Steamaholics Anonymous.

spelk · March 20, 2014, 09:01:57 AM

I too am a Steam addict, but not content with just the gamut of games on offer through Valves offering, I like to avail myself to Desura as well. I used to do Stardock also (when it was Stardock, then Impulse, and then Stardock again). Don't forget GOG.com, Matrix/Slitherine and Gamersgate.com are also in rotation, especially when the Brandy is flowing.

Steam is convenient. And their sales prices can be too good to miss. But I would have to call myself a Gameaholic, because Steam is just one part of the addiction. A very big part - it has to be said, but still a part.

Constant updates do give you a sense that you're getting something, even if its games that you've never played or only have clocked 4 minutes on. My biggest gripe is that I need to know how much of a footprint on my harddrive is a particular game taking. Because the more I stuff into my Installed list the more future titles I know I won't be able to put in. I had to turn down The Elder Scrolls Online beta, simply because it wanted 30+Gb. I can't afford that with my current gaming addiction! :)

sandman2575 · March 20, 2014, 09:31:35 AM

I think the way Steam has evolved in the past couple of years is fascinating. Valve saw possibilities in the digital download market that others missed (Gamersgate, GameStop, the now defunct Impulse and Direct-2-Drive, etc.). They realized that it was possible to be more than just a mere conduit for content, which is essentially the model GG is still following. Steam has become a 'full service' gaming application. Buy games. Update games. Mod games (with Workshop). Keep tabs on gaming accomplishments. Hook up with MP communities. Help start-up games get off the ground (Greenlight). I think it's bloody brilliant what they've accomplished. And now with Steam OS and Steamboxes on the way....

Steam also paid attention to aesthetics. It's just a very pleasing application to use, with an attractive, cleverly streamlined and surprisingly function-rich UI. The only other gaming site that pays similar attention to aesthetics and the overall enjoyable experience of using their service is GOG.

...sorry for the unrestrained Steam fanboyism. I know there are shortcomings as well.

Gusington · March 20, 2014, 10:11:07 AM

I also love the mod workshop. I'm probably in there more than any other part of Steam for Civ and TW mods.

Tuna · March 20, 2014, 01:43:02 PM

All they are missing is Customer Service!

Arctic Blast · March 20, 2014, 02:10:04 PM

Quote from: sandman2575 on March 20, 2014, 09:31:35 AM
I think the way Steam has evolved in the past couple of years is fascinating. Valve saw possibilities in the digital download market that others missed (Gamersgate, GameStop, the now defunct Impulse and Direct-2-Drive, etc.). They realized that it was possible to be more than just a mere conduit for content, which is essentially the model GG is still following. Steam has become a 'full service' gaming application. Buy games. Update games. Mod games (with Workshop). Keep tabs on gaming accomplishments. Hook up with MP communities. Help start-up games get off the ground (Greenlight). I think it's bloody brilliant what they've accomplished. And now with Steam OS and Steamboxes on the way....

Steam also paid attention to aesthetics. It's just a very pleasing application to use, with an attractive, cleverly streamlined and surprisingly function-rich UI. The only other gaming site that pays similar attention to aesthetics and the overall enjoyable experience of using their service is GOG.

...sorry for the unrestrained Steam fanboyism. I know there are shortcomings as well.

And this, plus the variety of back-end tools they offer devs for no charge, is why they absolutely crushed everyone else in the market. And even now, nobody has really even tried to compete. Origin actually is a good program that works really well, but they offer nothing substantial for developers and publishers. Unless somebody actually tries to compete, it's over. And it might already be too late for that anyway.

sandman2575 · March 20, 2014, 02:47:33 PM

Quote from: Arctic Blast on March 20, 2014, 02:10:04 PM
Unless somebody actually tries to compete, it's over. And it might already be too late for that anyway.

I've been wondering (worrying?) a little about this myself. Steam is so ahead of the curve relative to its pc-oriented competitors that it's hard to see who can cut into their market share. GOG appears to be doing a good job of carving a niche for itself, but it is still a niche. And maybe reading into things too much, but the fact that Paradox is going to stop supporting their games on GamersGate (which Pdox formerly operated) in favor of Steam says something about how they view GG's longterm survivability.

With Steambox and Steam OS, Valve is going to try to start competing in the console market. They are only going to get bigger and richer. Maybe a stretch, but it's not hard to imagine Steam following the pattern of Google, FaceBook, Amazon.com -- the ultra-service that can muscle (or simply buy) out competitors to become the service that pretty much everyone uses by default.

Which is not a good thing. Monopolies are bad. I love Steam, but it would be a healthy thing if some strong competitors started to emerge.

Nefaro · March 20, 2014, 04:52:24 PM

Quote from: Tuna on March 20, 2014, 01:43:02 PM
All they are missing is Customer Service!

Q
F
T

;D

TheCommandTent · March 20, 2014, 06:30:02 PM

My Steam wishlist is huge. All I need is one good sale and I'll be broke. :)

Anguille · March 21, 2014, 02:59:54 AM

Quote from: sandman2575 on March 20, 2014, 02:47:33 PM
Which is not a good thing. Monopolies are bad. I love Steam, but it would be a healthy thing if some strong competitors started to emerge.

This has been my biggest worry for last few years...and it's getting worse. Gamestop/impulse has less and less offers as well, at least for people outside US/Canada. >:(

MikeGER · March 21, 2014, 04:39:47 AM

oh so true :)
every morning when i boot the PC i start Steam to check for updates ... next to some games in the list that catch my attention the updates games also generate a 'mental notice': I have to play/explore that very game and especially the updated ones! ...but over the day there is so much interdiction and/or new stimuli that at the end of the day i had played none ... so i postpone to the WE ... and we all know what will happen;-) ...more distractions, duties, you name it, ... result: Not played again...
I would need a period of really really bad weather for several day's to get one actually fired up.
But when the next sale is one ... i surly buy some mores titles, which had somehow gotten my interrest in the meantime and went on the wait-for-sale-nice to have list ... Ahrrrr, beat me! :-[

the only thing i am proud of: I managed to stay clear of Rome II so far even it was on sale twice ;)

sandman2575 · March 21, 2014, 09:52:57 AM

Quote from: Anguille on March 21, 2014, 02:59:54 AM
This has been my biggest worry for last few years...and it's getting worse. Gamestop/impulse has less and less offers as well, at least for people outside US/Canada. >:(

Yeah, some of these other sites like Gamestop really seem to be withering on the vine -- I never visit it anymore, and I wonder how long it is before it goes the way of Direct-2-Drive...

I think the thing that has dawned on me recently is: Steam really is in a different league from Gamersgate, Greenmangaming, Gamestop etc. For a long time I thought of these sites as more or less interchangeable alternatives. Now Steam is absolutely the first and often only service I use. Maybe that makes me one of the sheeple, I don't know. But by bringing together so many different dimensions of pc gaming and making things so convenient, Steam makes a pretty compelling (if subliminal) marketing argument: why even bother with those other sites?

Again, I'm not saying this is necessarily all good, although much of it certainly is to the good. But it's a little like Amazon.com. I love Amazon and use it constantly. But I also worry about how it is destroying other alternatives (bookstores especially). It would certainly be good if a strong challenger to Amazon emerged -- but is the game already over? Kinda seems so. And to me, Steam is becoming the Amazon of digital game distributors -- providing enticing, convenient, often cost-saving services that no one else offers -- and by being so successful is suffocating its competitors that can't catch up.

bboyer66 · March 21, 2014, 10:05:30 AM

My name is bboyer66 and I am a Steamaholic.

300+ games.
Must check the daily sales
Bought NBA 2K14 even though I wouldn't watch an NBA game if they were playing in my backyard.

I am sick

Jarhead0331 · March 21, 2014, 10:08:01 AM

Quote from: bboyer66 on March 21, 2014, 10:05:30 AM
My name is bboyer66 and I am a Steamaholic.

300+ games.
Must check the daily sales
Bought NBA 2K14 even though I wouldn't watch an NBA game if they were playing in my backyard.

I am sick

Yeah, man. That's twisted. Even I do not buy games I have no interest in.

Boggit · March 21, 2014, 11:31:17 AM

I can't fault Steam's auto updater. A real time saver. :)

Steelgrave · March 21, 2014, 11:44:58 AM

Quote from: bboyer66 on March 21, 2014, 10:05:30 AM
My name is bboyer66 and I am a Steamaholic.

300+ games.
Must check the daily sales
Bought NBA 2K14 even though I wouldn't watch an NBA game if they were playing in my backyard.

I am sick

I have it too :-[ Played it five minutes.....must have been a really good sale at the time.