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UK retailers threaten to ban Steam, claim that service is killing the PC market

“Publishers are creating a monster – we are telling suppliers to stop using Steam in their games,” says retail executive

Words: on November 12, 2010
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39 comments

  • jmcgrotty - November 12, 2010 6:56 a.m.

    Steam is a fucking cancer. I'd subscribe to a service that assured me that it went out of business. It's offensive and offers not a single benefit for anyone.

  • tyler_14_420 - November 12, 2010 5:19 a.m.

    Steam succeeds because it's good. These retailers are just bitches who can't win through quality so they use stupid tactics to try and weave around Steam rather than addressing the problem, that their digital distribution service sucks. The conveniency of so many games being available also means that you don't need to run 4 distribution services to talk to your friends playing different games. Hell, Blizzard's distribution service is great and as far as I can tell, it's doing pretty well (Something about some buyable mounts making millions...?) Maybe Steam should be separate from Valve because issues can rise from that, but they made it fair and square, and I don't see any reason why anyone should dislike it.

  • Yeager1122 - November 12, 2010 4:50 a.m.

    @Heyeclamationpoint Of course where else are you going to get those excellent nancy drew titles shoved into a tiny corner in the back?

  • Heyexclamationpoint - November 12, 2010 4:43 a.m.

    People still buy pc games in stores?

  • RonaldRayGun - November 12, 2010 4:38 a.m.

    correction ahead

  • RonaldRayGun - November 12, 2010 4:38 a.m.

    You go a hear and not sell games. I'll get my copy over steam, suckas!

  • MonkeyMagician - November 12, 2010 3:39 a.m.

    Okay, so it's two major UK games retailers? So that's Game and...erm...Gamestation? Neither of these businesses offers anything to the consumer that can't be found more easily and cheaper online. Beyond cost and convenience, where Steam is really wins for me is a lack of human contact, as bad as that sounds. When I'm buying a game I don't want some know all employee being obligated into coming over to pester me. When I bought a 360 earlier this year I had a Game employee try to upsell things to me in spite of me telling him that I knew what I wanted and the fact that I ended up correcting him on some fairly basic product knowledge. The only thing going to a shop actually gets me is the opportunity to look through their pre-owned section for bargains and the possiblity of being asked if I want to buy a guide for the game I've just bought as if I'm some special needs moron incapable of actually learning how things work by myself.

  • drgnrbrn316 - November 12, 2010 3:09 a.m.

    This likely won't fix anything since all those people are already buying the games on Steam anyway. They're only chasing away the customers who would actually buy the game from the brick and mortar stores.

  • SideOfBeef - November 12, 2010 3:01 a.m.

    Steam did what these retailers are trying to do with digital, they did it better, and they did it sooner. Retailers should either admit they lost or step up their services to match Steam. It's classless for them to try and just muscle Steam out.

  • Crimmy - November 12, 2010 2:36 a.m.

    Ban Steam? Ha, good luck with that.

  • killerflyingsquirell - November 12, 2010 2:28 a.m.

    This depresses me. Stop your whining and sell more pc games.Then, and only under certain conditions, i.e cheaper prices, would i stop using steam.

  • StrayGator - November 12, 2010 1:49 a.m.

    As if they stock more than laughable selection of PC games as it is.

  • Eliath - November 12, 2010 1:47 a.m.

    Seeing as PC is my platform of choice, if retailers stop carrying PC games that integrate with Steam, then I will stop shopping at their stores. Steam is generally a better cost anyway.

  • ThePurpleDragon - November 12, 2010 1:47 a.m.

    They try to get rid of Steam because of how they're losing business, but why would you try to force a distributor that's done well and provided millions of hours of entertainment to people suddenly stop. What if Steam had only 20% of the market and retailers like them had the other 80%. Steam trying to stop them is just as stupid when you think about it. They're trying to start a war that they don't know they can't win.

  • Crabhand - November 12, 2010 1:26 a.m.

    It's likely an empty threat, but I've seen publishers act on dumber things. At any rate, I doubt publishers will stop working with Steam, it practically IS the PC market. The only major PC publisher who doesn't work with Steam is Blizzard, and their worse half does put games on Steam.

  • Tenfey - November 12, 2010 1:23 a.m.

    Apples and pears and threads on a bobbin.

  • ventanger - November 12, 2010 12:55 a.m.

    Yea, great idea brick and mortar retailers, stock FEWER games in your shops, that'll really help business! Sell Less Games -> ??? -> PROFIT!

  • kyle94 - November 12, 2010 12:53 a.m.

    If they try to fight against Steam and Valve... ... ... They will die I mean lose!

  • ComradeKhani - November 12, 2010 12:52 a.m.

    steam is the greatest though...

Showing 21-39 of 39 comments

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