Community MetaSteam | January 2024 - Let's get this year started!

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fantomena

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Dec 17, 2018
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Without game pass I probably wouldn’t have gotten into yakuza games to the degree that I have now. Preordered the next game and played the last one day one.
I mean, that's a good thing, but based on SEGAs own statements, the worldwide Steam releases was incredible important.

Yakuza might not even have been on game pass if the Steam releases weren't popular.

A ton of games like Valheim, Brotato, Vampire Survivors etc. would not be on game pass if the Steam version wasn't so popular.

And based on the upcoming game pass slate, MS seems to be looking at the public Steam wishlist ranking for what to get on game pass.
 
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C-Dub

Makoto Niijima Fan Club President
Dec 23, 2018
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So I get micro or traversal stutter on The Talos Principle II on my gaming PC when playing at 4K (DLSS) with VRR at 70-110fps, yet I can play at locked 40fps on my Steam Deck and don’t get it at all.

I’m blaming Windows.
 

Mivey

MetaMember
Sep 20, 2018
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So I get micro or traversal stutter on The Talos Principle II on my gaming PC when playing at 4K (DLSS) with VRR at 70-110fps, yet I can play at locked 40fps on my Steam Deck and don’t get it at all.

I’m blaming Windows.
have you tried using DXVK? Releases · doitsujin/dxvk

It seems a bit unlikely to me that it is actual traversal stutters due to loading, there is no way the Steam Deck could somehow "fix" that, unless the lower FPS allows them to be effectively hidden, as the longer frame-time gives the game more time to "catch up" with the background streaming.
 

Dragon1893

MetaMember
Apr 17, 2019
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Played through Panzer Dragoon Orta on the Deck. That game has been on my bucket list for 20 years. The game has significant slowdown in some spots but the majority of it runs fine. Another issue is that the CGI cutscenes have no image, only sound, but there's only a couple of them in the game. The game is fantastic.

I still can't wrap my head around how well Doom Eternal runs on this thing. It's crazy.
Resident Evil 2 also runs amazingly.
 

PC-tan

Low Tier Weeb
Jan 19, 2019
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"Why do Video Game companies compete for the attention of Hollywood? Video Games are a higher form of art."

Are video games art?

They are times can be. But definitely not with the above attitude though.
 
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Li Kao

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way.
Jan 28, 2019
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As this is apparently the year of Boom Shoot for me, and after playing Doom 1 and Sigil 1 and 2, I decided to replay Wolfenstein 3d.
.
What a fucking struggle.

Fps controls have evolved so much since then that after finishing Episode 1 I’m still not taking pleasure. I don’t know if there is emulation speed shenanigans but the game is hard as balls too.
And not entirely unlike playing in the windows maze shit from another lifetime.
Oh, there is also the horrible ’angry bee’ sound when you are touching a wall.

Seriously, I don’t think I can finish that shit.
No way I continue without changing the controls anyways.
 
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Kyougar

No reviews, no Buy
Nov 2, 2018
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I don't know why people are so hostile towards subscriptions. For me it's a better and cheaper form of renting games and it is a great way of having access to lots of games for very little money. If something like Game Pass was available back when I was a kid I would be over the moon.
  • it is curation, games that are too pricey that I want to try a sub out, are not on there
  • for people who play games for years it is worse budget-wise. I have buyers remorse for subbing to Anno 1800 a few times that has cost me more than buying the game and DLC on Steam or even Ubisoft itself
  • which makes liking a game even worse, because you either have buyers remorse for subbing to the game and then buying it anyway because you like it and don't want to pay 200 dollars a year for it.
  • it influences what type of game gets ultimately made if subs become the norm. It changed Music, it changed TV, it will change gaming
  • it will be a nightmare of different subbing services like TV streaming, we already have EA, Ubisoft, Paradox, and GamePass
  • And yes, I will say it: clicking a launcher to access a different library of owned games is quite different than having to sub for half a dozen gaming subscription services because the game that you want to play or try out, isn't on the same subbing service you currently are subscribed to.
  • which is a terrifying thought, that not your desire to play a specific game is deciding what you play, but what is available to the service you are currently subbing to.
  • time restraints and FOMO because a game is either leaving the service or you decide to not renew the sub
 

Arulan

Lizardman
Dec 7, 2018
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I finished Outer Wilds. And what a game — extraordinary!

There is something I really enjoy in open-world games — this concept of natural discovery. By this I mean when via contextual information, an understanding of some in-world logic, or any other basis of rationale, you can deduce something about the world you're exploring to make a discovery. However, the key here is that it has to be you making that deduction. If the game just tells you, drags you along by rope, or even presents you with the available options it ruins that pure feeling of agency.

When I've talked about this in the past it's usually when discussing open-world RPGs, because in addition to the absolute joy you feel when you realize "Oh wow, trailing these bandits actually led me to their hidden camp", it also provides another powerful benefit: It increases your belief in the world you're in.

But enough about that, I want to talk a little about Outer Wilds. To me it feels like the idea of natural discovery condensed all the way down. Every part of the game is in service to it. You're exploring just one solar system, but one rich in detail. Every planet is unique, and vastly different from each other. The art direction does a fantastic job at focusing your attention. And even the very core premise of the game benefits this type of discovery. A time loop where everything essentially restarts every 22 minutes. Meaning, from the very start of the game you can not only go anywhere, do anything, but that the only currency of the game is knowledge. You could immediately finish your first time playing if you somehow had that knowledge.

And it's precisely those Eureka! moments that really make exploration in Outer Wilds so enjoyable. You figured out how to use those sending warp pads, and then suddenly everything about Ash Twin makes sense. You stumbled your way through Dark Bramble with limited information, but nonetheless found what was hiding there all along. You pieced together information about quantum mechanics and applied it to explore the Quantum Moon. That's not to say the game isn't giving you any direction, that's certainly not what I'm trying to say at all. For discovery to feel natural it has to come from you, but good game design will find organic ways to nudge you in the right direction, provide you with just enough information to make those logical leaps, and so forth. This comes via a lot of play-testing I'm sure, and it shows.

Just wanted to share what an incredible experience it was for me. And I'm looking forward to continuing with the DLC here shortly.
 

hersheyfan

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Jul 17, 2021
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  • it is curation, games that are too pricey that I want to try a sub out, are not on there
  • for people who play games for years it is worse budget-wise. I have buyers remorse for subbing to Anno 1800 a few times that has cost me more than buying the game and DLC on Steam or even Ubisoft itself
  • which makes liking a game even worse, because you either have buyers remorse for subbing to the game and then buying it anyway because you like it and don't want to pay 200 dollars a year for it.
  • it influences what type of game gets ultimately made if subs become the norm. It changed Music, it changed TV, it will change gaming
  • it will be a nightmare of different subbing services like TV streaming, we already have EA, Ubisoft, Paradox, and GamePass
  • And yes, I will say it: clicking a launcher to access a different library of owned games is quite different than having to sub for half a dozen gaming subscription services because the game that you want to play or try out, isn't on the same subbing service you currently are subscribed to.
  • which is a terrifying thought, that not your desire to play a specific game is deciding what you play, but what is available to the service you are currently subbing to.
  • time restraints and FOMO because a game is either leaving the service or you decide to not renew the sub
I would also be against sub services, if I didnt also have the option to buy games outright; a game being sub-service only wouldnt sit right with me.

But as it is, who is it really hurting? For a person like me who owns/buys a lot of games, sub services are a useful way to test out and play a lot of games I otherwise wouldnt have known about. If I enjoy a game a lot, I'll buy it on what is usually a pretty deep sale after it leaves.

For a person who doesnt have the disposable income to buy a lot of games (like kids, as Alexandros mentioned) it allows you to play a ton of stuff you otherwise would never have been able to afford.

The Circana numbers coming out appear to put sub service revenue at 10% of total US gaming revenue, so the fears of subs supplanting outright game purchases would appear to be pretty baseless as of now.
 

dex3108

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Dec 20, 2018
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I would also be against sub services, if I didnt also have the option to buy games outright; a game being sub-service only wouldnt sit right with me.

But as it is, who is it really hurting? For a person like me who owns/buys a lot of games, sub services are a useful way to test out and play a lot of games I otherwise wouldnt have known about. If I enjoy a game a lot, I'll buy it on what is usually a pretty deep sale after it leaves.

For a person who doesnt have the disposable income to buy a lot of games (like kids, as Alexandros mentioned) it allows you to play a ton of stuff you otherwise would never have been able to afford.

The Circana numbers coming out appear to put sub service revenue at 10% of total US gaming revenue, so the fears of subs supplanting outright game purchases would appear to be pretty baseless as of now.
As with everything it sounds great on paper. But remember we live in the world where money rules and if there is chance that companies would make something bad for consumers they will. Remember how comments regarding MTX were "it's just cosmetics" and then games started being designed to sell you those cosmetics and not to be interesting and good games? I don't mind subscriptions as a concept. It's not for me because I hate timers in or outside games, I want to play game whenever I want and however I want, but as I said I don't mind it as a concept. But I am worried how publishers will interpret numbers and what will they do with demands towards game developers to leverage subscriptions concept.

In the end market will self correct eventually like it did with MOBA-s and like it's doing now with GaaS games. But then new cycle will begin for something else.
 

spindoctor

MetaMember
Jun 9, 2019
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Remember how comments regarding MTX were "it's just cosmetics" and then games started being designed to sell you those cosmetics and not to be interesting and good games?
I don't remember this at all. In fact, I would say that a game necessarily needs to be interesting and good to sell cosmetics. Nobody will buy cosmetics for a game they don't enjoy.

Or is this a case of people buying cosmetics for games that they enjoy but you personally find bad and you think your opinion of the quality of said game is some objective, universal truth?
 
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hersheyfan

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As with everything it sounds great on paper. But remember we live in the world where money rules and if there is chance that companies would make something bad for consumers they will. Remember how comments regarding MTX were "it's just cosmetics" and then games started being designed to sell you those cosmetics and not to be interesting and good games? I don't mind subscriptions as a concept. It's not for me because I hate timers in or outside games, I want to play game whenever I want and however I want, but as I said I don't mind it as a concept. But I am worried how publishers will interpret numbers and what will they do with demands towards game developers to leverage subscriptions concept.

In the end market will self correct eventually like it did with MOBA-s and like it's doing now with GaaS games. But then new cycle will begin for something else.
The cosmetic MTX slippery slope sucks, but then these publishers have always found a ways to make things worse somehow - physical games were great, then they got split into game on a disc plus digital only DLC and hefty update patches. Digital games were great, then they killed the regional pricing and cordoned games off into several different storefronts with exclusivity timers. I'm sure at some point one of these geniuses will find a way to make subscription services significantly worse than they presently are (probably by locking some or all content to the service, which would really piss me off), but I'm just saying that a specific aspect of gaming worsening over time isn't endemic to just sub services.

Fully agreed though on how publishers might alter their games to be more in line with how sub services operate - I don't want that to happen either. Make the game you intended to make!
 
Dec 5, 2018
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For a person who doesnt have the disposable income to buy a lot of games (like kids, as Alexandros mentioned) it allows you to play a ton of stuff you otherwise would never have been able to afford.
I get this idea, but most kids basically play F2P that consume most of their time so, again it doesn't change much.

Also, I don't want to go back to this idea, but at the end of the day subscription services are an even more extre form of curation (for example, games like vampire survivors are only there cause they were a hit on an uncurated store
 

hersheyfan

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I get this idea, but most kids basically play F2P that consume most of their time so, again it doesn't change much.

Also, I don't want to go back to this idea, but at the end of the day subscription services are an even more extre form of curation (for example, games like vampire survivors are only there cause they were a hit on an uncurated store
Yes, VS was a hit on an uncurated store (Steam), and the subscription services that already existed alongside it at the time (such as EA Play, also on Steam during Vampire Survivors' launch) didn't stop it from reaching the success it did.

Every single poster on this site is a hardcore Steam fan, a game hoarder by default. It's what we do. So any sub service that locked a certain subset of games (or all of the games) exclusively to a service, I would be strongly against. I'm right there with you. :longswordblob:

But as something that's additive to existing marketplaces, that coexists alongside them? The subs are free for anyone to adopt or ignore as they see fit. Hell, even the economics don't support the idea of subs existing independently - save for the indiest of indies, the lumpsum fee that devs get for signing one of those sub deals dont seem to be enough for them to not sell any copies of the game outright. They need the bag AND the additional sales that the sub service publicity generates to make it make financial sense.
 

Alexandros

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Nov 4, 2018
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Thank you all for your replies on the topic of subscriptions. My point of view on the matter is pretty simple: it is a great option to have, especially in a digital landscape that doesn't allow reselling games. Subscriptions right now offer great value, games are very expensive at full price and they take longer to drop in price. Paying for a month or two every now and then so that you can play through some games that you have no interest in owning is simply a bargain.

People make the slippery slope argument by citing the effect of subscriptions on other media industries but as a customer I haven't experienced any negative effects. The option to buy your media is still available, meanwhile streaming is cheaper and more convenient than the previous model.

I understand the argument that if publishers decide to push the subscription model they might make games prohibitively expensive to buy but my counter argument is that a) this hasn't happened in other industries and b) we are already there. Games already are prohibitively expensive for many people around the globe.

One valid possibility is that both buying games outright and subscriptions become super expensive. Game Pass at $10 is a good alternative, but what if it cost $30 per month? What if publishers and developers stop discounting games and start saying "if you want to play the game for less money, get a subscription?". In such a case I think gaming as a premium product cannot survive and we will be living in a F2P dystopia anyway.
 

Gelf

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Apr 22, 2019
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Thank you all for your replies on the topic of subscriptions. My point of view on the matter is pretty simple: it is a great option to have, especially in a digital landscape that doesn't allow reselling games. Subscriptions right now offer great value, games are very expensive at full price and they take longer to drop in price. Paying for a month or two every now and then so that you can play through some games that you have no interest in owning is simply a bargain.

People make the slippery slope argument by citing the effect of subscriptions on other media industries but as a customer I haven't experienced any negative effects. The option to buy your media is still available, meanwhile streaming is cheaper and more convenient than the previous model.

I understand the argument that if publishers decide to push the subscription model they might make games prohibitively expensive to buy but my counter argument is that a) this hasn't happened in other industries and b) we are already there. Games already are prohibitively expensive for many people around the globe.

One valid possibility is that both buying games outright and subscriptions become super expensive. Game Pass at $10 is a good alternative, but what if it cost $30 per month? What if publishers and developers stop discounting games and start saying "if you want to play the game for less money, get a subscription?". In such a case I think gaming as a premium product cannot survive and we will be living in a F2P dystopia anyway.
Agreed, as long as it's just an option I don't have an issue with subscriptions.

I do wish there was more pushback against Apple Arcade which has never had the option for buying. I get the impression to even be on the service you have to agree not to sell the game anywhere.
 

STHX

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Sep 20, 2021
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As this is apparently the year of Boom Shoot for me, and after playing Doom 1 and Sigil 1 and 2, I decided to replay Wolfenstein 3d.
.
What a fucking struggle.

Fps controls have evolved so much since then that after finishing Episode 1 I’m still not taking pleasure. I don’t know if there is emulation speed shenanigans but the game is hard as balls too.
And not entirely unlike playing in the windows maze shit from another lifetime.
Oh, there is also the horrible ’angry bee’ sound when you are touching a wall.

Seriously, I don’t think I can finish that shit.
No way I continue without changing the controls anyways.
While this won't solve the issue with the much simplier level design, may I suggest instead of playing the original you move to the Wolfenstein 3D Total Conversion for GZDoom? This way you can customize the controls but still play the game as intended (it's also way more faithful graphically compared to the old Wolfendoom)
 
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PC-tan

Low Tier Weeb
Jan 19, 2019
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I was curious about what the censorship for that one steam anime game was and I not seem to have my answer. It seems that the only difference is that on the switch that the Steam will get more transparent at times but just by a little...... That's it.

Crazy stuff.
 

Censored

I didn't delete that post!. Get my post back!.
Oct 8, 2021
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about Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs this is the final censorship.
Switch version is censored too but not as much as PS5/PS4 and Steam release.

Code:
https://twitter.com/VertVentus/status/1747901363978117591
 
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Derrick01

MetaMember
Oct 6, 2018
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Bamco is updating its dormant Elden Ring playlists on youtube
Gibe DLC :cryblob:
I will never forgive them if they release it near rebirth and hurt that game's momentum. Like I'm sure sales will still be fine but if the expansion released at the same time all the media and streamers will be focusing on that instead of rebirth having its time in the spotlight.
 

Mivey

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Sep 20, 2018
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I will never forgive them if they release it near rebirth and hurt that game's momentum. Like I'm sure sales will still be fine but if the expansion released at the same time all the media and streamers will be focusing on that instead of rebirth having its time in the spotlight.
Do you own Square Enix stock? Because if not, then your obsession with this game is getting a bit silly
 

yuraya

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May 4, 2019
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I will never forgive them if they release it near rebirth and hurt that game's momentum. Like I'm sure sales will still be fine but if the expansion released at the same time all the media and streamers will be focusing on that instead of rebirth having its time in the spotlight.
I don't think Shadow of the Erdtree is gonna release so soon. I would guess a big announcement for it followed by a later this year release. Like maybe Q3.

Otherwise Bamco would have been shown the trailer and did a blowout for it at TGAs.

Also Rebirth is a PS5 exclusive so its spotlight will be limited to die hard FF fans regardless. I don't see FromSoft fans overlapping much with the FF crowd.
 

Ganado

¡Detrás de tí, imbécil!
Nov 6, 2018
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As this is apparently the year of Boom Shoot for me, and after playing Doom 1 and Sigil 1 and 2, I decided to replay Wolfenstein 3d.
.
What a fucking struggle.

Fps controls have evolved so much since then that after finishing Episode 1 I’m still not taking pleasure. I don’t know if there is emulation speed shenanigans but the game is hard as balls too.
And not entirely unlike playing in the windows maze shit from another lifetime.
Oh, there is also the horrible ’angry bee’ sound when you are touching a wall.

Seriously, I don’t think I can finish that shit.
No way I continue without changing the controls anyways.
I actually finished Wolf3D like a month or two ago, played the OG Dosbox version with mouse movement, though there are source ports with non awkward strafing and such. Maps suck, but it's always fun to shoot nazis.
I think what makes the game hard at times is that enemy damage scales with distance or something like that.

Overall, I know I'll probably get some hate for this but had more fun with that than I have with DOOM II now which is weird because I think both sequels to games named DOOM are a struggle to play through.
 
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fantomena

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I will never forgive them if they release it near rebirth and hurt that game's momentum. Like I'm sure sales will still be fine but if the expansion released at the same time all the media and streamers will be focusing on that instead of rebirth having its time in the spotlight.
Lol, unless you are a Square shareholder, who cares?
 
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dex3108

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Dec 20, 2018
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I don't remember this at all. In fact, I would say that a game necessarily needs to be interesting and good to sell cosmetics. Nobody will buy cosmetics for a game they don't enjoy.

Or is this a case of people buying cosmetics for games that they enjoy but you personally find bad and you think your opinion of the quality of said game is some objective, universal truth?
It did start as small insignificant thing. Then it evolved in entire economy where devs were more focused to create as much cosmetics as they could and ignoring rest of the game (how it plays).

Also Sony is not inconsistent just with PC things. Reading about TLoU Part 2 Remaster it is obvious that they are ripping their fanbase off. From few comments i saw GoW Ragnarok free DLC is apparently heads and shoulders above that new mode in TLoU Part 2. And they basically did nothing with the visuals (maybe few tweaks now and there). So Sony basically can't even decide what to do with some of their console releases.
 
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