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[Chairmanchuck]

So far you haven't commented on Valve putting their games on other platforms yet you want Battle.net to put their games on Steam.

Portal 2 is available on Origin and uPlay afaik and DOTA2 is available for the Perfect World Launcher in China.

 

[khaaan]

Is anyone working on a free app that basically just takes all your logins for these different services and gives you one UI to use? That would actually be super helpful.

There was a thread yesterday about one of those, I think the app is called GameNite. The majority of my friends list is on Discord so communicating with them is not an issue at all. I'm hopeful GameNite or some other solution gets it right in which case the flow of starting a game and playing with friends would be the easiest it could be.

Complain about origin all you like, it still introduced a refund system well before Steam and IIRC was also much more flexible in your choice of install paths until Steam updated.

 

[phant0m]

That's not really the launcher's fault though? People should keep their programs updated, especially if they're gonna play games on it eventually. Granted, Uplay is hot garbage so it's probably not used much unless you guys play Wildlands or any other MP game often.

Of course they should! My point was now I’m supposed to keep Steam, uplay, Origin, B.net, Epic and Beth launchers open all the time so the games stay updated?

 

[Fantastapotamus]

There was a thread yesterday about one of those, I think the app is called GameNite. The majority of my friends list is on Discord so communicating with them is not an issue at all. I'm hopeful GameNite or some other solution gets it right in which case the flow of starting a game and playing with friends would be the easiest it could be.

Complain about origin all you like, it still introduced a refund system well before Steam and IIRC was also much more flexible in your choice of install paths until Steam updated.

To be fair, EA only refunds EA games if I'm not mistaken, also you only have 24 hours after starting the game for the first time. But yeah, they were earlier than Steam which is great.

I'm curious to see the new Steam launcher that should arrive within the next 10 years

 

[Zizbuka]

I've actually gone back to doing this. I just launch all my games through either the start menu like old school times, or the Xbox app. The Xbox app on Windows 10 automatically adds any game that has a start menu shortcut, and when you launch it from there it just boots up whatever launcher it came with.

You should look at LaunchBox. Awesome game launcher, really well done.

 

[Braag]

Windows store also has its own games, there's also Rockstart Social Club.
Yeah, the number of stores and launchers on PC is crazy.
I've just linked all my games to Steam and launch them all from there, way more convenient.

 

[Drillary Clinton]

One of the main reasons I won’t play Fortnite is I have to have a separate fucking launcher

 

[Blam]

Well this is the power of a free market. What else do you want a single place to download everything? Yeah that's not gonna happen.

 

[Windu]

There is this amazing application called Windows. It can launch apps and uninstall them. Its quite good.

 

[Blam]

There is this amazing application called Windows. It can launch apps and uninstall them. Its quite good.

Pretty revolutionary.

 

[Mifec]

New windows update made it pretty easy to just put them all in 1 start folder which is pretty handy

 

[MizzouRah]

New windows update made it pretty easy to just put them all in 1 start folder which is pretty handy

Haven't downloaded the update yet, but is this something that's pretty obvious to do? Looks like a great idea.

 

[Mifec]

Haven't downloaded the update yet, but is this something that's pretty obvious to do? Looks like a great idea.

Just pin them to start then drag one onto the other and it creates the "folder", then drag the rest. When you click on it it expands under the window:

 

[Lashley]

I just make a Steam shortcut to the.exe

This. It's easy as anything.

Competition is good.

 

[orava]

But gaf said that steam is a monopoly?

 

[RRockman]

Too much bloat for sure

 

[Windu]

New windows update made it pretty easy to just put them all in 1 start folder which is pretty handy

that was there last update.

 

[prag16]

Except the Windows Store is awful to use, for many reasons (though at least I get amazing d/l speed though it).

True story. Windows Store is the only one that consistently maxes my broadband speed at 12-13MBps. Steam and Origin can get around 10 at times, but sometimes less.

 

[dr_rus]

Haven't downloaded the update yet, but is this something that's pretty obvious to do? Looks like a great idea.

Folders in Start menu was added in 1703/CU back in April. Nothing changed in 1709/FCU.

Let me repost my screenshot:

This is a folder with WinStore games in it in an opened state.

 

[Lashley]

True story. Windows Store is the only one that consistently maxes my broadband speed at 12-13MBps. Steam and Origin can get around 10 at times, but sometimes less.

Weirdly it's the opposite for me

Steam achieves speeds I usually don't get lol

I'm from the UK though

 

[Head.spawn]

Options are great OP.

I've got:

-Unreal
-Bethesda
-Battlenet
-Steam
-GOG Galaxy
-Uplay
-Origin
-Win10 Store

I don't see what the big deal is. I know where I spend my money, all my games are easily accessible with a lazily timed double-click. What's not to love?

 

[Mr.Pig]

Pretty revolutionary.

Exactly. Desktop shortcuts and the start menu. What do they do?

 

[paperspace]

⁣

 

[kuYuri]

How can everyone forget the best launcher ever, the Twitch desktop app!?

https://app.twitch.tv/download

 

[The Lamonster]

I run Steam and Battle.net at all times, but only open the other ones as needed.

I primarily play Blizzard games, but Steam is nice for using Steam Link in other areas of the house.

 

[I H8 Memes]

Options are great OP.

I've got:

-Unreal
-Bethesda
-Battlenet
-Steam
-GOG Galaxy
-Uplay
-Origin
-Win10 Store

I don't see what the big deal is. I know where I spend my money, all my games are easily accessible with a lazily timed double-click. What's not to love?

Digital distribution really only took off around 2007. I guess you can probably triple the number of launchers you are going to need by 2027. So awesome right.

 

[prag16]

None of this bothers me. I actually don't leave any of the clients running normally. I launch into games via icons in a folder. My Battlefront icon is right next to my PUBG icon. It's like magic.

 

[jryeje29]

I’m with OP it’s completely ridiculous, I mean I guess I do understand from the dev or pub side. I wouldn’t want to give a 30% or whatever cut to steam either but man how about work and negotiate with valve I mean really don’t the pubs have the power there. Without games valve doesn’t have a store. They could even make it like eBay even don’t get me wrong eBay is trash but it has stores. Like you can go on eBay and look at the Best Buy store.

What irks me even more is for example like an Ubisoft game that lets you buy in steam but still installs and opens uplay each time almost completely defeating the purpose.

 

[ezodagrom]

I’m with OP it’s completely ridiculous, I mean I guess I do understand from the dev or pub side. I wouldn’t want to give a 30% or whatever cut to steam either but man how about work and negotiate with valve I mean really don’t the pubs have the power there. Without games valve doesn’t have a store. They could even make it like eBay even don’t get me wrong eBay is trash but it has stores. Like you can go on eBay and look at the Best Buy store.

What irks me even more is for example like an Ubisoft game that lets you buy in steam but still installs and opens uplay each time almost completely defeating the purpose.

From what's posted around, the 30% cut is the same on consoles plus an extra for royalties, even other PC digital stores have a similar cut (though sometimes those stores reduce part of their cut as discounts for the players).

Plus it's not like publishers aren't getting anything for that cut, other than the userbase, there's the several features that steam has for both publishers/developers and users alike.

I don't mind Ubisoft's approach much, better than not putting the game's on Steam at all.