Kotaku 
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Denver, 2:24 AM
Sun Dec 6
16 posts in the last 24 hours
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12/04/09
Heh. Totally would have reported the sunuva if I had know.
Snitchomatic, I am (when it comes to XBL).
12/04/09
12/04/09
12/03/09
Didn't they have problems with PC edition of Fallout 3 DLC? How the hell do they think they're going to manage this? With their hopes and dreams?
12/03/09
[kotaku.com]
Not to mention half the games in there I already own or don't care for.
12/03/09
Seriously, has anybody bought one of these On Demand games on Xbox Live? There is no way that could have been a successful venture at the prices available...
12/03/09
12/03/09
While they probably won't compete very hard with Steam, Impulse et. al. on price, what they could do, again, is titles. Take some of the big-name 360 releases and sell them as GFWL exclusives, successfully cutting their digital competitors off from major money-makers.
Let's face it, their success on the 360 front is from having total and complete control over the platform. With GFWL's built-in (and rather lightweight) DRM, they could use that to secure their platform and make big money in the little ecosystem they're setting up here.
12/03/09
What if they use Microsoft points as the currency? We're DOOOOMED!
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12/03/09
Sadly, the prices probably will be that high. Microsoft hasn't exactly been known for their deals.
12/03/09
Not that Steam is known for exceptional non-sale prices anyway. Games are still $50($60 for MW2!) the day they come out, probably because of retailer pressure.
12/03/09
12/03/09
There isn't retailer pressure for PC games? Not as much, sure, because it's a smaller market, but retailers and publishers aren't going to let Steam sell Modern Warfare 2 for $30 at launch.
Not that Steam is known for exception non-sale prices anyway.
That's the thing - Steam runes sales regularly. Good sales. Occasionally great sales, like their Black Friday weekend.
Microsoft's idea of a "deal," as shown by the XBLA Deal of the Week, is cutting 400 Microsoft points from the price of a 1200 point game, or putting Halo 3 themes on sale for 37% off (yes, that really happened).
12/03/09
Yep. I refuse to buy brand new games on Steam because I've been burned too many times. 50% of SFIV like a month after it comes out? I can wait from now on.
12/03/09
You are correct that Steam will have an advantage because of their great sales. I'm not arguing there at all.
But, that said, if Microsoft is smart they'll get some good people and take a good look at the marketplace to compete with Valve. Perhaps we'll see some good sales for the PC service.
We'll have to wait and see. Unfortunately, as it stands right now the Games for Windows division at Microsoft is severely underfunded. It's like NASA, but worse.
12/03/09
I'm firmly convinced that Valve isn't run by idiots. All of their titles on Steam have dropped in list price as time goes on, to (mostly) reasonable levels. On the other hand, GTA4's current list price for a retail copy on Amazon is $30. If it was up to Valve, do you really think they'd be charging 66% more and expecting people to pay?
12/03/09
12/03/09
If that was the case you would think that Valve of all companies would price their digital games cheaper than retail, and with Left 4 Dead 2(aside from the 4 pack), that isn't the case.
The Orange Box is actually $3 less on Amazon.com with free shipping.
12/03/09
D2D: [www.direct2drive.com]
Amazon: [www.amazon.com]
Steam: [store.steampowered.com]
When other DL services (in this case D2D) have a game cheaper, I can't fault the publisher.
12/03/09
One look at Activision shows that they run away from sales like one would run away from burning napalm.
12/03/09
All I know is that I've heard in a few places (like here, from the developer of one of the games in the Black Frida...) is that Steam asks developers if they want to be part of the promotions and how deep the discount should be. I'd have to assume that the same is true for regular pricing.
The impression I've always had is that, aside from their own titles, Valve doesn't have any say in the pricing of other titles. If they're going to remain a neutral store front, they can't - otherwise, there'd be accusations of Valve pricing other games to give themselves a competitive advantage.
12/03/09
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12/03/09
Its just a hunch though.
12/03/09
12/03/09
12/03/09
It is very clunky and nowhere near as slick as on the 360. LIVE is something I love on the 360 and put up with for the sake of achievements on the PC.
12/03/09
Heck there are games (both new and old) on Steam that dont run on every pc.
12/03/09
Nah only kidding, I was playing Peggle when this happened.
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12/03/09
Right. Microsoft, too, sorry!
12/03/09
Cheat away! Yay Sony!
You're like the absentee parent that I never had.
12/03/09
Damn dyslexia!