Valve: Why the PC is the future

Pretty well written article all in all. The discussion on how easy it is for the auto updating is nice and so true. The way to circumvent pirating is automatic updates: I just wonder that the implications are for single player games.
 
I believe multiplayer-only games will continue to do very well on PC, especially on steam.
 
Specially since you cant pirate a multiplayer game. Well I guess you can play on cracked server but it sucks.
 
I'm agree ^

PC games get pirated because the multiplayer is often thrown on as a last minute thing. Look at COD4 for pc. Good multiplayer system, so people actually buy it.

Poorly optimized and supported games like Crysis for example, just invite piracy, because people don't want to pay money for a game where they play a short, linear single player campaign and thats is.
 
I think that's the first time I've seen a publisher argue for PC using grounds other than, "It has better DRM." Really good read.
 
I was thinking earlier about the million "STEAM SUCKS" threads created here when it first came out. I wrote my own when I bought HL2 but thinking back, Steam has been an amazing concept and I'm glad Valve stuck with it and produced a solid service. Last few games I've bought have been over steam. I bought Orange Box today cuz I've been wanting to play TF2 and decided I'd support steam by buying it online.
 
MattQC said:
Specially since you cant pirate a multiplayer game. Well I guess you can play on cracked server but it sucks.
Click to expand...

There are custom builds floating around in the underground that will let you play on secure servers without a real account, though finding these are hard.
 
Pipo said:
I was thinking earlier about the million "STEAM SUCKS" threads created here when it first came out. I wrote my own when I bought HL2 but thinking back, Steam has been an amazing concept and I'm glad Valve stuck with it and produced a solid service. Last few games I've bought have been over steam. I bought Orange Box today cuz I've been wanting to play TF2 and decided I'd support steam by buying it online.
Click to expand...

Felt the same way. Those were some some growing pains. Remember the servers being backed up for hours when it first launched after CS 1.6. But for the past year, the service has been very excellent and is a great distribution method for discovering pc games.
 
Pipo said:
I was thinking earlier about the million "STEAM SUCKS" threads created here when it first came out. I wrote my own when I bought HL2 but thinking back, Steam has been an amazing concept and I'm glad Valve stuck with it and produced a solid service. Last few games I've bought have been over steam. I bought Orange Box today cuz I've been wanting to play TF2 and decided I'd support steam by buying it online.
Click to expand...

I'll admit I was one of those people :D I really do like what Steam has become. Also help me look at things a lot different. I still rather by my games retail, but attaching it to steam is awesome and I don't mind autheticating it with steam either.
 
Steam-type distros are the way to go for all the reasons stated in the article. Valve has been pretty fair with prices but I wouldn't mind seeing one or two more big (=many games) distribution services for the sake of competition.
 
great wonderful. pirating is being hurt. now, a real, effective anti-cheat system will bring me back. I can't play multi player anything on the pc until that comes to be.
 
The only thing I've found that I didn't like about steam was that this past summer I moved back home from campus. I have no internet access, and can't play any of my games.

I guess it's understandable, I just didn't totally think it through when I was moving, and figured I would still be able to play. I've honestly not looked at it more than from when my friend sent me a free copy of Half Life 2(He already had it, and it was bundled), and told me to download the service, so I guess I can't really complain about it.
 
Eseipel said:
The only thing I've found that I didn't like about steam was that this past summer I moved back home from campus. I have no internet access, and can't play any of my games.

I guess it's understandable, I just didn't totally think it through when I was moving, and figured I would still be able to play. I've honestly not looked at it more than from when my friend sent me a free copy of Half Life 2(He already had it, and it was bundled), and told me to download the service, so I guess I can't really complain about it.
Click to expand...

You can play most games in Offline Mode.
 
Ah? I believe it still has to check into steam to verify that you own the game, as it completly refuses to allow me to start up Half Life 2, no matter which way I go about it.
 
spaceman said:
great wonderful. pirating is being hurt. now, a real, effective anti-cheat system will bring me back. I can't play multi player anything on the pc until that comes to be.
Click to expand...
I rarely have any problems with VAC-secured games. Sure, you still see some fuckin' unbelievable cheaters on occasion (I play CS:S primarily), but it's remarkably infrequent. I also play all the Quakes online, save for Q4, and it's rare that I have any problems there either. So long as the server's manned by competent admins, cheaters can get squashed pretty quickly.

Maybe I just play the 'right' games on the 'right' servers.
 
Calis said:
I'm agree ^

PC games get pirated because the multiplayer is often thrown on as a last minute thing. Look at COD4 for pc. Good multiplayer system, so people actually buy it.

Poorly optimized and supported games like Crysis for example, just invite piracy, because people don't want to pay money for a game where they play a short, linear single player campaign and thats is.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't call a 1.5 million copies of Crysis sold as people not buying it. Crytek might, but I wouldn't.

Pipo said:
I was thinking earlier about the million "STEAM SUCKS" threads created here when it first came out. I wrote my own when I bought HL2 but thinking back, Steam has been an amazing concept and I'm glad Valve stuck with it and produced a solid service. Last few games I've bought have been over steam. I bought Orange Box today cuz I've been wanting to play TF2 and decided I'd support steam by buying it online.
Click to expand...

Eseipel said:
The only thing I've found that I didn't like about steam was that this past summer I moved back home from campus. I have no internet access, and can't play any of my games.

I guess it's understandable, I just didn't totally think it through when I was moving, and figured I would still be able to play. I've honestly not looked at it more than from when my friend sent me a free copy of Half Life 2(He already had it, and it was bundled), and told me to download the service, so I guess I can't really complain about it.
Click to expand...

Eseipel said:
Ah? I believe it still has to check into steam to verify that you own the game, as it completly refuses to allow me to start up Half Life 2, no matter which way I go about it.
Click to expand...

Steam still sucks for that very reason that you can't play the game until youve connected to Steam. What I find ironic is that it punishes the people who have no ability to pirate in the first place. From my perspective the only difference between Steam and Securom is that I can't buy games directly off of Securom and it doesn't create any hardware conflicts.

The people who love Steam are the people that aren't affected by its drawbacks. People who either don't have internet access, people who are in places where internet access is sporadic or people who are on dial up do not benefit in any way from Steam.
 
Chombo said:
The people who love Steam are the people that aren't affected by its drawbacks. People who either don't have internet access, people who are in places where internet access is sporadic or people who are on dial up do not benefit in any way from Steam.
Click to expand...

You can still buy boxed copies of those games if you are on dial-up. It states on the box that an internet connection is required and once it has validated once you can set Steam to Offline Mode and not worry about it again. My cousin played through HL2 and Episode 1 in Offline Mode without issue until we bought a long enough Cat6 cable to reach my switch.

If you don't have internet, go somewhere with internet and authenticate otherwise read the box first.

Mass Effect, Spore and Bioshock have a similar system where they need to connect to the internet to validate your key. What's so different?
 
I'm not surprised at all, of course they will defend PC gaming. Steam is their bread and butter.

On a sidenote, it's sad users steep so low to purchase a $200-$300 video card, yet they are unwillingly to fork over the funds to purchase a game.

With the departure of Mr Gates, I begin to wonder if he is jumping ship or his time has come
 
melkore said:
You can still buy boxed copies of those games if you are on dial-up. It states on the box that an internet connection is required and once it has validated once you can set Steam to Offline Mode and not worry about it again. My cousin played through HL2 and Episode 1 in Offline Mode without issue until we bought a long enough Cat6 cable to reach my switch.

If you don't have internet, go somewhere with internet and authenticate otherwise read the box first.

Mass Effect, Spore and Bioshock have a similar system where they need to connect to the internet to validate your key. What's so different?
Click to expand...

Have you tried carting your box somewhere each time just to activate a game? I have, several times. It sucks, which is why I am saying that Steam sucks. I am willing to do it but it still sucks nonetheless.
 
Chombo said:
Have you tried carting your box somewhere each time just to activate a game? I have, several times. It sucks, which is why I am saying that Steam sucks. I am willing to do it but it still sucks nonetheless.
Click to expand...

no one is forcing you to buy steam games fyi.
 
Id say, for me, one reason I do not like to download a full game is because I am used to having the instruction booklet in my hands to read at my conveinience(sp). I know the games have readme files I can print out, but I just always liked to have the real thing.

However, this fact hasnt stopped me from downloading games from Steam though. Its highly convienient (I cant spell this word for nothin), esp when you have kids and a wife who hates it when you spend money on a game, lol. I can download a game and she will never know. muahahahaha.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top