Elite: Dangerous Makes a Surprise Jump to Steam

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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Frontier Developments released Elite: Dangerous to Steam without so much as a courtesy explanation. :D Elite: Dangerous is covering all of the bases and will be available on Xbox One, PS4, Mac, and now Steam. Details can be found on Elite's official forums.
 
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What some people forget is that Steam takes a whopping 30% cut of game sales, but the content creators usually don't mind since they still end up selling so much higher volumes and gamers don't mind because Steam's business model is typically one of high-volume, low-profit so the games are often very well priced and the service reliable and easy to use.
 
BTW, for those of us that already bought it, I hope they work out a deal to where I can be given a Steam key... *crosses fingers*
 
You should probably edit that as the only platform the game is "now available" is the PC (Unless you count the Mac beta client that launched last week)

Xbox One doesn't even have a release date, just that it's a "time exclusive" and the only mention of PS4 is that it's "down the line".
 
What some people forget is that Steam takes a whopping 30% cut of game sales, but the content creators usually don't mind since they still end up selling so much higher volumes and gamers don't mind because Steam's business model is typically one of high-volume, low-profit so the games are often very well priced and the service reliable and easy to use.

Sounds about right for any store.
 
That video in no way represents anything you will actually do in ED.
 
That video in no way represents anything you will actually do in ED.

True

Ducman69 said:
BTW, for those of us that already bought it, I hope they work out a deal to where I can be given a Steam key... *crosses fingers*

They are "looking into" providing STEAM keys to all of us who already bought the game.
The truth is they will have a major ****storm if they don't as backers repeatedly asked Frontier to bring ED to STEAM before release, they repeatedly said they would NOT do this, then after they got their backing money and released a game (which still needs a lot of work by the way) they release the game to STEAM.

Needless to say, backers are not happy and are demanding they provide steam keys.
 
What some people forget is that Steam takes a whopping 30% cut of game sales, but the content creators usually don't mind since they still end up selling so much higher volumes and gamers don't mind because Steam's business model is typically one of high-volume, low-profit so the games are often very well priced and the service reliable and easy to use.

30% is huge! While the access to customers maybe worth it not sure the service could be (unlimited download/deployments) but I guess they now provide streaming, screen shot, chat blah blah blah (all the features of steam I never use).

Guess it doesn't matter anyway cause the value is access to customers...

I looked at getting ED, not a space sim fan or anything but it looked interesting. When it came to it, I passed cause it wasn't on steam. I just really like the library, download, auto-install/update and cloud profile/saves features. To the point where a game has to really give me reason to go outside that walled garden to be worth it.
 
30% is huge! While the access to customers maybe worth it not sure the service could be (unlimited download/deployments) but I guess they now provide streaming, screen shot, chat blah blah blah (all the features of steam I never use).

Guess it doesn't matter anyway cause the value is access to customers...

I looked at getting ED, not a space sim fan or anything but it looked interesting. When it came to it, I passed cause it wasn't on steam. I just really like the library, download, auto-install/update and cloud profile/saves features. To the point where a game has to really give me reason to go outside that walled garden to be worth it.

How is 30% huge? You do realize most retail stores take 50% or more
 
True



They are "looking into" providing STEAM keys to all of us who already bought the game.
The truth is they will have a major ****storm if they don't as backers repeatedly asked Frontier to bring ED to STEAM before release, they repeatedly said they would NOT do this, then after they got their backing money and released a game (which still needs a lot of work by the way) they release the game to STEAM.

Needless to say, backers are not happy and are demanding they provide steam keys.

what?

pre release backers got lied to, jerked around and now probably fucked?

I am shocked, SHOCKED!
 
True



They are "looking into" providing STEAM keys to all of us who already bought the game.
The truth is they will have a major ****storm if they don't as backers repeatedly asked Frontier to bring ED to STEAM before release, they repeatedly said they would NOT do this, then after they got their backing money and released a game (which still needs a lot of work by the way) they release the game to STEAM.

Needless to say, backers are not happy and are demanding they provide steam keys.

Problem is that they will have to pay to get you new Steam CD keys. A similar thing happened with Eagle Dynamics recently. They finally brought their products to Steam, and allowed CD keys bought on their website to activate on Steam. Valve initially allowed this (on their behalf) to bring over customers to Steam hoping future modules would be bought on Steam. However, most people continued to buy from ED directly as they make more money. But Valve does not make any money from that. So Valve pulled the plug on that. ED had to announce that Valve would no longer accept their CD keys, and they had to work with Valve so that they could guarantee CD keys up to a certain date would work on Steam fine.

A Steamworks game is different. Even if bought from Amazon, Valve gets a cut of the profit. But as Elite Dangerous was not a Steamworks game, much like ED's flight sims, they will run into the same issue. I suppose Valve may offer a similar "amnesty" period for Elite Dangerous, but I would think they would only do this if Elite Dangerous had plans to release lots of future DLC in which Valve would get profits from. Otherwise I really doubt current Elite Dangerous owners will get Steam keys; again, unless the Elite Dangerous devs pay out of their pocket for it.

To use a second example, this is also why the Steam version of Rise of Flight is sold in different packages and is not compatible with non-Steam CD keys. I would have liked to activate my CD keys on Steam and download from it, but that was never an option and likely never will be.
 
Needless to say, backers are not happy and are demanding they provide steam keys.

What's to stop people from just selling those Steam keys if they were to get them.. ? I guess there'd have to be some way for their original account access to be disabled if they opt to retrieve a steam key.
 
30% is huge when you are comparing it to something like 5% which is what you would lose on credit card processing or maybe lower. But its not much when you compare it to retail channels or the cut you have to give a console maker. So its not surprising that many companies will simply try to avoid steam at least early on so they can get more money from all the real fans. Hirez did this with tribes and probably more of their games. It seems to be a common thing now days and valve should consider revising their policy in a way that discourages it. IE say something like its only 25% if there is initial launch and advertisement from the very start on steam. Because ultimately we all know that any remotely successful game will cave in and go to steam sooner or later unless they are with EA.
 
What some people forget is that Steam takes a whopping 30% cut of game sales, but the content creators usually don't mind since they still end up selling so much higher volumes and gamers don't mind because Steam's business model is typically one of high-volume, low-profit so the games are often very well priced and the service reliable and easy to use.

30% is pretty standard - Apple, Google, Microsoft app stores are same. Steam is also the 3rd or 4th largest traffic generator on the internet thus I'm sure the bandwidth bill is pretty staggering, so its its hardly pure profit.
 
How is 30% huge? You do realize most retail stores take 50% or more

30 percent is really reasonable actually. Don't understand why people don't get that. It helps keep games cheap on Steam. Valve could if they wanted to increase it and no one would really be able to do anything about it so considering that its a pretty great deal for the massive exposure.
 
A lot of people don't even buy games unless they are on Steam, so good for them to get the game on everyone preferred distribution system.

Too bad about those backers, however their pledge was just a generous donation that may or may not have led to them getting a game anyway :p
 
Any person who has run iRacing since 2007 can get a Steam Key right from their online profile in iRacing. iRacing went to steam earlier this year and anyone can attach to it.
 
For the time being, Linux is not a viable platform for mainstream gaming.

It looks to be that way for the near future :(

"Near future" = "probably never"


Linux has been around for over 20 years, and has still made practically zero penetration into mainstream gaming. I'd be running Linux now if I could get the same titles on it as I can on the PC. and no, WINE doesn't count. I can remember installing those early release versions and looking forward to the day when Linux would be an option for gaming alongside Windows. still waiting....

I understand the problems, it's a chicken and egg thing, you don't get game companies to develop for a platform unless there are users, you don't have users unless there is product.

Linux still has a massive problem, most people that use a computer are doing good to set up an email account or adjust the privacy settings on Facebook. Using Linux, unless it comes installed on the box they purchased from Best buy is not something the normal user would ever do.
 
What's to stop people from just selling those Steam keys if they were to get them.. ? I guess there'd have to be some way for their original account access to be disabled if they opt to retrieve a steam key.

i don't know how ED works as i have no interest in the game, but don't you need to log in to their servers to play?

Obviously if that is the case the steam Key would already be tied to your login info

so in order to sell the steam key you also have to sell your login info.

it does not matter if you launch ED from steam or from a stand alone launcher is still uses the same login credentials.

Getting the steam key is really only going to be about getting steam achievements i would guess. rather than the normal way of just manually adding the game to steam to get the steam overlay/features to work.
 
"Near future" = "probably never"


Linux has been around for over 20 years, and has still made practically zero penetration into mainstream gaming. I'd be running Linux now if I could get the same titles on it as I can on the PC. and no, WINE doesn't count. I can remember installing those early release versions and looking forward to the day when Linux would be an option for gaming alongside Windows. still waiting....

I understand the problems, it's a chicken and egg thing, you don't get game companies to develop for a platform unless there are users, you don't have users unless there is product.

Linux still has a massive problem, most people that use a computer are doing good to set up an email account or adjust the privacy settings on Facebook. Using Linux, unless it comes installed on the box they purchased from Best buy is not something the normal user would ever do.

That will likely change with SteamOS and the Vulkan API (mantle)
 
What some people forget is that Steam takes a whopping 30% cut of game sales.

Whopping? Sounds like someone who's never seen the back side of retail. Retailers generally have a 100% markup or, in your terms, take a 50% cut. That is to say that $10 item you buy at Target, Target themselves paid about $5 for.

For retail, you just have to have those kind of margins to stay in business. Once you deal with the cost of the building, utilities, salaries, insurance, etc, etc you need that sort of thing to clear much of a profit. Using Target as an example their profit margin is usually only 3-5%, and was actually negative last quarter.

So 30% isn't that bad. Could Steam charge less? Sure, particularly given that their customer service costs are almost nothing since they don't provide any but 30% isn't bad from the perspective of game companies, as they are used to a much higher margin at retail. They are happy to move to something like Steam when it takes less.
 
Having been caught twice with ED & Rise of Flight's lack of steam integration, I won't ever buy another 'independent' game from the devs website. Then they hide behind the.. 'we can't move our cd keys onto steam'.. from a users perspective, I don't care.. Having spent a fair bit of money buying planes/mods etc, they could offer us a goodwill gesture as early backers to give us a steam key.

As it is, I now just refuse to get sucked in early and pay expensive prices and would rather wait til the content is nearly worthless and get a steam key. Same goes for all those games that have a million slices of DLC.. or kickstarter projects..
 
Having been caught twice with ED & Rise of Flight's lack of steam integration, I won't ever buy another 'independent' game from the devs website. Then they hide behind the.. 'we can't move our cd keys onto steam'.. from a users perspective, I don't care.. Having spent a fair bit of money buying planes/mods etc, they could offer us a goodwill gesture as early backers to give us a steam key.

As it is, I now just refuse to get sucked in early and pay expensive prices and would rather wait til the content is nearly worthless and get a steam key. Same goes for all those games that have a million slices of DLC.. or kickstarter projects..
Yup, if you wait a year, you tend to get the best prices and the most complete and stable game. The craziest thing is that so many companies now CHARGE people money to alpha test their game, something you should get paid for really.
 
I don't really see the what the fuss is about when it comes to existing backers wanting Steam keys. I mean, for games which are primarily distributed digitally anyway, have their own login credentials and have automatic updating built-in to the launcher, Steam doesn't add all that much. I haven't tried it with E:D but you can probably get the Steam overlay to work if you add the game as a shortcut, like you can with most others. Achievements? Well, I guess that could matter to some people, for some reason.

But you backed the game with no expectation of a Steam key, so why do you feel entitled to one now? If it was such a big deal to you, you shouldn't have backed the game in the first place.
 
But you backed the game with no expectation of a Steam key, so why do you feel entitled to one now? If it was such a big deal to you, you shouldn't have backed the game in the first place.
Because, if anything, the most loyal customers... the ones that helped through alpha, beta, and paid to get the game up and running, should if anything be given preferential treatment to new customers. The very least is to get the same treatment, meaning being given a Steam key.

And cmon, who in their right mind would turn down a steam key option on this forum?
 
Because, if anything, the most loyal customers... the ones that helped through alpha, beta, and paid to get the game up and running, should if anything be given preferential treatment to new customers. The very least is to get the same treatment, meaning being given a Steam key.

And cmon, who in their right mind would turn down a steam key option on this forum?

They don't get Steam keys for free though, there is a cost associated with just sending people Steam keys for game that people didn't buy originally for Steam.
 
They don't get Steam keys for free though, there is a cost associated with just sending people Steam keys for game that people didn't buy originally for Steam.
Which they are paying for if I had bought the game today instead of yesterday all the same.
 
Which they are paying for if I had bought the game today instead of yesterday all the same.

The difference is the money paid yesterday is already either spent on the game, or in the CEO's bank account rather than being part of the games budget any more, the cost of a new key would be part of a new purchase so there would be less money actually going to the ED crew/game.

if it costs money to give everyone a key, that money needs to come from some where either new sales, or money stashed away for the project.

so you claiming someone deserves a steam key would be rather poor taste considering at best all it offers is some achievements but the cost associated with it could slow production of a new game feature until that money is recouped.
 
Which they are paying for if I had bought the game today instead of yesterday all the same.

Those people funded development efforts of the game itself, with no promise of a Steam Key. The fact that a playable game was produced means E:D is doing a lot better than many other projects. Anyone upset over this shouldn't be crowd funding future projects.
 
Those people funded development efforts of the game itself, with no promise of a Steam Key. The fact that a playable game was produced means E:D is doing a lot better than many other projects. Anyone upset over this shouldn't be crowd funding future projects.
Give me a break... your expectations as a consumer are so low, it seems you wouldn't even ask the ED devs to use spit for lube. This concept is not difficult: Early adopters deserve to be rewarded and given the same treatment as new customers, even if, yes, it costs the company some of the money they have made to get keys out to them.

To do any less is the same as saying "fuck you, we already have your money, its your fault you funded the development of the game and helped bring it to market by beta testing it and telling all your friends". That would piss a normal person off, and not encourage them to spend more money on the game.
 
Give me a break... your expectations as a consumer are so low, it seems you wouldn't even ask the ED devs to use spit for lube. This concept is not difficult: Early adopters deserve to be rewarded and given the same treatment as new customers, even if, yes, it costs the company some of the money they have made to get keys out to them.

To do any less is the same as saying "fuck you, we already have your money, its your fault you funded the development of the game and helped bring it to market by beta testing it and telling all your friends". That would piss a normal person off, and not encourage them to spend more money on the game.

Backers are not consumers, that is the issue. Backers aren't buying anything, they are making monetary donations in hopes of receiving a product later.
 
We're talking good customer service, not some legal obligation under Title 2 Section B Paragraph 7 of the early-adopter handbook.

Same reason I went to Discount Tire yesterday, told them I had a nail in my tire, they asked if I bought the tire there and I told em "No, its still the factory tire, but I buy my replacements at DT" and bam, free service. And sure enough, when its time to get new tires, I'm going to DT.
 
We're talking good customer service, not some legal obligation under Title 2 Section B Paragraph 7 of the early-adopter handbook.

Same reason I went to Discount Tire yesterday, told them I had a nail in my tire, they asked if I bought the tire there and I told em "No, its still the factory tire, but I buy my replacements at DT" and bam, free service. And sure enough, when its time to get new tires, I'm going to DT.

Elite : D had ~25K backers. How much should they spend to get those people Steam keys? $10 per key? And who is to say they even have the money available to pay Valve for 25K keys? Should they spend their last potential pennies to make backers happy with Steam keys?
 
Elite : D had ~25K backers. How much should they spend to get those people Steam keys? $10 per key?
Yup, and if you don't have the money, take out a freakin' loan like every business in the entire world does on a regular basis. I don't understand this new world we live in where there is no such thing as lines of credit, and businesses aren't required to take any financial risk whatsoever and get all money for their operating expenses up front.
 
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