Steam versus Xbox Live

May I say something about this whole debate? Guys, Steam is a download service and an aim type friends list. You're not even comparing the same thing really. Fail = BIG. And Xfire is a freaking joke(you get just as much use from aim)

Really, it is such big fail.I think pc gamers are comparing steam to games for window live on the pc, which is indeed more or less a friends list and extremely small download store.

Steam>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Live Why? Its free AND SUPERIOR :D

Steam>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Live Why? Its free :DSolid_Tango

poo > chocolate...coz poo is free. xbox live is better imo

Steam>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Live Why? Its free :DSolid_Tango

steam for the number of games it has and the weekend deals they do, also it runs perfectly and is free.

steam for the number of games it has and the weekend deals they do, also it runs perfectly and is free.

AGMing

TC seems to forget that Steam is, in fact, an online multiplayer platform.PannicAtack

Steam vs. Xbox Live is a bit of a strange comparision to make; they both stand on their own merits.

Xbox Live is quite a bit better, but Steam has it's upsides like the weekend deals, and being free.

For me....

STEAM > Xbox Live

steams problem is its not the only online gaming service on the PC so all it takes is a few friends not to use it and its useless. i have friends who will only use xfire and friends who will only use steam.

There is no denying Live is as good if not better than anything on the PC the other consoles cant compete at all.

There is no denying Live is as good if not better than anything on the PC the other consoles cant compete at all.

xgraderx

[QUOTE="xgraderx"]

There is no denying Live is as good if not better than anything on the PC the other consoles cant compete at all.

cheese_it

[QUOTE="Solid_Tango"]Steam>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Live Why? Its free :Dsikanderahmed

poo > chocolate...coz poo is free. xbox live is better imo

Steam is a digital distribution and online authentication platform, it's far more than a friends list. Cross-game invites, chat, Steam groups, full mod support, support for user run dedicated servers on all games and mods, anti-cheat, and download servers....it has the entire Xbox Live feature set and more by allowing users to share and host custom content on their platform...that and the digital distribution catalogue is far superior. The end result is more games, more content, and dedicated servers for all your games for free. Xbox Live has zero custom content, their digital distribution catalogue is comically small, almost no dedicated servers, and $50/year.Brownesque

[QUOTE="Solid_Tango"]Steam>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Live Why? Its free :Dsikanderahmed

poo > chocolate...coz poo is free. xbox live is better imo

Ummm... Negative. Steam is better. I has much more to offer than AIMlike features. You need to do some better research.

Steam is a digital distribution and online authentication platform, it's far more than a friends list. Cross-game invites, chat, Steam groups, full mod support, support for user run dedicated servers on all games and mods, anti-cheat, and download servers....it has the entire Xbox Live feature set and more by allowing users to share and host custom content on their platform...that and the digital distribution catalogue is far superior. The end result is more games, more content, and dedicated servers for all your games for free. Xbox Live has zero custom content, their digital distribution catalogue is comically small, almost no dedicated servers, and $50/year.Brownesque

While Steam is a great service it does not offer every feature that live has. Steam offers no Movie/TV support, and does not offer developers tools which include several layers of match making, allowing friends to easily play together, instead of trying to find a lopsided game via steam to join one team a constant problem I personally have with Steam. Xbox live also has tons of custom content in the form of XNA games. The servers available to games on Steam are usually hosted and ran by 3rd party companies and have little to no affiliation with steam, other than the fact that they are being tracked by valve. While MS is responsible for tracking games and hosting all content, requiring them to run far more dedicated servers than what the public is aware of, which is mostly maintained by developers and users on steam.

Steam>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Live Why? Its free AND SUPERIOR :D

Solid_Tango

t live has. Steam offers no Movie/TV support, and does not offer developers tools which include several layers of match making, allowing friends to easily play together, instead of trying to find a lopsided game via steam to join one team a constant problem I personally have with Steam. Xbox live also has tons of custom content in the form of XNA games. The servers available to games on Steam are usually hosted and ran by 3rd party companies and have little to no affiliation with steam, other than the fact that they are being tracked by valve. While MS is responsible for tracking games and hosting all content, requiring them to run far more dedicated servers than what the public is aware of, which is mostly maintained by developers and users on steam.

opex07

theres no need for a movie service for a pc based service since all you have to do is minimize steam and watch a movie. its strictly for gaming.

actually valve offers steam works for free for developers including authentication tools and anticheat services. and you can invite friends into games.

and all the dedicated servers for live are not on MSs bill. theyre fully on the developer. p2p networks eliminate the use of a dedicated server.

and for everything steam is 'missing' its still free.

you may want to research things a bit.

theres no need for a movie service for a pc based service since all you have to do is minimize steam and watch a movie. its strictly for gaming.

actually valve offers steam works for free for developers including authentication tools and anticheat services. and you can invite friends into games.

and all the dedicated servers for live are not on MSs bill. theyre fully on the developer. p2p networks eliminate the use of a dedicated server.

and for everything steam is 'missing' its still free.

you may want to research things a bit.

washd123

A movie service may not be important to you personaly, but it is still a service many find to be enjoyable, a service in which Live has over Steam. I'm aware that you can send invites on steam, but try to play a game with a group of friends becomes a nightmare on steam, because you have to find an active game with lopsided teams which is a rare thing. Most times you have to have your friends slowly move into the server as space becomes available. live is also Client based not p2p, but Client based games still require dedicated servers to track games, stats, and the number of players available, it would be impossible to ever find a game unless the host of a game was able to send you the required information needed to join his game manually to you specifically. There is also the need for dedicated servers to send out patches and have DL content available to be downloaded from, something that is hosted by MS, (a few exceptions). This is why Valve is being forced to charge for additional content for L4D on live because they do not want to host the content themselves, as well as GTA4 having problems on PS3 on release due to Rockstar having to hire game-spy to run their servers for GTA4 specifically for the PS3 version.

Also from my knowledge most of valves tools and anti-cheat software VAC has to be licensed out, and is not given to developers freely, nor does every game on Steam use such software.

Steam FTW! :D

I'm aware that you can send invites on steam, but try to play a game with a group of friends becomes a nightmare on steam, because you have to find an active game with lopsided teams which is a rare thing. Most times you have to have your friends slowly move into the server as space becomes available.

opex07

This is why Valve is being forced to charge for additional content for L4D on live because they do not want to host the content themselves

opex07

Steam!

May I say something about this whole debate? Guys, Steam is a download service and an aim type friends list. You're not even comparing the same thing really. Fail = BIG. And Xfire is a freaking joke(you get just as much use from aim)

Really, it is such big fail.I think pc gamers are comparing steam to games for window live on the pc, which is indeed more or less a friends list and extremely small download store.

AssassinFonce

Wait, is TC talking down Steam?

Not cool bro, not cool.

steam is drm.

steam sucks

[QUOTE="AssassinFonce"]

May I say something about this whole debate? Guys, Steam is a download service and an aim type friends list. You're not even comparing the same thing really. Fail = BIG. And Xfire is a freaking joke(you get just as much use from aim)

Really, it is such big fail.I think pc gamers are comparing steam to games for window live on the pc, which is indeed more or less a friends list and extremely small download store.

chris_yz80

Steam lags less. Steam supports mods. Steam has more users. Steam has a better interface & means of game joining.

Oh, and Steam isn't our only option if we want to play online.

No just no. I play online games with a large variety of friends on practically a daily basis - be it TF2, Counter Strike or Left 4 Dead. The solution is simple, when playing with 8+ friends. Find an empty local server join, give it a few minutes and the server fills, and you can switch teams across. Same with L4D and Counter Strike. With 100/+ hours in each of these games it has worked perfectly. [QUOTE="opex07"]

This is why Valve is being forced to charge for additional content for L4D on live because they do not want to host the content themselves

skrat_01

The way you just illustrated to find a game is little to no different than what I said, your still managing your team/friends in a way that causes you to wait to play together, but have to hope that you and your friends dont control the game to much causing people to leave as they join, making it hard to fill the room.

Developers have the option to run and host their own content, this has been a regular thing for EA who requires you to connect to EA servers to play certain EA games, and get EA content, this is how the large amounts of Downloadable burnout content was free on Live.

[QUOTE="skrat_01"]No just no. I play online games with a large variety of friends on practically a daily basis - be it TF2, Counter Strike or Left 4 Dead. The solution is simple, when playing with 8+ friends. Find an empty local server join, give it a few minutes and the server fills, and you can switch teams across. Same with L4D and Counter Strike. With 100/+ hours in each of these games it has worked perfectly. [QUOTE="opex07"]

This is why Valve is being forced to charge for additional content for L4D on live because they do not want to host the content themselves

opex07

The way you just illustrated to find a game is little to no different than what I said, your still managing your team/friends in a way that causes you to wait to play together, but have to hope that you and your friends dont control the game to much causing people to leave as they join, making it hard to fill the room.

Developers have the option to run and host their own content, this has been a regular thing for EA who requires you to connect to EA servers to play certain EA games, and get EA content, this is how the large amounts of Downloadable burnout content was free on Live.

[QUOTE="Solid_Tango"]Steam>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Live Why? Its free :Dsikanderahmed

poo > chocolate...coz poo is free. xbox live is better imo

Which is how different to getting a group together in a game and waiting to connect to another group of players and automatch, in your own lobby? There is always waiting involved in every multiplayer game, difference here it that a dedicated server is handling the connections. Otherwise makes sense.

" This, according to Valve's Chet Faliszek, was a decision that was not left down to Valve but was made by Microsoft instead. "We own our platform, Steam. Microsoft owns their platform. They wanted to make sure there's an economy of value there," he explained. "They helped us get the first one out for free," Faliszek said of Left 4 Dead's 'Survival' DLC. "We had the one DLC out for free. And I think... they have to look and say, wow, we're kind of being unfair to everybody else if these guys can do that." "It's not like we're [Valve is] looking at this as, 'Oh my god, we need some money, we're going to charge,' obviously, or we'd do it on the PC," he continued. "So it's just kind of the way the system works right now." There you have it. If you're an Xbox 360 owner who wants somebody to blame for the priced 'Crash Course' DLC on Xbox Live, then blame Microsoft. "

skrat_01

I dont understand what your trying to say in the first part, but I have no reason to try and blame anyone for Crash Course, seeing on how I do not own the game, im just stating how it is. MS has no control over L4D due to them being neither a developer or publisher of the game, Valve has the same options that any other publisher has on Live, and those options include the possibility to release the game for free just like my previous example of burnout paradise. If Valve doesnt wan't to choose this option its totally up to them.

EDIT: I also dont understand why we are argueing over L4D? I used it as an example to show that MS hosts the content for games, I dont think your argueing agaisnt this so there isn't much need to try and play the blame game about L4D.

Steam is better.

-Friends, messaging, voice chat system

-Community groups

-Download demos

-Sells games for way cheaper. Sometimes in packages.

-They have weekend deals. eg. TF2 weekend (everyone can play TF2 for free over the weekends)

-Skins

-Media

-Lists what the update is for and which games are affected of this update

-News section

-Store -Videos/Trailers

-Achievements

-Give gifts to friends (as in games)

-Browse the web during in-game

-You can upload your own gamer picture.

-Server lists, you can save them on favourites, history

-Plus many more

Everything for no charge.