evrett37
Prince
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2008
- Messages
- 346
Jabberwalking created another steam love thread so I thought we'd balanced that out with another Steam hate thread.
Steam is an electronic game distribution system. Its included in civ because Valve recognizes the popularity of the civ brand and wants to shackle civ customers into its online store and downloadable content. In all likelyhood Valve cut a very large check to 2k for the rights to be a parasite on this game. Then 2k marketing dept lied to us about it suggesting we the customer demanded 3rd party malware in Civ.
I'm heavily in the anti steam camp because of prior technical problems with other steam provided games and because I fear the downloadable content marketplace will be used to nickle and dime people and take creative control away from the community. Others dont like the idea of requiring third party software to run after you've purchase the game. Steam might be desirable for a certain demographic (wealthy non casuals) but its business model is a threat to the future of PC gaming not its savior. Console gaming is easy, which attracts young people and new adults. The consoles are catching up in the technical aspects which are PC gamings only lifeline at the moment. The last thing PC gaming needs is another hurtle to entry. Virtual paperwork that stand between a customer and their purchase. Especially with an entry level game like Civ. Online registration, 3rd party software and steams aweful customer service is going to drive away, confuse ect more people than it will it help even if it worked as intended.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that members of the community who could most easily clear up all the questions are currently testing the game for Firaxis and can not share any information because of a non-disclosure agreement. The only information we are getting is from 2k Games (the distributor) marketing department, who I feel are unreliable, being 2000 miles away from Firaxis and not involved with the game development.
Steam itself is not as bad as the Pandora boxes it opens for pay to play down-loadable content, surrendering creative control and customer advertising and tracking. Civ has become a battleground for where we the customer tell the corporations what they can get away with.ts funny how little people value their freedom until its lost..the ability to regulate and control mod able content is going to totally upend and redefine the community. Especially if modding becomes a for profit business similar to cell phone aps due to a downloadble marketplace. Sooo many factors are being brought into play by turning an open free economy into a money making machine for the devs you have no idea. People are going to look back and wish they could have back what we have now. But whats lost is lost. And you will lose the ability to go back to a free and open system once money starts changing hands per download. Once the teeth are latched on to that black teet they wont be easy to pry off.
Civ had a special place as a "bridge" game that brought all sorts of people into gaming. A game that schools even installed. Steam is going to take a big swipe at that in a variety of forms and all so some big company can milk a brand. Its a bad tradeoff and and a total gamble against the community. Just say NO!
Steam is an electronic game distribution system. Its included in civ because Valve recognizes the popularity of the civ brand and wants to shackle civ customers into its online store and downloadable content. In all likelyhood Valve cut a very large check to 2k for the rights to be a parasite on this game. Then 2k marketing dept lied to us about it suggesting we the customer demanded 3rd party malware in Civ.
I'm heavily in the anti steam camp because of prior technical problems with other steam provided games and because I fear the downloadable content marketplace will be used to nickle and dime people and take creative control away from the community. Others dont like the idea of requiring third party software to run after you've purchase the game. Steam might be desirable for a certain demographic (wealthy non casuals) but its business model is a threat to the future of PC gaming not its savior. Console gaming is easy, which attracts young people and new adults. The consoles are catching up in the technical aspects which are PC gamings only lifeline at the moment. The last thing PC gaming needs is another hurtle to entry. Virtual paperwork that stand between a customer and their purchase. Especially with an entry level game like Civ. Online registration, 3rd party software and steams aweful customer service is going to drive away, confuse ect more people than it will it help even if it worked as intended.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that members of the community who could most easily clear up all the questions are currently testing the game for Firaxis and can not share any information because of a non-disclosure agreement. The only information we are getting is from 2k Games (the distributor) marketing department, who I feel are unreliable, being 2000 miles away from Firaxis and not involved with the game development.
Steam itself is not as bad as the Pandora boxes it opens for pay to play down-loadable content, surrendering creative control and customer advertising and tracking. Civ has become a battleground for where we the customer tell the corporations what they can get away with.ts funny how little people value their freedom until its lost..the ability to regulate and control mod able content is going to totally upend and redefine the community. Especially if modding becomes a for profit business similar to cell phone aps due to a downloadble marketplace. Sooo many factors are being brought into play by turning an open free economy into a money making machine for the devs you have no idea. People are going to look back and wish they could have back what we have now. But whats lost is lost. And you will lose the ability to go back to a free and open system once money starts changing hands per download. Once the teeth are latched on to that black teet they wont be easy to pry off.
Civ had a special place as a "bridge" game that brought all sorts of people into gaming. A game that schools even installed. Steam is going to take a big swipe at that in a variety of forms and all so some big company can milk a brand. Its a bad tradeoff and and a total gamble against the community. Just say NO!
