Quality vs Quantity and some issues with the store page.

[sköldpadda]

Hi,

I dont know if I'm the only one feeling like this, but I often visit Steam store page trying to find some good games, but all I see is a gazillion of indie-games. Being Indie doesnt mean it is bad ofcourse, but when I see all these games made with these cheap "Create your own RPG-software" it makes me wonder if just anyone can create a developer account and start publishing games on the Steam platform?
I like quantity, but only as far as there is quality.

It's got to the point where I dont want to purchase anything because there's so many quanity-games that I dont know wich ones are good AAA-titles and wich ones are moneygrab attempts aka Citadels wich a pricetag that makes it look like an AAA-title when it really isnt.

And an issue I've had with the Steam client for many years now, been asking through the Steam Support for a change but so far it's been fruitless attempts over the years.

It's really hard to find anything worth buying these days as I have to scroll through all the homemade games, and if I click on one to read more about it and then hit "back" to continue looking through the list I get kicked back to the start of the list, often having to scroll through many pages before I end up where I was, and then I dont want to click on any game again because it would send me back to the start again. Can you please change this?

[Black Blade]

ok first abut searching going back to first page.. suggest you use Shift+Click so it will open in a new window.. then you will not lose your search or use the browser and use the tabs

Abut the second part i am sorry some what to tell you but Valve sayed not long ago that it Seem they want to close Greenlight and pretty much allow any game on Steam
But i guess that by then they will have something to help users fillter games they may not want to see

And if you really want to know abut a game indie or not.. just look at the reviews that is why there there...

[sköldpadda]

Първоначално публикувано от Black Blade (Study again \(-.-)/:

ok first abut searching going back to first page.. suggest you use Shift+Click so it will open in a new window.. then you will not lose your search or use the browser and use the tabs

Abut the second part i am sorry some what to tell you but Valve sayed not long ago that it Seem they want to close Greenlight and pretty much allow any game on Steam
But i guess that by then they will have something to help users fillter games they may not want to see

And if you really want to know abut a game indie or not.. just look at the reviews that is why there there...

Yes I understand that they will do that, and I do watch reviews before purchasing anything, that's why I havent purchased anything in some time now. It's pretty much like the app market for mobile devices, theres so many apps that the good ones drowns in the flood of information.

Shift+C was new to me, thank you for that one.

[Black Blade]

Shift+Click is a not so known thing be sure to spread the word so some time all will know

Any way i can understand that.. also right now as someone say its the calm time for games.. so not many come out right now... in some time when the summer comes there is a higher chance for more games to come out

Summer is Coming

[Satoru]

Stuff you don't like != lack of quality

[sköldpadda]

Първоначално публикувано от Satoru:

Stuff you don't like != lack of quality

Not at all.
There are quality games I dont like and quantity games I like, but it's up to each one of us to decide what we like.

[Fork_Q2]

It's good to be exposed to stuff you won't normally buy. The store page isn't tailored for you, it's there for the new realses, big updates, news and deals; a little something for everyone.

[crunchyfrog]

The thing is, OP, that there is NO difference between Steam "stocking" such a wide variety of games, and buying games (or any other product) elsewhere. It doesn't matter really how many games are for sale, you're still as likely to fall foul of buying a game you don't like if there were just 10 games for sale or 10,000.

If you don't research, you're frankly naive.

If you're having trouble keeping up with the releases, then make good use of the search tools. Yes, shift-clicking is essential in browsing, as already stated by Black Blade.

What I recommend is you approach this logically.

Sit down one day (if you wish to) and go through all the games you're interested in on the whole store - you can simply enter a null search to list everything. Scribble down or add to your wishlist those that interest you.

Then all you've got to do after that, at any point in time, is enter a null search again, click on the date released tab, and check them back to the last date you checked.

I have a wide range in tastes, so I'll search through just about everything, and I'll often check about once a month. Even then, it only takes minutes before I reach the date I last searched to.

[Gus the Crocodile]

If it isn't a matter of taste, perhaps you can share the steps to follow to objectively determine whether something is "unplayable trash"?

Първоначално публикувано от StarryEyedGirl:

I think the amount of games available is great, but also overwhelming at times. What I don't like is the Early Access games. I just don't see the point other than the developer trying to raise money and get free beta testing.

Besides being a funding platform, an opportunity for devs to get more widespread testing done, and an opportunity for players to participate in that testing period and play a game earlier than if they'd waited for release, what "point" would satisfy you? Because that stuff is the point of Early Access. Sounds like saying "I just don't see the point of buying games other than to get access to an enjoyable entertainment product and to support its creators".

[Jeneki]

I'm loving the recent flood of niche genres in the store. For example, we are *finally* getting a decent selection of shmups on Steam. Heck yeah!

[Fork_Q2]

Първоначално публикувано от BDK:

I only see early access games, and since I'm not a moron, I don't run out and buy an unfinished game that could potentially be in development for many many years.

That word is blanked out? Weird.

[crunchyfrog]

Първоначално публикувано от StarryEyedGirl:

You are correct in that my opinion is not objective. The only examples I can come up with off the top of my head are Ride to Hell and Gary's Day One Incident. Both of which I got a good amount of quality laughs from. Even the seemingly objective opinion that a game cannot be completed due to glitches, some might get entertainment out of. I've seen other games with 90+% thumbs down.

I primarily play single player games so Early Access to me is just like a huge spoiler. My policy is to only buy games when they hit 75% off AND are less than $5. I have so many games, that this works fine for me.

Early Access titles don't hurt me in anyway, they just aren't for me and a separate section would be good. Fortunately I can hide them with Enhanced Steam. I am not willing to purchase a game early and help mold the game. Can't be bothered.

Much as I support literally anything (within reason) being included on Steam, I adopt a policy very similar to yours.

I only buy games when cheap and the reason I'm able to do this effectively is two-fold:

(1) I tend to play single-player games, like you, so age of a game is completely irrelevant.
(2) When you buy cheap, you can buy more games for your money, which then means it takes more time to complete them, and you don't need the games so often. It's a self-fulfulling premise.

Mind you, I doubt many people would want to take it to the degrees I have, but if the worst happened and I couldn't buy another game ever again, I have enough backlog to last me a few years.

[OldPeasant]

Първоначално публикувано от Skuggan:

it makes me wonder if just anyone can create a developer account and start publishing games on the Steam platform?

That's exactly what Valve is moving towards. They're trying to adopt a similar model to the Google Play store, in which anyone can publish their game regardless of its quality. It's also why the report function was revamped recently, with options such as "report malware/spyware" having been added.

Valve has been hinting that they would take this approch for quite some time, so we're probably not too far off from Valve fully adopting the model into the steam store. It'll be interesting to see if the community can actually police the store properly (If Google Play is anything to go by, it won't work) themselves.

[Marble]

Cutting back on the quantity of titles is not going to make more quality titles magically appear.

[consistentlysick]

" suggest you use Shift+Click so it will open in a new window.."

Thanks Black Blade didn't know that.

To Skuggan, I usually open up a steam page via browser (internet explorer) to search through
lists, escpecially during the big sales. It's a lot faster.

[Fork_Q2]

Първоначално публикувано от Canti:

Cutting back on the quantity of titles is not going to make more quality titles magically appear.

But they won't be hidden under a pile of crap. Being on Steam should expect at least a minimal level of quality.