Historically, I've never been a big fan of Steam. Valve's software distribution software has always irked me as a little too clunky and a little too pushy with ads. Truth be told, I have always prefered gaming on a console. Well... I finally have been converted.
It is a combination of things that changed my mind. The platform has undergone improvements and downloads are much faster. Additionally, there are some the great weekly specials (and far less intrusive ads). A final reason is the increased selection of unique titles. However, I'm not writting this blog because I've finally figured out why people like Steam, I'm writting it because I am afraid of the future... very very afraid.
For those of you who don't know, I'm a pretty avid Ebay seller and, although I still haven't got around to writing that sellers' guide, I've always been able to make extra cash by selling off some of my unwanted items. At times my Paypal balance can be several hundred dollars, but in my mind those paypal dollars are different from the ones in my bank account. To me, Paypal money is play money.
For a long time, the only use for my Paypal money would be to buy more physical goods off Ebay again. Usually I would use them for a while and then return the item to Ebay where it would find its way to a new home. Now, however, I've realized something that might be the death of my resale activities. I can buy games off Steam with Paypal!
The great thing about my previous activities with Ebay and paypal was that it was self perpetuating (see image above). I would essentially be buying new stuff with old stuff, and then when I got bored, selling the newer stuff for even newer new stuff. It is similar to what many people do at Gamestop, by trading in used games to use towards an immediate purchase of a different game. Now that at least some of the money is going toward digital downloads, I wonder how long it will be until I have a large digital backlog of games I no longer care about and no opportunity to resell them.
So, while I do love the immediate gratification Steam (and soon Xbox Live) offers by accepting my play money in exchange for games, I realize they come at the cost of future sales and thereby, future game purchases. I know that currently I have an extensive backlog of XBLA titles that I don't play and am now building the same thing on Steam.
At the risk of sounding old, if Digital Distribution is the future then I'm happy staying in the past. The convenience is a trick and I am keen to the game they're playing (with the games I am buying). I can't say I will avoid digital entirely, but it will affect my purchasing decisions.