Community MetaSteam | September 2019 - Valve, I Know What You Did Last Summer!

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PC-tan

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You know, if the gaming press wanted an easy way to dunk on Valve, the mishandling of Dota's pro-scene would probably be a great place to start.
Did something happen recently? You also have to remember that in general the press seems to think that Valve does nothing and that might also include anything Dota related. Also do the mainstream gaming press cover either Dota or CSGO stuff? I think they care more about Overwatch and LOL.


Namco is so weird with the store pages...
Ya so this game will not bee out for month and yet the pages for Digimon and SRW have not gone up yet (just a few more days till SRW page goes up, which day was it again?)

I am curious as to why it went up? Maybe because Valve is doing the TGS thing? I don't think the One Piece Musou game even has a store page right now either or some of the other stuff set out for next year.

Well at least I am glad that Bandai is sticking to Steam. ER may be the one game that gets released on both Steam and EGS though.


I am not into Fortnite but I do like the designs of the cosmetics and some of the different ideas that they introduce to the game. I have no plans to play the game though. What is funny is that I was sort of excited for Fortnite way back when it was still in development (I think this was before Tencent purchased Epic shares) but then you didn't really hear much about the game and it felt like Epic just stopped taking about it.


I think I am going to restart Pokemon Black version (I really liked the game), I still have my copy but I am not going to wipe it clean, I think I am just going to use a DS emulator and play it that way (Nintendo and Gamefreak already got my money and it's not my fault that you only get one save slot in the game). One of the issue I think is that Pokemon Black and White have some sort of protection thing (I'm guessing the IR chip that comes in the cartridge for the games) so you will not be able to progress past a certain point in the game.
Ah, late Summer nights. There is a cicada outside my window making it's terribly loud screeching noise... but if I play Daoko music it stops. Then I turn off the music and it starts it shit again.


Can't say I mind too terribly, cuz I friggin' love Daoko, but I gotta sleep here sometime and I hope this bugger flies off to leave me alone before than...

Bring on Winter already. In Winter all the bugs here go away.
I mostly know about this artist because of that Dragalia game (which I stopped playing a long time ago).

Also Winter is nice since ya less bugs.

By the way looking at the RE Ambassador program I am surprised that they list Fatal Frame (or Dead Island) but not Left 4 Dead. I am guessing that they want to know what kind of "shooters"/horror games people are into (they could have also added Dead Space (but that series is likely never coming back in any shape or form).
 
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texhnolyze

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Why is that some unreleased games have the prices displayed in my whistlist, but while some others don't?

Some examples are Code Vein, Dragon Ball Kakarot, and Destiny 2. You can already pre-purchase the games, but the prices aren't showing in whistist. Do publishers need to manually adjust them, or is it because of another factor? I think not displaying the price for pre-purchase phase is a huge mistake, as I often skip them while scrolling through my whistlist.
 

uraizen

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Why is that some unreleased games have the prices displayed in my whistlist, but while some others don't?

Some examples are Code Vein, Dragon Ball Kakarot, and Destiny 2. You can already pre-purchase the games, but the prices aren't showing in whistist. Do publishers need to manually adjust them, or is it because of another factor? I think not displaying the price for pre-purchase phase is a huge mistake, as I often skip them while scrolling through my whistlist.
I think it's because there's multiple purchase options like a deluxe version and stuff.
 
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Samson

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Did something happen recently? You also have to remember that in general the press seems to think that Valve does nothing and that might also include anything Dota related. Also do the mainstream gaming press cover either Dota or CSGO stuff? I think they care more about Overwatch and LOL.
Yeah, it kind of did. Long story made slightly shorter, there was an unofficial, meme-ish tournament planned for the last week of September by a well known community personality (who, notably, has worked with Valve many times). Tickets have been for sale, an arena was ready, official sponsors were already secured, fans had participated in crowdfunding to raise over $15,000, and a prizepool of $150,000 was available (last time the tournament was held, the prizepool ended up being given to charity).

Then Valve released their Dota Pro Circuit schedule yesterday, and the week of that tournament is now overlapped by the first Qualifier for the Pro Circuit, effectively throwing the entire tournament in danger since teams probably now need to skip the tourney to prepare for official games.

On its own, that's not really the end of the world, just kind of a mess. But the schedule and accompanying info basically said there was no support (again) for Tier 2/Tier 3 Dota, and minor regions got basically zero support again, and the prize pool distribution is still a big unequal mess that seems driven by Valve's desire for big flashy headlines around TI. It's not like the scene is going to collapse tomorrow, but an overly top-heavy system has been created over the past few years and it's probably really unhealthy for the future of the game.

And it's obviously not that I want to read articles from the gaming press dunking on Valve, it's just funny that they use "thE StoREfrOnT tHoUgh" as a way to attack Valve, when a way easier vector to criticize them would be in researching how much they're potentially mismanaging their competitive scenes and similar aspects of their business. But, that would take effort to understand esports and tons of research into that world, when dunking on "the toxic consumers" is easier.
 

texhnolyze

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I think it's because there's multiple purchase options like a deluxe version and stuff.
You're probably right. I can't believe that there's only one version of Cyberpunk 2077.

Anyway, it's a huge mistake because I wouldn't know if a game on my whistlist if finally available for purchase without visiting the store page. I believe lots of people have the same habit. Especially since putting a game on your whistlist is not enough, as you won't get updates if you're not also following the game.
 

uraizen

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You're probably right. I can't believe that there's only one version of Cyberpunk 2077.

Anyway, it's a huge mistake because I wouldn't know if a game on my whistlist if finally available for purchase without visiting the store page. I believe lots of people have the same habit. Especially since putting a game on your whistlist is not enough, as you won't get updates if you're not also following the game.
Yeah, you're right, I've had it happen to me a few times. By the time I get an update it's just "Hey! it's out!" Well... what if I wanted that sweet pre-order bonus bow tie or something. Now I'll never get that bow tie because I didn't know.
 

Rockin' Ranger

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These EGS exclusives that eventually come to steam put me in a moral quandary. I am not going to buy the games on EGS but I really dont want to reward the companies by paying full price day 1 on Steam (day 361) as that shows the company there is no downside to going EGS exclusive temporarily. Also EGS exclusives that come to Steam eventually will only ever be sold straight from Steam for the steam version, so we further wont be able to get discounts via Humble/GMG ect..
It's not really a quandary for me, I'm not buying games a year after release for more than they've been in sale for before. I'm interested in Observation since I really liked Stories Untold, but since it's already been $12.49 I'm not gonna be paying more than $10 for it when it's a year old.
 
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lashman

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The British government should regulate loot boxes under gambling law, a parliamentary inquiry has recommended.

After nearly nine months of evidence gathering, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee today published its 84-page report into immersive and addictive technologies.

Chief among its list of recommendations were that loot boxes should be regulated under gambling law, and there be a ban on selling them to children.

The inquiry took evidence from all corners of the industry -- including developers, trade bodies, and academics -- and reported a "lack of honesty and transparency" among social media and game company representatives.

DCMS Committee chair Damian Collins MP said it was time for gaming and social media companies to be more responsible, and challenged the government's current stance that loot boxes aren't gambling.

If the government wants to maintain that position even in light of the DCMS report, the committee said it should publish a paper explaining why loot boxes are exempt from the Gambling Act.

The committee noted that evidence around the potential harms of simulated gambling on children remains thin, and therefore recommended a precautionary approach going forward.

Additionally, the committee suggested that the UK government should advise PEGI to apply the existing gambling content label, and corresponding age limits, to games that feature loot boxes or similar mechanics of obfuscation and chance.

Aside from loot boxes, the scathing report recommended the games industry take responsibility for protecting players against potential harms and support independent research on the "long-term effects of gaming." It also expressed "serious concern" at the lack of robust age-verification systems.

Following the formal classification of gaming disorder by the World Health Organisation earlier this year, the committee also suggested the department should begin working with independent researchers immediately -- funded in-part by an industry tax -- and with game companies sharing aggregated player data.

The sharing of data for research purposes was something academics called for during the inquiry. When giving evidence to the committee in June, it was a sentiment echoed by King Digital head of portfolio and new games, Alex Dale, albeit with the caveat that data is "subject to normal commercial protections."

Commercially sensitive data proved somewhat of a sticking point throughout the evidence gathering process, with many game companies -- particularly Epic Games -- leveraging it as avoidance strategy when asked questions about typical player-spend and playtime, a tactic which saw MPs describe gaming companies as being "wilfully obtuse."

"Gaming contributes to a global industry that generates billions in revenue," said Collins. "It is unacceptable that some companies with millions of users and children among them should be so ill-equipped to talk to us about the potential harm of their products."

This attitude rankled Collins, who told GamesIndustry.biz back in June that game companies were "waiting to be told what to do by others" and only "paying lip service" to the problems.

Making comparisons to the gambling industry, it was noted that the games industry has "not sufficiently accepted responsibility for either understanding or preventing this harm."

Committee members paid particular attention to protections for vulnerable people during the inquiry, and the report shows that industry assurances fell short, as companies were "generally reluctant" to accept responsibility for player well being, or intervening if someone demonstrated abnormal spending.

The report even cited evidence that "gaming is several years behind gambling in relation to protecting the vulnerable" and highlights instances of people spending thousands of pounds on games like RuneScape and FIFA.

Finally, the committee suggested there may be need for legislation to protect children from playing games that are not appropriate for their age. This was born from a concern that companies are not enforcing age restrictions -- palming responsibility off to platform holders -- and inconsistencies around age-rating systems for online games, which are not legally enforceable.

UKIE CEO Dr Jo Twist said the trade body will review the recommendations with "utmost seriousness."

Although Dr Twist didn't specifically mention loot boxes, she said UKIE will consult with industry stakeholders on how to "demonstrate further our commitment to player safety."

"We have consistently been in dialogue with government and other key partners about establishing an appropriate research framework and will continue to do so," Dr Twist added.

"We are pleased the Committee acknowledges that the majority of people play video games in a positive, safe and responsible way. The industry does not dispute that, for a minority, finding balance is a problem. This is why we are vocal in supporting efforts to increase digital literacy and work with schools and carers on education programmes.

"We also welcome the Committee's recognition of good practice which already exists in the industry including pioneering community management and technical measures which ensure players have a safe experience online."
 
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texhnolyze

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I'm not feeling it :/ it looks like a regular ass JRPG with better production values. I would rather have something like Xenoblade
The combat reeeeally seems to drag down a lot. I hope this one is shorter because jeez.
Yeah, I wasn't totally against it, but I'm certainly not impressed after watching the combat in action.

And I totally agree with you, a Xenoblade combat system would fit be better. Auto action while you can freely move, and execute special actions on cooldowns. There will also be moves that should be activated from the side/back of the enemy, as well as combination moves with your companions.

Really strange that they would mix things up that much in a mainline game in the series instead of a spin off or something.
It's not really a mainline game as it won't be called Yakuza 7. It's like a reboot.
 
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Mivey

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It's almost as if abusing your customer base has legal consequences and leads to regulation. They can probably rest assured though that US isn't gonna show that level of functioning government, at least on a federal level

Here's the wold smallest violin for video game publishers future MTX revenue:
 

NarohDethan

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And I totally agree with you, a Xenoblade combat system would fit be better. Auto action while you can freely move, and execute special actions on cooldowns. There will also be moves that should be activated from the side/back of the enemy, as well as combination moves with your companions.
For me it makes no sense to have goons and lowlifes taking turns to attack you instead of just overwhelm you. I see people raving about the satellite thing and sure it is funny but it will get tired by the third time you use it, especially if it is an unskipabble long animation.

For me Xenoblade system fits better, you could combo with your party into Heat Actions and what not.
Yeah it looks like SEGA isnt pushing it as a mainline title in the west with that logo.
Sega of America was always right it seems.
 

Kvik

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Downunder.
I'm not feeling it :/ it looks like a regular ass JRPG with better production values. I would rather have something like Xenoblade
The combat reeeeally seems to drag down a lot. I hope this one is shorter because jeez.
The combat sure is flashy, though ... like a certain RPG featuring a black cat who simply won't shut up. :02lurk:
 
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lashman

lashman

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It's almost as if abusing your customer base has legal consequences and leads to regulation. They can probably rest assured though that US isn't gonna show that level of functioning government, at least on a federal level

Here's the wold smallest violin for video game publishers future MTX revenue
RIP epic 💀
 

NarohDethan

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The combat sure is flashy, though ... like a certain RPG featuring a black cat who simply won't shut up. :02lurk:
I guess I'll have to pass on this one. I'm sorry but this is not the kind of thing I buy Yakuza games for.
 
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BlackRainbowFT

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It's not really a quandary for me, I'm not buying games a year after release for more than they've been in sale for before. I'm interested in Observation since I really liked Stories Untold, but since it's already been $12.49 I'm not gonna be paying more than $10 for it when it's a year old.
I share the same point of view and I'm not sure the developers realize that many other people might do too... if people expect to pay less than day-0 prices when egsclusives finally come to Steam (or at least that the DLC be bundled by default)... wouldn't that result in a bigger loss than the dreaded 30%? Assuming, and it is a pretty safe assumption, that the number of copies sold on Steam is greater than on EGS...

if the game is unsuccessful it's not an issue because the money from Epic supposedly covers everything and basically allows the devs to keep the lights on... but if the game sells really well, they could end up losing money.

this has probably already been discussed ad nauseam, but I don't remember reading this exact argument (or at least framed this way).

obviously my post ignores everything else that has already been talked about, like the generated keys for which Valve gets a big fat goose egg...
 

NarohDethan

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Man what a sad day. Between Asymmetrical RE multiplayer shit and Yakuza rpg shenanigans, two kicks in the balls in less than 4 hours.

At least Sakura Taisen looks good
 
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lashman

lashman

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Maybe this is why Epic is in such a hurry to establish itself as a games distributor. They're worried that governments around the world will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
yeah, probably

I really, really want to see what a lootbox ban would do to these scummy companies. EA especially is fucked.
same ... fuck 'em ... every single one of them .... for doing this bullshit while knowing VERY WELL what it does to people

they can get fucked!



Or am I just slow to notice this update change?
you are :p they did that like 5 days ago ;)
 

Hektor

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I didn't watch it but the news was somewhat interesting to me. I thought the iphone 11 looked really cool, and the $699 price wasn't too bad either.
My mind can not begin to fathom such an opinion.
It's 700$ for a phone. :fearful-face:
The only singular items i ever bought that were this expensive were cars, motorcycles and mopeds.
My last smart phone is a Galaxy A5 for 250$.
700$ is so much money :sweaty-blob:

Death Stranding: :02sleep:
Haters gonna hate,
Kojima gibt keinen Fick auf die Nutten,
denn man blickt nicht nach unten,
wenn man den Weg nach oben geht.
 

NarohDethan

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My mind can not begin to fathom such an opinion.
It's 700$ for a phone. :fearful-face:
The only singular items i ever bought that were this expensive were cars, motorcycles and mopeds.
My last smart phone is a Galaxy A5 for 250$.
700$ is so much money
Sometimes you just gotta macarena through expensive tech.

Death Stranding: :02sleep:
What I find funny about DS is that nobody would give less of a shit if it wasnt because Kojima is involved.
 

Alexandros

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I think epics motivation for going against steam was mostly about them wanting to have 100% of MTX money. Just like they didn't want to be on Google Store and made their own client for phones and such.
I don't think that's all there is to it. They already had their own client so they already kept 100% of MTX. I think that Epic's push is an attempt to establish a stable revenue stream for themselves before Fortnite goes out of fashion for whatever reason.
 

Le Pertti

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I don't think that's all there is to it. They already had their own client so they already kept 100% of MTX. I think that Epic's push is an attempt to establish a stable revenue stream for themselves before Fortnite goes out of fashion for whatever reason.
They probably wanted even more! But yeah it's probably a combination, meaning if they get more people to use EGS to buy games then they have even more people who could potentially buy Fortnight MTXs.
 

Samson

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What I find funny about DS is that nobody would give less of a shit if it wasnt because Kojima is involved.
I still hold that the "You wouldn't care if Kojima wasn't involved" argument is an incredibly stupid position. Like no shit the weirdo auteur is the whole draw here!

Without him helming this batshit crazy game, it wouldn't be in the batshit crazy state it's in.
 

「Echo」

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Mt. Whatever
My mind can not begin to fathom such an opinion.
It's 700$ for a phone. :fearful-face:
The only singular items i ever bought that were this expensive were cars, motorcycles and mopeds.
My last smart phone is a Galaxy A5 for 250$.
700$ is so much money :sweaty-blob:



Haters gonna hate,
Kojima gibt keinen Fick auf die Nutten,
denn man blickt nicht nach unten,
wenn man den Weg nach oben geht.
Yep it is a lot of money, no getting around that... It will definitely hurt my bank account, and it's not something I can just whip up but will have to save for. My current Huawei was about $250, but these days I use my phone so much more and for a wider range of tasks so I kinda regret being cheap about picking it.

High-end Android alternatives like Galaxy S10 or Sony Xperia1 are $900+ to start. :( And the problem with Xiaomi or Huawei I have found in the US is that in rural area's, they don't always pick up some of the frequency bands used because most US carriers don't actually recognize these Chinese phones and as a result while they do work on US carriers, sometimes they only work on the most popular frequencies... I often lose service at my own home in the middle of nowhereland because of this.

========

Kojima praise is weird. He's a hack who apes movies and freely admits it. I love Metal Gear don't get me wrong, but I honestly believe Kojima isn't that special without his team to back him up.

Taro does everything better than him and on a (significantly) lesser budget.

Same is true when Sony-fans praise Druckmann. "Oh Last of Us has such a shocking ending!" Yeah? Remember that time a decade ago Taro turned a musou game into a music one for the last 10 minutes? :unsure:
 
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NarohDethan

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I still hold that the "You wouldn't care if Kojima wasn't involved" argument is an incredibly stupid position. Like no shit the weirdo auteur is the whole draw here!

Without him helming this batshit crazy game, it wouldn't be in the batshit crazy state it's in.
Therefore, nobody would be watching it. What I try to say is that people should calm down with the hype lol

I’m sorry. As I said i’m still very upset with the Yakuza stuff
Same is true when Sony-fans praise Druckmann. "Oh Last of Us has such a shocking ending!" Yeah? Remember that time a decade ago Taro turned a musou game into a music one for the last 10 minutes? :unsure:
TLOU praise is weird. It is the most okayest game ever done.
Maybe I’m just getting bitter. The whole Dreamcast remembrance made me very sad. Talent doesnt always win, and people are swayed by pretty production values than fresh ideas.
 
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Tizoc

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But I met David Lynch! Well not really meet but he walked past me when I was sitting on some stairs taking a break.:D He looked so old!:S
No doubt your mind in the few scant seconds you observed him delved you into a subconscious reality akin to observing Blue Velvet in 5d until he left your peripheral vision @3@
 
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