RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha

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RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 8:30:44 AM

Mad Igor

Posts: 248
Joined: 6/18/2012
Status: offline

99$ haha.
see you next year on sales.

quote:

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000
balking at a 99 USD price point on Matrix forums of all places.

except that they will get FULL game and it will cost arund 99$ with all addons not as a single game with addons for another 999$.
PLUS i'm in EU and it will cost me 93€.
if they think,that every1 who live in EU are Bill Gates,then they can kiss my fifth point.
yea...93€ for ALPHA wtf ?it's not even 1 of april.

< Message edited by Mad Igor -- 3/29/2014 9:37:30 AM >

(in reply to TanC)

Post #: 31

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 10:16:02 AM

gradenko2k

Posts: 935
Joined: 12/27/2010
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mad Igor
except that they will get FULL game and it will cost arund 99$ with all addons not as a single game with addons for another 999$.

Founder's Elite Edition - LIMITED TIME OFFER!

A lifetime subscription to all GalCiv III DLC and expansion packs

Which is to say nothing of scoffing at Alpha access to a game in the wake of BUZZ ALDRIN'S SPACE PROGRAM MANAGER

(in reply to Mad Igor)

Post #: 32

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 12:33:27 PM

Hertston

Posts: 3564
Joined: 8/17/2002
From: Cornwall, UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000

A lifetime subscription to all GalCiv III DLC and expansion packs

Which, if the loyal punters have paid up-front, is just a license to add later what should have been included in the first place. Or, indeed, fix what was broken in the first place. Not to mention that, by the time we see any substantive expansions, the base game will have been on sale (Steam sale, mind) several times already.

It's probably wrong to single out Stardock here, they are by no means the only ones taking advantage of customer loyalty and the desire to 'get in early'. Steam early access and Kickstarter are as bad as each other. Both have gone way beyond what they were intended for; helping the 'little guy' get their product to market. The bigger operations are now seeing it not in those terms, but as a way of maximising revenue while minimising quality... now every other Steam release seems to be 'early access'. And fewer and fewer customers care about the quality of the finished game, or indeed if it ever gets finished at all, as they moved onto something else long ago, barely noticing the hole in their wallets.

Ask yourselves, why is it necessary to go near 'early access' when already funded well over the top by Kickstarter? A couple of outfits have even hit on the scheme of charging premium prices for alphas on the grounds doing so is only fair to their Kickstarter backers! And as people are still daft enough to pay up, that's THREE slices of the cherry (Kickstarter, early access, 'official' release) rather than one, two of which are done and dusted even if the bloody thing vanishes into a development black hole, or is just dead on arrival.

As has been said, only in the gaming industry.

'Support' such practices at your own risk.

< Message edited by Hertston -- 3/29/2014 1:34:56 PM >

(in reply to gradenko2k)

Post #: 33

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 1:08:42 PM

feygan

Posts: 323
Joined: 3/31/2010
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hertston

As has been said, only in the gaming industry. 'Support' such practices at your own risk.

That is the entire problem with the industry at present, too many folks do support this kind of business practice. Every new version of COD for example you see endless remarks on all review sites of how it is bland, the same, or full of bugs. This continues with streams of abuse towards which ever publisher/developer released the game, almost all game franchises have this happen over the past few years, and it has spread to many AAA titles. Then the indie market is occasionally giving out something new and refreshing but mostly just lots of rubbish that is either some form of minecraft clone or just general platform/flight game with crappy graphics on the premise that indie means "looks like ****"

However the very next year/month/quarter a new sequel comes out and makes record sales numbers all over again. I am starting to wonder if developers are putting subliminals into games or some form of visual/auditory addition code. Or if it is as simple as a vast group of gamers today are reckless whingers who perpetuate terrible business practices and then cry when these methods are used on them.

This is of course before you even get into the minefield that is DRM and piracy issues. When you look at the whole industry it begins to make sense as to the popularity of tripe such as Farmville and it's ilk. They may be a quick cash cow, but from the users perspective they do what games used to do. Load up your game, get an hour or so popcorn enjoyment then go do something else, I wonder where it all went so wrong.

(in reply to Hertston)

Post #: 34

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 1:28:06 PM

Ranger33

Posts: 557
Joined: 8/11/2012
Status: offline

So much negativity. Bad waves in here.

I bought in because I know I'll pick it up on release anyway, and all of the expansions, so in the long run it's a pretty good deal. The previous games are among my all time favorites, and I like Stardock as a developer. I like the "early access" model because you get to play a game as it develops and goes through changes, and occasionally get to directly make a difference in the final product.

At the end of the day, it's entirely optional for everyone involved, so I don't get all the wailing and gnashing of teeth from people who don't want to buy in. Just reeks of "Stop liking things I don't like!!! WAHH!!"

(in reply to feygan)

Post #: 35

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 3:26:36 PM

Jim D Burns

Posts: 4013
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Salida, CA.
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000

It's fairly ironic that people are balking at a 99 USD price point on Matrix forums of all places.

You�re trying to compare Apples to Oranges. When you pay top dollar at Matrix, you own the title and can play it years from now if you wish. With Steam it�s a rental and if Steam ever goes defunct like many past game publisher�s have (Talonsoft, Paragon, Microprose, SSI, etc.) your entire game collection goes poof and turns into cyber dust.

The above listed publishers and dozens/hundreds more were strong successful companies in their day, but nothing lasts forever. Who knows when it comes to tech, tomorrow could see some new innovation completely change the way you buy products and cause Steam to go belly up the way downloaded games put stores like Babbage�s out of business. Personally I prefer to own my games and like a hard copy I can hold in my hands and put in a box to pull out whenever I like down the road.

Jim

< Message edited by Jim D Burns -- 3/29/2014 4:28:16 PM >

_____________________________

(in reply to gradenko2k)

Post #: 36

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 4:50:50 PM

aaatoysandmore

Posts: 2848
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With so many sales you can almost see they are starting to slow down and lose revenue. That's what hardware stores do just before they go belly up. It gets to the point they can't give stuff away. After so many years Steam was bound to saturate the market with all those sale prices and thus retail sales begin to suffer. But, it's like a spiral staircase to hell. Sure having sales will boost profits for a little while but eventually this kind of market gets saturated and there's nothing left to sell a lot of. Everybody has everything and for $5 not $59. Back in the day you paid full price or you didn't get it. Now, it's if you can't get $59 then sell it for $5 and of course smart gamers will catch onto this trend and start waiting for the $5 games over the $59. It's one reason (though I'm guilty as hell of it now too) that I didn't want to see Matrixgames go the rout of reduced pricing and these weekly sale things. As a smart gamer I'm not going to pay full price when I can have it for 1/2 or $10-$20 off by just waiting them out. As a consumer I have all the time in the world. As a company trying to make a living off the industry they don't.

On the other hand their overhead is not as expensive as it once was. A digital sale is nothing more than transferring number/digits from one place to another. Only overhead they have there is the storage space in the clouds. They certainly don't have all the boxes and printed manuals and maps and cd's because you folk don't demand it anymore. But, we used to get all that with the games we bought in brick n mortar stores. Sure they have a few, but, hardly the production costs of that that they had years ago. It's like the price remained the same on most games but we get less to eat. Sorta like restaurants and groceries nowadays. Loaf of bread is the same loaf of bread it was 50 years ago but it costs damn near $3 from what used to be a .25 and in my parents day a .05 or .01

(in reply to Jim D Burns)

Post #: 37

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 5:30:51 PM

Rising-Sun

Posts: 2082
Joined: 11/5/2009
From: Clifton Park, NY
Status: offline

I doubt if i get it, its pretty high and not even complete. Infact only support Win7 or higher with 64bit and doesnt support Vista64. They mention they may or may not get it to work on Vista64. I missed CG2 with StarTrek Mod, unfort that game wouldnt run well on my Vista64. So i rather play Distant Worlds instead til they worked out CG3 for Vista64.

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Post #: 38

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 6:10:30 PM

Mad Igor

Posts: 248
Joined: 6/18/2012
Status: offline

quote:

A lifetime subscription to all GalCiv III DLC and expansion packs

that does not justify 93€ at all.

(in reply to gradenko2k)

Post #: 39

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 6:11:41 PM

histgamer

Posts: 1455
Joined: 11/30/2006
Status: offline

I wonder if devs will respond to the downward pressure on prices that sales are driving by increasing prices above what they want to sell at so the sales sell the product at their target price providing the illusion of a sale. Retail stores especially clothing and furniture are notorious for that practice.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cauldyth

Uh, $99?

(in reply to Cauldyth)

Post #: 40

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 6:27:20 PM

aaatoysandmore

Posts: 2848
Joined: 9/11/2013
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: flanyboy

I wonder if devs will respond to the downward pressure on prices that sales are driving by increasing prices above what they want to sell at so the sales sell the product at their target price providing the illusion of a sale. Retail stores especially clothing and furniture are notorious for that practice.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cauldyth

Uh, $99?

Yep, Penny's just got caught using this practice and they are going to suffer for it. I was reading it in a news report just last week. you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.

Penny's was doubling prices on things and then running sales off ads for 1/2 price. Too funny. Glad they got caught.

(in reply to histgamer)

Post #: 41

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 6:32:20 PM

gradenko2k

Posts: 935
Joined: 12/27/2010
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
You�re trying to compare Apples to Oranges. When you pay top dollar at Matrix, you own the title and can play it years from now if you wish. With Steam it�s a rental and if Steam ever goes defunct like many past game publisher�s have (Talonsoft, Paragon, Microprose, SSI, etc.) your entire game collection goes poof and turns into cyber dust.

The above listed publishers and dozens/hundreds more were strong successful companies in their day, but nothing lasts forever. Who knows when it comes to tech, tomorrow could see some new innovation completely change the way you buy products and cause Steam to go belly up the way downloaded games put stores like Babbage�s out of business. Personally I prefer to own my games and like a hard copy I can hold in my hands and put in a box to pull out whenever I like down the road.

Jim

None of your examples really makes the case that a customer would forever lose access to his games in the event of a digital distributor going belly up, or even a publisher/distributor deal. Mind you, someone who bought AGEOD Rise of Prussia in Steam can still play and download it at any time.

(in reply to Jim D Burns)

Post #: 42

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 6:38:44 PM

Hertston

Posts: 3564
Joined: 8/17/2002
From: Cornwall, UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ranger33

At the end of the day, it's entirely optional for everyone involved, so I don't get all the wailing and gnashing of teeth from people who don't want to buy in. Just reeks of "Stop liking things I don't like!!! WAHH!!"

Paying may be optional, but suffering the inevitable decline in game quality this model promotes is not. It simply boils down to this, which scenario would a publisher/developer prefer?

1. We have to get the game just right so it's as good, if not better, than any direct competitor, so it gets great reviews, and we get great sales that first keep the company going and secondly fund our next project.

or

2. We have already received 2/3, if not more, of potential total revenues through Kickstarter, early access and pre-orders. While it would be great if we release the 'next big thing' at the end of the day, it's not really that important as long as the game isn't total pants. And even if it is, we just release as early as we can get away with, put out one or two cosmetic patches for show, and then move on pronto knowing most of our customers have already done likewise.

Not difficult, is it?

(in reply to Ranger33)

Post #: 43

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 6:42:34 PM

histgamer

Posts: 1455
Joined: 11/30/2006
Status: offline

Kohl's is a chain here that does that but its not as shady as that they permanently price high and always run sales so they don't actively change prices they just charge more for items not on sale than they really want to sell them for that way they can have continuous sales. I think that's the more likely route. You can't perpetually sell AAA games at $5 and drive down customer pricing expectations without driving costs (quality) down or pulling up base prices.

quote:

ORIGINAL: aaatoysandmore

quote:

ORIGINAL: flanyboy

I wonder if devs will respond to the downward pressure on prices that sales are driving by increasing prices above what they want to sell at so the sales sell the product at their target price providing the illusion of a sale. Retail stores especially clothing and furniture are notorious for that practice.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cauldyth

Uh, $99?

Yep, Penny's just got caught using this practice and they are going to suffer for it. I was reading it in a news report just last week. you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. Penny's was doubling prices on things and then running sales off ads for 1/2 price. Too funny. Glad they got caught.

(in reply to aaatoysandmore)

Post #: 44

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 7:19:33 PM

Jim D Burns

Posts: 4013
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Salida, CA.
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000
None of your examples really makes the case that a customer would forever lose access to his games in the event of a digital distributor going belly up, or even a publisher/distributor deal. Mind you, someone who bought AGEOD Rise of Prussia in Steam can still play and download it at any time.

Sure some individual developers may offer you the chance to re-download a game you bought via Steam if Steam goes defunct, but the vast majority of developers will not. First it makes no business sense, they gave up a large chunk of the sales price to Steam for their hosting and distribution service. If Steam goes down then the individual developers will have to pick up the cost of creating and maintaining their own service without having the benefit of the revenue the game created in the past to pay for such things.

Second it will also depend on the legal licensing rights in the deal they signed. Some may have given up the rights to sell/host their own game in exchange for a larger percentage of the profits or something. How many times do we read about developers who want to revisit their old games and modernize them but they are prohibited because they cannot obtain the rights to do so because they gave up those rights in the deals they signed with their publishers years ago? It will all be on a case by case basis, but I have no doubt that the vast majority of your Steam hosted games will become cyber dust.

Edit: Almost forgot, read the fine print over at Steam, you do not own the game you paid for, Steam does. You merely bought the right to play their game and they can cut you off whenever they feel like it and you can do nothing about it.

Jim

< Message edited by Jim D Burns -- 3/29/2014 8:42:59 PM >

_____________________________

(in reply to gradenko2k)

Post #: 45

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 7:47:55 PM

Alchenar

Posts: 360
Joined: 8/2/2010
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You have never ever owned a video game. Whatever form you bought your game in, retail or digital distribution, you bought a license to use the software, not the actual software itself.

Having the CD in your hand is not some magic legal silver bullet, nor are companies that exist to make money by selling games secretly plotting to cut you off from the games they have sold you because they are evil.

(in reply to Jim D Burns)

Post #: 46

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 7:48:20 PM

gradenko2k

Posts: 935
Joined: 12/27/2010
Status: offline

There isn't really a precedent to claim that all or even most Steam owned games will turn into "cyber dust" given that there are significant numbers of games that already use Steam purely as a distribution service sans DRM such that copying their install folders into your favored form of back-up will work about as well as backing-up a Matrix games installer and its serial number.

If anything, the decision to activate Steam's DRM features is purely on the publisher/distributor themselves.

(in reply to Jim D Burns)

Post #: 47

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 7:53:10 PM

Alchenar

Posts: 360
Joined: 8/2/2010
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000

There isn't really a precedent to claim that all or even most Steam owned games will turn into "cyber dust" given that there are significant numbers of games that already use Steam purely as a distribution service sans DRM such that copying their install folders into your favored form of back-up will work about as well as backing-up a Matrix games installer and its serial number.

If anything, the decision to activate Steam's DRM features is purely on the publisher/distributor themselves.

Stop posting and do your turn!

(in reply to gradenko2k)

Post #: 48

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 8:15:05 PM

Jim D Burns

Posts: 4013
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Salida, CA.
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alchenar

You have never ever owned a video game. Whatever form you bought your game in, retail or digital distribution, you bought a license to use the software, not the actual software itself.

Having the CD in your hand is not some magic legal silver bullet, nor are companies that exist to make money by selling games secretly plotting to cut you off from the games they have sold you because they are evil.

Never implied they were evil, just that the agreement allows them to cut off service and you the consumer have no rights in such a circumstance to demand a developer or even future publisher honor your purchase of the title. With a CD in my hands I can load and install my game at will and am not beholden to obtain a �by your leave� from any other distributor first before I can install and play the game I paid for.

Don�t get me wrong. I am 100% happy to have a service like GoG host my games, but with them I can make backups of my install files and keep hard copies myself to guarantee I can load the title at will any time in the future should they go belly up. With a service like Steam, that itself is the DRM scheme, you cannot do so without first circumventing their scheme that requires games shake hands with their servers first before launch.

As I�m no programmer I have no wish to use a DRM service like Steam that would need to be circumvented to bypass their DRM scheme and I see absolutely no value to me at all in their service. I�d much prefer to pay a premium price to keep a company like Matrix in business to guarantee I can buy games from a publisher who respects their customers and doesn�t want to control and track what they do with the games they buy.

Jim

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(in reply to Alchenar)

Post #: 49

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 8:20:18 PM

Greybriar

Posts: 1148
Joined: 2/9/2007
Status: offline

$100 is too much.

_____________________________

This war is not about slavery. --Robert E. Lee

(in reply to Mad Igor)

Post #: 50

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 8:21:15 PM

Alchenar

Posts: 360
Joined: 8/2/2010
Status: offline

You are way more likely to break/scratch/lose that CD in your hand than have one of the major digital distributors go under.

In fact, I've lost more games to Windows 8 than I have to whoever I bought SWAT 4 off who got bought up by someone and turned into gamefly or whatever terrible service it's called.

e: and if people are willing to throw $100 at Stardock for early access to GalCiv3, good for them! I'll wait and see how it pans out.

< Message edited by Alchenar -- 3/29/2014 9:22:40 PM >

(in reply to Jim D Burns)

Post #: 51

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/29/2014 9:06:04 PM

Rising-Sun

Posts: 2082
Joined: 11/5/2009
From: Clifton Park, NY
Status: offline

Just wait awhile, Steam will drop the price for discount (trust me) infact just alpha and not even close to be finish. Beside i already seen a dozen users are upset with the game, some due to tech problems and other craps. So i would wait.

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Post #: 52

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/30/2014 12:57:30 AM

Jevhaddah

Posts: 626
Joined: 11/24/2005
From: Scotland
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alchenar

You have never ever owned a video game. Whatever form you bought your game in, retail or digital distribution, you bought a license to use the software, not the actual software itself.

Having the CD in your hand is not some magic legal silver bullet, nor are companies that exist to make money by selling games secretly plotting to cut you off from the games they have sold you because they are evil.

I do not know where yoo live but in Europe It's different.

http://www.vg247.com/2012/07/03/eu-court-rules-gamers-are-free-to-resell-digital-games/

Cheers

Jev

_____________________________

I am really quite mad yoo know!

(in reply to Alchenar)

Post #: 53

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/30/2014 1:22:48 AM

histgamer

Posts: 1455
Joined: 11/30/2006
Status: offline

Even in Europe the games specifically state you don't own the game, the question really is not what the game companies say, it's what the courts say. The right of first sale exists in the US as well but that doesn't mean game companies don't call it a license with that said the bigger question is game companies ability to enforce the license.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jevhaddah

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alchenar

You have never ever owned a video game. Whatever form you bought your game in, retail or digital distribution, you bought a license to use the software, not the actual software itself.

Having the CD in your hand is not some magic legal silver bullet, nor are companies that exist to make money by selling games secretly plotting to cut you off from the games they have sold you because they are evil.

I do not know where yoo live but in Europe It's different.

http://www.vg247.com/2012/07/03/eu-court-rules-gamers-are-free-to-resell-digital-games/

Cheers

Jev

< Message edited by flanyboy -- 3/30/2014 2:23:45 AM >

(in reply to Jevhaddah)

Post #: 54

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/30/2014 1:43:11 AM

gradenko2k

Posts: 935
Joined: 12/27/2010
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
Don�t get me wrong. I am 100% happy to have a service like GoG host my games, but with them I can make backups of my install files and keep hard copies myself to guarantee I can load the title at will any time in the future should they go belly up. With a service like Steam, that itself is the DRM scheme, you cannot do so without first circumventing their scheme that requires games shake hands with their servers first before launch.

As I�m no programmer I have no wish to use a DRM service like Steam that would need to be circumvented to bypass their DRM scheme and I see absolutely no value to me at all in their service. I�d much prefer to pay a premium price to keep a company like Matrix in business to guarantee I can buy games from a publisher who respects their customers and doesn�t want to control and track what they do with the games they buy.

Jim

You can already do this with Steam games

http://steam.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_DRM-free_games

It is the publisher that decides to include DRM with their titles, not Steam/Valve itself.

(in reply to Jim D Burns)

Post #: 55

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/30/2014 1:44:45 AM

aaatoysandmore

Posts: 2848
Joined: 9/11/2013
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000

There isn't really a precedent to claim that all or even most Steam owned games will turn into "cyber dust" given that there are significant numbers of games that already use Steam purely as a distribution service sans DRM such that copying their install folders into your favored form of back-up will work about as well as backing-up a Matrix games installer and its serial number.

If anything, the decision to activate Steam's DRM features is purely on the publisher/distributor themselves.

If that were true then why are all games that are also sold on steam don't patch from other sources like Gamersgate, Greenman Gaming, Amazon.com etc etc? I've read the fine print and some games will state if you bought this game thru steam you must patch it thru steam. Outside patching processes will not work. Like Crusader Kings II for instance that used to be on Gamersgate as well as Steam. You got the patch from one or the other but not both even though it is the same game. So, yes steam and gamersgate have their OWN .exe files when games are released separately for each. If it's exclusive to steam only though no download or patch from gamersgate or anywhere else will work. Same with mods, steam doesn't allow some mods to work on the steam client edition.

Also, I'll give you another example that steam controls your games. Reformat your hard drive. Reinstall that game using your backup without ever installing the STEAM client and tell me that game works. Even in offline mode Steam makes a check to see if that game came from Steam and is activated. Your lil backup service is only as good as that harddrive it's stored on with the Steam client active. Remove your steam client and reformat that drive and you'll see what happens to those games you got on steam.

Herein lies the difference between say a Matrixgames .exe file and Steams. You do not need any type of client to use the setup.exe, with Steam you do.

< Message edited by aaatoysandmore -- 3/30/2014 2:52:13 AM >

(in reply to gradenko2k)

Post #: 56

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/30/2014 3:37:06 AM

Jim D Burns

Posts: 4013
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Salida, CA.
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alchenar
You are way more likely to break/scratch/lose that CD in your hand than have one of the major digital distributors go under.

And there�s the real difference between you and I. I�ve been alive long enough to know for a fact nothing lasts forever. For quite a long time the net was dominated by AOL online, no one thought at the time it could ever go away due to how powerful and dominate it was in its time. When it fell it fell fast and people were still so delusional about its fall that Time Warner was talked into buying it for a vast sum of money far in excess of its almost worthless value at the time.

Today Steam dominates its market, I have no doubt at all that someday there will be no Steam. You on the other hand have faith your purchases will be around for decades, good luck I hope you are right but I doubt you are. Anyone who wants to compete with Steam needs to innovate and come up with ideas that lessen Steam�s value to its customers. When a successful competitor does finally come along, they may innovate Steam right out of the marketplace. Who knows what may happen, with tech things can change overnight and they do with quite a bit of regularity.

Jim

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Post #: 57

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/30/2014 3:50:12 AM

gradenko2k

Posts: 935
Joined: 12/27/2010
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: aaatoysandmore
Also, I'll give you another example that steam controls your games. Reformat your hard drive. Reinstall that game using your backup without ever installing the STEAM client and tell me that game works. Even in offline mode Steam makes a check to see if that game came from Steam and is activated. Your lil backup service is only as good as that harddrive it's stored on with the Steam client active. Remove your steam client and reformat that drive and you'll see what happens to those games you got on steam.

Herein lies the difference between say a Matrixgames .exe file and Steams. You do not need any type of client to use the setup.exe, with Steam you do.

You mention Crusader Kings when that's really the best example of what I'm talking about. Install Steam, install CK, copy the installed folder out of the Steam directory and into another hard drive, or burn it onto a disc, or put it on a USB stick.

Assuming you're still running a Windows machine 10 years from now and the media survives, you can boot up Crusader Kings from that folder without ever having touched Steam.

(in reply to aaatoysandmore)

Post #: 58

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/30/2014 3:52:38 AM

aaatoysandmore

Posts: 2848
Joined: 9/11/2013
Status: offline

Well, I thought monopolies were against the law? If Steam can get soul rights to the delivery of a product (have to use their client to play), isn't that a monopoly no matter who can "sell" it? It comes down to the question of if you have to play it on Steam why not just buy it on Steam? IF Steam goes under Gamersgate can't do anything about it even if you did buy your game from them. Eventually Steam is going to get displaced by the laws I think. But, in a since it's like Apple and Microsoft for years Microsoft owned the world but now who's on the rise and who is worried? Wins8 didn't do anything good for Microsoft it just turned more people to MAC's. I know I will always go toward the less intrusive and customer friendly component in the long run. Prices are getting reasonable and Mac's can do everything a PC can now justabout. If I can play my games on a Mac my next computer will be one. See what happens when you treat your customers like cattle or sheep...they stampede on you. No longer support XP was the end for me. This forcing people to upgrade or tough luck is BS. Even old 57 chevys still get parts support nowadays.

(in reply to Jim D Burns)

Post #: 59

RE: Gal Civ 3 is ready for alpha - $99 on Steam - 3/30/2014 4:09:22 AM

Jim D Burns

Posts: 4013
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Salida, CA.
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000
You mention Crusader Kings when that's really the best example of what I'm talking about. Install Steam, install CK, copy the installed folder out of the Steam directory and into another hard drive, or burn it onto a disc, or put it on a USB stick.

Assuming you're still running a Windows machine 10 years from now and the media survives, you can boot up Crusader Kings from that folder without ever having touched Steam.

Most game installs today make needed registry changes/additions, so this won't work if the game in question does this. Also I can pretty much guarantee any Steam game install adds tons of extra stuff on top of game additions to your registry and I bet their exe won't work if any of it is missing.

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(in reply to gradenko2k)

Post #: 60