Certain UK Retailers Won’t Stock Steamworks Games
Finding PC games in a U.K. retailer is akin to trying to find Wally. Steam has become the de-facto choice for purchasing P.C. games and it appears retailers are biting back, by refusing to stock games that come with Steamworks.
Talking to CVG, UK Publishing Director for Russian Developer 1C, Darryl Stiles said that “[Steam's] confidence in their offering, which pays no heed to any rival in-store activities, compares very favourably to that of the retail chains – who recently sent a command to publishers that if they include Steamworks in their title it will not be stocked. Those guys need to grow up, stop bullying, and focus their attentions on making their offerings as attractive as the people they are obviously looking over their shoulders in panic at.”
This isn’t the first time this issue has come to light. It was reported last November that retailers were threatening an outright ban on games that feature Steam. Soon after this, the Steam Christmas sale started and I locked myself in a room furiously clicking buy like I was reaching the promised land.
Perhaps this is the threat put into gear. Previously, a boss of the digital service run by a retailer commented “If we have a digital service, then I don’t want to start selling a rival in-store”. Haven’t they already purchased the game from your store though? Aren’t you pushing people to leave retail completely and just exclusively buy from Steam?
Valve themselves think Steam is good for retail. Responding to the previous threats they said “Sure, the more Steam customers we have, the more people are going to buy from us, but it also means more Steam users are going to visit stores”. I think they are missing the point of their own service.
They also said “Steam was good for retail”. To back this up they added that after a free weekend involving Left for Dead 2, not only did digital sales go up but “retail sales spiked too”. Personally, I want them to embrace their status as Galactus, Devourer of retail.
Considering retailers only stock about six games, four of those being World of Warcraft and its expansions, this probably wouldn’t make much of difference. It is however an incredibly strange way of trying to compete with Steam. One of the main reasons I pick digital over retail is price. Also I can buy games in my underwear. Retailers don’t appear to want to fix either issue.
Overall, this is a meaningless and childish move and I think they just need to let off some Steam.
WALDO.
Big wooooooooooooop. Who actually buys PC games in store?
Also it’s Wally.
Actually David I buy most pc games in store (and obviously console because there is no alternative). And I’m always pleasantly surprised when games are released the same day as International releases.
I am annoyed when games are released BEFORE the release date, like The Witcher 2, so I can’t activate them.
Why don’t you use Steam or a site like Amazon?
@gcndavidmn: I am American. It is therefore Waldo, and nothing as trite as the truth will dissuade me in my belief.
So fag means cigarette, we should use S’s instead of zeds, pissed means drunk and now Waldo is Wally…
Why can’t you Brits just leave things alone?!
I like going into a shop and buying things. I like having a shelf with things on, that can’t be deleted or go off-line. I think i put more value ion a physical thing than a download because it’s somehow more real. It’s a shame that games probably will stop existing as a physical medium at some point… though, that’s what they said about music ten years ago.
I think they can co-exist well, as long as we get control on all this bullshit and make these companies stop just shafting their future selves.
@ Jack Frost
So Fag Means Gays, We should use Zed’s instead of S’s Pissed means Angry and now Wally is Waldo…
Why can’t you Americans leave things alone?!
@Tommy H (At work): What was it that Jimmy Carr said? Something like “It’s our language, you fucking ruined it.”
@gcndavidmn: True, Although unlike Mr Carr I do have respect for our american cousins they are bringing us bioshock infinite and brought us big bang theory and a town called eureka, I know americans just call it eureka, just before anyone shouts it’s just EUREKA…which is greek.
Anyhoo back to the subject, i do believe that steam does have pros and cons as some examples here
Pros:
*I can buy games in my boxes whilst eating cornflakes at nine in the morning.
* I have a 1TB harddrive which will become a wonderful library of geekdom for me
* the freaking awesome christmas deals you get
* I’ve realised you actually need a brain to install steam and play games, as compared to the xbox it doesn’t have 10 million ignorant chav kids on C.O.D on the pc.
* I don’t have to talk to twattish sales assistants, don’t get me wrong I was a sales assistant but i never belittle the innocent or the unaware…anything wearing burburry however and couldn’t string two sentences together was fair game. sadly more younger sales assistants think they’re better than me because they have an xbox….and a tiny todger.
Cons:
*Sometimes as it is hard to believe game stores have a better deal I.E Dawn of war Retribution costs 30 english pounds but in gamestation the collectors edition with shiny box and dlc cost 20 english pounds
* they don’t have many games I use to play as a kid E.G Dungeon keeper, theme hospital and caesar 3 although this is personal bias i wish they did because goodoldgames can be so fucking expensive it’s unreal.
*if you don’t like a game you can’t do the whole ‘go to a game store, play dumb and get a refund’ routine….but then it would be your own fault for not researching said game.
ahhh now thats off me chest.
BTW Jenny Rouse, although you sound like a lovely madame, i’m afraid to inform your beloved ‘Waldo’ is
quintessentially British as explained in wikipedia, if you don’t believe that look at his bad dress sense and ‘pidgeons instinct’ that keeps getting him lost to us