17 replies to this topic

[TrooperManiac]

This didn't fit anywhere else so I thought id mention it here, The steam summer sale is in its fifth day and hundreds of thousands of gamers are logging into steam to buy games but also to download the free ones. For the life of me I don't understand why the dev team of MWO wouldn't put Mech Warrior on steams free to play list.. Its the PERFECT opportunity and a great way to nab a few hundred possible customers.
Lets take Dota 2 for example, It was just released for free on steam and I have just made a new character in that game. The game is FLOODED with new players... floooooded. You guys really missed your chance on this one.

[blinkin]

it costs money. this was a business decision. i don't agree, but i also do not have all the facts that went into their decision making process.

[wickwire]

i for one am glad that MWO is not on steam yet, because it is far from finished. new players would be put off by the lack of metagame and tutorials. releasing the game in its current state to such a broad audience as steam would actually hurt its reputatiob.

[Mackman]

wickwire, on 17 July 2013 - 12:51 PM, said:

i for one am glad that MWO is not on steam yet, because it is far from finished. new players would be put off by the lack of metagame and tutorials. releasing the game in its current state to such a broad audience as steam would actually hurt its reputatiob.

This. This is the reason. In a few months, people will say, "MechWarrior Online is out? That sounds fun, I'll give it a shot."

But if it went into the Steam sale right now, those same people would instead say, "MWO is out? I played it a couple months ago, and it was pretty meh. Think I'll pass."

[Volthorne]

wickwire, on 17 July 2013 - 12:51 PM, said:

new players would be put off by the lack of metagame and tutorials.

I'd like to point out that Terraria and Minecraft have no tutorials (except for the console version because console gamers are ******* toolbags), but the caveat to that is they're relatively easier to learn.

[blinkin]

Volthorne, on 17 July 2013 - 12:56 PM, said:

I'd like to point out that Terraria and Minecraft have no tutorials (except for the console version because console gamers are ******* toolbags), but the caveat to that is they're relatively easier to learn.

designing relevant tutorials does also seem to be a problem for online games. as they are updated often times any sort of tutorial or single player game will break severely, so the whole mess often needs to be redone every time there is a major patch.

[Adridos]

... Because Valve asks for 30% of the profits plus a starter charge? Funnily enough, Crytek does the same for them already.

[Blue Footed Booby]

Volthorne, on 17 July 2013 - 12:56 PM, said:

I'd like to point out that Terraria and Minecraft have no tutorials (except for the console version because console gamers are ******* toolbags), but the caveat to that is they're relatively easier to learn.

Yes, clearly the console version has a tutorial because console gamers are toolbags and not because they had to develop a console version from the ground up anyway, or because the respective console's QA process required it, or because you can't rely on other players to explain what's up when one of the major consoles of this generation requires a fee for online multiplayer.

What the hell drives people to make sweeping generalizations about platforms, like their preferred platform is the Cool Kids Club? Just play what you like, man.

I agree that this game needs to be on Steam eventually, preferably when it has Community Warfare. There's a reason pretty much all AAA games already are, to include games in Cryengine or UE, which requires just as much in the way of royalties.

Quote

... Because Valve asks for 30% of the profits plus a starter charge? Funnily enough, Crytek does the same for them already.

Does "profits" in this case include micro-transactions made through infrastructure outside of what's controlled by Valve?

[Corvus Antaka]

I'd like to see MWO hit steam next summer when CW is done, collisions and DFA is in, and PGI has made awesome money on their own until then

[Adridos]

Blue Footed Booby, on 17 July 2013 - 05:35 PM, said:

Does "profits" in this case include micro-transactions made through infrastructure outside of what's controlled by Valve?

You'd have to ask some developer who has a F2P game on Steam. Internet has only so much info and both sides are quite secretive about those rules for whatever reason.

[Gaan Cathal]

Blue Footed Booby, on 17 July 2013 - 05:35 PM, said:

Does "profits" in this case include micro-transactions made through infrastructure outside of what's controlled by Valve?

I believe you have to be able to purchase DLC (or F2P currency) through Steam under Valve's requirements. That's not to say you can't have non-Valve associated payment methods, just that Steam wallet or on-Steam DLC packs must be an option. That's what EA claimed to get in a stink about when they pulled their lines from Steam (nothing to do with trying to set up Origin as competition, nosir).

[Mechteric]

I think they're waiting until release before going on steam

[General Taskeen]

wickwire, on 17 July 2013 - 12:51 PM, said:

i for one am glad that MWO is not on steam yet, because it is far from finished.

All that really matters is if it works with the steam overlay.

You can add the MWO exe to your steam library right now, and launch the game from Steam, and it works with the steam over lay. This is how I have the game setup.

But yeah, on to your second part, its a better idea that it is not officially "advertised" on there is a good idea, due to the unfinished nature of the game.

[Volthorne]

Blue Footed Booby, on 17 July 2013 - 05:35 PM, said:

Yes, clearly the console version has a tutorial because console gamers are toolbags and not because they had to develop a console version from the ground up anyway, or because the respective console's QA process required it, or because you can't rely on other players to explain what's up when one of the major consoles of this generation requires a fee for online multiplayer.


What the hell drives people to make sweeping generalizations about platforms, like their preferred platform is the Cool Kids Club? Just play what you like, man.

PCs have a fee for online multiplayer too, or do you magically not have to pay a bill to your ISP every month? This is the internet we're talking about, no one can really be relied on to properly explain anything.

Minecraft has no tutorial (and won't for the forseeable future). It drops you in the middle of nowhere with nothing and leaves you to figure out what goes where and how to do X task on your own. The console version requiring a tutorial (possibly demanded by QA, as you seem to infer?) should speak volumes about that particular playerbase. Hell, even the crafting table GIVES you all the recipes without making you discover them!

Some of us don't like how games are "required" to be dumbed-down for people who can't be arsed to enjoy the discovery and learning process. To put things in perspective, I've been through probably 100 encampments in Dwarf Fortress and still get surprised by new mechanics and events that kick my ***, and then take delight in figuring out how to overcome/prevent them.

Also, as stated by blinkin, having a tutorial in a constantly-changing environment would require said tutorial to be updated frequently, which takes up more man-hours PGI might not have.

Edited by Volthorne, 18 July 2013 - 10:43 AM.

[Vox Scorpus]

Just like Wickwire said - It's still in BETA. Besides, why would PGI pay Steam to be on Steam? I could see advertising MWO on Steam but what's the point of using their interface. Ok ok so I guess CW would make sense.

[Gaan Cathal]

Vox Scorpus, on 18 July 2013 - 11:09 PM, said:

Just like Wickwire said - It's still in BETA. Besides, why would PGI pay Steam to be on Steam? I could see advertising MWO on Steam but what's the point of using their interface. Ok ok so I guess CW would make sense.

You can't advertise on Steam if you're not on Steam, and it's a massive sales booster.

Volthorne, on 18 July 2013 - 10:41 AM, said:

PCs have a fee for online multiplayer too, or do you magically not have to pay a bill to your ISP every month? This is the internet we're talking about, no one can really be relied on to properly explain anything.

False point. The fee for using a console online service doesn't replace that same ISP bill.

Edited by Gaan Cathal, 19 July 2013 - 04:32 PM.

[Vox Scorpus]

Gaan Cathal, on 19 July 2013 - 04:31 PM, said:

You can't advertise on Steam if you're not on Steam, and it's a massive sales booster.

Yes Steam is a massive sales booster (I have 5 Steam based games and have been using them for year and 1/2) BUT, my point is, It's still beta. Should PGI advertise now? I don't think so. When was last time anyone saw a car ad with 1/2 the car missing? By all means they could and should at some point. Let it be ready for it though.

[blinkin]

Vox Scorpus, on 20 July 2013 - 01:14 AM, said:

Yes Steam is a massive sales booster (I have 5 Steam based games and have been using them for year and 1/2) BUT, my point is, It's still beta. Should PGI advertise now? I don't think so. When was last time anyone saw a car ad with 1/2 the car missing? By all means they could and should at some point. Let it be ready for it though.

actually it is becoming very common for games to SELL (as in people are paying THEM money to play incomplete games) their beta and alpha versions on steam.