Enforce a non launcher policy on steam store

[UbioZur]

I believe that steam is big enough to be able to change the market and enforce a an increase user experience on their store (and hopefully will snowball to the other stores)

When a user press play on the game, the game should start so the user can play the game. There should be a policy for that by steam for their store!
No more playing play to start another store to start a launcher to start a daemon to start a game.

Having a second button to start a game launcher as an addition is fine to add also, but the play button should be to play the game, not to be redirected to another window that is not the game (either it's a launcher or downloader or store).

Yes it would annoy many big publisher and other store, and some contracts may be lost and gone from steam because their greedy publisher don't care about their players.
But I believe the player experience will increase and more player would be keen on staying with steam as a store then.

Bonus, it may also help a lot to get many games and experiences being fluid and smooth on the deck and deck ui and big picture!

[no154370]

Początkowo opublikowane przez UbioZur:

I believe that steam is big enough to be able to change the market and enforce a an increase user experience on their store (and hopefully will snowball to the other stores)

When a user press play on the game, the game should start so the user can play the game. There should be a policy for that by steam for their store!
No more playing play to start another store to start a launcher to start a daemon to start a game.

Having a second button to start a game launcher as an addition is fine to add also, but the play button should be to play the game, not to be redirected to another window that is not the game (either it's a launcher or downloader or store).

Yes it would annoy many big publisher and other store, and some contracts may be lost and gone from steam because their greedy publisher don't care about their players.
But I believe the player experience will increase and more player would be keen on staying with steam as a store then.

Bonus, it may also help a lot to get many games and experiences being fluid and smooth on the deck and deck ui and big picture!

Steam don't have jurisdiction over Game Developers and Game Publishers at all

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if you got problems starting the game, then the problem is on your end.

don't blame the game and the game launcher for it.

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also, it is the Users' responsibility to check the Game(s) System Requirements before buying the game or installing "Free To Play Game".

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the way you wrote your post OP, it sounds like you got problems opening and starting certain Steam Games.

and you instantly pushes the blame on the Game Developers and the Game Launcher.

[no154370]

also, i'm going to remind this

1) Linux is not a Gaming Computer and Gaming System at all

[Pscht]

I'd rather enforce a "search instead of posting" rule.

[Supafly]

Force companies that already have their own launcher to allow their games sold on Steam to launch without their own launcher would likely mean they stop selling games on Steam completely. Also wouldn't change how things work for any game sold before this got introduced.

If you don't want to use a separate launcher buy the game on that platform

[no154370]

in other words, don't play the Game(s) on Steam Platform.

[Nx Machina]

External launchers such a Ubisoft Connect, Origin validate the licence of you having the game on Steam and in turn allow it to launch it.

Secondly it is not Valve decision as to whether a 3rd party requires a launcher nor what copy protection they use such as Denuvo.

And finally if you want that specific game/s get it on their launcher and not on Steam.

[UbioZur]

Początkowo opublikowane przez no154370:

Steam don't have jurisdiction over Game Developers and Game Publishers at all

Valve own steam and therefore can decide what they want for their store, if they want that the play button start a game, then they can enfore it on their rules. if they want games to disclose when they are early access, then they can enforce it on their store etc...

Plus they already have and enforce rules in their review process, let me quote you some:

source: https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/store/review_process

The description will need to be detailed and coherent.
It's important that customers know what to expect before they purchase your product. You should not include links to other websites from this section.

For titles that are releasing in Early Access, you will need to answer all the questions in the Early Access section. In this section, you want to give customers a clear expectation of what the current version of your game contains, and what features and content still need to be added before the game is considered complete.

For titles that have marked the "Adult Only Sexual Content" section in the Mature Content Survey, both the Store Page and Product Build must be completed and submitted for review before the Store Page will be reviewed and set to "Ready for release".

Your product will need to start up properly.
This means that your product must successfully launch in all supported operating systems listed on the store page.

Your product must use Steam Wallet for any in-game transactions.
This means that your product cannot link to other store pages that does not offer Steam Wallet.

That last one is actually very interresting as many other store games probably break that...

outside of that, it seems to mean that steam wants things to be clear for the player. and in my opinion, pressing the play button should clearly play the game and not something else!

Początkowo opublikowane przez no154370:

if you got problems starting the game, then the problem is on your end.

don't blame the game and the game launcher for it.

I have some problem starting game that don't start but actually show another launcher/window, but mostly the problem I have is annoyance at having to click play many time on differents windows.
It's called bad user experience!

Początkowo opublikowane przez no154370:

also, it is the Users' responsibility to check the Game(s) System Requirements before buying the game or installing "Free To Play Game".

Who talked about free to play or games that don't fit requirements (feel free to quote my message for it), 99% of my games I have paid for, and play very fine on my computer, but some of them (more and more of them), don't play when I press play but actually launch another thing (launcher, store, popup, whatever)!

Początkowo opublikowane przez no154370:

the way you wrote your post OP, it sounds like you got problems opening and starting certain Steam Games.

There are some games that have issue sure, like for many games, but my problem is the bad user experience about pressing play and not having a game starting because there is another launcher, store, popup or whatever being open instead.

Początkowo opublikowane przez no154370:

and you instantly pushes the blame on the Game Developers and the Game Launcher.

Who make the decision to have such launcher, store, popup to be run instead of the game when the game is run from a launcher? it's not steam, it's not the player, it's the publisher.
Prove me wrong by all mean! show me any games that have a launcher/store/popup when you press play and that decision was not made by the developer/publisher of the game.

Początkowo opublikowane przez no154370:

1) Linux is not a Gaming Computer and Gaming System at all

Who talked about linux? and neither is windows or macos, they are all operating systems that can run and play some games!
What does that have to do with steam having a rule on their store to make sure the play button actually play the game?

Początkowo opublikowane przez Pscht:

I'd rather enforce a "search instead of posting" rule.

Would be nice, but doesn't always work
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/search/?gidforum=882959061469928464&include_deleted=1&q=game+launcher -> nothing in the first 3 pages

but feel free to link me to a previous post about it. it is better to consolidate than spread.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Supafly:

Force companies that already have their own launcher to allow their games sold on Steam to launch without their own launcher would likely mean they stop selling games on Steam completely.

It did say that it would mean some publisher wouldn't be happy, and fair to them if they want to limit their market reach.
I don't say that they need to not also sell on their store, by all mean games on their store/launcher or downloaded from their website can have their launcher/store. but games taken from another store (in our case steam) should be launched by that launcher.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Supafly:

Also wouldn't change how things work for any game sold before this got introduced.

So because enforcing a change retroactivly would be too much of an hassle mean that such change should not happen for the future?

Początkowo opublikowane przez Supafly:

If you don't want to use a separate launcher buy the game on that platform

- in the case of another store (origin, uplay, epic), if I buy the game on steam, it is on that other store/platform, so why buy it there instead if I can have a good deal on steam?
- in the case of not another store (MMO usually, and many other games that start with a launcher, KSP, torchlite 2, etc), what platform should I buy it on?

I am not suggesting to discriminate against all other stores, I am suggesting to simply not allow the play button to start anything else than the actual game!
And as stated it would be more than welcome to have another button to start the launcher, especially if it's a useful one (like those who allow mod managment).

Even if pressing play, start another store/launcher but do start the game without requiring the player to press another button is a good enough start in my opinion.

[UbioZur]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Nx Machina:

External launchers such a Ubisoft Connect, Origin validate the licence of you having the game on Steam and in turn allow it to launch it.

And that is ok as long as it is done in the background and does not require the player to press any other play button...

Now how about the games that have launchers that are not from another store?

Początkowo opublikowane przez Nx Machina:

Secondly it is not Valve decision as to whether a 3rd party requires a launcher nor what copy protection they use such as Denuvo.

Absolutly but it is up to them if they want to make sure the play button play the game instead of running another application that would force the player to press another play button again!

Początkowo opublikowane przez Nx Machina:

And finally if you want that specific game/s get it on their launcher and not on Steam.

But what if the game is only available on steam store? and I don't want their launcher.

You are confusing, launcher and store!

[Tito Shivan]

A no-launcher policy in Steam will mean games with launchers won't be in here. Just like GOG's no-drm policy means games with DRM are not in their store.

[Nx Machina]

Początkowo opublikowane przez UbioZur:

And that is ok as long as it is done in the background and does not require the player to press any other play button...

It is done in the background as you are pressing the "play" button on Steam and the installed game will launch after verifying the licence with Ubisoft Connect, Origin.

Początkowo opublikowane przez UbioZur:

Now how about the games that have launchers that are not from another store?

Who owns the game? The developer, publisher so if they want a "launcher" for Hearts of Iron IV or XCOM 2 they can because Valve does not own the game and neither do you, in fact you own a licence only.

Początkowo opublikowane przez UbioZur:

Absolutly but it is up to them if they want to make sure the play button play the game instead of running another application that would force the player to press another play button again!

Valve does not own the copyright etc to dictate after all even Epic Game Store requires 3rd party clients, launchers.

Początkowo opublikowane przez UbioZur:

But what if the game is only available on steam store? and I don't want their launcher.

Then you do not buy it after all there are games only available on Epic Game Store which require a 3rd party client - The Division 2 is one example with Uibsoft Connect or you get the game on Ubisoft Connect.

Początkowo opublikowane przez UbioZur:

You are confusing, launcher and store!

Am i?

Nope as Valve via Steam, Epic via the Epic Game Store etc sell licences for 3rd party games and if the developer, publisher of said 3rd party games "requires their client" to be installed to verify the licence that is the premise on which it can be sold, after all the game will not "launch" without verification so in those terms it is an "out of sight launcher".

Secondly if the developer, publisher wants a "launcher" for Hearts of Iron IV or XCOM 2 etc or to tie their games together they can because again they own the game/s, not you nor Valve nor Epic, nor i.

[Nx Machina]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Tito Shivan:

A no-launcher policy in Steam will mean games with launchers won't be in here. Just like GOG's no-drm policy means games with DRM are not in their store.

Exactly but people never see the negatives of removal.

[Crazy Tiger]

I doubt Valve would enforce such a thing. They're all pro-choice for developers and launchers in general aren't actually a major issue. Sure, there are internet people who complain about them, but they're hardly representative of the whole.

Początkowo opublikowane przez UbioZur:

But what if the game is only available on steam store? and I don't want their launcher.

Then don't buy the game. If developers/publishers do things I don't like, I don't buy their game(s).

[Tito Shivan]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Nx Machina:

Exactly but people never see the negatives of removal.

Or they simply want retribution. A sort of karmik response to the decision of including a launcher in their game.

It's kind of funny how in the same place you get people calling Steam a monopoly and complain about their practices and at the same time people demanding Steam to use their 'monopolistic' position to force developers into doing their bidding.

[Nx Machina]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Tito Shivan:

Or they simply want retribution. A sort of karmik response to the decision of including a launcher in their game.

It's kind of funny how in the same place you get people calling Steam a monopoly and complain about their practices and at the same time people demanding Steam to use their 'monopolistic' position to force developers into doing their bidding.

Irony always has a place in a discussion after all Ubisoft removed themselves from Steam starting with The Division 2 and switched to Epic Game Store. The reaction from gamers was to get the game on Ubisoft Connect because they did not want to get it on Epic Game Store.

For Ubisoft it was a good move as The Division 2 sold tenfold in comparison to The Division on their own platform.

The irony is that those who got The Division 2 on Epic Game Store required the Ubisoft Connect client to be installed to verify the licence so no change from how it works on Steam.

[Judgmental Amaterasu]

Początkowo opublikowane przez UbioZur:

I believe that steam is big enough to be able to change the market and enforce a an increase user experience on their store (and hopefully will snowball to the other stores)

When a user press play on the game, the game should start so the user can play the game. There should be a policy for that by steam for their store!
No more playing play to start another store to start a launcher to start a daemon to start a game.

Having a second button to start a game launcher as an addition is fine to add also, but the play button should be to play the game, not to be redirected to another window that is not the game (either it's a launcher or downloader or store).

Yes it would annoy many big publisher and other store, and some contracts may be lost and gone from steam because their greedy publisher don't care about their players.
But I believe the player experience will increase and more player would be keen on staying with steam as a store then.

Bonus, it may also help a lot to get many games and experiences being fluid and smooth on the deck and deck ui and big picture!

Ah yes forcing people to download the launchers anyways when they have to purchase from a different retailer is definitely going to "improve user experience"