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[Xardov]

not many of the top selling products are on steam. angry birds? batman? minecraft? fifa? call of duty?

http://store.steampowered.com/app/115300/

Also, the entire Elder Scrolls series aren't big sellers?  What about Grand Theft Auto?

[MattG]

 

[Falmil]

-the hell are you talking about.

[Xardov]

whatever Im not using steam and Im not selling on steam.

As if you could make a good enough game to get on steam.

Elder scrolls and gta are huge but I thought 90% of those sales were console

You've just lost all your credibility.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

a lot of people are really defensive of steam, as if steam could do no wrong, i think the above post is an example

[MattG]

You've just lost all your credibility.

oh please xardov can I have my credibility back? I promise ill watch steam every second to see what games are there like you. Oh god I wont call gabe a fatfuck donut neck if you just give me my credibility back pleaaaase

[cynicalsandel]

there are a lot of people who do not buy pc games unless they're on steam. there are especially a lot of people who told me they'd buy my game if it were on steam (i don't see how that matters, but whatever)

This is what worries me about steam. There are a large number of people that only buy PC games through steam, and any indie that doesn't make it onto steam is missing out on those possible sales.

Personally, if a game isn't on steam, I'd likely buy it straight from the developer. However, I doubt I would download origin or impulse or the like just to buy a game. That is getting a bit off topic though.

[PompiPompi]

Basically what they've done is that they've created a console on the PC.

I wish Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft would do this instead of having consoles.

It's an interesting idea, but
(i) Console users generally like an invisible OS, and don't want to contend with something like Windows.
(ii) Console users want a discreet little box that lives under the television in the lounge.
(iii) Consoles have a fixed architecture, which means that games work predictably. Developers can always push the hardware to the max, knowing that 100% of systems can handle it.
(iv) A lot of professional C++ programmers hate writing games for windows. OSX/linux & consoles are widely regarded to be 'nicer' operating systems to code for.

Where did you get the information about (iv)? In my opinion it's completely wrong. But maybe you have data I don't, or maybe you just tried to make a claim with no basis?

[PompiPompi]

That sounds odd, since big game studois don't develop for Mac and Linux usually.
Also, I don't think any IDE is as convinient and as advanced as VS for C++, but maybe I am wrong.

[PompiPompi]

I don't agree, but I won't continue this discussion because it would be thread hijacking.

[Falmil]

I still think there are ways around it. You don't need a full OS like Windows to specifically run games/media, so something different could be created/used. PCs come in smaller form factors than the large ATX. A few certain hardware models of video cards and processors can be pretested/approved to work in said open console, and arranged into tiers based on what kind of "power" is required by a game. Obviously, those aren't all optimal or even good solutions, but I just really don't like the idea of buying three specialized computers when I could be buying just one or even zero.

I've heard Windows programming to be kind of a mess when you get down into it, but isn't that what other libraries and engines are for?

[PompiPompi]

"Windows programming" is very vague, I am not sure even you know what you mean by that.

[Atnas]

I use steam, I add my non-steam games to my steam library, I look for new games to buy on steam, steam stopped me from pirating because its easier to buy it there, steam is a great thing for a gamer.

I would like to end up on steam, it's my goal. Maximum exposure, so to speak. I would not wait for steam to sell my game, however I would always aim to get on steam.

Steam is good. Hate for it seems unfounded to me because it's such a nice service. People that don't use it on principle are strange to me, although I don't use facebook/twitter/etc on principle so i guess touche.

[MattG]

in case im repeating myself, fuck steam.

[starsrift]

Well Gabe – Steam is a really nice shiny PC distribution channel; and you control the access far more than platform holders control their platforms.
 
Every PC developer I have spoken to about Steam says the same thing – Steam sales are many times more than those of even the next biggest portal. If you don’t get onto Steam your PC sales potential will be significantly reduced.

I quoted these two paragraphs because they seem to be the core of your argument - and I argue two things.

Steam does not control access more than platform holders do. Know what Fish did this last week? He has to dumb down Fez's cutscenes for XBox's photosensitivity tests. Know how long it takes to submit an update onto an XBox game even after release? Months.

As far as what games get in - that's a tautology. People like Steam because Steam has quality control and their vision of what products they sell. If Steam opened up like the mobile marketplaces, it'd be swamped with dreck, and just like the mobile marketplaces, price and value would cease to have meaning, and it wouldn't have that very same thing - developers making more money if the game is on Steam, because Steam wouldn't have the reputation it has.

Both as a gamer, and a hobbyist developer who will probably never get something onto Steam, I'm happy that Steam has its bar where it is. In fact, I think it could even be a little bit higher.

[ubik]

I would just like to say that I think Gabe tries to do the right thing.

"Open platform" says very little about whether one or another web store is open to any developer.

Also, he has a responsibility to his customers, and for maintaining the brand.  I've been happy with every game I've bought on Steam.

[im9today]

you'll pay for this gabe.

[moi]

I would just like to say that I think Gabe tries to do the right thing.

"Open platform" says very little about whether one or another web store is open to any developer.

Also, he has a responsibility to his customers, and for maintaining the brand.  I've been happy with every game I've bought on Steam.

why don't you go and marry him

[RCIX]

I would just like to say that I think Gabe tries to do the right thing.

"Open platform" says very little about whether one or another web store is open to any developer.

Also, he has a responsibility to his customers, and for maintaining the brand.  I've been happy with every game I've bought on Steam.

why don't you go and marry him

Never understood the attitude of "I disagree with what you're saying and I will defend to the death my right to flame you for saying it"...

[moi]

why don't you go and marry ubik?