Bethesda's upcoming online take on the Fallout series is releasing this year, and if you pre-ordered the game, you'll be able to access the beta test that's scheduled for early October. Though details are still bare, Bethesda announced something new through the FAQ page for the beta: Fallout 76's PC version will not be launching on Valve's Steam platform. It appears as though Bethesda wishes to push its own launcher, Bethesda.net, instead of using Steam. The reveal of this follows Epic Games' choice to forgo a popular distribution service, the Google Play Store, in order to take a larger cut of profits. It is stated that this only will affect users who buy the game at launch, and it's implied that Fallout 76 will be available on the service some time after release.

If you're a PC gamer, does this impact your choice to purchase the game? Do you prefer publishers using their own game launchers, rather than just Steam?

Source

 

[Deleted User]

I would maintain it is above and beyond what is necessary, furthermore it obstructing the ability to resell games and buy games resold from others (something which happened all the time back in the day). It is then why I make comments like battered wife syndrome -- people have learned to accept nastiness as baseline good under the notion that "it could be worse" and that does not sit right with me.

personally, it hasn't affected me in any way since i upgraded from a core 2 duo laptop with 3GB ram, so i can live with it.

i don't get how steam has murdered so many close relatives to be considered such a terrible thing, yes it's a DRM, but HOEE TIME TO BLOW YOUR MIND, THERE'S ACTUALLY DRM FREE GAMES ON IT. there's stuff you can buy on it, close steam completely, and play fine with no downsides. 2 that immediately come to mind are portal and risk of rain.

steam is also more more than "oh just another DRM" there's a community behind it, that's like saying "GBATemp is just another console hacking/piracy site" there's a lot of factors that make something up

 

[tacticurn]

Steam is a gatekeeper for games on pc. It does a good job of infrastructure and community, but nothing for quality of content. In a 26.000+ title world, this makes Steam a problem for new releases by unknown studios. I avoid Steam altogether now, get most of my indie games on Nintendo - which is another gatekeeper, but at least I have spread my eggs in more baskets. I dislike the "permanent rental" philosophy that underlies these digital platforms. You are granted a perpertual license to play the game, at least until the licensor deems the license violated and revoke your license. This is nothing special for steam, but it annoys me even so.

 

[FAST6191]

If it restricts things what the technology allows me to do (and why I can't lend, gift or sell things to my friends indefinitely, especially after I have got bored with them) then I have an issue.
So there is a community behind it, great. It is how things work (sell a lifestyle, create a community... basic business really). What aspect of it could not be made to work as a website, maybe with a plugin to launch games? Why do I need a client at all for that?

 

[Hells Malice]

Good. Steam needs to be put in its place.

lol yeah Bethesda releasing 2-3 games over 2 years on their own shitty standalone client will really show steam what's what

 

[FAST6191]

lol yeah Bethesda releasing 2-3 games over 2 years on their own shitty standalone client will really show steam what's what

If it was just in house Bethesda then sure. They, or ZeniMax Media at least, are however a fairly noted publisher these days and if you don't think they are watching what happens with this like hawks then yeah. Combine that with Steam's already shaky reputation and it could see something interesting happen.

 

[cammelspit]

Who has two thumbs and won't buy the game till it's on Steam? THIS GUY!

 

[RedBlueGreen]

Who has two thumbs and won't buy the game till it's on Steam? THIS GUY!

Then don't buy the game. There's no downside to it not being on Steam other than the stupid "Steam is big and I like all my games in one place" argument. There's something called a hard drive in your computer that is capable of storing your games. And Elder Scrolls Online has issues now that you can only buy it through Steam. A month or two ago a bunch of people couldn't log in because of Steam integration. I bought the game in 2015 so I can still use the standalone launcher so I was still able to play normally. That's plenty of reason for me not to want Steam, though I'm already not a fan of DRM.

 

[cammelspit]

It's not a stupid argument, it's my prerogative. I simply refuse to buy anything from the Windows Store or Origin and STRONGLY prefer Steam. Their service is objectively the best and I don't pre-order games anyway. I have dodged a lot of bullets this way. So no, I will not be buying the game till later and it is on Steam. The issue is none of these publishers know how to make a good client or have decent speed. If they get their shit together, I would have a different opinion. Again, it's objectively not stupid, it is my choice and is unconscionable to begrudge anyone for not agreeing with your subjective opinion.

 

[sblast3]

They're probably doing it for:
1) Anti-piracy
2) Anti-review bombing

Unfortunately for them, they will lose even more sales by not releasing it on Steam. The normies who never pirate are the same types of people who don't use obscure clients.

Also inb4 Denuvo

 

[cammelspit]

They're probably doing it for:
1) Anti-piracy
2) Anti-review bombing

Unfortunately for them, they will lose even more sales by not releasing it on Steam. The normies who never pirate are the same types of people who don't use obscure clients.

Also inb4 Denuvo

This pretty much exactly describes me. I haven't pirated a PC game since I was 16. I also don't like those obscure clients since they are typically the lowest common denominator in terms of quality of service. There are exceptions but they are few and far between. I feel that it is a really hard call to be able to beat a company, Valve, who has been doing this for almost 15 years now. I like services that work reliably and I know I am not alone in that.

 

[FAST6191]

It's not a stupid argument, it's my prerogative. I simply refuse to buy anything from the Windows Store or Origin and STRONGLY prefer Steam. Their service is objectively the best and I don't pre-order games anyway. I have dodged a lot of bullets this way. So no, I will not be buying the game till later and it is on Steam. The issue is none of these publishers know how to make a good client or have decent speed. If they get their shit together, I would have a different opinion. Again, it's objectively not stupid, it is my choice and is unconscionable to begrudge anyone for not agreeing with your subjective opinion.

Going by your opening post it could have been a questionable choice (there was nothing there) and the reply to it attempted to get some further information or pose some things to consider.

Similarly nobody is saying you can't have an opinion. If you share it though then expect to be called on it... it is kind of how discussion boards work.

 

[the_randomizer]

You make variations of this argument frequently in discussions like this and the response will have to be the same. If you want to only consider things as they apply to you then OK, generally though if we are considering the implications of technical or ethical decisions it really pays to look at the wider context.

Equally that it is a DRM system that people seem to have grown fond of and consider almost essential is truly fucking disturbing to me.

What the hell am I supposed to reply with to that?

 

[FAST6191]

What the hell am I supposed to reply with to that?

You had the entirety of the English language available to you. As long as it complies with the rules of the forum...

Anyway it is more that you seldom seem to consider beyond your own surroundings and consider the broader ramifications of things under discussion and that is not great.

Another instance https://gbatemp.net/threads/gal-gun-2-denied-classification-in-germany.496384/page-4#post-7830839

At first they may not come for anything you care about, however when they do go for something you care about it will be too late as everything will already be established.

 

[Song of storms]

lol yeah Bethesda releasing 2-3 games over 2 years on their own shitty standalone client will really show steam what's what

The more big companies do it, the more Valve will realize how much they need to improve their platform if they want to stay relevant again.

Why? Did steam kill your family or something? Its an amazing client. Hate it all you want. Millions of people love it

Found the fanboy.

Not by some shitty Bethesda DRM that's for sure.

DRM nowadays are much better than 10 years ago. All you need is to let a program of a few megabytes run in the background. You can keep 10 of those and you wouldn't even notice.

 

[FAST6191]

Tell me, does you calling me out on my comments on a daily basis fulfill some kind of daily quota, or what? Everything damned thing I say seems to be getting under your skin. I get it, you hate my guts and would probably want to beat the living shit out of me if we met in real life, yes? I don't like the Fallout series, I don't like online only games, especially when DRM is already on top of DRM. How much more fucking clear can I make that?

I hardly do it daily, just when I see them and it seems we occasionally like to click on the same topics. You don't get under my skin -- nothing does as it is just internet and that is the best way to roll. I don't hate you, such things are reserved for people that actually do bad things and you have never done something to so much as aggravate me. Similarly violence is reserved for those times where it is necessary to avert other violence. To me you seem to have a nature that... thin skinned or victim complex would not be entirely accurate but heading in that direction and I find it odd (again it is just internet so why blow up?). To that end to me you are a person on the internet that I have previously met in discussion and have some understanding of their approach to the world for, same as most discussions I have.

Back to the matter at hand what does not liking the fallout series or online games have to do with the subject at hand? Actually you seemingly not caring to divorce yourself from your aesthetic preferences and consider the wider context was exactly the point I was trying to make.

 

[Lumince]

lol yeah Bethesda releasing 2-3 games over 2 years on their own shitty standalone client will really show steam what's what

This.

 

[Song of storms]

Found the bitchy complainer that hates everything

No need to resort to insults just because you can't come up with anything better to defend your favorite company with fanboysm. I stand by what I wrote. Steam's recent redesign had more bugs than features, for updates that no one asked. Valve's customer support is a joke. And they know that they don't need to improve anything because fanboys like you will always defend them regardless of what they do.

 

[orangy57]

oh boy another launcher to clutter up my desktop

 

[Deleted User]

snip

 

[guily6669]

After steam was ubilolosoft and Origin, now another one yeah right... I wonder when will every single god damn indie dev out there make their own private launcher so every game needs a new bloody blootware software on the background.

I think is enough already, I already have shitty PB, EasyAntiCheat, BattlEye, Steam, Origin, Ubilolosoft........ FFS