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Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

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Re: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

#311

Post by vgb2k18 »

martinald wrote: post #184
LudwigNagasena wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's kind of weird how the same companies that can squeeze all possible computational abilities and use every tick that exists to force a computer to show amazing graphics with complex logic behind can't make a simple GUI. Well, even Steam nowadays is kind of a wrapper for a browser.

Is that really surprising? Even a simple GUI is not that simple these days. This was reinforced recently when an incredibly good software engineer I knew recently got stuck with a problem. It ended up being a networking problem but his understanding of anything deeper than basic DNS settings was approximately zero. I was actually amazed given I assumed from his other knowledge that he would have a similar understandi…

>Is that really surprising?

>I was actually amazed...

You countered your own argument there.

Re: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

#312

Post by Aeolun »

BbzzbB wrote: post #296
Torifyme12 wrote: post #273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For all that the Linux community tried, and god did we try, we didn't make real gaming on Linux progress until Valve started throwing developers are the projects. You can easily attribute real gaming (I love free civ as much as the next person, but it's not the same) coming to Linux Desktops.

Isn't restricting your choice pool to FOSS games a satisfying compromise for GNU/Linux gaming? https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/nonfree-games.en.html Obviously kidding, Valve's efforts will IMO greatly expand Linux's target audience which is laudable. Seems to me that limitation was one of the main pullbacks for Linux adoption, especially in non-developer circles. Requiring dual-booting just for games on the Windows pa…

The other one is MS Office. If you get those two right, linux is a viable desktop OS.

Re: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

#313

Post by greggman3 »

LudwigNagasena wrote: post #161
ivraatiems wrote: post #52

Thank goodness. Bethesda's launcher was uniquely awful in a number of unpleasant ways. Slow, prone to crashes, bad user communication, not suitable for use on small monitors. The worst of the launcher apps I have used - and there are so many! I remember when it was in vogue for every game maker to build their own launcher or even full Steam clone - when EA pulled all its new games from Steam to get people to use Orig…

It's kind of weird how the same companies that can squeeze all possible computational abilities and use every tick that exists to force a computer to show amazing graphics with complex logic behind can't make a simple GUI. Well, even Steam nowadays is kind of a wrapper for a browser.

GUIs are actually a ton of work. They look simple because it's a collection of simple parts, formatted text, buttons, sliders, text input, etc... but if you go through all the various screens and ubique interactions in something like a game hub/store/user/friends etc it ads up to a huge amount of work. Often more than graphics engines

Re: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

#314

Post by Moru »

eatsyourtacos wrote: post #174
BbzzbB wrote: post #114

Is there a technical reason why Steam is a such a force in the space? People, myself certainly included, often criticize Apple for taking 30% of developer revenue for merely existing in it's walled garden. Right or wrong, they control the ecosystem, so their ability to monopolize and heavily tax the App Store is unsurprising, they're exercising their pricing power as much as they possibly can. But how is it that on P…

Steam- * Just works * It's simple * Cloud saves all of my games (with a few exceptions when the game developer doesn't enable it for whatever reason, this has only been for a few games so I'm not sure why) * Family sharing - this is HUGE for me. I can't re-buy every single game for my kids, so the fact that they can just play a game I purchased on their own account when I'm not online is an insane life saver. * Steam…

Family sharing is a step in the right direction but in the old days with CD:s, you could buy it once and play multiplayer games together with your family and friends. Now you need separate accounts for everyone and a copy of each.

In Sweden we pay a tax on each harddrive and other storage media to cover this sharing. It's alled Private sharing tax. It's distributed between creators by some organisation. Steam and other online stores prevents this law from working as intended. This has put me off Steam from the beginning already.

I believe Steam got so big because they were first to deliver what everyone wanted, buy games without having to wait until release in your country. In Sweden we often had to wait half a year or more before the games showed up. I did not buy games on Steam for years because of the sharing aspects. I wanted to be able to share the good games with my kids or friends. On steam you don't own the games, you only rent them for a one time fee. Steam can take them down at any time.

Re: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

#315

Post by madeofpalk »

eatsyourtacos wrote: post #174
BbzzbB wrote: post #114

Is there a technical reason why Steam is a such a force in the space? People, myself certainly included, often criticize Apple for taking 30% of developer revenue for merely existing in it's walled garden. Right or wrong, they control the ecosystem, so their ability to monopolize and heavily tax the App Store is unsurprising, they're exercising their pricing power as much as they possibly can. But how is it that on P…

Steam- * Just works * It's simple * Cloud saves all of my games (with a few exceptions when the game developer doesn't enable it for whatever reason, this has only been for a few games so I'm not sure why) * Family sharing - this is HUGE for me. I can't re-buy every single game for my kids, so the fact that they can just play a game I purchased on their own account when I'm not online is an insane life saver. * Steam…

All of these points seem to exist for the iOS App Store (apart from the Steam sales, but there are other advantages as well).

I think the takeaway is that on Windows there is a choice, and people (users and developers) actively choose Steam, whereas on iOS there just is not that choice. The market cannot exercise a preference.

Re: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

#316

Post by remus »

madeofpalk wrote: post #315
eatsyourtacos wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Steam- * Just works * It's simple * Cloud saves all of my games (with a few exceptions when the game developer doesn't enable it for whatever reason, this has only been for a few games so I'm not sure why) * Family sharing - this is HUGE for me. I can't re-buy every single game for my kids, so the fact that they can just play a game I purchased on their own account when I'm not online is an insane life saver. * Steam…

All of these points seem to exist for the iOS App Store (apart from the Steam sales, but there are other advantages as well). I think the takeaway is that on Windows there is a choice, and people (users and developers) actively choose Steam, whereas on iOS there just is not that choice. The market cannot exercise a preference.

For me the big difference is that using steam is a choice whereas using the app store is required. Developers use steam largely because they want to, not because they have to.

Re: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

#317

Post by maccolgan »

dspillett wrote: post #220
LudwigNagasena wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's kind of weird how the same companies that can squeeze all possible computational abilities and use every tick that exists to force a computer to show amazing graphics with complex logic behind can't make a simple GUI. Well, even Steam nowadays is kind of a wrapper for a browser.

* companies that can squeeze all possible computational abilities … to show amazing graphics with complex logic … can't make a simple GUI. The wage slaves they've got working on the store and launcher front-ends are probably not the same highly talented designers and others that they have working 80 hours trying to panel-beat a game into a shape that they can get out of the door without too many major patches being n…

Two words: Fallout 76

Re: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

#318

Post by ThatPlayer »

Macha wrote: post #167
samtheprogram wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As a matter of principle… It’s not really a matter of principal though! > [the competing platforms] have zero repeat zero positively zero benefit to myself as a consumer. The reason Steam and Netflix are so good and continue to exist in such a good state is exactly because of the competition. However, because of exclusivity, licensing, ownership, et cetera, that also means you eventually may want to deal with said…

As a user, Steam and Netflix both provided more value to me prior to credible competition. Netflix used to be one €9.99 subscription to watch basically everything, Steam was the one stop shop to manage all my games. Basically all the features I care about on either were already well established before their competitors came around. On the other hand, my Steam account now represents a very expensive point of failure s…

But Netflix wasn't profitable at a €9.99 subscription, and therefore that was never sustainable. Look at how Netflix continues to raises prices just this year already.

Re: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

#319

Post by mdoms »

_carbyau_ wrote: post #236
FranchuFranchu wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing I like the most about Steam, and this outmatches everything else, is the regional price localization. 60 USD is not worth the same around the world, and Steam compensates for it.

This is the thing Australians hate. We don't get a straight $ for $ conversion. As a general rule we get charged more for the same digital download because of regional pricing. A reasonable price has to be found by buying steam keys from [HumbleBundle/GreenManGaming/etc]. I don't play the latest anymore. I will wait a year or two and get it on sale. I get a patched, solid game with well known reviews and the communit…

Australians are incredible wealthy. In my experience (I lived in Aus for 5 years) Australians have no idea just how wealthy they are compared to other, even Western, nations.

Re: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net launcher and migrating to Steam

#320

Post by robertlagrant »

BbzzbB wrote: post #114

Is there a technical reason why Steam is a such a force in the space? People, myself certainly included, often criticize Apple for taking 30% of developer revenue for merely existing in it's walled garden. Right or wrong, they control the ecosystem, so their ability to monopolize and heavily tax the App Store is unsurprising, they're exercising their pricing power as much as they possibly can. But how is it that on P…

> Seems that is the way of the Internet, being first matters more than just about anything

It does help, but not because of the internet. From memory they were the first digital game shop. They basically invented the market for shops for digital content. Apple would copy it some years later with the iPhone app store.

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