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Is it me, or is Steam membership growing quickly?
- Thread starter Foxyone
- Start date
That literally doesn't happen, as it is a global setting by default. Unless you have set it up otherwise or are running some sort of client hack, that shouldn't happen. I don't know what else to say because that makes no sense
Garrett Hawke
Member
Garrett Hawke
Member
This is a documented phenomenon, I'm not alone. http://steamcommunity.com/app/218620/discussions/0/864976115292752051/
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3188473
http://forums.totalwar.com/archive/index.php/t-32873.html?
Then this page was made for you: http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/
The most popular setup is:
Windows 7 64bit
8GB RAM
dual 2.3Ghz to 2.69Ghz cpu
Intel HD Graphics 4000 video card
Could one of the PC guys here with the latest number give an approximate cost of something along that setup?
I think the thing that's driving people to PC gaming are the games that are about the games; not trying to rock on 4k super-hd AAA gaming at 120FPS with bleeding edge visuals. Stuff like DotA2 is huge and getting bigger by the day, but even a game like Minecraft has sold more than 35million copies and continues to sell stupidly high numbers. That little game is more popular than something like GTA5.
CosmicQueso
Member
Thread title is maddening.
You have actual figures that show membership is growing quickly. You have the facts right there. You list them!
And then "Is it me..." NO. It's not you. You know how I know? Because you put down a bunch of numbers that show it isn't you.
So what purpose, in any part of the Universe, does the "Is it me...." nonsense have?
Naval gazing passive-aggressive nonsense. Stop it.
In other news, yes. As the numbers you put there show, growth has gone exponential. Pretty amazing and is further evidence that gaming is a strong and growing category overall that continues to diversify. And adding more local currencies and more tailoring to individual territories worldwide will only increase this user base more.
You have actual figures that show membership is growing quickly. You have the facts right there. You list them!
And then "Is it me..." NO. It's not you. You know how I know? Because you put down a bunch of numbers that show it isn't you.
So what purpose, in any part of the Universe, does the "Is it me...." nonsense have?
Naval gazing passive-aggressive nonsense. Stop it.
In other news, yes. As the numbers you put there show, growth has gone exponential. Pretty amazing and is further evidence that gaming is a strong and growing category overall that continues to diversify. And adding more local currencies and more tailoring to individual territories worldwide will only increase this user base more.
Plus that '$150 GPU' has to go in a desktop which is a falling market, with people preferring laptops. So basically you have to go out to build a gaming dedicated machine, which is clearly an enthusiast activity.
(Worth doing though)
Plenty of games that can be played on a laptop though, and that's where my confusion sits - steam subscriber numbers don't paint a clear picture of what hardware people have.
Astro Monster
Banned
I guess this is the reason Steam is running like shit these days.
i think we need to start thinking about backwards compatibility differently. PC isn't doing anything special, it's just continuing to build on an established ecosystem which its users are familiar with and have invested in. in the present ecosystem war, this is mandatory. if apple were to bring out a new phone or tablet with zero backwards compatibility, it'd be a terrible value proposition and dead on arrival.
it's consoles which are the anomaly. as a result of their total reset, their meagre libraries make them both a pretty crappy value proposition based on available software when compared with almost any other device which is supported by a rolling ecosystem.
Cizeta-Moroder
Banned
The comments section looks like youtube now.
Sentenza
Member
I remember when many, even on this forum, assumed it was just old consoles fatigue and this trend of growth was destined to reverse tragically, relegating once again PC gaming into irrelevance really soon.
Several months after new consoles launched, it doesn't really seem to me that's what's happening.
Hell, Steam reached some record numbers precisely this Christmas.
Several months after new consoles launched, it doesn't really seem to me that's what's happening.
Hell, Steam reached some record numbers precisely this Christmas.
Steam's growth has actually been somewhat stagnant since Christmas. It hasn't changed much from ~7.6 million peak concurrent and has actually dipped since then (seems to peak at ~7.2 million nowadays).
Granted, Steam follows this pattern nearly every year. Huge growth during the holiday period then it kinda stalls until the fall. I wouldn't be surprised to see 8.5-9 million peak concurrent by Christmas.
Granted, Steam follows this pattern nearly every year. Huge growth during the holiday period then it kinda stalls until the fall. I wouldn't be surprised to see 8.5-9 million peak concurrent by Christmas.
As usual on GAF, you can't have a steam related discussion without it turning into a console vs pc power wank. The steam thread is the only place that avoids it.
Sentenza
Member
That's not unusual at all, nor worrying.
Christmas, June and September are historically the months where users peak.
Cizeta-Moroder
Banned
Oh, I was talking about steamcommunity.com, which looks like youtube now after increased growth in membership.
This happens every year for concurrent users, the Christmas buzz this year pushed it, but now everyone is back to work, so numbers have dropped. Weekends push up to 7.3 million or so, but there haven't been any events to really do much of anything this time of year. No idea about actual user accounts as there is no data. I recall they announced 65 million active accounts, then a month later it was 75 million, but that was the Christmas Sales getting attention, where concurrent users also jumped.
But yeah calm seas for now.
I have no idea what's going on there, the larger public groups are a mess. Not sure if its a language barrier or just infested with the youtube generation getting off on their anonimity
Lasthope106
Member
Some flowers for your elitist attitude. All systems have their pros and cons.
Sure. But the pc has more pros and the console pros and less cons than the console cons.
SteveWinwood
Member
Steam forums have been shit ever since they existed, it has nothing to do with an increased membership.
Also glad to see this thread went down the crapper.
Im not sure why this matters at all. Just another feather in PC gamings cap if it can be enjoyable and usable on a wide range of computing devices. It doesn't suddenly not count just because someone didn't spend 3k on a computer....
You should probably figure out what angle you want to take and stick with it. Either the growth is all coming from low end machines, or PC gaming cant be done on reasonably priced machines....
Pick one. You can't have it both ways.
This year can be incredible good for Steam if Sony/MS don´t deliver some interesting software. We'll see what they show at E3.
One of the thing i love about steam is that, as a DOTA player (i´m taking a break from the game, want to finish some single player), i can actually sell my items and then buy games in the store. I have bought many games this way.
And as for CS:GO, i'm actually happy it´s doing good. Competitive matches are hella fun.
One of the thing i love about steam is that, as a DOTA player (i´m taking a break from the game, want to finish some single player), i can actually sell my items and then buy games in the store. I have bought many games this way.
And as for CS:GO, i'm actually happy it´s doing good. Competitive matches are hella fun.
Probably not worth starting another thread but anyone noticed even the PC sections in some of their local shops getting bigger ? Now admittedly PC is still very much online/digital but even in places like Game/HMV I've noticed the PC section being much bigger than it used to be and quite close to the counter as well. Admittedly that's very local but it's definitely something I've noticed.
MutonCommander
Banned
About bloody time too!
I have a feeling that PC gaming will be the true winner this gen.
Not PC sections in particular, but I've noticed a large increase in gaming cards for digital game downloads or other online stores. You used to have to go to a gas station to get your F2P cards, now they're most retail chains.
MutonCommander
Banned
Hopefully this time we won't see any more "PC Gaming is dying!" articles. Funny how they've been replaced with "console gaming is dying!" ones.
OldAsUrSock
Banned
Digital Foundry also does not Overclock.
CadetMahoney
Member
MutonCommander
Banned
So that is why the Russians entered Crimea, Gaben got all their money.
Christmas sale
Summer sale
Autmunish sale
People like sales and consoles sales just do not come close. Hell when the Steam store was down a couple of friends created Steam accounts just for the free Left 4 Dead 2 and now have been playing on PC a lot more.
Ya, Valve hasn't been able to keep up with the massive influx of players the past ~6 months
It matters when those figures are then used to back up a resurgence in PC gaming meaning high end games. Those stats won't necessarily line up.
It's like when research shows there are more female gamers than male, but that includes web games etc. so the headline figure is accurate, but doesn't necessarily mean anything for a more enthusiast segment (as I would expect. Neogaf represents)
That's where banned GAF members go to die.
Hopefully this time we won't see any more "PC Gaming is dying!" articles. Funny how they've been replaced with "console gaming is dying!" ones.
PC gaming was in the DRM shitter during that time. It was a rough transitional period. Consoles have fierce competition now, and their weak hardware is gonna be a problem.
They've basically TF2'ed it with constant and regular updates keeping the player base interested and garnering more interest from new players.
licktheenvelope
Member
What are you talking about?
licktheenvelope
Member
"Intel HD Graphics 4000" is simply on-board graphics for most new intel CPUs (meaning it wont actually let you play most games these days on any setting other than low).
Windows 7 is $95, 8 GB is about $70, equivalent processor these days is about $210... case, base drive, CPU = $250'ish...
It basically means the average person on steam has a very basic desktop PC, like a store bought Dell.
We all know the stats, it's been posted on the internet more than once..
Worldwide it's
~1 Billion PC gamers total
~250 million mid end gamers
~60+ million high end PC gamers and rising
So that mean majority low end and some x86 variants, ratio probably same on Steam (actually maybe more high end since most of the customers are westerns, but ok) yes we know. And? What's is the point in pointing it out in every Steam thread, the ratio was the same last time no?
It's like a broken record
Thread: "Steam gaining users"
Replies: "But, but..... look at the top 4% video graffix.. = low ends laptops!!!"
it's not the average or even close; it's the most common setup (@ 4% of total users).
those slides showing YOY growth in Russia probably account for a lot of the growth as well. it wasn't something i'd thought about before but if Steam ever makes in roads into the Asian marketplace, they'd be basically printing (more) money.
Vane_MagicCity
Banned
..and yet last gen consoles are still selling for around $250. They use the hard drive and bundling games to keep the prices high. I don't really understand why.
Abdul Hafeez
Member
Calling it now: 100 million members by January 2016.
Yup.
For the people who participated in the survey? Yes, just click the lines.
For those who haven't? Nope.
The vast majority of Steam users (over 83%) use an Nvidia or ATI graphics card, but that is spread across dozens of different models.
Only about 16% of them use integrated graphics, but the HD 4000 dominates that market and ends up beating any individual graphics card. All that means is that the dedicated GPU market is much more fragmented, it has absolutely nothing to do with the average user's build.
zorlaczerohero
Banned
Indeed, we have 4 Steam accounts, my 3 kids and I have one each. Whilst mine is on a Gaming rig and has a massive library, all the kids are either on Laptops or Macs and mainly used to play Plants vs Zombies or Scribblenaughts. Not saying every family is the same, but it's safe to bet that many parents who uses Steam will most likely set up an account for any kids able to play, if only for the 4 pack discounts etc.
We might as well divide these numbers by four! Stop deceiving us, Valve!