Steam (software) - talk to me
Discussion
So I keep hearing this "Steam" mentioned as the one-stop shop to purchase all your games from. Just had a look at the wiki page about it and I get how the concept works, but am I missing something here? If you buy something from them you only have a digital copy of it with DRM to use it, so when you get bored of whatever games you've purchased from them how can you sell them to recoup some of your money spent? If you had physical hard copies of the games then you could obviously flog them on Feebay or whatever. Are the games sold via Steam significantly cheaper vs. physical hard copy on disk to offset this or..?
No, you can't sell them. You can trade stuff you haven't used. But not games you've installed. As far as I'm aware.
Are they cheaper? Yes and no. Normally at release the games are around the same price. However there are always offers on and you can often pick up bundles of games really cheaply. I have over 100 games. Never play them all. Probably only around 4 get played now.
Are they cheaper? Yes and no. Normally at release the games are around the same price. However there are always offers on and you can often pick up bundles of games really cheaply. I have over 100 games. Never play them all. Probably only around 4 get played now.
So other than the occasional cheap bundles, which I'm guessing are largely games you've never heard of or aren't popular, is it better to buy hard copies then would you say?
Is the attraction of Steam that you can have games NOW rather than buying online and having to wait for it to be delivered?
Is the attraction of Steam that you can have games NOW rather than buying online and having to wait for it to be delivered?
I find the main attraction of Steam to be the always available nature of it. You can buy whatever you want, whenever you want and start downloading it straight away.
I really like it because I have had a Steam account for years but managed to forget about it when I didn't have a PC capable of gaming. When I bought a new computer I just signed in to Steam and started downloading all my old games straight away, no hassle.
Also, Steam has sales. Portal is for sale at £1.74 at the moment, for example. Some great games go cheap. Try Hotline Miami. That s
t is seriously addictive.
Steam sells games made by independent developers, so games that would otherwise not find the light of day find an audience. Some of them are really good.
One of the best bits for me, if you have a game on Windows or Mac and you want the other version for your other system? You can have both versions for no extra cost.
They also sell retro classics! I bought a load of LucasArts point and click games for under a tenner a few weeks ago!
I really like it because I have had a Steam account for years but managed to forget about it when I didn't have a PC capable of gaming. When I bought a new computer I just signed in to Steam and started downloading all my old games straight away, no hassle.
Also, Steam has sales. Portal is for sale at £1.74 at the moment, for example. Some great games go cheap. Try Hotline Miami. That s
t is seriously addictive.Steam sells games made by independent developers, so games that would otherwise not find the light of day find an audience. Some of them are really good.
One of the best bits for me, if you have a game on Windows or Mac and you want the other version for your other system? You can have both versions for no extra cost.
All that jazz said:
So other than the occasional cheap bundles, which I'm guessing are largely games you've never heard of or aren't popular, is it better to buy hard copies then would you say?
This is definitely not the case. Go check it out, it doesn't cost anything to sign up and you will probably be very surprised.They also sell retro classics! I bought a load of LucasArts point and click games for under a tenner a few weeks ago!
To be fair, you can't normally resell PC games on physical media either. Well you can sell the media but most require online activation so in reality you are paying for a key.
There are lots of free to play games and loads of indie stuff which are both cheap and often miles better than the mainstream games.
The mainstream stuff tends to be about the same price as retail but you can get additional benefits such as extra items and levels. I pre-ordered Bioshock Infinite and got X-Com for free.
There are lots of free to play games and loads of indie stuff which are both cheap and often miles better than the mainstream games.
The mainstream stuff tends to be about the same price as retail but you can get additional benefits such as extra items and levels. I pre-ordered Bioshock Infinite and got X-Com for free.
I've never sold a second hand PC game. Why would you?
Steam itself is free and has free games on it so just give it a download and give it a try, you have nothing to lose.
It constantly has stuff on sale.
Its also what a lot of the big distributors are aspiring to be but they just end up putting their games on steam as they take up of their distribution systems is low. So these days it probably has a good majority of the games that are available on it. Also some of the games that you 'never heard of' (ie the mass media has bombarded you with advertising about) are particularly good
I am finding that for brand new released games its cheaper to buy a copy from a supermarket.
Also steam has items that drop on some games as you play (counterstrike has tons) these are either collectable cards for the game or for the likes of counterstrike their are also weapon skin, your probably thinking big woop, BUT these can be sold on steam for money which you can then use to buy games, I made 15p the other day playing kerbal space program & batman as I had duplicated cards.
Steam itself is free and has free games on it so just give it a download and give it a try, you have nothing to lose.
It constantly has stuff on sale.
Its also what a lot of the big distributors are aspiring to be but they just end up putting their games on steam as they take up of their distribution systems is low. So these days it probably has a good majority of the games that are available on it. Also some of the games that you 'never heard of' (ie the mass media has bombarded you with advertising about) are particularly good
I am finding that for brand new released games its cheaper to buy a copy from a supermarket.
Also steam has items that drop on some games as you play (counterstrike has tons) these are either collectable cards for the game or for the likes of counterstrike their are also weapon skin, your probably thinking big woop, BUT these can be sold on steam for money which you can then use to buy games, I made 15p the other day playing kerbal space program & batman as I had duplicated cards.
Edited by Foliage on Wednesday 23 April 09:39
Edited by Foliage on Wednesday 23 April 09:42
Bullett said:
The mainstream stuff tends to be about the same price as retail but you can get additional benefits such as extra items and levels. I pre-ordered Bioshock Infinite and got X-Com for free.
Where as I added Bioshock infinite to my watch list and waited for it to go on sale at a price I was happy to pay which was well after release. If friends recommend games I add them to the watch list and buy them when they are on sale.Its a completely different way of buying games.
I have accounts with GOG, Origin, Greenman Gaming and Steam. By far the best one is Steam but all offer free games everynow and then so it is worth signing up with them (Greenman gaming is the odd one out as they offer steam keys rather than their own download).
Christmas time is dangerous as I buy loads of games at ridiculous prices and then spend the rest of the year getting round to playing them.
Christmas time is dangerous as I buy loads of games at ridiculous prices and then spend the rest of the year getting round to playing them.
All that jazz said:
So I keep hearing this "Steam" mentioned as the one-stop shop to purchase all your games from. Just had a look at the wiki page about it and I get how the concept works, but am I missing something here? If you buy something from them you only have a digital copy of it with DRM to use it, so when you get bored of whatever games you've purchased from them how can you sell them to recoup some of your money spent? If you had physical hard copies of the games then you could obviously flog them on Feebay or whatever. Are the games sold via Steam significantly cheaper vs. physical hard copy on disk to offset this or..?
Did you just arrive here from 1998?The world has changed.
LordGrover said:
Thanks to this topic I downloaded and installed steam.
I have a window that say Updating Steam Information... that's been on screen for more than an hour now.
It's good isn't it?
I have been running steam since c.2006 and it has never been a smooth or reliable piece of software. Your best bet is closing and starting againI have a window that say Updating Steam Information... that's been on screen for more than an hour now.
It's good isn't it?
storminnorman said:
LordGrover said:
Thanks to this topic I downloaded and installed steam.
I have a window that say Updating Steam Information... that's been on screen for more than an hour now.
It's good isn't it?
I have been running steam since c.2006 and it has never been a smooth or reliable piece of software. Your best bet is closing and starting againI have a window that say Updating Steam Information... that's been on screen for more than an hour now.
It's good isn't it?
Symbolica said:
When I bought the latest Bioshock game they threw in a free copy of Civ 5, which nearly destroyed my life.
Just say no, kids.
Good lord, that's almost assault. Civ 5 is dangerous as hell when there is free time about. Or even un-free time.Just say no, kids.
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