Retail Threatens Steam Ban

[Ack]

There is something a bit unfair about how games other than Valve's now require the Steam service. I would be frustrated if I was one of their competitors and was expected to sell games on my service that redirected my customers to Steam. It's also annoying for customers that chose those services because they don't like Steam.

Personally, I prefer not using Steam for non-Valve games. For one, I enjoy having a hard copy. And two, if Steam were to go away, I'd like to keep the many non-Valve games I own. Thankfully electronics retailers like Best Buy still have PC sections. They're not as big or as up to date as Steam is, but the section is there, and I peruse it every time I'm in the store.

I just wish they'd understand that they will never sell Call of Duty 2 for $20.

[GSZX1337]

[sevin0seven]

PC gaming is not dying. I'm really tired of hearing that stupid rumor or whatever you want to call it floating around.

true dat.

[Hobie-wan]

Awesome.

[J T]

i think pc gaming is dying
but I could be wrong

You are wrong.

I hardly hear of any one buying a pc just to play games

That's because PCs do way more than just gaming. That's part of what makes them awesome.

I know they still exist, but everything is pretty much ps3 or 360 about now
are there any PC exclusives any more?
even if they existed , how many?

PS3 and 360 are popular and worthwhile consoles, yes, but most of the same games show up on PC. In many instances, the PC version is the better version in terms of graphics, controls, modifiability, and server longevity (for online games). Being on PC also gives you easy access to fan generated mods, so there is a lot more you can do with a game when it is on PC. PC games also can have servers that are run by users, so even if the company drops online support, the online game can still live on with the users.

The PC does have exclusives too. In recent years there has been several good ones. The STALKER series, Dawn of War II, EVE online, The Witcher, Company of Heroes, Worlds of Warcraft, Starcraft II, Torchlight, the Total War series, Mount & Blade, etc. And those are just from the past few years. PC gaming stretches back to the 70s, and with the right know-how, you can get even the really old games running again. Even without the know-how, there are services like gog.com that do it for you.

The other thing about PC is that it is the main place that indie developers get their start, so if you want to play a lot of the freshest and quirkiest experimental games, the PC is the place to be.

No offense, but it seems like PC is dead to you, not that it is dead. You just don't seem to know much about what PC gaming is about based on your comments.

[J T]

I think retailers should spend less time complaining that they can't compete against Steam, and more time building a better product that will make gamers want to use something other than Steam.

I agree. Companies like GameStop have no right to complain that Steam is killing them in PC sales. Have you seen the PC section of a GameStop in the last 5-10 years? They just have some sad and pathetic little rack off to the side with a bunch of scattered, beat-up boxes. There are only a few new titles, and a bunch of beat up looking titles from the past few years, all of which have a $50 price tag. It's so picked over and haggard that it looks like a bargain rack, but they are charging full retail price. Most other retailers that even bother to carry PC titles are not much different.

[the7k]

i think pc gaming is dying
but I could be wrong

You are wrong, actually.

It's a popular misconception, but if you'd look at the sales figures from people like Activision, EA, and many others, the profitability of PC Games is usually neck-and-neck with PS3 and 360 gaming. The only time there is ever a huge leap in one area is when a big-name exclusive comes out.

I remember seeing sales figures from Activision that had PC gaming in a dead tie with 360 & PS3 - and this was just months before Starcraft II came out.

[MrPopo]

I think retailers should spend less time complaining that they can't compete against Steam, and more time building a better product that will make gamers want to use something other than Steam.

I agree. Companies like GameStop have no right to complain that Steam is killing them in PC sales. Have you seen the PC section of a GameStop in the last 5-10 years? They just have some sad and pathetic little rack off to the side with a bunch of scattered, beat-up boxes. There are only a few new titles, and a bunch of beat up looking titles from the past few years, all of which have a $50 price tag. It's so picked over and haggard that it looks like a bargain rack, but they are charging full retail price. Most other retailers that even bother to carry PC titles are not much different.

Well of course the PC section of GameStop is small; any game released in the last 5-10 years has no real resale value among strangers due to the way CD-Keys are used for online stuff. Sure, your buddy might sell you his copy of Diablo II and you know he won't screw you by using the CD-Key on his ISO, but a company can't take that risk. So why would GameStop want to stock something they can't run through their secondary market mill?

[ZeroAX]

Also AMD and Intel don't pay game stores, to promote PC gaming.


And the biggest reason this miss conception has come to past, the most important player of PC gaming, has betrayed it, so they can sell consoles where they charge for peer to peer online gaming, and no more evil community that makes free maps. Long live the DLC order!!!

[Niode]

Until Game stores sell games for £3-4 like Valve they're going to lose to Steam. No question about it. Some might even say they've already lost. Shelf space dedicated to PC gaming is constantly shrinking. The PC section in my local Game store is one unit wide. That's it. New releases on 2 shelves, older titles on the next 2 shelves down, the 'bargain' (read: endless copies of messy house and bejewelled type games) titles take up the rest of the shelf. In total probably 35 different games, max.

The only problem I have is, who is going to give Steam/Valve competition when retail gives up on PC gaming?