Why Do So Many People Buy From Steam?

I dont understand why so many people buy newly released (non-sale) games on Steam. If youre in the US, Steam rarely offers their games at a lower price than in stores. Even months after release, games can cost much more on Steam than you can find in a retail store or online. In fact, doing a simple search right now on Google, you can find all the front page Steam games like Witcher 2, Fear 3, Shogun 2, etc. for HALF the price, shipped. Hell. even Portal 2 can be found for much less online than on Steam. How come no one in SW mentions this?

Why spend more on a digital copy that costs more? At least with physical copies, you can add the physical box to your shelf or something. You can pull out the disc and install the game instantly if your game data gets corrupted or if you need to reformat. Plus, if your Steam account gets hacked or banned for any reason, every game tied to that account is gone.

Now I get that in some countries Steam provides much better prices, but for all the North American gamers, can you explain why you choose a more expensive Steam copy over a much cheaper physical copy? My eyes bleed everytime I look at Steam prices for new games, yet Im always seeing people praising Steam and digital downloads.

90% of you guys are completely missing the point of this thread.

I never said Steam sucks. I use Steam everyday and love the community features. Im asking why would you buy a Steam game thats not on sale when you can get the physical copy online for a fraction of the price? Im also pointing out the disadvantages of a digital copy such as not having the physical material that many consider to be collectible and the possibility of losing all your games in the event that you somehow lose your account.

Steam summer sale, nuff said.

Steam summer sale, nuff said.

Heartagram_03

As I said in the OP, non-sale games. Everyone buys during their sales. Almost all my Steam games were purchased at a severely discounted price.

Sales, community platform, unified game service, games stored online, developers get more money from steam than boxed copies.ferret-gamer

Thats a weak argument.

Sales - Aside from the sales, the customers dont get good deals to justify going digital.

Community platform - Sure we all use it for that. We dont have to buy overpriced games to use the features.

Unified game service - 99% of Steam games arent Steam integrated. Steam just runs the game as you would by clicking the .exe. Plus lots of Steam games dont work with mods like GTA 4.

Games stored online - Ok, that requires an internet connection to access (obviously). With a physical disc, you dont have to wait for a 7GB download. 15GB for GTA 4.

Developers get more money from Steam than boxed copies - Sure, and that puts you at a disadvantage for their gain. Then they screw us with their on disc DLC and day 1 DLC. Plus, as a consumer you should only hope for the best price.

[QUOTE="Heartagram_03"]

Steam summer sale, nuff said.

USBxDVD

As I said in the OP, non-sale games. Everyone buys during their sales. Almost all my Steam games were purchased at a severely discounted price.

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

[QUOTE="Heartagram_03"]

Steam summer sale, nuff said.

Heartagram_03

As I said in the OP, non-sale games. Everyone buys during their sales. Almost all my Steam games were purchased at a severely discounted price.

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"]Sales, community platform, unified game service, games stored online, developers get more money from steam than boxed copies.USBxDVD

Thats a weak argument.

Sales - Aside from the sales, the customers dont get good deals to justify going digital.

Community platform - Sure we all use it for that. We dont have to buy overpriced games to use the features.

Unified game service - 99% of Steam games arent Steam integrated. Steam just runs the game as you would by clicking the .exe. Plus lots of Steam games dont work with mods like GTA 4.

Games stored online - Ok, that requires an internet connection to access (obviously). With a physical disc, you dont have to wait for a 7GB download. 15GB for GTA 4.

Developers get more money from Steam than boxed copies - Sure, and that puts you at a disadvantage for their gain. Then they screw us with their on disc DLC and day 1 DLC. Plus, as a consumer you should only hope for the best price.

how is that a weak argument? those are very valid and strong points!

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"]Sales, community platform, unified game service, games stored online, developers get more money from steam than boxed copies.USBxDVD

Thats a weak argument.

Sales - Aside from the sales, the customers dont get good deals to justify going digital.

Community platform - Sure we all use it for that. We dont have to buy overpriced games to use the features.

Unified game service - 99% of Steam games arent Steam integrated. Steam just runs the game as you would by clicking the .exe. Plus lots of Steam games dont work with mods like GTA 4.

Games stored online - Ok, that requires an internet connection to access (obviously). With a physical disc, you dont have to wait for a 7GB download. 15GB for GTA 4.

Developers get more money from Steam than boxed copies - Sure, and that puts you at a disadvantage for their gain. Then they screw us with their on disc DLC and day 1 DLC. Plus, as a consumer you should only hope for the best price.

you don't know what you;re talking about

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"]Sales, community platform, unified game service, games stored online, developers get more money from steam than boxed copies.NoodleFighter

Thats a weak argument.

Sales - Aside from the sales, the customers dont get good deals to justify going digital.

Community platform - Sure we all use it for that. We dont have to buy overpriced games to use the features.

Unified game service - 99% of Steam games arent Steam integrated. Steam just runs the game as you would by clicking the .exe. Plus lots of Steam games dont work with mods like GTA 4.

Games stored online - Ok, that requires an internet connection to access (obviously). With a physical disc, you dont have to wait for a 7GB download. 15GB for GTA 4.

Developers get more money from Steam than boxed copies - Sure, and that puts you at a disadvantage for their gain. Then they screw us with their on disc DLC and day 1 DLC. Plus, as a consumer you should only hope for the best price.

you don't know what you;re talking about

Explain please.

[QUOTE="Heartagram_03"]

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

As I said in the OP, non-sale games. Everyone buys during their sales. Almost all my Steam games were purchased at a severely discounted price.

ferret-gamer

And thats one good exception.

Think about it this way.

If you buy a used console game on Craigslist or Ebay and the guy says it doesnt include the manual. Thats an autoamatic $5 decrease AT THE VERY LEAST. If its the disc only, thats like a $10 decrease along with the $5 decrease for the missing manual. With digital downloads, youre missing the manual, case and disc. Win?

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"]

[QUOTE="Heartagram_03"]

That's what most people do. They get most of the games during sales and have a massive backlog, not to bother with new releases until the next major sale. Steam>>>>retail

USBxDVD

And thats one good exception.

[QUOTE="NoodleFighter"]

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

Thats a weak argument.

Sales - Aside from the sales, the customers dont get good deals to justify going digital.

Community platform - Sure we all use it for that. We dont have to buy overpriced games to use the features.

Unified game service - 99% of Steam games arent Steam integrated. Steam just runs the game as you would by clicking the .exe. Plus lots of Steam games dont work with mods like GTA 4.

Games stored online - Ok, that requires an internet connection to access (obviously). With a physical disc, you dont have to wait for a 7GB download. 15GB for GTA 4.

Developers get more money from Steam than boxed copies - Sure, and that puts you at a disadvantage for their gain. Then they screw us with their on disc DLC and day 1 DLC. Plus, as a consumer you should only hope for the best price.

USBxDVD

you don't know what you;re talking about

Explain please.

he highlighted it for you and hes right, you have no idea what you're talking about since gta4 is moddable even if you have it on steam (steam purchased)

- boxed copies are ugly to me...I have enough boxes and cases and CD keys lying around....hate it

- ease of use, especially since I have fiber internet, downloading GTA 4 took a little over an hour and was dirt cheap (modded it, too)

- My local brick and mortar games stores like GameStop and Best Buy never offer deals on games, steam regularly offers discounts, sometimes even for preordering you get 5 or 10 bucks off

Think about it this way.

If you buy a used console game on Craigslist or Ebay and the guy says it doesnt include the manual. Thats an autoamatic $5 decrease AT THE VERY LEAST. If its the disc only, thats like a $10 decrease along with the $5 decrease for the missing manual. With digital downloads, youre missing the manual, case and disc. Win?

USBxDVD

all those things are unnecessary to play the game and in my opinion just take up space! i learn controls for a game on the fly by either looking at the control configuarion and/or tutorial which are usually in-game tutorials. also some digital games have online manuels. heck you can even simply just do a google search for cryig out loud! why do i need a case or disc? alot of my old pc game boxes are just sitting there. it's not like they're gonna increase in value. those who hold on to physical media do so for an infatuation to collect... alot of them have no idea most of their games will not increase in value. everything you mentioned makes no difference on a game's enjoyment.

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

[QUOTE="NoodleFighter"]

you don't know what you;re talking about

Rage010101

Explain please.

he highlighted it for you and hes right, you have no idea what you're talking about since gta4 is moddable even if you have it on steam (steam purchased)

The iCEnhancer doesnt work with the Steam version of GTA 4.

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"] And sometimes steam is cheaper than retail. Deus Ex: HR is $45 on steam, but in stores or on amazon it is $50

ferret-gamer

And thats one good exception.

Pre-order discounts should be a given. Steam should have to give pre-order discounts to persuade us to buy from them considering the disadvantages of digital downloads. And about the upcoming releases being priced the same as retail. Theres nothing special about that. That too should be the very least they can do considering the disadvantages of digital downloads and benefits of owning a physical copy of the game. Steam never charges more than the MSRP. But they definitely do charge more than retail.

Lets see if you can find the whole GTA series for 5$ in retail stores. Good luck

[QUOTE="Rage010101"]

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

Explain please.

USBxDVD

he highlighted it for you and hes right, you have no idea what you're talking about since gta4 is moddable even if you have it on steam (steam purchased)

The iCEnhancer doesnt work with the Steam version of GTA 4.

[QUOTE="Rage010101"]

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

Explain please.

USBxDVD

he highlighted it for you and hes right, you have no idea what you're talking about since gta4 is moddable even if you have it on steam (steam purchased)

The iCEnhancer doesnt work with the Steam version of GTA 4.

[QUOTE="Rage010101"]

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

Explain please.

USBxDVD

he highlighted it for you and hes right, you have no idea what you're talking about since gta4 is moddable even if you have it on steam (steam purchased)

The iCEnhancer doesnt work with the Steam version of GTA 4.

Yes it does

the only reason it wouldn't work is if a new patch comes out because Rockstar is trying to prevent the game from being modded why do think new versions of ICE keep coming out.

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"]

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

And thats one good exception.

USBxDVD

Pre-order discounts should be a given. Steam should have to give pre-order discounts to persuade us to buy from them considering the disadvantages of digital downloads. And about the upcoming releases being priced the same as retail. Theres nothing special about that. That too should be the very least they can do considering the disadvantages of digital downloads and benefits of owning a physical copy of the game. Steam never charges more than the MSRP. But they definitely do charge more than retail.

TC, you do know that you don't have to download the game every time you want to play it right? Going to the store and blowing 4-5 bucks in gas and the 20-30 minutes it takes to buy the game, then you still have to install which will take time. Eh, after all that I may as well just buy it on Steam.channtheman1

There have been countless occasions where Ive needed to reinstall a game. Examples, upgrading PC, building new PCs, game becomes corrupt, deleting a game to make space. And who really drives 20-30 minutes to their nearest game store? But if youre really going to blow $5 on gas and $5 on tax then you might as well buy from Steam.

Amazon offers release date delivery for $1. That means the game is at your doorstep on release date and theyve never failed on me before. Most of the time they offer $10-20 promotional credit and/or $10 discount. All that and plus the benefit of owning a physical copy.

Think about it this way.

If you buy a used console game on Craigslist or Ebay and the guy says it doesnt include the manual. Thats an autoamatic $5 decrease AT THE VERY LEAST. If its the disc only, thats like a $10 decrease along with the $5 decrease for the missing manual. With digital downloads, youre missing the manual, case and disc. Win?

USBxDVD

PS: got Arkham Asylum for $7, BFBC2 for $10, ME2 for $5, Metro for $5, Red Alert 3 + expansion for $8

[QUOTE="Rage010101"]

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

Explain please.

USBxDVD

he highlighted it for you and hes right, you have no idea what you're talking about since gta4 is moddable even if you have it on steam (steam purchased)

The iCEnhancer doesnt work with the Steam version of GTA 4.

sorry sir but you are dead wrong and just further proved, you have no idea what you're talking about

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"] It isn't uncommon for games on steam to have a pre order discount like Deus Ex has. And even now there are plenty of upcoming games at the same price as the retail version. RAGE, Dead Island, Driver for example. Steam always has the base retail price for upcoming and new games if they don't already have a discount. They never charge more than retail.

ferret-gamer

Pre-order discounts should be a given. Steam should have to give pre-order discounts to persuade us to buy from them considering the disadvantages of digital downloads. And about the upcoming releases being priced the same as retail. Theres nothing special about that. That too should be the very least they can do considering the disadvantages of digital downloads and benefits of owning a physical copy of the game. Steam never charges more than the MSRP. But they definitely do charge more than retail.

My mistake. I meant buying from a reputable online retail store. No significant disadvantages? I dont know how you can say that. I for one like to keep a game collection so not having the physical box, manual and disc is a con. Making some DIY replacement is not a solution. So now I have to pay MSRP and go through the trouble of printing out a cover and using some old DVD case. And the disc? Go on a warez site and download the ISO and burn it to a DVD and write the title with a Sharpie? No thanks, Ill buy the physical copy instead. What about all the games linked to your Steam account. Most of them arent Steam integrated. If you lose your Steam account, you lose all your games. Thats not a significant disadvantage?

I buy from Steam because I dislike the empty boxes we get today. You used to pay extra to get all the extra crap that came with the game and now you pay $50 for... a disc and a piece of paper. The only time something is worth buying retail is when you actually get stuff in the box.

Also DRM is getting so bad retail that its not even worth buying when the digital version has much less DRM.

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"]Sales, community platform, unified game service, games stored online, developers get more money from steam than boxed copies.USBxDVD

Thats a weak argument.

Sales - Aside from the sales, the customers dont get good deals to justify going digital.

Community platform - Sure we all use it for that. We dont have to buy overpriced games to use the features.

Unified game service - 99% of Steam games arent Steam integrated. Steam just runs the game as you would by clicking the .exe. Plus lots of Steam games dont work with mods like GTA 4.

Games stored online - Ok, that requires an internet connection to access (obviously). With a physical disc, you dont have to wait for a 7GB download. 15GB for GTA 4.

Developers get more money from Steam than boxed copies - Sure, and that puts you at a disadvantage for their gain. Then they screw us with their on disc DLC and day 1 DLC. Plus, as a consumer you should only hope for the best price.

Sales: Sure we do. The physical copy is crap so why buy it? The digital one has everything you need and saves you gas + space on the shelf.

Community platform: Part of the package, not much to say here.

Unified game service: Most mods work fine. If you have an issue with it you simply replace an .exe and mods work. Whether it removes the DRM for steam is irrelevant since its legal to do for a backup anyways.

Games stored online: Discs break and the Steam servers can but you get compensated if anything goes down.

Steam is fine. I have my own issues with the service but there is no reason not to use the service given the pros unless you are someone who refuses to buy a game with DRM (which is actually quite a few people).

I buy from Steam because:

-Its easy, add to cart, make the purchase, and let it download in the background while playing another game or doing something else

-Sales, how can you argue with $10 BFBC2, Batman Arkham for $7 etc?

-Built in friendslist so you can see what games they are playing and what games they are currently playing.

-Unified list, all your games in one place and one account.

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

[QUOTE="Rage010101"]

he highlighted it for you and hes right, you have no idea what you're talking about since gta4 is moddable even if you have it on steam (steam purchased)

Rage010101

The iCEnhancer doesnt work with the Steam version of GTA 4.

sorry sir but you are dead wrong and just further proved, you have no idea what you're talking about

LINK"This currently DOES NOT work on the steam version". Ive tried installing the exact version and it didnt work properly. It might work now using a newer version but it didnt before. And compatibility will be broken if Rockstar releases a patch that you dont have a choice whether to install or not install.

[QUOTE="Rage010101"]

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

The iCEnhancer doesnt work with the Steam version of GTA 4.

USBxDVD

sorry sir but you are dead wrong and just further proved, you have no idea what you're talking about

LINK"This currently DOES NOT work on the steam version". Ive tried installing the exact version and it didnt work properly. It might work now using a newer version but it didnt before. And compatibility will be broken if Rockstar releases a patch that you dont have a choice whether to install or not install.

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"][QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

Pre-order discounts should be a given. Steam should have to give pre-order discounts to persuade us to buy from them considering the disadvantages of digital downloads. And about the upcoming releases being priced the same as retail. Theres nothing special about that. That too should be the very least they can do considering the disadvantages of digital downloads and benefits of owning a physical copy of the game. Steam never charges more than the MSRP. But they definitely do charge more than retail.

USBxDVD

My mistake. I meant buying from a reputable online retail store. No significant disadvantages? I dont know how you can say that. I for one like to keep a game collection so not having the physical box, manual and disc is a con. Making some DIY replacement is not a solution. So now I have to pay MSRP and go through the trouble of printing out a cover and using some old DVD case. And the disc? Go on a warez site and download the ISO and burn it to a DVD and write the title with a Sharpie? No thanks, Ill buy the physical copy instead. What about all the games linked to your Steam account. Most of them arent Steam integrated. If you lose your Steam account, you lose all your games. Thats not a significant disadvantage?

those things you're putting up as an argument are all subjective. i for one dont care about physical media,manuals, case, disc, etc. if anything they take up space and they dont change the experience you get out of the game itself!

as for your other very weak point, you'd have to be a simpleton or be doing some extremely shady stuff to lose your steam account. since like 2005 i have yet to lose any game on steam... as for my physical media console and pc wise, i have lost and broken some game disc. i have also lost cd keys before, which pretty much renders some games useless EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE DISC! i just made a stronger point to your counter argument. with digital games i can download them however many times i want. losing your steam account is like forgetting your screen name, password, email used and very laughable! you can even backup your games if you want them on a disc that badly which would server you no point since you can use steam and access your games on any computer. pretty much renders your points irrelevant!

I buy from Steam because:

-Its easy, add to cart, make the purchase, and let it download in the background while playing another game or doing something else

-Sales, how can you argue with $10 BFBC2, Batman Arkham for $7 etc?

-Built in friendslist so you can see what games they are playing and what games they are currently playing.

-Unified list, all your games in one place and one account.

def_mode

- Better choice. Buy online, save $10-20, receive in mail 2-3 days later, put disc in DVD tray, install, play.

- Sales, everyone loves them.

- I use it too. Doesnt mean I have to buy their games to use it. All you need is 1 Steam game to use community features. Everyone has TF2 or HL2.

- Smarter solution. "Add non-Steam game" to Steam. Or create a folder on your desktop titled "Games" with shortcuts to the .exe of all your games.

oh and goodluck experiencing things like this when it comes to physical media (humble bundle 3), which is steam activatible

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"][QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

Pre-order discounts should be a given. Steam should have to give pre-order discounts to persuade us to buy from them considering the disadvantages of digital downloads. And about the upcoming releases being priced the same as retail. Theres nothing special about that. That too should be the very least they can do considering the disadvantages of digital downloads and benefits of owning a physical copy of the game. Steam never charges more than the MSRP. But they definitely do charge more than retail.

USBxDVD

My mistake. I meant buying from a reputable online retail store. No significant disadvantages? I dont know how you can say that. I for one like to keep a game collection so not having the physical box, manual and disc is a con. Making some DIY replacement is not a solution. So now I have to pay MSRP and go through the trouble of printing out a cover and using some old DVD case. And the disc? Go on a warez site and download the ISO and burn it to a DVD and write the title with a Sharpie? No thanks, Ill buy the physical copy instead. What about all the games linked to your Steam account. Most of them arent Steam integrated. If you lose your Steam account, you lose all your games. Thats not a significant disadvantage?

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

[QUOTE="Rage010101"]

sorry sir but you are dead wrong and just further proved, you have no idea what you're talking about

def_mode

LINK"This currently DOES NOT work on the steam version". Ive tried installing the exact version and it didnt work properly. It might work now using a newer version but it didnt before. And compatibility will be broken if Rockstar releases a patch that you dont have a choice whether to install or not install.

With the non-Steam version, there would be no need for the word "currently" It would be "has and always will work". Its nice that you ignored that point though and focused on the hope that the modders would come to the rescue.

[QUOTE="def_mode"]

I buy from Steam because:

-Its easy, add to cart, make the purchase, and let it download in the background while playing another game or doing something else

-Sales, how can you argue with $10 BFBC2, Batman Arkham for $7 etc?

-Built in friendslist so you can see what games they are playing and what games they are currently playing.

-Unified list, all your games in one place and one account.

USBxDVD

- Better choice. Buy online, save $10-20, receive in mail 2-3 days later, put disc in DVD tray, install, play.

- Sales, everyone loves them.

- I use it too. Doesnt mean I have to buy their games to use it. All you need is 1 Steam game to use community features. Everyone has TF2 or HL2.

- Smarter solution. "Add non-Steam game" to Steam. Or create a folder on your desktop titled "Games" with shortcuts to the .exe of all your games.

But most games are already cheaper on steam most of the time

In most cases steam sales > other sales, especially when comparing it to physical media

Buying it on steam lets you use the "join game" feature, keeps track of overall game time played, and access to achivements if the game supports them.

This point only strengthens the pros of why steam is awesome, thank you very much for listing a good thing about steam lol

[QUOTE="def_mode"]

I buy from Steam because:

-Its easy, add to cart, make the purchase, and let it download in the background while playing another game or doing something else

-Sales, how can you argue with $10 BFBC2, Batman Arkham for $7 etc?

-Built in friendslist so you can see what games they are playing and what games they are currently playing.

-Unified list, all your games in one place and one account.

USBxDVD

- Better choice. Buy online, save $10-20, receive in mail 2-3 days later, put disc in DVD tray, install, play.

- Sales, everyone loves them.

- I use it too. Doesnt mean I have to buy their games to use it. All you need is 1 Steam game to use community features. Everyone has TF2 or HL2.

- Smarter solution. "Add non-Steam game" to Steam. Or create a folder on your desktop titled "Games" with shortcuts to the .exe of all your games.

oh and goodluck experiencing things like this when it comes to physical media (humble bundle 3), which is steam activatible

Rage010101

Why would you want to activate a game on Steam when you can just install it and add the shortcut to your Steams list. The only difference is youre not giving Steam ownership of your CD-key. Why would anyone want to do that?

Because I can get Civ 5 for $17 instead of $50.

[QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"] Firstly, do you know what MSRP stands for? Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price aka the standard retail pricing. And there are no significant disadvantages to buying from steam, no paper manual, fewer and fewer boxed games have those, and you can just print the online one out. No box, print out hte box art and put it in a 25 cent dvd case, no disc, back the game up onto a disc. The only legitimate disadvantage is for limited edition games.ferret-gamer

My mistake. I meant buying from a reputable online retail store. No significant disadvantages? I dont know how you can say that. I for one like to keep a game collection so not having the physical box, manual and disc is a con. Making some DIY replacement is not a solution. So now I have to pay MSRP and go through the trouble of printing out a cover and using some old DVD case. And the disc? Go on a warez site and download the ISO and burn it to a DVD and write the title with a Sharpie? No thanks, Ill buy the physical copy instead. What about all the games linked to your Steam account. Most of them arent Steam integrated. If you lose your Steam account, you lose all your games. Thats not a significant disadvantage?

yep pretty much what i stated and the more possible scenario is losing, scratching, breaking your disc or losing your cd keys than actually losing your steam account (i still lol at the thought of losing your steam account haha)

Because I can get Civ 5 for $17 instead of $50.

Da_lil_PimP

some ppl got it $10! i should have jumped on that offer!!!!

[QUOTE="def_mode"][QUOTE="USBxDVD"]

LINK"This currently DOES NOT work on the steam version". Ive tried installing the exact version and it didnt work properly. It might work now using a newer version but it didnt before. And compatibility will be broken if Rockstar releases a patch that you dont have a choice whether to install or not install.

USBxDVD

With the non-Steam version, there would be no need for the word "currently" It would be "has and always will work". Its nice that you ignored that point though and focused on the hope that the modders would come to the rescue.