Contract with Steam?

[silent]

I was thinking (not again...) about how Gabe Newell has been talking about the benefits of steam to the avid gamer. For basically $10 a month a person would have the benefits of hl2, TF2 and many other expansions/mods.

Sounds good eh? Not really (from what we currently know). Now I know VALVe must have some way to stop this, but think about it:

A kid purchases a Steam subscription for a month or 3 months (annual payment) and he downloads hl2 and TF2. He stops paying for Steam after 1-3 months. He only paid $30 for about $120 of game!

Do you see what I am talking about. VALVe would have to make sure that you keep on paying money very month or they just lost a ton of money. They would have to make you sign a contract or such. They have to get you to keep on paying month after month.

I think the community will see what I am getting at. There must be a contract in there somewhere to keep you paying money. If not, I love steam. I'll purchase a month's worth of subscription and download $120 of games. Sounds good to me.

 

[Netherscourge]

Originally posted by silent
I was thinking (not again...) about how Gabe Newell has been talking about the benefits of steam to the avid gamer. For basically $10 a month a person would have the benefits of hl2, TF2 and many other expansions/mods.

Sounds good eh? Not really (from what we currently know). Now I know VALVe must have some way to stop this, but think about it:

A kid purchases a Steam subscription for a month or 3 months (annual payment) and he downloads hl2 and TF2. He stops paying for Steam after 1-3 months. He only paid $30 for about $120 of game!

Do you see what I am talking about. VALVe would have to make sure that you keep on paying money very month or they just lost a ton of money. They would have to make you sign a contract or such. They have to get you to keep on paying month after month.

I think the community will see what I am getting at. There must be a contract in there somewhere to keep you paying money. If not, I love steam. I'll purchase a month's worth of subscription and download $120 of games. Sounds good to me.

What do you mean $120 of a game? HL2 will retail for $49.99, which includes TF2 - unless the hackers have altered that plan...

 

[6iXx]

How stupid do you think VAVLe are?...

 

[silent]

Originally posted by 6iXx
How stupid do you think VAVLe are?...

That's why I said "Now I know VALVe must have some way to stop this, but think about it" and you sir are a total dumbass. The thread was about how a contract may suck. I was just wondering what they will do to keep people paying.

Read the whole post before you respond please.

 

[Steven Q Urkle]

They will make it so you cant play with out the subscription.
Its the obvious answer to this.

 

[EinsteinsBrain]

The subscription game you download will require an active subscription to be able to pay. No pay = no play

I think you will be able to buy the game as a one time fee through steam and then you will not require an active subscription but you will have to pay for any ecapansion pack you decide to use.

If you buy the complete game on a cd the same goes (i.e you don't need an active subscription)

 

[silent]

Sorry if I seem frantic and newbish, but how can they keep you from playing hl2 single player version if you cancel steam? If they did that would be stupid. So stupid it won't happen.

 

[Ahnteis]

They'll make the multiplayer interesting so that you want to keep playing more then a month. Yes, it is that simple.

 

[Incitatus]

Originally posted by silent
and you sir are a total dumbass.

Why do people say it that way (using the word 'sir'), do they think it makes them look clever, cool or intelligent? tbh I think it looks a bit silly.

And the first post is so bloody selfevident it's not even funny anymore.

 

[EinsteinsBrain]

Well Silent

If you buy the single player and pay the one time cost up front then you will be able to continue playing.

If you go for the ongoing subscription (i.e 9.95 a month) then you will NOT be able to continue to play the single player game (it seems). at least I dare to promise that you will not be able to play the single player game until you paid at least as much as the single player game cost at walmart. Steam will not allow you to all games for a single one month cost.

 

[EinsteinsBrain]

Ahnteis

Making the multiplay interesting is not enough... The multiplayer game will be included in the $50 game CD you can buy... they need to continue to give out new material that costs money to make it so that players will go for the 9.95/month feature.... I peronally doubt they can do enough of that to justify 9.95/month...

 

[silent]

Thanks for the post. This makes sense, but boy would it suck if you didn't pay for one month... No more halflife2.

 

[Grey]

Re: Re: Contract with Steam?

Originally posted by Netherscourge
What do you mean $120 of a game? HL2 will retail for $49.99, which includes TF2 - unless the hackers have altered that plan...

Your wrong that HL2 includes TF2... Valve has always said it would be seperate... HL2 has it's own multiplayer...

 

[MarkJ]

To launch the game you need to go through Steam, which will check through the Internet that your subscription has been paid that month before continuing.

If you pay for a month then not the next you won't be able to load up any games even if you have downloaded them.

Quite how this will work alongside the "Steam won't need to be connected to the Internet for SP and LAN" I'm not sure. Perhaps you will have to go online every few days, which will still make some people whine and cry, but will be the best compromise to stop people doing what you said.

*edit: [note] this post is only refering to the Steam subscription option, not the buy/pay once in store or from Steam ones.*

 

[EinsteinsBrain]

Silent:

I agree that the whole cost structure they have come up with is confusing. I guess it will be made more clear when they launch the game. I also believe that you can pay to play hl2 for one month... skip three months and then pay 9.95 again for the 5th month...

We'll see how the subscription program works out. I kinda soubt it will fly. I do believe that steam will work though. I would be happy to buy the game online as a one time fee as long as the price is cheaper then buying the box ($15 would make the deal seem good).

 

[c0de]

Originally posted by MarkJ
To launch the game you need to go through Steam, which will check through the Internet that your subscription has been paid that month before continuing.

If you pay for a month then not the next you won't be able to load up any games even if you have downloaded them.

Quite how this will work alongside the "Steam won't need to be connected to the Internet for SP and LAN" I'm not sure. Perhaps you will have to go online every few days, which will still make some people whine and cry, but will be the best compromise to stop people doing what you said.

*edit: [note] this post is only refering to the Steam subscription option, not the buy/pay once in store or from Steam ones.*

you can bypass steam with shortcuts :bounce: :dork:

 

[Netherscourge]

Re: Re: Re: Contract with Steam?

Originally posted by Grey
Your wrong that HL2 includes TF2... Valve has always said it would be seperate... HL2 has it's own multiplayer...

So your saying Team Fortress 2 is a completely seperate expansion? And Half Life 2 will have it's own built-in multiplayer mode, that is NOT TF2?

I was under the assumption that TF2 WAS the HL2 multiplayer mode.

You learn something new every day!

 

[silent]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Contract with Steam?

Originally posted by Netherscourge
So your saying Team Fortress 2 is a completely seperate expansion? And Half Life 2 will have it's own built-in multiplayer mode, that is NOT TF2?

I was under the assumption that TF2 WAS the HL2 multiplayer mode.

You learn something new every day!

Notice how quickly you nailed me on this subject and you were wrong (duh...). Another person that writes before he knows what he's talking about.

 

[MarkJ]

Originally posted by c0de
you can bypass steam with shortcuts :bounce: :dork:

No you can not. Steam is part of the game engine. Even if you don't have the Steam client running or installed, the game engine will still connect to the Steam network when you play it.

Turn of your Internet connection and try to play Half-Life or something.

 

[alehm]

Where does it say that Steam subscriptions will require contracts?

If there are no contracts, then silent is right, you can pay $10 play HL2 for a month, beat the game, end subscription and never play it again. All for $10.

Now obiously, must people here are too much of a HL fan to want to only play the game for 1 month. I myself am going to purchase it.

 

[alehm]

Originally posted by Incitatus
Why do people say it that way (using the word 'sir'), do they think it makes them look clever, cool or intelligent? tbh I think it looks a bit silly.

Maybe they say it because they like it? Who are you to judge silent, sir?

 

[OCybrManO]

Re: Re: Contract with Steam?

Originally posted by Netherscourge
HL2 will retail for $49.99, which includes TF2 - unless the hackers have altered that plan...

The HL2 and TF2 source was in the same place because they run on the same engine and if Valve wanted to alter the Source engine it would save them time to only have to make the changes once and have them apply to both games... that's why the games compile to two separate EXE's (as seen in many pictures) and not just a HL2.exe file as if TF2 was a mod of HL2.

EDIT: ... and maybe they say "sir" because they like the Peanuts.

 

[silent]

I love this!

*basks in own glory*

Alehm...

If you read this make a rhyme on the subject will ya?