Microsoft Creative Director Can’t Sympathize With Always-Online Concerns

[civvver]

Valve with Steam is a perfect example of how with even just a little bit of control over the consumer you can greatly influence their behaviours, perceptions and purchases. The reason Valve isn't hated so much for doing it though is that they dangle enough carrots so that even those fully cogniscant of the controls placed on themselves decide the benefits outweigh the cons.

Why would anyone have any issues with valve and steam? I mean I know people do, but they have offline mode which works great for every game in my library (online games aside obviously), I've never had an issue with steam cloud messing up my games or saves, and I actually like the games have automatic updates. The only thing they force on you is not being able to log in on multiple locations, which makes sense since physical games generally had cd keys so you couldn't play on more than one machine without a hack, and all games are downloads.

The main gripes I hear from gamers are:

1. Steam messed up my saves - I've never had this happen but yes it would suck if it did. But the cloud is also really cool in that I can play the same save on my laptop and desktop.

2. I don't want automatic updates, they are intrusive - Ok then turn them off. I don't get why they're intrusive anyway

3. I need to play offline! - Ok play offline

4. I bought a physical copy of a game and it made me use steam! - This is the only one I genuinely agree with. If you go out of the way to purchase a physical copy because you have slow internet or whatever the reason it should install separately, or at the very least say in big ass bold letters that it requires steam on the cover.

So again, what does steam do to control users? I just don't see it, it's not DRM, it's just a delivery method for games and a very convenient and popular one. And it makes their low prices possible because they have high volume low cost distribution.

 

[PieceOfMind]

I did say it was just a little bit of control. Having to have Steam running in the background in order to run the vast bulk of their games, even the indie games that are completely DRM-free at other places is an example of control. Desura, on the other hand, has a lot of its catalogue able to be run from their exes when the Desura client is not running.

By having Steam running, you must then also have the Steam store at very ready access unless you forever run the software in offline mode (which I doubt many people ever do - more likely just use it on flights or such). When you install Steam, you don't have an option whether or not the store gets installed. I remember after I first started using Steam, one of my first gripes (which in retrospect I'm not too bothered by) was that popup ads were enabled by default and you had to dig around in settings to find how to turn them off. These would appear especially after exiting a game.

Now don't get me wrong, I've become a major user of Steam and it's easily my preferred platform now. I've come to feel that way because I've found it to be reliable enough and its features handy enough that I'm ok to sacrifice that tiny bit of control (DRM). Valve provide a service that I actually want unlike most DRM schemes. Heck there's no way I'd have 500+ games ready to install if I still had to use discs!

Ironically though, the more familiar I've become with their system, the less I use their store. Their 75% sales are well-known and very popular but games are often even cheaper elsewhere like in indie bundles, GMG, Amazon etc. I would say I'm a bit atypical in that respect, as an average user would become more likely to shop with them the more invested they are in their service, and the more familiar they are with their advertising and specials. I bought one 50 cent game at their Christmas sale last year, but look at how much Steam users seem to gush over those holiday sales! That is an example of influenced perceptions and behaviours. Frequently you find titles at the top of the Steam best seller list that are cheaper elsewhere in the form of Steam keys.

 

[civvver]

I always comparison shop amazon, origin and gog, but that's about it (I'm not aware of any other major online retailers for games, maybe I'm missing out on some good ones). And you are right, sometimes steam games are much more expensive. Like it took forever for steam to price drop skyrim and kingdoms of amaulr while amazon had the retail copies dropped much earlier, though the downloads were still about the same.

But I haven't found anyone able to beat a steam sale. The only case I've found was a couple amazon titles but once I added shipping it was the same price. Settlers 7 on amazon was around $6 with $5 shipping, but the steam version was on sale for $12 so I got that and I much prefer digital now anyway.

Steam does seem to run the same titles on sale over and over though. I haven't bought any sales in a while just because I have most of them.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Some Amazon sales can be quite amazing, though, I've found - one time I bought Crusader Kings II and all of its DLC for $5 (that's about $100 worth of stuff) even though I already had it and a few of the DLC, since I wanted a couple of the DLC. Greenmangaming also has pretty good deals now and then.

 

[mechaerik]

Amazon's biggest sales are typically its bundles. For example, the Plentiful Paradox pack which often goes on sale has CK2, Vic2, Magicka, and Sword of the Stars I and II is ~$10. On individual games the deals don't often go below Steam prices, but you cant beat their bundles.

 

[AlpsStranger]

I was going to by Eador: MotBW on Steam but I bought it on GoG instead. I'm taking back whatever pieces of control I can. Down with the man and all that jazz.