Randy Pitchford, the man, trusts Valve, the company responsible for Steam. Randy Pitchford, the businessman and president of Gearbox Software, makers of Borderlands, may not. He calls the digital distribution service exploitative and a "money grab."
Why the harsh words? After all Gearbox and Valve have been tight in the past, with the former developing Half-Life expansions for the latter. Pitchford tells MaximumPC that, even though he loves Valve games, "There's so much conflict of interest there that it's horrid."
"It would be much better if Steam was its own business," he says. "It's actually really, really dangerous for the rest of the industry to allow Valve to win."
"I love Valve games, and I do business with the company," Pitchford notes. Borderlands is currently available for pre-sale through Steam. "But, I'm just saying, Steam isn't the answer. Steam helps us as customers, but it's also a money grab, and Valve is exploiting a lot of people in a way that's not totally fair."
Maybe Randy got up on the wrong side of the bed the morning of the interview. Maybe this is just one of his eyebrow raising "tall tales" of Valve. Maybe he's just got a game promote.
Pitchford's answer about who might be a better solution than Valve and Steam might surprise you. You can enjoy it at the full interview linked below.
I basically agree with him that Steam probably should be it's own entity apart from Valve. And I thought it basically was as far as the teams working on it were concerned, but even if they did spin it off it would still be owned by Valve. I think Pitchford is really just miffed that it's owned by a private company and no one can get a look at the numbers.
It's true that Valve does wield a lot of power basically being the caretaker of PC gaming at the moment, but no one else really seems to be as dedicated and able to do what Steam does. Stardock is coming close, and could give Steam a real run if they had the community features Valve has.
It probably does suck for devs that Valve products get so much exposure and play through Steam, but even retail stores have their own brands for products. Maybe not for software, but you can buy Wal-Mart brand toilet paper so his analogy to digital stores being retail stores doesn't really hold up all that well.
Plus let's be completely honest here. Before Valve and Steam nobody gave a cast iron crap about DD, not in any real way. Nobody else was willing to do it, Valve shopped around trying to get anyone else to build it because they felt it was necessary, and the response was always that it wasn't a worthwhile thing to do. They're the ones that built the whole system from scratch (off the back of money made from just one game), they're the ones that went through years of teething troubles with a pretty crappy system that they evolved over time by actually listening to gamers to find out what they wanted, and listening to developers to find out they wanted the system to do.
Steam isn't the way it is through freaking luck. Publishers and devs were happy to simply ignore the importance of DD, but now that it's established comments like this just come off to me as whining that Valve made the best system whilst they refused to do anything. Of course Valve is going to own Steam. EA owns the EA store, Stardock owns Impulse. They push their own games on those systems, and if they become popular enough to stock other major titles, they'll still push their titles on there.
Steam has the market because it's the best system. D2D is starting to catch up as a marketplace, Impulse is starting to catch up in terms of community features. There are other options, but they're not there yet.
I don't honestly see how Steam can be separated from Valve. Steam isn't its separate working group, the dudes who work on Steam also work on Team Fortress, or Half Life. They swap roles around. I mean who becomes CEO of Steam? Is Valve supposed to completely stop making money from the system now that they've made it?
I don't get it. I understand the comments about lack of competition, but frankly in this case it's the fault of the competition for not doing anything when they needed to, and now competing with inferior products. When they've got decent systems of their own, then there'll be real competition. THAT will take time, but I don't believe that Valve can remain the only real market in town for much longer. It doesn't help that they try to push stupid schemes like one year download limits, but seriously, whose fault is that other than their own? They've got a good template in Steam, you can either copy the good bits and try to improve from there, or you can do what EA store does and deliberately make things worse in the hopes of getting more sales out of people, and wondering why nobody buys from you directly.
EDIT: I realise he's joking, but Microsoft, and Wal-mart? Those are the examples he gives? He talks about other people being uncomfortable with that, he can count me in with them. He says Valve is a problem monopoly but Microsoft being the gatekeepers to DD instead would be better?!
RP: They should! It would be much better if Steam was its own business. There’s so much conflict of interest there that it’s horrid. It’s actually really, really dangerous for the rest of the industry to allow Valve to win.
I love Valve games, and I do business with the company. But, I’m just saying, Steam isn’t the answer. Steam helps us as customers, but it’s also a money grab, and Valve is exploiting a lot of people in a way that’s not totally fair. Valve is taking a larger share than it should for the service its providing. It’s exploiting a lot of small guys. For us big guys, we’re going to sell the units and it will be fine.
I think what Pitchford is saying here is baseless without actual numbers and percentages. I can't separate if he just dislikes Valve having the keys to the DD kingdom or if he thinks Valve is taking too high of percentage off the sales for games on Steam.
He could have a point, but he comes off like he is talking out of his ass.
Just because Valve makes games doesn't make it a conflict of interest. In fact, I would argue that is now in Valve's best interest to not just sell their games, but other people's games as well. Propping Microsoft up as a better option is just fucking ridiculous.
RP is welcome to make his own DD service. Valve worked hard to make Steam happen, and they gambled their future on that. No one else had the balls to do it. Now it's pretty easy to call Valve and Steam names, after they did all the fucking hard work and shed all the blood, sweat and tears. Yeah, Valve gets a nice cut of the money in Steam, but guess what, devs get a bigger cut than in retail. And they get to sell more copies. And they get to sell games to people like me, in other countries.
BTW, EA publishes Lucas Arts and Ubisoft games here in Brazil. I don't see those guys boohooing on websites about it. It's extra revenue without extra costs. It's win/motherfucking/win.
Randy Pitchford, the man, trusts Valve, the company responsible for Steam. Randy Pitchford, the businessman and president of Gearbox Software, makers of Borderlands, may not. He calls the digital distribution service exploitative and a "money grab."
Why the harsh words? After all Gearbox and Valve have been tight in the past, with the former developing Half-Life expansions for the latter. Pitchford tells MaximumPC that, even though he loves Valve games, "There's so much conflict of interest there that it's horrid."
"It would be much better if Steam was its own business," he says. "It's actually really, really dangerous for the rest of the industry to allow Valve to win."
"I love Valve games, and I do business with the company," Pitchford notes. Borderlands is currently available for pre-sale through Steam. "But, I'm just saying, Steam isn't the answer. Steam helps us as customers, but it's also a money grab, and Valve is exploiting a lot of people in a way that's not totally fair."
Maybe Randy got up on the wrong side of the bed the morning of the interview. Maybe this is just one of his eyebrow raising "tall tales" of Valve. Maybe he's just got a game promote.
Pitchford's answer about who might be a better solution than Valve and Steam might surprise you. You can enjoy it at the full interview linked below.
I basically agree with him that Steam probably should be it's own entity apart from Valve. And I thought it basically was as far as the teams working on it were concerned, but even if they did spin it off it would still be owned by Valve. I think Pitchford is really just miffed that it's owned by a private company and no one can get a look at the numbers.
It's true that Valve does wield a lot of power basically being the caretaker of PC gaming at the moment, but no one else really seems to be as dedicated and able to do what Steam does. Stardock is coming close, and could give Steam a real run if they had the community features Valve has.
It probably does suck for devs that Valve products get so much exposure and play through Steam, but even retail stores have their own brands for products. Maybe not for software, but you can buy Wal-Mart brand toilet paper so his analogy to digital stores being retail stores doesn't really hold up all that well.
Plus let's be completely honest here. Before Valve and Steam nobody gave a cast iron crap about DD, not in any real way. Nobody else was willing to do it, Valve shopped around trying to get anyone else to build it because they felt it was necessary, and the response was always that it wasn't a worthwhile thing to do. They're the ones that built the whole system from scratch (off the back of money made from just one game), they're the ones that went through years of teething troubles with a pretty crappy system that they evolved over time by actually listening to gamers to find out what they wanted, and listening to developers to find out they wanted the system to do.
Steam isn't the way it is through freaking luck. Publishers and devs were happy to simply ignore the importance of DD, but now that it's established comments like this just come off to me as whining that Valve made the best system whilst they refused to do anything. Of course Valve is going to own Steam. EA owns the EA store, Stardock owns Impulse. They push their own games on those systems, and if they become popular enough to stock other major titles, they'll still push their titles on there.
Steam has the market because it's the best system. D2D is starting to catch up as a marketplace, Impulse is starting to catch up in terms of community features. There are other options, but they're not there yet.
I don't honestly see how Steam can be separated from Valve. Steam isn't its separate working group, the dudes who work on Steam also work on Team Fortress, or Half Life. They swap roles around. I mean who becomes CEO of Steam? Is Valve supposed to completely stop making money from the system now that they've made it?
I don't get it. I understand the comments about lack of competition, but frankly in this case it's the fault of the competition for not doing anything when they needed to, and now competing with inferior products. When they've got decent systems of their own, then there'll be real competition. THAT will take time, but I don't believe that Valve can remain the only real market in town for much longer. It doesn't help that they try to push stupid schemes like one year download limits, but seriously, whose fault is that other than their own? They've got a good template in Steam, you can either copy the good bits and try to improve from there, or you can do what EA store does and deliberately make things worse in the hopes of getting more sales out of people, and wondering why nobody buys from you directly.
EDIT: I realise he's joking, but Microsoft, and Wal-mart? Those are the examples he gives? He talks about other people being uncomfortable with that, he can count me in with them. He says Valve is a problem monopoly but Microsoft being the gatekeepers to DD instead would be better?!
RP: They should! It would be much better if Steam was its own business. There’s so much conflict of interest there that it’s horrid. It’s actually really, really dangerous for the rest of the industry to allow Valve to win.
I love Valve games, and I do business with the company. But, I’m just saying, Steam isn’t the answer. Steam helps us as customers, but it’s also a money grab, and Valve is exploiting a lot of people in a way that’s not totally fair. Valve is taking a larger share than it should for the service its providing. It’s exploiting a lot of small guys. For us big guys, we’re going to sell the units and it will be fine.
I think what Pitchford is saying here is baseless without actual numbers and percentages. I can't separate if he just dislikes Valve having the keys to the DD kingdom or if he thinks Valve is taking too high of percentage off the sales for games on Steam.
He could have a point, but he comes off like he is talking out of his ass.
Just because Valve makes games doesn't make it a conflict of interest. In fact, I would argue that is now in Valve's best interest to not just sell their games, but other people's games as well. Propping Microsoft up as a better option is just fucking ridiculous.
I don't even see how it's exploiting the small guys. A lot of indies just wouldn't have had their chance if they hadn't been on Steam. Introversion talked about how getting onto Steam gave them a massive sales boost and effectively saved the company. Audiosurf couldn't have possibly gotten the exposure that it did without Steam, and now its creator has literally made millions off of it. Defense Grid, Zeno Clash, I could go on. Steam gave them publicity and put them in front of an audience of millions where before they'd have been advertising on their own websites and not having a real chance to let people know about their awesome products.
I agree that unless he's quoting percentages, I'm not seeing it. Steam already gives devs far higher percentages than retail, and indie devs don't even have a chance at retail so this is often their best chance outside of that.
Hey guys, I got republic commando on steam but it always crashes to desktop halfway through loading the first mission. Are there any known issues or bugs or anything?
Rami on
Steam / Xbox Live: WSDX NNID: W-S-D-X 3DS FC: 2637-9461-8549
So yes, we will be seeing more from Oddworld. Regarding the library, we are in the process of converting Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath to the PC, so that all four of the major Oddworld games will be re-releasing this winter in a package called "The Oddbox." This will be the Abe games, Munch, and Stranger as one package for Steam's digital distribution network, as well as a few other digital distribution outlets.
Hey guys, I got republic commando on steam but it always crashes to desktop halfway through loading the first mission. Are there any known issues or bugs or anything?
There is a trick you need to do, but I forgot what it was. I think you have to turn something off on the video options.
So yes, we will be seeing more from Oddworld. Regarding the library, we are in the process of converting Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath to the PC, so that all four of the major Oddworld games will be re-releasing this winter in a package called "The Oddbox." This will be the Abe games, Munch, and Stranger as one package for Steam's digital distribution network, as well as a few other digital distribution outlets.
So yes, we will be seeing more from Oddworld. Regarding the library, we are in the process of converting Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath to the PC, so that all four of the major Oddworld games will be re-releasing this winter in a package called "The Oddbox." This will be the Abe games, Munch, and Stranger as one package for Steam's digital distribution network, as well as a few other digital distribution outlets.
So yes, we will be seeing more from Oddworld. Regarding the library, we are in the process of converting Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath to the PC, so that all four of the major Oddworld games will be re-releasing this winter in a package called "The Oddbox." This will be the Abe games, Munch, and Stranger as one package for Steam's digital distribution network, as well as a few other digital distribution outlets.
So yes, we will be seeing more from Oddworld. Regarding the library, we are in the process of converting Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath to the PC, so that all four of the major Oddworld games will be re-releasing this winter in a package called "The Oddbox." This will be the Abe games, Munch, and Stranger as one package for Steam's digital distribution network, as well as a few other digital distribution outlets.
Wait, I thought he decided to stop making games? PA even did a comic on it.
It's a port, I wouldn't call it making games, not really. He said if Oddysee and Exoddus sold well enough on Steam and GOG.com that they'd port Munch and Stranger. And now they are. Which is nice.
Hey guys, I got republic commando on steam but it always crashes to desktop halfway through loading the first mission. Are there any known issues or bugs or anything?
There is a trick you need to do, but I forgot what it was. I think you have to turn something off on the video options.
So yes, we will be seeing more from Oddworld. Regarding the library, we are in the process of converting Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath to the PC, so that all four of the major Oddworld games will be re-releasing this winter in a package called "The Oddbox." This will be the Abe games, Munch, and Stranger as one package for Steam's digital distribution network, as well as a few other digital distribution outlets.
Stranger's Wrath was never included in any of the 360's backwards-compatibility updates, was it?
A lot of people have been waiting a long time to play it again, and now we get to play it in above-1080p resolutions?
"Fuck yes" indeed, good sirs and madams.
capable heart on
0
augustwhere you come from is goneRegistered Userregular
edited October 2009
I think Lanning is one of those kind of guys who waxes poetic about the nature of gaming in kind of a pretentious way that Gabe and Tycho have little patience for. Like Will Wright and Peter Molyneux. Then he announced he was too cool to make games anymore or something? I dunno.
Then there's this:
EDIT: Looks like he's working on a new Oddworld title now though. But he hasn't really produced anything since 2005, even though he's talked a lot about making stuff.
Pitchford seems like a dude who just says things without giving them much though. That is why I am skeptical about Borderlands.
I'm skeptical about Borderlands because you run around shooting dudes in the face about a million times while numbers pop out everywhere.
Then they drop a million guns. The whole thing just looks not very fun as far as shooters go. I honestly hope I'm wrong though because the art style redo really makes it much easier to look at.
So Lucidity is pretty damn... pretty. So far it's $10 well spent.
It looks like a great concept, and of course it's gorgeous, but the videos I've seen makes the gameplay look a little repetitive. Is there more to it than just placing fans, slingshots, stairs and trampolines while the girl moves forward? Because that looks cool, but not for the length of an entire game. At least a few more game pieces would help.
e:
The Lucidity thread and the videos linked there set me straight.
So I just tried to buy Lucidity. I used paypal, and clicked begin paypal purchase. That all went well, and I got sent back to Steam, where it was still stuck on the page where I could click begin paypal purchase. It seems I had forgotten to tick the box next to the steam user agreement. But I just got an e-mail from paypal, confirming that I had given the money to Steam. The game, however, is not in my list.
So, what should I do about this? I remember having to click confirm in Steam when using paypal, but I did get that e-mail, so I really don't know what is going on.
EDIT: Well, nevermind, it suddenly showed up in my list. Lesson learned: Trust Paypal, not Steam
Pitchford seems like a dude who just says things without giving them much though. That is why I am skeptical about Borderlands.
I'm skeptical about Borderlands because you run around shooting dudes in the face about a million times while numbers pop out everywhere.
Then they drop a million guns. The whole thing just looks not very fun as far as shooters go. I honestly hope I'm wrong though because the art style redo really makes it much easier to look at.
Wow, you have a really strange concept of fun, then.
The latest gameplay videos look hysterically fun to me.
augustwhere you come from is goneRegistered Userregular
edited October 2009
I've only played Hitman 1 and the first few missions of 2 but I can state definitively that package is totally worth it based on that experience alone.
Technical steam question: So, I got a new hard drive to eventually replace my rather old one that I don't trust much any more and is also running out of space. Is there anyway to have say steam install new games to a different location than the default? Do I need to reinstall steam? Is there anyway to do this without redownloading everything?
Any help is appreciated.
chrono_traveller on
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
You'll have to move the entire Steam directory to the new hard drive, but doing so should be a relatively painless process.
Won't windows complain about moving it? Or just as long as I shortcut it, would it matter?
Well, my Steam is set to auto-start, so I never actually start Steam, but if you move the directory you'll have to make new shortcuts. Windows won't complain about anything, it'll still work, just in a different location.
You can get steam to set up properly by running the steam installer on the new hard drive, finishing that, then dragging your steamapps folder over from the old hard drive.
Restart steam, everything will be back the way it was.
Posts
I think what Pitchford is saying here is baseless without actual numbers and percentages. I can't separate if he just dislikes Valve having the keys to the DD kingdom or if he thinks Valve is taking too high of percentage off the sales for games on Steam.
He could have a point, but he comes off like he is talking out of his ass.
Just because Valve makes games doesn't make it a conflict of interest. In fact, I would argue that is now in Valve's best interest to not just sell their games, but other people's games as well. Propping Microsoft up as a better option is just fucking ridiculous.
BTW, EA publishes Lucas Arts and Ubisoft games here in Brazil. I don't see those guys boohooing on websites about it. It's extra revenue without extra costs. It's win/motherfucking/win.
I don't even see how it's exploiting the small guys. A lot of indies just wouldn't have had their chance if they hadn't been on Steam. Introversion talked about how getting onto Steam gave them a massive sales boost and effectively saved the company. Audiosurf couldn't have possibly gotten the exposure that it did without Steam, and now its creator has literally made millions off of it. Defense Grid, Zeno Clash, I could go on. Steam gave them publicity and put them in front of an audience of millions where before they'd have been advertising on their own websites and not having a real chance to let people know about their awesome products.
I agree that unless he's quoting percentages, I'm not seeing it. Steam already gives devs far higher percentages than retail, and indie devs don't even have a chance at retail so this is often their best chance outside of that.
FUCK YES
There is a trick you need to do, but I forgot what it was. I think you have to turn something off on the video options.
YES.
VERY YES.
I've wanted to play Stranger's Wrath for forever!
I don't really know a lot about Munch's Oddyssee, but I've heard that Stranger's Wrath is great.
Wait, I thought he decided to stop making games? PA even did a comic on it.
It's a port, I wouldn't call it making games, not really. He said if Oddysee and Exoddus sold well enough on Steam and GOG.com that they'd port Munch and Stranger. And now they are. Which is nice.
So it would seem there's a new project on the burner.
Specular Maps, if I'm not mistaken.
Huh. What exactly was the complaint with Lorne Lanning? From reading some of his interviews he always seemed like an interesting guy.
A lot of people have been waiting a long time to play it again, and now we get to play it in above-1080p resolutions?
"Fuck yes" indeed, good sirs and madams.
Then there's this:
EDIT: Looks like he's working on a new Oddworld title now though. But he hasn't really produced anything since 2005, even though he's talked a lot about making stuff.
hatmadeofmoney.jpg and all that?
I just hope that it, you know, happens.
I'm skeptical about Borderlands because you run around shooting dudes in the face about a million times while numbers pop out everywhere.
Then they drop a million guns. The whole thing just looks not very fun as far as shooters go. I honestly hope I'm wrong though because the art style redo really makes it much easier to look at.
It looks like a great concept, and of course it's gorgeous, but the videos I've seen makes the gameplay look a little repetitive. Is there more to it than just placing fans, slingshots, stairs and trampolines while the girl moves forward? Because that looks cool, but not for the length of an entire game. At least a few more game pieces would help.
e:
The Lucidity thread and the videos linked there set me straight.
So, what should I do about this? I remember having to click confirm in Steam when using paypal, but I did get that e-mail, so I really don't know what is going on.
EDIT: Well, nevermind, it suddenly showed up in my list. Lesson learned: Trust Paypal, not Steam
Wow, you have a really strange concept of fun, then.
The latest gameplay videos look hysterically fun to me.
Meh.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
What's limier than lime?
Any help is appreciated.
Won't windows complain about moving it? Or just as long as I shortcut it, would it matter?
Well, my Steam is set to auto-start, so I never actually start Steam, but if you move the directory you'll have to make new shortcuts. Windows won't complain about anything, it'll still work, just in a different location.
Restart steam, everything will be back the way it was.
How were the Painkiller games? I guess if you pre-purchase the new one you get 10% off, and they throw in the original game and Overdose as well.
If they don't suck, that seems like a decent deal for $27