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The number of PC digital storefronts/launchers is getting out of hand
- Thread starter garath
- Start date
Conkerkid11
Member
Why aren't your games patched already?
Why aren't all your launchers just running in the background at startup if this is really a problem for you?
neurosisxeno
Member
I use Steam and Battle.net almost exclusively. Steam launches with Windows but that's the only automated thing I have at startup because I use it the most. It's at the point where my Origin account got compromised and I can't even be bothered to contact EA to get it back--despite having BF3/BF4 Premium/BF1 and several other games I wouldn't mind playing on there. I should probably do that at some point though. BF1 is quite fun...
I H8 Memes
Member
More passwords more shit to deal with. I just use steam. If it's not on steam i dont need it.
Earthbound64
Banned
It's inconvenient, but I value having a choice - though these days, a lot of games are exclusive to their own platform. That isnt choice. I mostly stick to Steam and GOG.
So long as I can launch the game directly from Steam, the Steam Overlay works, and it stays in the background when I quit the game, I'm not concerned about what service it's on.
If your launcher breaks the Steam Overlay, or injects its own overlay that causes other conflicts, then I care.
So what I'm saying is that I hate Uplay. Every time I try to launch a game I get three UAC prompts for my admin password so that it can update itself, it complains every time I launch a game with its overlay disabled, the Steam Overlay doesn't work - so I can't use my Steam Controller with those games, and when I quit a game it shows ads.
So long as I can launch the game directly from Steam, the Steam Overlay works, and it stays in the background when I quit the game, I'm not concerned about what service it's on.
If your launcher breaks the Steam Overlay, or injects its own overlay that causes other conflicts, then I care.
So what I'm saying is that I hate Uplay. Every time I try to launch a game I get three UAC prompts for my admin password so that it can update itself, it complains every time I launch a game with its overlay disabled, the Steam Overlay doesn't work - so I can't use my Steam Controller with those games, and when I quit a game it shows ads.
Add Uplay itself to steam instead of ubisoft games and the overlay will work.
Earthbound64
Banned
Some people would apparently rather have less choice and allow companies to become monopolies.
Steam, Netflix, etc.
People apparently want "convenience" over anything else, and want everything on one monopolistic platform, and just assume that prices and such will stay the same.
Hey hey now. Never said choice was bad. I'm lamenting over the multitude of launchers and digital libraries that are becoming more and more common. Many storefronts are great and we should all love the choice.
There's a few good tips for managing them better that have popped up in this thread and I'll be trying to consolidate a bit more personally but the future is looking even more fractured as publishers continue to invest in their own platforms.
It's interesting people calling "competition" and "choice" to clients that literally lock down their own games and do nothing else. They're literally there just to lock down consumer choice and options and make you pay as much as possible. That's not competition. Stuff like GOG is competition.
It would be nice if some actual competition, in the actual meaning of the word, popped up.
It would be nice if some actual competition, in the actual meaning of the word, popped up.
2blackcats
Member
What I don't understand is why some of the publishers don't team up against steam. Like ubisoft and EA. They still get the sales for their own games and now their launcher is twice as useful.
NoblesseOblige
Banned
I don't buy games if they require a launcher outside Steam. There's too many game in my backlog to need to put up with that noise.
I don't care if that makes me part of a problem.
I don't care if that makes me part of a problem.
Battlechili
Banned
Steam and GOG are the only ones that matter
NoblesseOblige
Banned
I'd actually buy some Blizzard games if they were*. That said I'm not going to say what they should do.
*Or I would have until they spoiled themselves to me completely with lootbox nonsense.
If you want some actual competition, yes, that would be the way you'd have actual competition. As well as Battle.net opening the store to other games, let indies and others publish there, etc. That would be actual competition. As it stands, it's not competition.
Only works if you run Steam "as admin" or under an admin account, since Uplay requests elevated permissions.
Not going to happen.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
It's not, but multiple extraneous programs needing to keep themselves updated, occasionally forget my password even though I tell it to remember every single time, multiple friend lists, multiple overlays that use different shortcuts and multiple lists of games combine together to create an experience that is much less good than if they would all just kindly fuck off back into space. Oh yeah I can get steam overlay working over my origin games, I can add custom listings (that don't get the hours tracked anymore) to steam and shit but it's just extra layers of bullshit I don't want to deal with. It's something we tolerate but it's not something good.
The Dear Leader
Banned
I'd like to have the option to buy what I want where I want but at the same time all those clients are simple and unobtrusive enough to not really be a problem anymore.
Because origin randomly logs itself out all the time or crashes. Have battle.net or whatever its called now log itself out on me quite often too.
Also since most of these things are electron based apps or some kinda thing running a fork of webkit underneath each of them wants to tax 100 meg of ram or more. I prefer not to have running processes using ram and cpu when I can avoid it.
BLACK AMERICAN PSYCHO
Junior Member
I will not tolerate the electron hate. Awesome ass tool for me since I'm studying to be a web developer and would love to make garage apps in my spare time.
How is it even competition?
Wanna play D3? Have to use Battle.net. Want to play Battlefield 4? Gotta launch Origin. Interested in DotA2? You must install steam. Hell, even for Ubisoft games you buy through Steam, you still have to launch heinous uPlay. I only ever use uPlay or Origin because they twist my arm, not because I like them.
If the various platforms could authenticate each other's games to allow us to really choose a storefront and stick with it, I'd be all for it. But a dozen fragmented, uncooperative interfaces is just annoying.
Wanna play D3? Have to use Battle.net. Want to play Battlefield 4? Gotta launch Origin. Interested in DotA2? You must install steam. Hell, even for Ubisoft games you buy through Steam, you still have to launch heinous uPlay. I only ever use uPlay or Origin because they twist my arm, not because I like them.
If the various platforms could authenticate each other's games to allow us to really choose a storefront and stick with it, I'd be all for it. But a dozen fragmented, uncooperative interfaces is just annoying.
nintendork666
Member
If it's not on Steam, I don't play it.
Keeps me focused. As a former collector, I hate getting overwhelmed by options these days.
Keeps me focused. As a former collector, I hate getting overwhelmed by options these days.
Couldn't agree more. I don't know why this is a big deal...
Personally, this is such an insignificant "problem" that it didn't even register with me. I don't have to be a paid member to any of the platforms, so I just click the icon and play the game. I could see this being an issue if it was similar to TV/Streaming platforms and such you have to pay to watch, but...
Sorry OP. =/
Sorry OP. =/
Finaika
Member
You're not getting Destiny 2?
Compsiox
Banned
Rainbow Six? While sold on Steam it uses Uplay. You no like?
Finaika
Member
Thank god Destiny 2 is on Blizzard.
I'm only able to tolerate all these storefronts (and their launchers, which are a byproduct of them wanting to keep as much of the revenue as possible) when they make their keys readily available through competing digital distributors like Gamesplanet & Green Man. Usually, at any given time, at least one of them will have the game on sale for a cheaper price.
Storefronts that only sell their games through their own platform & via Gamestop are essentially little better than console digital; you're more or less only getting a discount during a sales event or random flash sale.
Storefronts that only sell their games through their own platform & via Gamestop are essentially little better than console digital; you're more or less only getting a discount during a sales event or random flash sale.
Yeah pretty much. A tiny hassle for the openness nature of PC platform.
This is a horrible comparison. Having more streaming services requires me to pay more to get a full selection of things if there exclusivity deals. Installing more clients costs me nothing.
I absolutely hate the "no Steam, no buy" mindset and find that it is toxic to the open PC platform.
The only problem I have with other launchers is that in the past, some of them have been pretty bad. UPlay in particular comes to mind. Other
I typically use Steam, GOG and separate DRM Free downloads from Itch/Humble
The only problem I have with other launchers is that in the past, some of them have been pretty bad. UPlay in particular comes to mind. Other
I typically use Steam, GOG and separate DRM Free downloads from Itch/Humble
Earthbound64
Banned
I see this as publisher/developer decisions much like how some publishers aren't on certain console platforms for one reason or other.
Witcher 3 (GOG, Steam, Origin) and Cuphead (GOG, Steam, Windows store) come to mind. Itch.io has its fans and some Indies are publishing games there in addition to GOG and Steam.
Uplay and the W10 store are the worst offenders, they are so terrible it's not even funny, and the competition they bring is horrible
Edit: And yeah, the concept of "competition" doesn't strictly apply here, if we get more publisher platforms it's only to block other storefronts, with no actual pricing war going on, see Origin, Battlenet and W10, Steam by itself is an open market that drives down prices to the point I own 70 games and I haven't played half of them.
I'm not trying to say that I'd rather have Valve control all the market but I'd be on board with installing a lot of clients if they were as open
Edit: And yeah, the concept of "competition" doesn't strictly apply here, if we get more publisher platforms it's only to block other storefronts, with no actual pricing war going on, see Origin, Battlenet and W10, Steam by itself is an open market that drives down prices to the point I own 70 games and I haven't played half of them.
I'm not trying to say that I'd rather have Valve control all the market but I'd be on board with installing a lot of clients if they were as open
"How can I undermine the benefits of an open platform?"
Juggling all the titles can be a pain, and I do have a favorites folder in Steam that I try to curate but I can't complete because The Witcher and Grim Fandango and others are on other platforms. I'll try out playnite though, I bookmarked it when it showed up on /r/Games a few days ago.
Electron is awesome I just don't want to run 5 storefronts that are written in it on the same machine.
Steam is the only one I keep open, unless i'm subbed to WoW at the time, in which case the Bnet app is open all the time too.
The rest? I don't even use em. Maybe uPlay if i get AssOrigins or reinstall Black Flag, but that's about it. I'm not getting battlefront 2 anymore so I don't need Origin.
The rest? I don't even use em. Maybe uPlay if i get AssOrigins or reinstall Black Flag, but that's about it. I'm not getting battlefront 2 anymore so I don't need Origin.
