Steam to go out of business soon...

[Khendraja'aro]

... or so it seems, when one looks at their most recent business decisions.

Steam (the online gaming software distribution) had two things going for them: ease of installation and prices. Well, the latter isn't quite true anymore. They may even have broken some national laws and an EU law to boot.

When I purchased a game at Steam, it always gave prices in Dollar, added VAT afterwards and then charged my credit card with Dollar. They've changed that to list price in Euro (with VAT already added in) and charge my credit card directly.

Doesn't sound so bad? It might when you consider two points:
a) For the most part, they simply did a 1:1 conversion - that's right: The original price in Dollar is now the price in Euro. Even if you factor VAT in, that's at least a 10% increase in prices through the board.
b) The VAT is always the same. For every country (which all have different VATs, some even have none for digital downloads). Even for countries not even in the EU (which yielded a 100% price increase for Norwegians for some games - which coincidentally doesn't have a tax on digital downloads to boot).

And then you factor in that the same games in the retail stores (and nearly everywhere else) are way cheaper and Steam just pushed themselves out of business. I mean, why should I pay 49,99€ for GTA IV when I can buy that at Amazon for 39,99€, get a real DVD with manual and be able to sell / gift the game afterwards?

And sometimes they're even doing really moronic deals. Like this one - take a close look at it and grin:
http://img229.imageshack.us/my.php?image=moroniccrysisdeallg3.jpg

The whole deal is even more laughable when you consider Statements from some years back who promised cheaper prices due to not having to deal with packaging, shipping and all that...

[Illusions]

Because Europe is the whole world!

And because Steam isn't a company!

[Khendraja'aro]

Anymore inane statements to contribute or do you want to get your brain from the headrack first?

[DecoyMilk]

lol, an American saying Europe thinks they're the whole world.

Oh the ironing!

[Illusions]

Anymore inane statements to contribute or do you want to get your brain from the headrack first?

Valve is the corporation, they're not going out of business anytime soon. So Steam can't go out of business because it is not just for delivering content, nor is it a business... :bored:

...it also means that Steam doesn't make business decisions. Because again, they aren't a business.

Steam also delivers content to the US...where people still buy stuff on it for competitive prices. :bored:

So if anyones statements are inane its yours due to factual inaccuracy, and ignoring the fact that Steam doesn't just sell stuff, and doesn't just sell stuff in Europe. :up:

lol, an American saying Europe thinks they're the whole world.

Yay! Stereotyping! I bet you eat tea and crumpets and speak with a cockney accent while proclaiming God save the Queen!

...you don't? Well thats just torn my whole world-view asunder!

[Khendraja'aro]

Geeze, you really did leave your brain on the hat rack.

[Illusions]

Geeze, you really did leave your brain on the hat rack.

So thats the only reply you can come up with?...

Look your forum topic and opening statement are non-sequitors, as Steam is 1) Not a business 2) Valve's method of content delivery, product updates, authenticity verification, and multiplayer connectivity 3) Exists in other countries besides Europe

...so you wished to complain about prices on Steam in Europe then claim it will be the downfall of Steam? Yes, that does not follow... :bored:

[Khendraja'aro]

You're a troll today. You don't contribute to the topic, you agressively nitpick and you're a moron in general.

I don't think that I appreciate you posting anymore. Have a nice day.

edit: A person with, say, at least a modicum of intelligence would've recognized that I didn't mean the thread title all that seriously. Oh well... I must take notes so that I don't overwhelm the intellectually challenged in the future.

[Illusions]

You're a troll today. You don't contribute to the topic,

I'm a troll for offering a rebuttal to your statements? While your only reply is to insist on insulting me for offering them? :bulb:

[Khendraja'aro]

I'm a troll for offering a rebuttal to your statements? While your only reply is to insist on insulting me for offering them? :bulb:

What "rebuttal"? I never meant the thread title all that seriously. But have fun doing rebuttals for things that don't need rebutting. :up:

[LittleFuzzy]

You're a troll today. You don't contribute to the topic, you agressively nitpick and you're a moron in general.

I don't think that I appreciate you posting anymore. Have a nice day.

One of those is nitpicky yes, but it does have a point behind it, there's more to Steam than just serving as your place to make digital purchases. And the other is entirely apropos, your facts don't lead to your stated conclusion, that Steam is going to go away any time soon. Saying you're wrong is in fact a genuine contribution to the topic when A) you are wrong, and B) it involves material relevant to that stated position.

Apparently you posted just to see people make replies expressing outrage. That's frankly more trollish than anything Illusions has said in here. It also demonstrates that you haven't learned a damn thing about anyone else on here in the years you've been posting.

[Khendraja'aro]

You also didn't read the first sentence? My.

[Illusions]

What "rebuttal"? I never meant the thread title all that seriously. But have fun doing rebuttals for things that don't need rebutting. :up:

Steam's pricing of Euro content is either eventually going to result in them:

1) Changing prices to reflect the fact that they're imbalanced on the exchange rate.

2) Not changing prices.

The result of either is Steam will still be around, because people will still be using it for other things besides downloading content, and even if the prices on Steam drive people to buy games in stores instead, people will still purchase Valve produced games, thus ensuring Steam still stays active. At the worst, non-Valve companies will pull their games from being offered on Steam.

[Khendraja'aro]

Okay, boys, next time I'll include a statement as to the fact that thread titles may contain a bit of exaggeration to garner some attention.

Do you people think at all or do you really just read the thread title and then go "hurfa-durfa" without reading the rest?

[Nessus]

I like where this thread is going

[Illusions]

Okay, boys, next time I'll include a statement as to the fact that thread titles may contain a bit of exaggeration to garner some attention.

Do you people think at all or do you really just read the thread title and then go "hurfa-durfa" without reading the rest?

I read the rest, see the fraking post above yours. It explains the consequences of Steams pricing in Europe are...

[LittleFuzzy]

You also didn't read the first sentence? My.

You state something as a conclusion in a purely-text environment and people treat it as a conclusion. Shock. Whether that was tongue-in-cheek or not, you plainly considered what Valve has been up to as not just a business mistake but a serious one, seeing as you went to the trouble to cite a law violation. The text of your post indicates you think this will have significant consequences.

[Khendraja'aro]

Of course it will have consequences. Breaking EU law is not something that's only frowned upon.

Case in point: Citizens from the UK are charged different prices than citizens from the EU and they're barring non-UK citizens from buying in the UK. That's not legal.

[XopePoquar]

Considering EA is joining Steam it'll probably only get stronger.

Source (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/56478)

(North America only though)

[Illusions]

Of course it will have consequences. Breaking EU law is not something that's only frowned upon.

Case in point: Citizens from the UK are charged different prices than citizens from the EU and they're barring non-UK citizens from buying in the UK. That's not legal.

Then they'll settle and change their ways, or stop selling content on Steam in Europe. But Steam is Valve's method of software update, content distribution, authenticity verification, and multiplayer... its like Battlenet for Blizzard, but with some extra stuff. Steam doesn't go unless Valve goes, or decides it isn't in the best interest of their business model. Hell you'd still need Steam in Europe even if it was found to have illegal methods of sales, because people are still going to want to play online and update their games.

[Khendraja'aro]

At the moment they might as well stop selling in Europe. They're at least 10% over the retail prices - and when you begin to factor in prices from discounters, then they're not competitive at all.

[XopePoquar]

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=770231

http://www.faskil.com/images/steal_logo.jpg

Looks like a lot of their forum members are pissed about the conversion ratio or lack thereof.

[Khendraja'aro]

Well, the special group for this topic has already gathered over 4,000 members. :noob:

And this will happen to them if they don't take care:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/09/technology/apple.php

[Forgive-me]

Quite a few game developers have kicked the bucket with Midway's future looking bleak.

I wonder how bad it will become in 09... Oh a happy new year it will be.

[FireCrack]

Just when I thought the media was sensationalist...

[Ominous Gamer]

Kinda late but I've never considered Steam to have competitive prices (even in the US). They might do a good weekend deal, like the current Doom II and Ultimate Doom for $1. But other than that B&M stores always mark their games down weeks/months before Steam does.

And GoGamer.com is like Newegg for gamers. :up: (or Game.co.uk for the UK folks).

Other than that, the whole Steam = business nonsense in the first post smells of "WAHH, I have to walk to a game store now!!!1!"

------

To continue, a small rant.

People get easily confused about the point of Steam, and I blame Steam's marketing. Steam is not a distribution center. Its not Wal-Mart, or even the hell hole gamestop.

Its a service, it allows you to have a "permanent" copy of your game on you at all times. It allows unlimited downloading, automatic patching, and a rather obnoxiousness community.

Steam never was, never is, and more than likely never will be competitive when it comes to direct retail price comparisons.

Example, I just picked these up tonight, $6 each; for the 2 copies that Steam does offer, they want $17.99 each.
http://i42.tinypic.com/104k9l5.jpg

[CitizenCain]

Steam is crap, and frankly, anyone dumb enough to use it deserves everything they get.

Suspected of cheating? Piracy? Pissing off the wrong person? Valve can kill your account and you lose access to every game you've ever bought, with no recourse, except whining about it on the interwebs. And yes, they've done it in error before. Risk you take when you're dumb enough to "buy" something and then not take ownership of it.

I hope it dies a slow, grisly death, but unfortunately, with most consumers being dumber than cat hair, it probably has a bright future. Dumbassses.

[Illusions]

Suspected of cheating? Piracy? Pissing off the wrong person? Valve can kill your account and you lose access to every game you've ever bought, with no recourse, except whining about it on the interwebs.

So what about downloadable content for Xbox Live and PSN that works pretty much the same way, ie. downloadable content tied to a specific account, that can be banned/deleted/lost thus losing you access to what you've paid for (well that is if you delete the content, or the HDD becomes corrupt, and then you pull the above off)?

Actually if you want to play any games released by Valve you have to use Steam (unless you want to patch/crack/hack a physical copy)... :bored:

[CitizenCain]

So what about downloadable content for Xbox Live and PSN that works pretty much the same way, ie. downloadable content tied to a specific account, that can be banned/deleted/lost thus losing you access to what you've paid for (well that is if you delete the content, or the HDD becomes corrupt, and then you pull the above off)?

Same stupidity, different brand. Besides, console suck. Cheap, stripped down computers that let you have games you can't mod or hack to suit your needs. Teh lame.

Actually if you want to play any games released by Valve you have to use Steam (unless you want to patch/crack/hack a physical copy)... :bored:

Yeah, you do. Might be an issue if Valve had released a game worth playing (let alone buying) since, what Half Life 2?

[Ominous Gamer]

Not a fan of The Orange Box?

I think I have a dozen or so games on my Steam account, all which I own the physical discs to, or I got free at some point in time.

[Illusions]

Same stupidity, different brand. Besides, console suck. Cheap, stripped down computers that let you have games you can't mod or hack to suit your needs. Teh lame.

Its a lot more expensive to build a computer that can play games on an HDTV via wireless controller at the same quality, load times, etc. as a $200-$400 XBox 360 though... :noob:

...although given the choice I've gone with UT3, Fallout 3, and the Orange Box for PC though. So whatever to that...


Yeah, you do. Might be an issue if Valve had released a game worth playing (let alone buying) since, what Half Life 2?

What OG said...

[Khendraja'aro]

Not a fan of The Orange Box?

I think I have a dozen or so games on my Steam account, all which I own the physical discs to, or I got free at some point in time.

And how much good will those discs do you if your account gets banned? :noob:

[Ominous Gamer]

For online play? Not much at all, but luckily its included in one of the exceptions submitted to the DMCA this year. Make it legal to crack if you can't access the DRM servers. :up:

[Illusions]

And how much good will those discs do you if your account gets banned? :noob:

Then you crack/patch that to work without it...

...but no online play. :o

[Ominous Gamer]

The same scenario holds true if Value were to ever go under and shut the Steam servers down.

Thats the one thing Midway did right, they saw the writing on the wall. Released a bunch of older games for free download these past few months, before someone could come in and snatch them up only to bury them; like Atari did to Total Annihilation.