Retail backlash against Steam

[trickycurve]

That is the most ill thought out idea I've heard in years. If someone visits a shop, it's because they want a physical product, now. The shopkeeper might as well tell them to bugger off and download it otherwise. Which is precisely what you're suggesting.

To be fair, it could work in exactly the same way as how you buy, say, Microsoft Points from a high street retailer. I mean, you could argue that buying Microsoft Points from the high street is pointless because you can just get them straight from GFWL or XBL, but people do it anyway. Besides, as was mentioned a few posts up, you could then buy Steam games with cash - not everyone likes to use a card.

 

[Bloomfield]

Why don't you just not install steam to your c drive?

I don't really see any reason to, installing it to another drive means you dont have to mess around with mklink, and when you reinstall windows all your games will be sitting there ready to play .

And if you already have steam installed to c:, but are running out of space so have to do that, you might aswell just drag the whole folder to another drive and just run steam from there .

 

[MikeHunt79]

Imagine if music shops did this because artists had their music on iTunes, I doubt they'd have much music to sell!

 

[iviv]

And what's your problem

Ignorance is paying £40 on steam when the same game with steamworks can be had for £30, Just because of sheer steam fan boyism

My point is steam is far from perfect, be it pre loads, relase timing or even the fact you cant install games anywhere else other than C:

Its a lot to put up with to play a game you have paid for after all

Steam can't lower their prices because they have no say, as has been said repetedly in the thread.

I agree that the publishers should lower their prices for games on Steam, but that's a different argument. Yes, games are often cheaper on online stores, and if they are then I'll usually buy from there instead, that's not a problem for me.
And I have Steam installed on my F: and that's where all the games install to as well, nothing steam related is on the c: apart from game saves.

 

[gizmoy2k]

If people have an SSD want their favourite games to load up faster, I prefer those on my C: and all other stuff im not as keen on elsewhere

It does make a difference, in BC2 im almost always 1st into a map

 

[Memphis]

So once again another Steam thread proves just how ignorant some of the most vocal people are .

 

[uv]

quoted for emphasis. even developers have mentioned this. STEAM overprices because they have little competition and everybody who thinks otherwise is just being naive.

It'd be awesome if you could provide a source for this, as this exact debate has been going on for years now. I personally think that the publishers set the price, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong if a decent source can be provided (ie Valve/Steam or a Publisher).

or even the fact you cant install games anywhere else other than C:

Steam can be installed anywhere locally. It can even be installed and run from a networked location, with a little work. Granted, it won't let you choose specific install locations for each game, but you could just use symlinks (or s GUI like SteamMover) to do so.

If people have an SSD want their favourite games to load up faster, I prefer those on my C: and all other stuff im not as keen on elsewhere

Again, just use symlinks (or SteamMover) to move the appdata for your favourite games onto the SSD. It works perfectly well.
I'm suprised Steam hasn't implemented a feature like this already, but it's very easily doable through third party methods.

 

[iv-tecman]

This was posted on codemasters forum by one of our very own members..

A codemasters relations director provided some responses..

http://community.codemasters.com/fo...-codemasters-sort-out-your-steam-pricing.html

Might want to take a read, might not answer anything but the response was –

As with any retailer, Codemasters do NOT control how retailers price their goods. The RRP is set and after that it's up to the individual retailer to decide how much they want to charge for goods - hence why you see such varying prices from retailer to retailer.

Now, that to me reads like Codemasters release a title with a RRP and its then up to the retailer (and they treat Steam as a retailer??) to charge up to the RRP.

I’m not sure if I’m reading this wrong, but anyhow thought I’d post it anyhow.

As for Steam, pre loads, the software and the idea of Steam. Its excellent, it really is a fantastic idea and a great way to obtain games. I do love the Steam sales. I think we all do.

I’ll wait to get ganged up on about the quote I added… Please, be gentle..!!

 

[iviv]

The argument against that is things like exchange rates. Often, you'll get big release games using a £1 = $1 = €1. But then the small indie games manage to have correct exchange rates where the prices match. Why would Steam chose to price some publishers differently to others?

Also, google found this blog post, complete with sources... though most are a year old so 404 now, but I don't doubt their truth.
http://gamegirl.5elements.net/2009/07/steam-who-sets-the-prices/

 

[Bloomfield]

This was posted on codemasters forum by one of our very own members..

A codemasters relations director provided some responses..

http://community.codemasters.com/fo...-codemasters-sort-out-your-steam-pricing.html

Might want to take a read, might not answer anything but the response was –



Now, that to me reads like Codemasters release a title with a RRP and its then up to the retailer (and they treat Steam as a retailer??) to charge up to the RRP.

I’m not sure if I’m reading this wrong, but anyhow thought I’d post it anyhow.

As for Steam, pre loads, the software and the idea of Steam. Its excellent, it really is a fantastic idea and a great way to obtain games. I do love the Steam sales. I think we all do.

I’ll wait to get ganged up on about the quote I added… Please, be gentle..!!

Retail has nothing to do with steam.

Valve has consistently responded that they offer the service worldwide, and it's up to game publishers to determine availability and pricing

http://www.cnet.com.au/getting-steamed-digital-distribution-for-games-isn-t-there-yet-339288255.htm

 

[Ravenger]

I loved this post on MCV by Darryl Still, the marketing director of 1c - a European publisher that specialises in PC games:

I had a meeting with one of my UK publishers, who was complaining that they could only get 30 units of a new title of ours into a major retailer. that's 1 each for their top 30 stores. Cos "There is no demand for it".

I had my Steam instant sales tool on screen at the time and my response was "In the 10 seconds it's taken you to tell me there is no demand for it, 45 customers have started to download it on Steam".

 

[modo77]

or even the fact you cant install games anywhere else other than C:

lol, really

 

[Mean Mr Mustard]

Awww poor retailers.

Maybe if my local GAME didn't stock about 3 PC games (one of which is a pony show-jumping game, the other 2 having been released in 2003 and priced at £45) on a sorry-looking shelf in a corner, I might be more tempted to buy PC games there. Same applies for my local branch of HMV.

 

[gizmoy2k]

lol, really

lol on an individual basis lol NO!!

noob

 

[Ampeg]

Had to read the artical a couple of times just to get my head around how ridiculous it was. The retailers stopped giving a crap about PC gaming a long time ago, **** them and the horse they rode in on! Between Steam and other online sellers were well covered, those ass clowns can stop selling PC games altogether, barely matters to most PC gamers.

 

[Deific]

I really ****ing dislike it when people say this.

STEAM DO NOT SET THE PRICES OF THE GAMES.

RAGE

STEAM DO NOT SET THE PRICES.

Steam, is brilliant and it has come a long way since it first started, amazing bit of software imho, don't see how people can complain about it.

If you're going to rage you should probably check your facts first.

Valve suggest the price-point they want to sell the game at to the publisher, and the publisher okays it or chooses to make adjustments.

So yes, Steam/Valve does set the prices, after giving the publisher oppurtunity to change them.

QQ

(I really dislike people who think valve are so naieve as to give publishers free reign of their pricing)

- And why anyone thinks developers get to have any say in the price, is quite frankly, beyond me - excluding the rare studios who publish and develop the game themselves.

Seems people read some other misinformed half-wit screaming on an internet forum that developers set the price-point, and then take it upon themselves to pick up the torch and misinform yet more people that developers set the price-point and valve just stand there gormed and nodding.

 

[iviv]

If you're going to rage you should probably check your facts first.

Valve suggest the price-point they want to sell the game at to the publisher, and the publisher okays it or chooses to make adjustments.

So yes, Steam/Valve does set the prices, after giving the publisher oppurtunity to change them.

QQ

(I really dislike people who think valve are so naieve as to give publishers free reign of their pricing)

I could suffest all manner of things you could do, but certainly you wouldn't actually do any of them

 

[LabR@t]

steam is one of the best things in PC Industry as far as I'm concerned and long my it reign KIng.

 

[modo77]

lol on an individual basis lol NO!!

noob

Did you say that? No.

try to be clear in what you saying, it works wonders.

 

[Deific]

I could suffest all manner of things you could do, but certainly you wouldn't actually do any of them

^
what?