Game launchers and steam hate?

Why does any game need a launcher? I remember when you installed a game, it added a group to ‘all programs’ and bunged a shortcut on the desktop. That was it.
 
Feek said:
Why does any game need a launcher? I remember when you installed a game, it added a group to ‘all programs’ and bunged a shortcut on the desktop. That was it.
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Auto updates spring to mind. I remember the days when you had to go looking for patches and download it manually. Launchers stopped that.
 
My issue with other launchers is that it completely destroys the simplicity of couch gaming.

Any* steam game I can launch in big picture via the steam link app on my Shield TV and it opens within a few seconds.

Contrast that with Origin or uPlay where I have to:

launch the game
Wait for the other launcher to open
wait for the other launcher to update
Log in to the other launcher
Run upstairs to my PC to click the dialog which has opened
Run downstairs to play
Run upstairs to restart my PC because the other launcher has its own overlay which has killed the steam Link session
Run downstairs and wait for my pc to restart
Launch the game (again)
Wait for the other launcher to open
Wait for the game to open
Play (finally!!!)

I don't mind buying my games elsewhere (e.g. Gog), but needing 4-5 launchers is just a pain in the bottom


* as long as it supports controllers obviously
 
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ZombieFan said:
Auto updates spring to mind. I remember the days when you had to go looking for patches and download it manually. Launchers stopped that.
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Did they? If I need an update via Steam I still have to go into Library and set to update upon start or auto update whenever it finds one. Doesn't affect the launcher one way or the other.

If its a Bethesda titles I add a skse/f4se desktop/taskbar shortcut and bypass the launcher entirely which is nothing but an annoying distraction unless you're starting up for the very first time.
 
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