So? As opposed to what, a corporation that is impossible for someone bad to take over? That doesn’t exist. Anything can happen at any time, but no use speculating about a 180 in policy. And they don’t actually have a monopoly, people just love them so much that they but almost exclusively there. If Steam gets shitty, I will buy from a different PC game store.
I’d argue they do have a monopoly. My friends don’t know how to get a game if it isnt on steam. They are scared if I show them a game on a website to get (like armegatron).
I’m just saying, do not trust steam, make sure your games are truly DRM free, and be ready to pay subscription pricing for downloads and steam cloud saves. With server storage pricing being insane and gonna keep climbing, they can’t keep giving you unlimited downloads and storage forever.
DRM free would improve Steam, I’m with you there. But if we’re talking about theoretical enshittification, there is nothing to stop them from adding DRM to existing purchases. And then you’d have to had to make a backup of every exe you downloaded, and not care about cloud saves, etc…so I’m saying I get your point kinda but there isn’t much point in speculating because services like that can always change unless the law prevents it. Which it SHOULD, but I’m not holding my breath. So all we can do is reward good behavior with how we spend money.
Yep I’d agree. I just am wary of any walled garden, because once they lock you in and kill off everything else (ie, the goal of capitalism) youre fucked. See: apple, amazon, google, etc.
I’ve… Literally never heard anybody using the friend network as a reason to use steam. Most games with multiplayer have some way for you to connect with people outside of your steam friends.
Also, that’s the network effect. That’s not what a walled garden is.
You can’t invite someone to a game if they dont have steam. On games that ive ever played anyways. I’m sure theres exceptions. I’d say its both really. Its more so a network effect yeah I was misusing the term.
True, but every option comes down to a hypothetical scenario which does speak of how it is at a decent place.
And pc being an open hardware open OS system makes it so people can just hop to something, and have alternative means like piracy if worst comes to worse.
PC benefit in the end is control over hardware, the programs we can run on it, and modifications that can be done to it. Something that requires hoping for jailbreaks when it comes to consoles.
In comparison they are very good, however that can turn on a dime real damn quick.
Scenario: gaben ded, bilzzard exec buys steam and it goes public. Hello enshittification
This is exactly why I’ll never own a house in a HOA, no matter how good the current board is…
HOAs are hell. I’ll never go near one.
So? As opposed to what, a corporation that is impossible for someone bad to take over? That doesn’t exist. Anything can happen at any time, but no use speculating about a 180 in policy. And they don’t actually have a monopoly, people just love them so much that they but almost exclusively there. If Steam gets shitty, I will buy from a different PC game store.
I’d argue they do have a monopoly. My friends don’t know how to get a game if it isnt on steam. They are scared if I show them a game on a website to get (like armegatron).
I’m just saying, do not trust steam, make sure your games are truly DRM free, and be ready to pay subscription pricing for downloads and steam cloud saves. With server storage pricing being insane and gonna keep climbing, they can’t keep giving you unlimited downloads and storage forever.
First one is a quintessential skill issue.
DRM free would improve Steam, I’m with you there. But if we’re talking about theoretical enshittification, there is nothing to stop them from adding DRM to existing purchases. And then you’d have to had to make a backup of every exe you downloaded, and not care about cloud saves, etc…so I’m saying I get your point kinda but there isn’t much point in speculating because services like that can always change unless the law prevents it. Which it SHOULD, but I’m not holding my breath. So all we can do is reward good behavior with how we spend money.
Yep I’d agree. I just am wary of any walled garden, because once they lock you in and kill off everything else (ie, the goal of capitalism) youre fucked. See: apple, amazon, google, etc.
How is steam a walled garden? Thus far they’ve been acting in favour of compatibility, to the contrary.
Its better than others. But still, its “where all your friends are”. No one is going to use anything else because everyone uses steam.
I’ve… Literally never heard anybody using the friend network as a reason to use steam. Most games with multiplayer have some way for you to connect with people outside of your steam friends.
Also, that’s the network effect. That’s not what a walled garden is.
You can’t invite someone to a game if they dont have steam. On games that ive ever played anyways. I’m sure theres exceptions. I’d say its both really. Its more so a network effect yeah I was misusing the term.
True, but every option comes down to a hypothetical scenario which does speak of how it is at a decent place.
And pc being an open hardware open OS system makes it so people can just hop to something, and have alternative means like piracy if worst comes to worse.
PC benefit in the end is control over hardware, the programs we can run on it, and modifications that can be done to it. Something that requires hoping for jailbreaks when it comes to consoles.