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Jimquisition - Steam Needs Quality Control
- Thread starter Intheflorsh
- Start date
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
They overshot in an attempt to be more accessible because everyone complained about how difficult it was to get on Steam
archnemesis
Member
I'd like an option to filter away early access games from the front store page but otherwise I'm happy.
Intheflorsh
Banned
How did the video give you that impression?
Intheflorsh
Banned
Steam needs an anti-Greenlight, where users vote games off the store.
EvilKatarn
Member
Steam, the apple App Store of gaming
With all the phone game ports it sure is looking like it.
I'm not against the openness really, as long as quality products get the spotlight.
Thats difficult to do. Steam is a great way to get your games on a wide platform fast and easy, the amount of resources it would take for QC would be extremely time-consuming and resource wasting on both sides.
What they need is some sort of a refund system ala Origin to take care of anymore Warz type fiascos (which they did give refunds).
What they need is some sort of a refund system ala Origin to take care of anymore Warz type fiascos (which they did give refunds).
Every video he posts lately seems to be some paternalistic bullshit about Steam needed to protect consumers from themselves. It's tiring nonsense.
ashecitism
Member
I've been saying it for a while that Steam has outgrown Valve and they can't/shouldn't ignore it anymore...
...but it's clear they won't do things as other expect them to (so I've given up on the idea of them separating it from the company as a traditional structured entity). Besides people have been complaining how they should release games faster both through GL and the normal way, so here we are.
Custom storefront could be cool in the long run, we'll see.
...but it's clear they won't do things as other expect them to (so I've given up on the idea of them separating it from the company as a traditional structured entity
). Besides people have been complaining how they should release games faster both through GL and the normal way, so here we are.Custom storefront could be cool in the long run, we'll see.
Probably, but it would be nice to have a platform where you could be sure to not get total shit.
TheRagnCajun
Member
Approving games based on popularity constest was a bad idea. Just because someone votes 'yes' doesn't mean they're actually going to buy it.
No store is going to pass on selling Civ V though.
How dare he ask for quality control and better business practices.
Jim Sterling
Member
Except no physical store will ever get the opportunity to sell Guise of the Wolf.
And thank fuck for that.
Jim Sterling
Member
Name another one.
Early access whining video.
Yeah, but I'm sure there are stores out there that sold Big Rigs.
I agree with this, Is not that I can't discern the Junk for the good games on steam, Is not about me buying into every single early access prototype its been publishing on daily basis. For me is more about steam taking care of their reputation as a trustworthy digital distribution platform.
You have infinite shelf space and infinite backroom storage.
It really doesn't make any sense to limit the palette except to pander to those people that for some reason treat the store they buy games from as a reflection of their personal image.
I think he means Steam needs to stop giving top billing to shitty games in the store.
It really doesn't make any sense to limit the palette except to pander to those people that for some reason treat the store they buy games from as a reflection of their personal image.
I think he means Steam needs to stop giving top billing to shitty games in the store.
I disagree completely with the premise.
Steam is a store. No one gets pissed at Wal-mart for stocking Elf Bowling. Valve shouldn't be in the business of editorially selecting content and they're better now than they've been in that regard.
What they should be in the business of doing is editorially deciding what is promoted and featured, which they mostly do a good job of.
If you want to be upset with the quality of a title, be mad at the developer and publisher. That's whose reputations get impacted. Not Valve's.
Steam is a store. No one gets pissed at Wal-mart for stocking Elf Bowling. Valve shouldn't be in the business of editorially selecting content and they're better now than they've been in that regard.
What they should be in the business of doing is editorially deciding what is promoted and featured, which they mostly do a good job of.
If you want to be upset with the quality of a title, be mad at the developer and publisher. That's whose reputations get impacted. Not Valve's.
Jim Sterling
Member
Except that was about developers themselves abusing Early Access, not Steam protecting consumers.
I'd pack up your hyperbole mate, because I've done one video on this subject, not "every" video. Sharpen your criticism and try again.
Suzushiiro
Banned
Considering how important being on Steam is to success in the PC market, I'd rather it have a very low barrier for entry that lets a lot of shit in than a high barrier for entry that blocks off games that deserve success. They just have to keep high standards for what makes it to the front page and separate the crap that they'd have denied back in the day from the rest.
Wag
Member
How do you find this out unless you've already bought it?
daninthemix
Member
Selling nonfunctioning games is unforgivable and should perhaps be illegal (in fact, isn't it?).
I disagree with Jim's assertion that it's getting harder to tell the crap from the good. The overhaul of the review system makes it extremely easy to read impressions from people who've played the game, the only potential problem being devs' ability to (partially) hide negative reviews by marking them as abusive.
The condemnation of Steam for listing low quality games also seems a bit hyperbolic. Is Amazon UNFOR-FUCKING-GIVABLE because it lists crappy self-published books? Steam is just a marketplace, and it does give consumers tools to separate the bad from the good.
Steam's front page needs to be more discerning. Valve needs to keep strengthening their review and recommendation systems to help people get informed before they make a purchase. There do need to be some serious steps taken to punish devs who deliberately mislead customers. Apart from that? I'm fine with sticking to "caveat emptor."
The condemnation of Steam for listing low quality games also seems a bit hyperbolic. Is Amazon UNFOR-FUCKING-GIVABLE because it lists crappy self-published books? Steam is just a marketplace, and it does give consumers tools to separate the bad from the good.
Steam's front page needs to be more discerning. Valve needs to keep strengthening their review and recommendation systems to help people get informed before they make a purchase. There do need to be some serious steps taken to punish devs who deliberately mislead customers. Apart from that? I'm fine with sticking to "caveat emptor."
shin_velcro
Neo Member
Don't really want to give him the hits but how is it not the same as any other store? I don't think there is one store out there that only sells amazing items is there?
Intheflorsh
Banned
Jim Sterling
Member
Sure, I'm not saying bad products don't exist elsewhere. But here's the thing - when a store gets a bad game, Steam invariably gets that same bad game. And on top of THAT, Steam's allowing a whole bunch of OTHER bad games that stores don't have. Ergo, the amount of poor quality product on Steam is going to be worse than GameStop or Walmart.
There are simply more checks and balances in place with store-bought games. Now obviously they don't catch all the shit. A lot of shit still makes it out there - but imagine how much worse it'd be if literally anybody could put a game on a GameStop shelf.
And I think it's in Valve's interest, moreso than the customer, to sort that out. Because turning your store into a risky minefield simply isn't a good idea.
An ideal scenario is Steam essentially functions as a payment processor and CDN for any developer that signs up. Anyone can generate a Steam store link and link it from their website, Valve handles the payment processing and the bandwidth. However, the game would not show up in Steam search results or receive any central promotion. Valve would still choose games to receive promotion.
TangoAlphaLima
Member
Feel free to use this, Gaben. Just made it.
Glass Rebel
Member
Quality control when you hold allegedly 70+% of the marketplace in your hand isn't the answer either. It will just invite others complaining that Valve is walling off a significant portion of the market for whatever reason. That's just the price of success or, as Tuco puts it, they just can't win.
Steam, the apple App Store of gaming
Not really, no. It's closer to Google Play on Android.