The Valve and Steam Platform Discussion Thread

[Outlander]

Isometric Half-Life: http://imgur.com/a/jPVgD#0

Bah, a Pyke wannabe.

 

[Infinitron]

(You probably realize this, but that isn't art, it was actually generated from the game files https://github.com/gzalo/HalfMapper)

I watched a few playthroughs of Railroad Tycoon 3 and decided I wanted to give it a go.

I was baffled to discover that Steam won't let me purchase it in Australia.

It's one thing for a company to direct my purchase towards a more expensive platform in my region, but to flat refuse to sell me a game is just insane.

Some games are region-restricted. It's pretty normal. I can't get South Park and Wolfenstein: The New Order, for reasons which may be obvious

 

[Tzaero]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/01/30/steam-workshop-57-million-dollars/

Over $57 Million Paid Out To Steam Workshop Creators

$57 million US is a lot of money. So’s $58 million, but I mention $57m specifically because that’s how much Valve have paid out since 2011 to folks who made and sold in-game items for their games. It’s over $57 million dollars from hats, knives, guns, staves, and swords across TF2, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. And those last two games only sell cosmetic items. And that’s after Valve have taken their cut. Crumbs!

Now non-Valve games can join in. The first games opening up a ‘curated’ Steam Workshop bringing items to sale are Chivalry: Medieval Warfare and Dungeon Defenders Eternity.


That $57+ million was earned by over 1,500 contributors over 75 countries, Valve explained in a blog post, because one big number wasn’t enough. I’d be fascinated to see a more detailed breakdown one day, or perhaps find out the best-selling item, because I’ve heard staggering stories about friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friends.

Of course, some of those items are bought and sold to be a weird form of currency, even used for betting on pro matches. People buy and hoard items as investments. It’s all very odd and exciting and The Future.

Until now, only Valve games could have the ‘curated’ Steam Workshops where creators submit items for players to vote on, with the most popular being officially added and going on sale. Valve called this “an unfortunate consequence of the sheer number of challenges required in order to scale to a global audience of creators and players.”

Chivalry and Dungeon Defenders are only the start. “We expect more curated Workshops to become available for creators and players in various games over the coming weeks and months,” Valve say.

It’s a fine option to have, but is another that needs to be used carefully, adding to the list with Early Access, DLC, pre-orders, and goodness knows what else. Dota 2 and CS: GO only sell cosmetic items and still draw grumbles from some, while TF2 selling items with new abilities put a fair few folks off the game.

 

[sexbad?]

"because one big number wasn’t enough"
"I’ve heard staggering stories about friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friends."
"It’s all very odd and exciting and The Future."

What shitty filler writing

 

[LESS T_T]

http://store.steampowered.com/news/15728/

Steam Inventory Service Now Available to Steamworks Developers

With today's Steamworks SDK update, we've released The Steam Inventory Service beta, a new feature available to developers with games or software on Steam. The Steam Inventory Service is a set of new Steamworks APIs and tools that allow a game to enable persistent items that have been purchase or unlocked by individual users without having to run special servers to keep track of these user's inventory.

With this service, a game can easily drop items to customers based on playtime or can grant items based on specific situations or actions within the game. These items can be marked as tradable through Steam or sellable via the Steam Marketplace. Developers can also configure recipes for crafting different combinations of items that result in more rare, unique, or valuable items.

This new service adds to the list of APIs available for free to Steamworks developers, including achievements, cloud saves, authentication services, error reporting, leaderboards, matchmaking, Steam Workshop, peer-to-peer networking, in-game overlay, downloadable content, and much more.

 

[Infinitron]

So, they can make achievements that grant items.

 

[LESS T_T]

Yeah, looks like now non-Valve games could have "item economy" like DOTA 2 and CS:GO.

 

[stony3k]

Yeah, looks like now non-Valve games could have "item economy" like DOTA 2 and CS:GO.

I have mixed feelings about this. I'll be fine, as long as single player RPGs don't get polluted with "item economy"

 

[LESS T_T]

https://twitter.com/SteamDB/status/564958453505196032

This is something we continue to take into account when evaluating titles to be greenlit. The result is that it may take significantly longer for your title to ger Greenlit, as it is much more work for us to try and understand customer interest in a title that has collected some unknown number of votes in this manner.

Oh, no more giveaways from Greenlight devs.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

I always voted no on games that traded Greenlight votes for copies of the game anyway since they have no way of checking your ballot. Gaben has heard my plea.

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

The Great God-Gaben in his infinite forgiveness and wisdom has brought Paranautical Activity back to Steam.

The PA dev as could likely be expected seems passive aggressive about it. http://store.steampowered.com/app/250580/

Thanks to Absalom for telling me and getting my blood pressure up and bringing me one step closer to death.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

^^

Yep! You heard it here first... or maybe second (thanks GAF)
FEBRUARY 13 -NICK
Anyway, enough of that jibber jabber... Paranautical's Backtivity.

Deluxe Atonement has been achievedeth....

To all the existing PA players, check in your Steam PA folder for some added goodies, I highly recommend the pro guide. Personally, it helped me go from a shit player to pretty average one in a matter of weeks.

Heres how to get there... right click properties > local files > browse local files...

Any problems send a mail to nick@digeratidistribution.com and I will send you the files, most likely by carrier pigeon or morse code. But whatever quirky mid 20th century method I choose to send your digital assets in, rest assured you will receive them within 24 hours of mailing me!

Extra in game content comes in the form of a new level type, a new item & a new goddam weapon god dammit. I sincerely hope you enjoy the game being back on sale as much as I've enjoyed traversing the Paranautical tightrope!

Nick Alfieri
Digerati

Wait, Nice Nick? What happened to Meltdown Mike?

nick 1 hour ago

we just let it be known we don't in any way support the views Mike CA expressed in that 1 tweet, and the behind the scene Steam peoples were super cool with us. Thanks for the support, it's really nice to hear! For a bit more about us check out www.digeratidistribution.com or www.wolfbrewgames.com/slain

Spoiler

BumblingSirOnion 1 hour ago
I'll play this game but the final boss better have a new Gaben skin makeover.

 

[Makabb]

When I uninstalled steam, it was the best day of my life.

 

[Jick Magger]

I'll put that post on the fridge so everyone can see it, sweetie.

 

[Ulminati]

When I uninstalled steam, it was the best day of my life.

 

[Makabb]

I'm a free man again, no longer bound by chains and schackles of Gaben.

Do you want to know what freedom tastes like ?

 

[Konjad]

I'm a free man again, no longer bound by chains and schackles of Gaben.

Do you want to know what freedom tastes like ?

Let me guess.

You use Windows.

 

[Sykar]

I'm a free man again, no longer bound by chains and schackles of Gaben.

Do you want to know what freedom tastes like ?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/...e_controller_and_new_Steam_devices_at_GDC.php

Today Valve announced that it plans to showcase previously-unannounced SteamVR hardware at GDC next week, alongside new iterations of the long-awaited Steam Machines hardware and the final version of the Steam Controller.

Valve has plans to showcase a "family" of both Steam Machines and "new living room devices" at the show, it says. So the focus will not be solely on the PC-like Steam Machines announced in 2013 (which were last showcased over a year ago.) The company had already promised that Steam Machines would be "front and center" at next week's show.

As for virtual reality, Valve had already added a SteamVR section to its popular download service, but this is the first confirmation that it plans to launch its own hardware device. VR R&D had long been ongoing at the Valve, but several high-profile departures, including Michael Abrash, left us wondering about the state of its efforts.

The Steam Controller has also been in development for a long time, albeit more publicly. Valve last talked about the device in May 2014, promising its release for 2015.

Developers and publishers who wish to schedule an appointment to see the company's new offerings can do so via this link.

Now they're doing their own VR hardware after all.

Where's my Half Life 3 Lebowski???

 

[Metro]

VR might be a thing... by the time we're all 70.

 

[Haba]

VR might already be a thing, we just don't know it [/matrix]

 

[Clockwork Knight]

"living room devices" = "it's not a doll, it's an ACTION FIGURE!"

Just say it's a console, Gaben. Your servants have unconditional love for you.

When I uninstalled steam, it was the best day of my life.

that's one damn depressing life if that was the high point

 

[pippin]

vr was a thing in the 90s but it gave a lot of headaches to everyone so it was considered to be a failure.
Also how could you translate popamole into vr? look to this corner to make your character perform an awesome thing?

 

[Clockwork Knight]

They can sell you a big block of clear plastic for you to duck behind when the enemies shoot. Sure, you could just jump behind your couch, but you want to be a PRO GAMER, don't you?