Online retailers boycott MW2 PC thanks to Steam

Someone call Randy Pitchford.

It has a Trojan Horse ?? XD

Surely that’s libel right there?

Space Stations, Snow Mobiles and Trojan Horses!?!

BEST. GAME. EVAR!!!1

Trojan horse? That guy’s mad. Hasn’t Steamworks been received very positively by developers and gamers alike?

Yeah, but he’s just openly attacking a rival distributor.

This situation is sort of like when the EU was trying to force Microsoft to give people a choice of bowser along with IE in Windows 7 in order to stop ‘anti-competitive practices’. Microsoft were on the verge of just leaving IE out altogether rather than be forced to give people an option to install Firefox or Safari.

So they just don’t want to sell a game that once installed, forces players to install Steam.

Kind of strange though, when this is the INTERNET, and Steam is just a google away for anyone.

Hasn’t MS been fined many hundreds of millions for that very same bundling trick? And their additional softwares were not mandatory in that the core software would function as intended if one deleted the superflouos things (in the cases I recall, at least).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/oct/16/browser-ballot-firefox

You install Steam yes, but you don’t have to then buy games through it, you can just use it only for Steamworks. Wich is merely a system for achievements and online play.

You have the option to also buy games in the future, and that’s what they are afraid of, but the gamers aren’t forced into anything.

Internet Explorer is something different, that’s the default way for browsing the internet, a far bigger functionality that causes users to be unaware of other browsers.

In games Steamworks is merely one of many systems for online play, one that the developers are free to choose from.

I wouldn’t want people realising there’s a better DD service than mine either.

Steam shouldn’t be mandatory. This seems very similar to EU’s issue with Microsoft.

@GIGA: The clear difference being that, having Googled Steam, the consumer has made a choice to install Valve’s solutions. Currently, for MW2PC, they’re not being given that choice. I can understand other DD services calling shenanigans, where every copy of a game that they would sell, would in the long term, exclude them from any further association with that customer, for the product. (Maybe, they also believe paid micro-DLC for PC, is just round for the corner…)

But they are given a choice. You can buy MW2 anywhere you want, somebody choose Direct2Drive, that’s fine.

Steam then gives you another choice, after you have installed the game. But you don’t ever have to see the retail side of Steam if you do not want to, you can simply keep buying the games at what ever online retailer you bought MW2.

That’s not like Internet Explorer wich is on your PC by default, and the default way to browse the internet. Wich means you don’t have to go looking for another browser.

Steam is simply used for online play and achievements. Something that is also not default. The developer can choose what ever system they want, Games for Windows Live is another choice they could make.

A couple of points:

(1) By boycotting the game altogether, D2D are driving potential customers right into the lion’s (Valve) mouth. Isn’t that what they wanted to avoid?

(2) IW chose Steamworks for a reason. D2D’s issue should be with them, not Valve. Calling Steamworks a Trojan Horse seems a bit rich.

(3) Valve, Steam and Modern Warfare 2 do not have the market share of Microsoft, Windows or Internet Explorer, so I really don’t see the connection. Not to mention that in both Microsoft and Intel cases, the EU seemed more eager to place and pocket the hefty fines than actually straighten up the offenders’ policies.

Looks like MW2, in addition to targeting sales records, is also out to annoy the most people as well, with complaints about US set combat levels, the whole PC issue, the pricing issue and now this.

@ Splattered:

I dunno, I just think that PC gamers are a pretty savvy bunch.

If there’s a good offer on via any download service, they will more than likely just pick the best offer with the ease of just following a link on a blog or a forum.

I can certainly see why a download service wouldn’t want to ‘take’ people to a rival, but surely it’s not that big a deal in real terms.

From the perspective of the Impulses, D2D’s etc. isn’t the historical Trojan Horse exactly what Steam being installed to a user’s PC as part of their MW2 installation, equates to?

@Freek: Thank you, I appreciate your explanation. In the event of paid DLC/expansion packs, won’t Steam’s retail side be presented as the preferred place to obtain these (as it’s already installed, much like IE)

There is the possibility that they will promote the DLC via Steam.

But that doesn’t need to be the case, previous map packs (paid for or otherwise) were available at different places.

finally! it’s happening baby. this was only a matter of time. heh, i love competition and with every passing day i hate steam more and more. good move d2d, and dd. u r correct in the action that u take. i hope that will win this.

p.s. u know, now that i think about it, steam might actually be considered as a trojan horse. oh shit!

@freak “But you don’t ever have to see the retail side of Steam if you do not want to”. 1. retail? it’s not a retail gaming service. anyways nvm that. 2. yes u do! they keep sending u offers!! like spam. omg! i just realised u can’t turn those off.

oh btw! tweet this guys! ppl must know.

/signs petition

And endgame; you write like a teenager.

Give it up Tonka; they won’t be flying you over their premises

Did you see this, Pat? http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/104/1042724p1.html

Don’t a lot of developers use Steam as a way of combatting piracy?
That, if you can’t authenticate through steam then you can’t play?
Obviously this fucks up those who don’t have access to the internet, but it’s a good way of stopping these dodgy practices.
Or is this Steamworks for something completely different?

right on i like them retailer save gamestop

woot wooot woot I love them retailers makes me so happy

man this has made my day lol I feel like dancing.

@Ergol:

Do you know what the publishers (and their in-house developers to a much greater degree than independent developers) use digital distribution platforms for? It’s not to fight copyright infringement (piracy is what happens off the coast of Somalia). Fighting copyright infringement is not really an issue because games requiring online activation are just as crackable as those that don’t so that’s beside the point. It’s all about restricting second-hand sales.

The publishers absolutely loathe the fact that people were able to sell their old games because someone wanting to buy a game could (and often did) go bargain hunting for a second-hand legal copy. In digital distribution, the publishers found the perfect tool for that fighting against the secondary market because you can’t sell your old games. As a result EVERYONE wanting a game must purchase it from the original publisher. Here’s a few links about big publishers complaining about the second-hand market like it’s the end of the world: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ea-second-hand-sales-are-a-critical-situation http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/second-hand-game-sales-are-a-huge-issue-epic http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/second-hand-sales-have-been-extremely-painful-for-the-industry-atari_8

Bye-bye first sale doctrine! You probably noticed the fact that you can’t transfer a game key from one Steam account to a different Steam account. I haven’t tried D2D or Impulse, so I can’t talk about them.

The fact that I can’t resell my old games is my biggest problem with digital distribution in general and with games that require Steam activation even for the copies that are sold in brick & mortar stores in particular (like Empire: Total War, Dawn of War 2, MW2 etc.).

Given time I wouldn’t be surprised if the PC gaming market boycotts itself into irrelevance.

Still, I can’t say I blame them for taking this stance. Essentially they’re selling their competitors service for them… and that’s gotta hurt.

well if them consoles gamer didn’t piss of pc gamers we would have that problem would we.

pc gamers don’t care if we want we hack any program to get what we want.

if i wanted to chare a game with friend I can.

there is so meny way around it.

you know where you can point the those nice figures at you the console gamers.

then gamestop

finaly the big greedy publishers

silly Psychotext pc gaming is too big and pc gamers are way too smart.

we can play any game we want with or with out game devs.

but what pc gamer really wants junk

Please say English isn’t your 1st language.

I’d be extremely impressed if you could play any game you want without devs. EXTREMELY.

Unless you want to play chess, or monopoly, or something like that… in which case yes, I agree.

sure we can make programs such as emulators, in fact pc gamers can do alot

oh wait your a console noob you wouldn’t know lol

pc gamer are the gamers that made these games.

we have been around alot longer than you

“It’s all about restricting second-hand sales”

True. Very true.

But I don’t think pubs are as upset with you or me as they are with Game/Gamestop stealing new sales away from them with used copies for 10% less. While new games become more and more expensive to put on the shelf, retailers are raking in larger and larger profits from used games. I know for a fact that my local gamestop will under order copies of new games. The idea is if I walk in and want one, and they are sold out, I can put my name on a call list and they will call me when a used one is traded in. In my opinion that is just wrong. Instead of paying 47usd per new copy to sell new at 60usd(making 13usd), the store will pay 20usd, sell it used at 55usd(making 35usd). Thats the problem.
I always buy new. I figure its worth the 5bucks to pay the people that actualy made the game in the first place.
I always thought of it as ironic. The brick and mortor stores are putting themself out of bizz. They are the reason behind Digital Sales. I also never trade in games. If I can’t afford a new game, w/o giving up a game I own … then I can’t afford a new game. I see games as investments. I buy the thing, and invest my time into it. If I feel I am done with it, I put it back in the box, and put the box on my bookshelf. Because I know that down the road I will most likly come back to the game. After all something made me buy it in the first place.

I’m sure he’s getting worse…

No, wait.

He was always this bad.

“I know for a fact that my local gamestop will under order copies of new games. The idea is if I walk in and want one, and they are sold out, I can put my name on a call list and they will call me when a used one is traded in.”

At GAME they put similar used titles next to new ones on the shelf, hoping that you’ll go for the used one.

So they might put used FIFA 09′s right next to new FIFA 10 boxes, or used Saints Row 2 boxes next to new GTA IV boxes.

It’s pretty annoying having all these used titles shoved in your face when you have no intention of buying one.

I knew the manager at a local Gamestop, he left the store and is gone now. But he told me they went so far as to remove unsold new copies from the shelf. They do this when they start getting a few used copies coming in. Then they return the unsold new copies to the vendor for a 90% refund. Used games is that big of a problem.

I think used games marketing is going to be the driving force behind Cloud style gaming services. Alot of game devs/pubs are in the red or very close to it. And its easy to understand why, they can’t get paid everytime their game makes a sale. I would like to see the retail guys have to pay a fee to the game pubs each time they make a used sale.

This just gets uglier and uglier

“sure we can make programs such as emulators, in fact pc gamers can do alot”

…and without devs, what exactly would you play?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

you know wht their Psychotex you good at finding numbers. How about you go and each the topic :0 then come back to me.

If you write that request in English I might be able to help.

But seriously, what games will you be playing without devs developing them?

What really annoys me is when you buy a new game and the seal has been taken off.
I just walk away when that happens.

I got a “new” copy of a Dreamcast game once it had been resurfaced. When I took it back to the store, the manager tried to tell me that it came out of its case. I asked him how he would know that if he didn’t open it. He didn’t have an answer. I got the game exchanged and never went back to that store.

I once bought Metroid on DS from GAME.

They guy brought it out in some shabby looking box, so I asked him if it was second hand, because I wouldn’t have bought it if it was.

He assured me that it was a new copy and definitely wasn’t second hand, so I completed the sale and left the shop.

As soon as I load the game up, what do I see?

Filled up save game slots!

lol funny stuff!

I think Pat covered a story on it a while back.
It should be illegal to do it full stop.

I once bought a used copy of red faction for the PS2 from gamestop. When I got home I opened the case and found out the guy had given me a “greatest hit disc” I was so pissed. I hopped back on the path train and told him to give me a disc with a black label playstation copy or I wanted my money back….little punk gave me the right disc afterward, cost me four hours of my life.

Classic TEA.
I hope it wasn’t Abba.

Whats Abba?, you mean singstar Abba…Mama Mia!

@OlderGamer & G1GAHURTZ:

I agree with you guys that what GAME and especially GameStop are doing is despicable (to put it mildly). Nevertheless, I was talking more from the standpoint of a buyer who wants to buy old games which haven’t been on the market in a long time like Z (from Bitmap Brothers), M.A.X., Fallout 1 & 2, Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2, the X-Com games, Incubation, BattleZone etc… the list of oldies but goldies is huge.

Fortunately, for these games there’s eBay, gameTZ etc., so that’s not a problem. Sometimes the prices are higher than they were at retail in the first place. Nevertheless, most of the times they’re much more cheaper. Imagine, in 10 years’ time, a gamer wanting to buy the greatest hits of the current generation of games. Most of the physical copies will be unplayable because of DRM (because digital distribution platforms are DRM).

You will say: “Well, but you’ll be able to download them from your favorite digital distribution platform of the moment.”. That might not be as easy as it sounds. With all the copyright craziness happening right now, I would bet that you will see a lot more brawling happening between IP owners (see the ongoing dispute between Interplay and Bethesda about Interplay selling a new edition of the original Fallout games: http://www.next-gen.biz/news/bethesda-sues-interplay-over-fallout). This is most likely to get worse, so it might happen with a lot of old games, especially when there’s an increased focus on milking established franchises instead of creating new ones. That means that republishing old games won’t be as easy as it seems.

Also, the current digital distribution services might not even exist in 10 years’ time. Would you, 10 years ago, believed that Yahoo is going to shut down Geocities? How many of the current service platforms will still be running? I can’t say for sure, but I can bet you anything you want that not all of them will still be up and running. A very interesting article on this topic can be found here: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/experienced-points/6452-Experienced-Points-Online-Activation-Is-a-Ripoff