Record non-steam game playtime (flag ?)

[Defective Soul]

I sugest add option, or at least game launch flag (wich will be prased by steam) wich will keep track of non-steam game wich was added to steam library as non-steam game
It will be a one more step into "steam as universal" and will give at least some players one more reason to launch even non-steam games via steam
Also it might be a good idea to add ability to merge non-steam game time to it's steam release if it will hapen at some point - steam just can check executable checksumm and filename, developer can have one more page - steam sync (?) wich will ask developer for "pre-steam" version executable and if user's file & developer's match (sha512 or other checksumm + filename ?) then auto-add non-steam hours to steam title, e.g. closed betas/alphas where game builds avielable at some sites and etc

[potato]

this was suggested many times before, i don't think they have any interest in adding it

[lsdninja]

Allowing non-Steam games to access more of the features restricted to Steam games also increases the likelihood of people looking beyond Steam's walled garden and Valve absolutely do not want that.

[Gwarsbane]

Originally posted by Defective Soul:

I sugest add option, or at least game launch flag (wich will be prased by steam) wich will keep track of non-steam game wich was added to steam library as non-steam game
It will be a one more step into "steam as universal" and will give at least some players one more reason to launch even non-steam games via steam
Also it might be a good idea to add ability to merge non-steam game time to it's steam release if it will hapen at some point - steam just can check executable checksumm and filename, developer can have one more page - steam sync (?) wich will ask developer for "pre-steam" version executable and if user's file & developer's match (sha512 or other checksumm + filename ?) then auto-add non-steam hours to steam title, e.g. closed betas/alphas where game builds avielable at some sites and etc

No, you buy games on Steam itself or buy Steam Keys for the extra perks that come along with Steam.

No game from some other platform should get any extra perks even if its a game on Steam already.

[76561198407601200]

Originally posted by Defective Soul:

I sugest add option, or at least game launch flag (wich will be prased by steam) wich will keep track of non-steam game wich was added to steam library as non-steam game
It will be a one more step into "steam as universal" and will give at least some players one more reason to launch even non-steam games via steam
Also it might be a good idea to add ability to merge non-steam game time to it's steam release if it will hapen at some point - steam just can check executable checksumm and filename, developer can have one more page - steam sync (?) wich will ask developer for "pre-steam" version executable and if user's file & developer's match (sha512 or other checksumm + filename ?) then auto-add non-steam hours to steam title, e.g. closed betas/alphas where game builds avielable at some sites and etc

You would have to purchase the game on steam to receive those features. Right now you can simply add non-steam games so you have the convenience of launching from steam.

[Defective Soul]

Well i not sure but i dont think steam is able to ignore 100 usd paygate for game and just add game for free if dev agrees
RN i play boives of the void and it distributed via itch, yet because i am linux player i make use of proton to play it properly so i added VotV as non-steam game and set it to run via proton. RN game is in early accses/active development and i expect game to end up with steam release, yet RN all those hours i gona play ain't gona be accounted in steam/all what i wll have is my own skill&expiriences

[nullable]

Originally posted by Defective Soul:

Well i not sure but i dont think steam is able to ignore 100 usd paygate for game and just add game for free if dev agrees

If the dev wants to give you a free (steam) key for their game, that's up to them. It has nothing to with Valve. Valve isn't going to give you keys or licenses for non-Valve games, you'd have to take it up with the developer. The developer controls and manages their product on Steam.

Originally posted by Defective Soul:

RN i play boives of the void and it distributed via itch, yet because i am linux player i make use of proton to play it properly so i added VotV as non-steam game and set it to run via proton. RN game is in early accses/active development and i expect game to end up with steam release, yet RN all those hours i gona play ain't gona be accounted in steam/all what i wll have is my own skill&expiriences

While I understand why you might find that inconvenient, it has nothing to do with Valve or Steam.

Using proton to run games doesn't put Valve on the hook to track all your usage. A game being on Steam eventually doesn't put Valve on the hook to track your all your usage for other versions/platforms. Valve isn't all that concerned with trying to account for every users playtime of all games across all platforms and systems and there isn't a way you can twist things to change that.

Playtime being tracked is for game licenses managed on Steam, it's not for arbitrary software or for software the user might eventually purchase on Steam. If you want Steam features, buy the game on Steam. Otherwise live with the features you have or are provided by the current platform you're using.

[76561198407601200]

Originally posted by Defective Soul:

Well i not sure but i dont think steam is able to ignore 100 usd paygate for game and just add game for free if dev agrees
RN i play boives of the void and it distributed via itch, yet because i am linux player i make use of proton to play it properly so i added VotV as non-steam game and set it to run via proton. RN game is in early accses/active development and i expect game to end up with steam release, yet RN all those hours i gona play ain't gona be accounted in steam/all what i wll have is my own skill&expiriences

There we have it, the "I want something for free". It wouldn't matter what you think steam should or should not be able to do, they choose to require you to purchase the game license on Steam in order to benefit from the services. Being able to add non steam games was throwing you a bone or giving you and inch but now you want to take a mile.

[Sebastian]

+1 it's a good idea

the fact that the option to add a non-steam game exists proves that Valve have some interest in keeping us in their platform (even if it's playing other games), so adding more option for those non-steam games goes in the same direction regardless what the trolls say

[KrakenGreywolf]

It’d be cool, but honestly I’d be happy enough if they showed playtime for DLC you bought FROM Steam-that’d be a good first step.

[Defective Soul]

Originally posted by KrakenCrow13y:

It’d be cool, but honestly I’d be happy enough if they showed playtime for DLC you bought FROM Steam-that’d be a good first step.

the issue with DLCs is that they are just an extra conted wich only loaded by main game process, while steam just tracks how long gamename.exe or else process name was runing