Q
Queen of Hunting
Unconfirmed Member
do you not buy blizzard games ? what about ea games what about ubi games ? what about soon to come bethesda ?
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Lionhead Employee: Fable Legends Will Not Release on Steam
- Thread starter dancrane212
- Start date
do you not buy blizzard games ? what about ea games what about ubi games ? what about soon to come bethesda ?
Because Windows 10 is completely open for anyone to develop applications on. Why is Windows having the equivalent of the Google Play Store as well a big deal?
For a start, Blizzard games have always been available via Battlenet or if you go far back enough retail only, so there is no way they can "suffer" by putting there games where they were always available, while also reporting some very clear successes. People generally trust Battlenet due to a fairly solid history. Origin is a different story. The service was marred with issues, pricing was outrageous (and still is in many countries), there are woeful dlc practices and their games are often broken for significant periods of time post-launch. It has struggled to shake that image, going so far as to vary the reporting of the service's stats from total accounts, to total installs, to nothing, indicating they still have some issues there.
Also, you realise the "30% Valve tax" is the industry standard retailer share - which Valve gets 0% of for every Steam title sold outside of Steam eg other digital distributors or retail since the keys are generated for free. The result being the same margin from other sources for a Steam product since the 30% shift to whatever other retailer is involved. "If a publisher has the ability to run and maintain their own store" they don't always do this alone, as seen with Uplay and ubisoft games, RSC and Rockstar games, GoG and CDProjekt etc. It makes sense to benefit from the sizeable consumers that don't want to / refuse to purchase at other stores for many reasons of their own, while also benefiting from the full return through their own stores for the customers that want that. GoG show that this can work well, where they sold more Witcher 3 copies through GoG than on Steam in the first months.
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
It's almost as if they have 75 million devices currently connected to Windows 10, thus their built in store. Almost as if they could plaster Fable Legends on the stores front page when it releases and get casual consumers to download it to try it out without neededing STEAM. Almost as if MS can further control the games marketing on their store front and keep it on the front page much like Minecraft has been since launch. Almost as if they realize that these casual people can then look at the game which is pretty fun, looks great, and is free, so they will buy into the games IAPs all while MS doesn't have to give a dime to STEAM.
You know, or maybe the game will fail, kinda like their Age of Empires: Castle Siege free to play game that people laughed at here and chalked up to a failure...oh wait, no, that game is the HIGHEST grossing title on the Windows store.
So ya, what is MS thinking???
diffusionx
Gold Member
The point is that Microsoft doesn't have to pay it. They have their own store. So, in this case, it literally is a tax for Microsoft to put it on Steam. For EA and Blizzard, it is obviously cheaper for them to run their own stores.
You're also trading who will control access to your games. Companies have a history and in this instance one of the two companies have had games disappear along with their failed service, tried making PC owners pay for multiplayer and tried to force online DRM on console owners. Just to name a few things..
It's no wonder some of us don't want Microsoft to control access to our games.
No Steam = No buy (Well, I'll take Gog as well
).That's certainly a valid choice to make. I think MS is pretty confident that it's not a very widespread sentiment though.No Steam = No buy (Well, I'll take Gog as well
Gabe started the whole Linux thing because he saw the walled garden of Windows 8 starting to form. Nadella's Microsoft is a Windows that works with everything and anything.
There's no reason at all to try to take gamers to another OS. All they need to do is keep releasing exclusives on their own store and keep their prices competitive.
This.
Google and Apple are allowed to have their own stores and exclusives, but Microsoft is not. It's bizarre.
Familienoberhauptvogel
Banned
You're also trading who will control access to your games. Companies have a history and in this instance one of the two companies have had games disappear along with their failed service, tried making PC owners pay for multiplayer and tried to force online DRM on console owners. Just to name a few things..
It's no wonder some of us don't want Microsoft to control access to our games.
No Steam = No buy (Well, I'll take Gog as well
Atm the games we know are not making it to Steam are all online only games bar probably Killer Instinct (which still has big focus on online). So even if they were distributed through Steam you'd be at the mercy of Microsoft.
Pop
Member
Yeah because a 'console' environment, with a limited library, run exclusively by valve is better than PC, where multiple store fronts can coexist in healthy competition.
Mix Master
Member
Makes sense since it is a F2P
Oh you!
dancrane212
Member
Why? Because Microsoft is putting out first party games on their own platform? They aren't locking away or taking games out of Steam. Games they are helping fund like Cuphead are still coming to Steam as-is Ashen. Even Rise of the Tomb Raider had a Steam confirmation front and center in the PC press release.
So why? Why should Valve be so worried that another company is making more games for PC to promote it's own store?
Azure Phoenix
Member
Shocking surprise, yet another PC gaming push from Microsoft is a thinly veiled attempt to make people upgrade to their buggy new OS by locking games they want to play behind an ecosystem they don't want to use. I hold out a small amount of hope for Killer Instinct, but I won't be surprised when that also doesn't come to Steam.
Oh the drama... Plenty of people really won't take issue with opening the preinstalled win10 app, and clicking the download button... Just because YOU have a gripe doesn't mean it's a big issue for the massses... The Win10 store is being used to download apps at a rate 6times faster than win8 store has been used...
And 75 million devices have already upgraded... Upgrades due to Fable Legends or KI will be a drop in the bucket...
This is about leveraging their own IPs, distribution system, and online infrastructure to cut out a middle man and maximize their profits... Which isn't in any way sinister...
Difference being on iOS you have only one storefront and on Android Play store is the main one and often the only one to most users so it's not really the same.
Personally it wouldn't stop me from getting Gears. As of now it will be annoying and hopefully nothing like how terrible gfwl was. Really though the store UI needs some work.
Azure Phoenix
Member
I don't really care if it is a big issue for the masses or not, people (including myself) are unhappy with the decision and they have the right to be. My gripe is not that they're only putting it on the Windows Store, it's the fact that is locked behind Windows 10. It's the same situation as when Vista came out and the likes of Shadowrun were locked to only that OS for no reason other than making people upgrade (SR in particular was modded very quickly to play on XP).
Windows 10 is a buggy trainwreck that has practically turned my laptop into a brick, I have no intentions of subjecting my desktop to it anytime soon, yet I would actually like to buy and play Killer Instinct and Fable Legends.
Cizeta-Moroder
Banned
What's limiting Linux library?
Well fable 10 is dx12... It's win10 by defaul, not arbitrarily ... Not to mention tons of games have minimum system requirements... You can't expect them to support legacy platforms indefinitely... Especially not when they are offering their latest offering for free...
'Buggy train wreck' is a hyperbolic statement... It's much more likely that more people upgraded with out a hitch, or with minor issues than those that ended up with 'bricks'. I'm sorry for your loss, but let's not assume your situation is anywhere close to being normal.
The Lack of Linux games on steam....
What's the alternative here? Are people seriously suggesting MS shouldn't develop exclusive content for their own store front and there should be no options to purchase games outside of Steam?
It's like I'm seeing people doing mental gymnastics to basically say Steam or GTFO.
diffusionx
Gold Member
It's not the same situation. You had to pay for Vista, while 10 is a free upgrade.
Calm Killer
In all media, only true fans who consume every book, film, game, or pog collection deserve to know what's going on.
Not being on steam has no relevance to me. If I want to buy a game, it being on steam is never something I consider when buying it. Its just a marketplace.
Silent Chief
Member
There's moral support. And not hidding stuff in Windows 10 that affects Steam.
Those are the main things. Really.
Pathfinder
Member
Had to expect this. Microsoft has their own store built into Windows 10. They're not going to use Steam for everything, and it's silly for anyone to think otherwise.
Besides, if it's free, who really cares where you have to download it from?
Besides, if it's free, who really cares where you have to download it from?
Ploid 3.0
Member
Poor microsoft, they should put windows 10 on steam and then they would be able to tip the number of windows users to 75.5 million weeks ago so they could round up to 76 million steam users for that report.
Praise our benevolent overlord for his infinite generosity, truly we have been blessed.
I'm sure Steam is also one of the applications they QA after significant Windows updates to make sure nothing's gone wrong.
Not saying they shouldn't they have every right to I was just saying comparing them to those storefronts isn't a like for like comparison because of the way those platforms are setup.
Miles Quaritch
Member
They are supporting Steam, by making it run great on Windows 10.
This is the thing with MS PR, you need to look at the entirety of what they say and not just choice quotes. Don't read more into that what they say or try to give their comments more meaning...
And going into the future...you'll have games like Titanfall which has good numbers on Xbox One now compared to PC...if they can play each other, communities can stay alive longer.
Even worse than that. There's a sentiment that MS releasing games on their own store is somehow an attack on Valve and/or and affront to PC gaming as a whole... this couldn't be further from the truth.
MS validating the Win10 store with notable exclusives can only be a good thing for gamers overall... the Win10 store WILL have more visibility than Steam once you consider the casual and moderate gamers who won't go seeking out 3rd party distribution services for their gaming fix. Using their AAA IPs in order to secure this influx of users purchasing from the Windows store will make it a more attractive place for developers to launch their games than it has been in the past. With more distribution options and easy visible access to new customers, developers will have a higher earning potential then they have currently. And more money means more games...
Hey, if this was the renaissance of GFWL, then I'd understand the rejection of this Fable news. But to date, I see nothing but MS taking strides to be a worthy competitor in the marketplace and actually grow the marketplace (which will be good for Steam and anyone else in this space).
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
Ok.
The business decision to put it on their own store makes total sense with what I laid out. Especially since the title is free to play.
Fox_Mulder
Rockefellers. Skull and Bones. Microsoft. Al Qaeda. A Cabal of Bankers. The melting point of steel. What do these things have in common? Wake up sheeple, the landfill wasn't even REAL!
Gabe is not amused
toddhunter
Member
Further from the truth?
There are two broad scenarios possible.
1. Microsoft are going to put some token games on the windows 10 store exclusively. They'll do this until they reach their windows 10 adoption targets and then they'll drop the whole idea like a fucking stone. Meanwhile they'll continue to not release their big games on PC and will avoid the steam store as they move forward to pushing the xbox one two.
2. Microsoft will support their store properly and continue to release games on it, building up the PC gaming scene.
1 is the scenario supported by Microsoft's past actions and their actions concerning the windows 10 store to date. Scenario 2 seems only to be supported by blind optimism.
Hopefully it works out! But further from the truth? No, we all know where this is going.
Pathfinder
Member
Well, considering it's F2P I sincerely doubt you'll have any problem with not buying it...
Of course, you knew that before commenting, didn't you?
TharpDaddy
Member
Microsoft has come a long way since GFWL, that was 8 years ago, I trust Nadella more than I did Ballamer.
8 years ago is disingenuous. They were still putting out games for it through 2012, and I wouldn't say they handled "shutting down" GFWL well either. Come to think of it, I wouldn't even call their discussions of GFWL in retrospect as well handled. Not even an apology for the years of consistent crap or the folks that lost their content.
Miles Quaritch
Member
Still have very fond memories of shooting a friend in the ass with the bow and arrow in Turok 2 split screen and watching him run around with the arrow in his ass.
Ahh, a more innocent time in gaming.
Ahh, a more innocent time in gaming.
Bornstellar
Member
I still don't understand why people are against things not being on the Steam store...
no, the only 'certainty' is that they'll do what makes them the most money... I'm sorry, but, why the hell would they drop it like a stone if they are making money? That theory makes no sense at all... How would they benefit from this?
Firstly, what of their current window store practices suggest that they just arbitrarily shut everything down after they get enough Win10 users?
Their past actions have proven to LOSE them money, so the idea that they just haphazardly do the same thing again after reaching some arbitrary installed base goal is, frankly, a stupid notion... What good is an installed base of they aren't downloading apps?
It will be much more profitable (and therefore, likely) that they'll aim have a store that is successful because it offers products and services that people are interested in paying for...
You should also note, that as an incentive to upgrade to Win10, the gaming initive is TINY in the grand scheme of things... They got 75million upgrades in a month thanks to it being offered for free... How many upgrades do you thing Fable Legends is going to encourage? And what good are all the upgrades of people aren't using the Windows Store? Clearly this is less about getting people to switch to Win10, and more about carving out a healthy software ecosystem, which after giving away millions of copies of Windows 10, is now their only way to turn a profit.
They havent been going through all this trouble to position the Win10 Store to be worthwhile for developers, simply to shut it down after getting some arbitrary number of users... That's such a stupid thing to say, frankly...
This isn't about blind optimism... It's about sound reasoning...
PS, Xbox two will probably be a glorified, gaming dedicated Win10 PC... All signs point to a convergence of their entire gaming business...
CrimsonEclipse
Member
Looks like some people are talking to brick walls.
I don't see how this is any different from what EA/Blizzard or other companies do with their own stores. Does that make them evil to? Nope, not one bit if...you were running your own digital platform and had the opportunity to host it yourself and save money wouldn't you do so as well?
Steam is not the end all be all, I have steam and plenty of games there but that's not going to stop me from using another store. I hold no alliance with no one but this here is common sense.
I don't see how this is any different from what EA/Blizzard or other companies do with their own stores. Does that make them evil to? Nope, not one bit if...you were running your own digital platform and had the opportunity to host it yourself and save money wouldn't you do so as well?
Steam is not the end all be all, I have steam and plenty of games there but that's not going to stop me from using another store. I hold no alliance with no one but this here is common sense.
Is there any statistics to back up that claim?
TharpDaddy
Member
I was more meaning it was designed 8 years ago, I can't really think of a recent product or service MS has put out that's bad like GFWL was. MS lately seems pretty solid on the hardware and software quality side of things. I don't really worry that the Windows store is going to be another smoking pile of trash, they know they can't do that again.