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The Valve and Steam Platform Discussion Thread

Destroid

Arcane
Joined
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Messages
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Funny thing is, all these armchair platform holders (TB, and Jim Sterling earlier), trying make Valve stop letting "shovelware" be released on Steam wouldn't be able to tell actual shovelware from a good game with low production values if their lives depended on it. If you left these jackasses in charge of curating Steam, I can absolutely guarantee that a game like Banished, for instance (made by one guy, in Top 10 Sellers since release), wouldn't have made it in on account of being judged "shovelware". If Notch wanted to release Minecraft on Steam years ago, when it was still in Alpha, same thing, gtfo with your shovelware Notch, stealing publicity from all the big-budget games.

Honestly, if a game like Banished managed to achieve the success it did, then I have faith that good games will eventually rise to the top of the Steam sea of mediocrity.

Unfortunately Banished is not actually good.
 

Telengard

Arcane
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Yes, get those damned re-releases off store shelves, where they're crowding out prime shelf space for new releases. Brick and mortar stores would never do that.

Oh wait...
  • Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Limited Edition Collector's Set (1990, DOS, C64, Amiga, SSI) - a compilation of many early AD&D titles, including several Gold Box games.
  • Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Collectors Edition (1994, DOS, WizardWorks) - a compilation of all of the Gold Box games, minus FRUA and the Buck Rogers series.
  • Fantasy Fest! (1994, DOS, SSI) - a compilation of several AD&D games, including FRUA.
  • Dungeons & Dragons Ultimate Fantasy (1995, DOS, Slash) - a compilation of several AD&D games, including FRUA.
  • The Forgotten Realms Archives (1997, DOS/WIN, Interplay) - a compilation of SSI's Forgotten Realms video games, including the Gold Box series'.
  • Gamefest: Forgotten Realms Classics (2001, DOS/WIN, Interplay) - a compilation of SSI's Forgotten Realms video games, including the Gold Box series'.

  • Wizardry Trilogy (1987) - the first three Wizardry games; released for Apple II and C64
  • Wizardry Trilogy 2 (1994) - compilation of Wizardry V, VI, and VII all of which were developed by D. W. Bradley; released for DOS
  • Wizardry: Llylgamyn Saga (1997) - an enhanced remake of the first three Wizardry games for PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Windows
  • The Ultimate Wizardry Archives (1998) - compilation of the first seven Wizardry games plus the 1996 remake of the seventh game, Wizardry Gold; released for Windows and DOS
  • Wizardry: New Age of Llylgamyn (1999) - an enhanced remake of Wizardry IV and V for PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Windows.
Not to mention the permanent rack endlessly filled with the same indie shovelware and the overflowing bargain bin.
 

Zewp

Arcane
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
3,568
Codex 2013
What is with the ridiculous amount of downtime Steam has been experiencing lately? It's happening on an almost daily basis and not even a single word out of Valve on the issue.
 

Zewp

Arcane
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Messages
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Codex 2013
It looks a bit like Sword and Sworcery, which I didn't enjoy.

I'll download the demo and check it out.
 
Joined
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Messages
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The island of misfit mascots
There's also a certain tactical sense to encouraging rereleases of old games on steam (though better categorisation would definitely help matters). Yahtzee can't be the only one that's pissed off at the refusal/inability of consoles to support backwards compatibility, and he put it really well: the new console generation means that all of your games are being rendered obsolete regardless of whether you still like them or not, so that Sony/Microsoft can replace them with a console that has literally only a handful of games. Unless you've got your old console still plugged in (which very few people do), you're trading your entire gaming collection for 2-3 games that are marginally better looking and bring nothing new to the table in terms of gameplay.

Whereas PCs are now competitively priced against next gen consoles, Steam makes them just as easy to instal and significantly easier to actually load and play, and PCs give you the entire history of gaming at your fingertips.

Don't underestimate the selling power of a near-infinite gaming catalogue at a time when backwards compatibility is a sore point for the console market. I don't see why Steam would decide to stop rubbing that in Sony's/Microsoft's face anytime soon.
 

Drakron

Arcane
Joined
May 19, 2005
Messages
6,326
Yes, genuinely new games ARE losing exposure and sales due to various (mostly shovelware-ish) publishers dumping their back catalogs on Steam, and that's pretty dumb.

And?

You are really comparing a Triple AAA+++ Game with millions on advertisement with a budget re-release?
They are not losing exposure, they are not losing sales because those Triple AAA+++ Games happen to BE shovelware, production values mean nothing because Thief 2014 have high production values but its still a shameless cash-in jut copying other games, its shoveware.

The only thing dumb is thinking you are entitled to sales because you dump millions into a game, this is the exact same train of thought of the Tomb Raider reboot (another shoveware) were they put millions on shit nobody cared about and did a Uncharted clone with more gore because someone had a fetish about it, then have a worldwide million dollars campaign, sell over a million copies and complain about it, hey how about its re-release on the Xbox One and PS4? how about the same thing they did with Final Fantasy X/X-2 in the PS3 (and I still trying to see were is the HD, looks about the same as the PS2 version)? Isnt that exactly the same but back catalog of older PC games is "bad" because god forbids if Triple AAA +++ Games dont make any money, no because its clear publishers are entitled to get their money back.

What a lot of crap.

New games dont sell because THEY SUCK BALLS, people are fed up with the shovelware design of new games and rather play Indy or older games because ... THEY ARE BETTER, the fact new shit cannot compare to older shit is telling of how much shit is the new shit ... Steam sells games, their entire purpose is to sell games and back catalog always exist ... its there in your fucking PS3, PSP and Xbox 360 on digital format, if we start go about quality them how about games like Croc: The Legend of the Gobbos, isnt it on the PSN?

Were is the line? Shoveware always exists and single out Steam as some kind of "quality control" when its a storefront is garbage, especially when Triple AAA+++ Games themselves have no quality, only high production values.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
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Messages
97,484
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
"Quadruple AAAAA+++++ shit that sucks balls" isn't what TB is talking about. Most new games on Steam nowadays are various flavors of indie game.
 

Zewp

Arcane
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
3,568
Codex 2013
It's been incredibly unstable the past week. The storefront itself was down most of today.
 

Metro

Arcane
Beg Auditor
Joined
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Messages
27,792
Storefront has been wonky but I've had zero problems installing and playing games.
 

Drakron

Arcane
Joined
May 19, 2005
Messages
6,326
"Quadruple AAAAA+++++ shit that sucks balls" isn't what TB is talking about. Most new games on Steam nowadays are various flavors of indie game.

This always been true in storefront, we always had a much bigger ratio of shovelware and budget games compared with high production value games.

Again, Steam is a storefront and exists to make sales ... output of high production value games inst enough to maintain sales, there needs to be buffers of smaller budget games otherwise you end up with the XBox One Library.

The fast majority of output is budget games isnt new, always have been that way ... trying to force Steam into some kind of "quality" control because some people want to hold a store front as making their decisions for them its exactly that, maybe TB should not buy shitty games ... like Biocock Infinity and then feel justified on complaining that Steam sold them that game, its like going to the Supermaket and buy one of those old budget games and complain about it a decision they made.

Steam should only be responsible for the software to work, not trying to maintain some ratio of quality games that just boils down to publishers hype machine, if I look at his channel (that means if I suffer mental trauma severe enough for that) I am pretty much I will find him playing and sucking the cock of Indy games when it was a thing, I am pretty sure some of you dumbfucls tricked me into watching a Guns of Icarus video he made, plus why the fuck should I care about some YouTube personality?

In fact, someone apparently brought Jim Sterling up and I bring this up.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/8896-Why-The-PS4-Is-Kicking-Xbox-Ones-Arse

He brings up Indy games as the reason because the PS4 can paddle its catalog with indy games as it waits for High Production Value releases as the Xbox One is a system with a handful of games, I think he even mentions they "hand pick them from Steam" in the video that just points out at least Steam is making a gamble, one cannot complain about "evil publishers holding developers back into mediocrity" and then complain about Steam apparent lack of standards, yes ... there are shitty games on Steam, like Afterall Insanity a game that was brought by Greenlight that as much one can complain about the quality the fact, there were people interested on it.

This is showing a lack of responsibility from making decisions, Steam allows the game to be sold but you still responsible for pressing the fucking Buy button, we apparently live in a age were personal responsibility have ceased to exist because even if Steam sells the game, you are still the one pressing the Buy button.

Complains about "new games are drowned" is bullshit, they all pay advertisement and its indy games that are likely suffering most because publishers likely pay for advertisements and front row, I certainly am seeing Dark Souls II on the storefront page, same with Castlevania Warrior of Fate, South Park The Stick of Truth and Bioshock Infinity Burial at Sea ... there are indy games too but none of the ones I listed are new releases, if they just did just put "high production values games" I suspect they would end up looking like a supermarket shelf looks now, all big publisher games and completely devoid of any variation, just big releases.

Again, this is trying to make Steam being "responsible" so they can continue to be irresponsible on clicking on the Buy button.
 

Metro

Arcane
Beg Auditor
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Messages
27,792
Wonder if TB takes issue with the fact that most indies don't get any marketing/focus unless he deigns to talk about them on his shitty YouTube videos? He's part of the problem.
 

Telengard

Arcane
Joined
Nov 27, 2011
Messages
1,621
Location
The end of every place
Steam storefront does currently have one major issue - the naked buying of Greenlight votes.

FREE GAME! Vote for us on Steam Greenlight and get the game for free when we pass the Greenlight process!

And everyone who likes free stuff votes them in, without even looking at the "game".

Then again, the only barriers to shelf space before Steam was your willingness to suck publisher cock or have boatloads of money to rent the space yourself. Which isn't exactly a system about quality control.
 

Zewp

Arcane
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
3,568
Codex 2013
Can they actually make good on their promise, though? Does Steam give them the profiles of everyone who voted at the end of it all?
 

Telengard

Arcane
Joined
Nov 27, 2011
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The end of every place
It works a bit like this.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/updates/200926865/1393618827
Get a Steam Key for Final Slam 2 with Who's Gaming Now?!
February 28 - HuGames
Who's Gaming Now?! is helping Final Slam 2 to pass Greenlight.

If you want a Free Steam Key for Final Slam 2 as soon as we pass Greenlight, just vote yes in our Greenlight page and join the Who's Gaming Now?! group in Steam http://steamcommunity.com/groups/whosgamingnow#

They will bring you the latest Deals, Giveaways, Betas and relevant news for Steam daily
Or they have you join their Steam game Group when you vote. Etc etc.
 

Turjan

Arcane
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
5,047
That's quite a bit more direct advertising than when I buy greenlight games in a bundle.
 

RK47

collides like two planets pulled by gravity
Patron
Joined
Feb 23, 2006
Messages
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Not Here
Dead State Divinity: Original Sin
Looks good.
Time to greenlight.
 

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