done, but its not listed under Frontier Developments in an Steam Advanced Search by publisher. Frontier is not listed at all.

EDIT: ah I know what I did wrong. Searched by publisher, instead of developer. My apologies.

 

[Oss133]

Yes, name me a Frontier Developments game that's on Steam already? None as far as I know.

Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 and Thrillville.

have you tried Steam's customer support?

No, I have never needed it. Which tells me what I need to know. The last time I tried customer support it was Play.com and I will never shop with them again. No one is the villain here (apart from Play.com). All businesses, big or small, are trying to make money. Some do it in less ethical ways but that is no big surprise. GOG seems to get a lot of good word-of-mouth from users but I guarantee that as soon as they get really big, like Microsoft or Valve, the haterz will come. It is just peoples natural affinity with the underdog.

Steam works. It keeps my games up to date with patches without me having to hunt them down. It stops me "losing" my games when my girlfriend decides to "tidy up a bit". (Many CD's and DVD's have disappeared like that so I don't buy them anymore.)

The success of Windows means that I have no choice about what OS to game on. But as long as I only buy every other release (you know, the good ones) I am not really bothered. My personal aversion is proprietary systems, like Sony or Apple, that try to tie me into one company but I do not see Steam or Microsoft in that light.

If E: D is on Steam I will use it there. But I doubt it will be exclusive to Steam so what is the problem?

 

[Frank]

Is the OS so locked down with DRM that it only runs Steam games, or can any Linux games play?

The problem I have with Steam is that they seem to have the hint of the Farmer Jones about them. Once they've got their feet under the farmhouse table with the SteamBox, will you still be able to differentiate them from the humans?

 

[Obadiah]

I'm a Steam ignoramus. Please could someone help - in the event that Valve were to collapse, would you still have access to the games that you had bought through Steam?

I appreciate that this may seem unlikely, but in my experience such things change from being unlikely to very probable quite quickly...

 

[psykokow]

if the steam servers went down, not only could you not re-download your titles... some of them wouldn't play..

There is an offline mode for steam so the majority of games are fine for playing without the steam servers... but to download them? No..

I think that answers the question?

ps. I love steam..

 

[amigacooke]

My personal aversion is proprietary systems, like Sony or Apple, that try to tie me into one company but I do not see Steam or Microsoft in that light.

You don't think Microsoft have been trying to tie you into proprietary systems? You have been well trained.

 

[Juniper]

You don't think Microsoft have been trying to tie you into proprietary systems? You have been well trained.

Microsoft, on the whole & for all their faults, comply with & support open industry standards. The fact that they are involved in creating those standards very often is by the by of course.

Sony or Apple on the other hand favour completely closed ecosystems - the walled garden. They don't tell you what is under the hood or let you change it - even if you pay to be a developer.

 

[Sir.Tj]

Microsoft, on the whole & for all their faults, comply with & support open industry standards. The fact that they are involved in creating those standards very often is by the by of course.

Sony or Apple on the other hand favour completely closed ecosystems - the walled garden. They don't tell you what is under the hood or let you change it - even if you pay to be a developer.

That's pretty much why I changed from an Iphone 5 to a Samsung S4, the fact that if I wanted to change someting on my Iphone I had to jailbreak it was very frustrating.

 

[Oss133]

You don't think Microsoft have been trying to tie you into proprietary systems? You have been well trained.

They have been trying, yes, but they have not yet succeeded. I do not buy a Microsoft PC to run a Microsoft OS. I have neither been well trained nor misguided. As I tried to explain, I can see what is going on.

 

[amigacooke]

Strange, I always thought DirectX was proprietary, but I must be mistaken.

Sony or Apple on the other hand favour completely closed ecosystems - the walled garden. They don't tell you what is under the hood or let you change it - even if you pay to be a developer.

Shhh, don't tell anyone but I've sneaked over the wall.

Apple Open Source

 

[Oss133]

Strange, I always thought DirectX was proprietary, but I must be mistaken.

Yes, some things are, but not all of them. To expand on what I previously wrote, I do not need to install a Microsoft motherboard to use the Microsoft OS. I can build the PC I want composed of components from many different manufacturers. That is more freedom than some companies give me.

 

[amigacooke]

Yes, some things are, but not all of them. To expand on what I previously wrote, I do not need to install a Microsoft motherboard to use the Microsoft OS. I can build the PC I want composed of components from many different manufacturers. That is more freedom than some companies give me.

Indeed, but when Microsoft stroll into hardware manufacture, can you build an XBox from a selection of suppliers?

Don't get me wrong here, I'm suggesting that both Apple and Microsoft have businesses built on proprietary software and both try to tie users into their systems.

PS Hackintosh

PPS This is way off topic. My apologies and no more from me.

 

[Oss133]

Indeed, but when Microsoft stroll into hardware manufacture, can you build an XBox from a selection of suppliers?

Don't get me wrong here, I'm suggesting that both Apple and Microsoft have businesses built on proprietary software and both try to tie users into their systems.

I agreed with you that Microsoft may have tried. I am simply pointing out that they have not yet succeeded whereas Apple, for instance, have.

I am not interested in consoles so they do not have me there. If they decide to go down the proprietary route of building their own PC hardware and tying their OS exclusively to it I am likely to move on to something if I still have that choice. I may not, but that would open up a slot in the non-proprietary market which someone else may then exploit.

This is how the free market works. If someone stands to make a lot of money, it will happen. Other consequences are largely irrelevant.