You don’t even need one for GOG - GOG Galaxy is totally optional and you can download absolutelly run of the mill offline installers for all games on GOG which do not require the installer or any network access, and you even keep the forever and ever (so all your old games are still installable and run on an old gaming computer with the old OS, so long as the hardware hasn’t died).
That’s a leap. EA sucks. There are plenty of games out there and there are plenty ways of managing them better than steam. Especially if you know your way around a PC.
It’d be another big player, it’s not going to be some indie startup that suddenly breaks out into the light to dazzle everyone. And all the other players in this space have their own, worse, storefront and launchers…
Just imagine uplay, but with steam/valves loyal userbase and therefore everyone else sold their games on it. shudders
I mean, who cares? Like having 15 launchers is not a real thing for most gamers I know. It’s saved in a cloud server under your profile. Just uninstall after you’re done with a game.
I can second the hijacking thing. Steam has its own controller input driver (?) it installs which sometimes clash with the actual drivers for the controller, which can lead to games registering input twice or not at all etc.
You can disable it but sometimes it randomly seems to re-enable itself and it’s super annoying.
On the other hand though, Steam Input is really powerful for remapping inputs and setting up controller maps to use for keyboard and mouse games. I’ve never had trouble with it apart from with an old handheld PC that registers its built in controller as an Xbox 360 controller instead of Xbox One
That’s totally fine but it should be opt in, or just prompt you when you launch the game for the first time. It doesn’t ask and then actively breaks things for some users.
Yeah it could definitely be more interactive, but then it would annoy users for the entirely opposite problem. I can see the complaints now in my head: “Steam prompts me about Steam Input before every single game I play! I get it valve” or similar (you and I both know the person would be ignoring some “don’t remind me” option
Dont buy games from AAA publishers and you mostly have steam or GOG.
Better yet. Buy them from Itch.io directly, since indies are better anyway.
You don’t even need one for GOG - GOG Galaxy is totally optional and you can download absolutelly run of the mill offline installers for all games on GOG which do not require the installer or any network access, and you even keep the forever and ever (so all your old games are still installable and run on an old gaming computer with the old OS, so long as the hardware hasn’t died).
Itch.io has an API? For integration in unified launchers.
Hot take. Steam sucks. I would rather have 10 launchers than deal with Steam’s mismanagement of game resources and hijacking my peripherals.
Oh and there is no financial advantage to it. They can track and use your gaming info and sell it. Just like Netflix.
So what you’re saying is… you want EA to be the dominant force and directional pioneer in PC gaming.
Do you also masturbate to pictures of the Comcast logo?
rubbing nipples furiously n…no!
That’s a leap. EA sucks. There are plenty of games out there and there are plenty ways of managing them better than steam. Especially if you know your way around a PC.
It’d be another big player, it’s not going to be some indie startup that suddenly breaks out into the light to dazzle everyone. And all the other players in this space have their own, worse, storefront and launchers…
Just imagine uplay, but with steam/valves loyal userbase and therefore everyone else sold their games on it. shudders
I mean, who cares? Like having 15 launchers is not a real thing for most gamers I know. It’s saved in a cloud server under your profile. Just uninstall after you’re done with a game.
What mismanagement? What hijacking?
I can second the hijacking thing. Steam has its own controller input driver (?) it installs which sometimes clash with the actual drivers for the controller, which can lead to games registering input twice or not at all etc.
You can disable it but sometimes it randomly seems to re-enable itself and it’s super annoying.
On the other hand though, Steam Input is really powerful for remapping inputs and setting up controller maps to use for keyboard and mouse games. I’ve never had trouble with it apart from with an old handheld PC that registers its built in controller as an Xbox 360 controller instead of Xbox One
That’s totally fine but it should be opt in, or just prompt you when you launch the game for the first time. It doesn’t ask and then actively breaks things for some users.
Yeah it could definitely be more interactive, but then it would annoy users for the entirely opposite problem. I can see the complaints now in my head: “Steam prompts me about Steam Input before every single game I play! I get it valve” or similar (you and I both know the person would be ignoring some “don’t remind me” option
Exactly. And it’s completely unnecessary.