• Yoast@notdigg.com
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    7 months ago

    I don’t really understand the antitrust argument here. There are a literal ton of other market places to sell PC games on, such as Humble Bundle which apparently Wolfire started. You could also sell directly to consumers if you wanted without going through a marketplace at all.

    • Sentau@feddit.de
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      7 months ago

      Also the main point is valve does not do anything to prevent you from selling the game directly or through other stores.

  • redditReallySucks@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    7 months ago

    Just move to a shitty store like EGS.

    Their store is to shitty? Pay the 30%.

    Either way, never heard of this publisher. I’ll just know not to buy their games anymore.

    • brsrklf@jlai.lu
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      7 months ago

      They kind of had their store. Wolfire games created Humble Bundle, then it became its own company and now belongs to IGN.

      If they kept going for the initial spirit of HB instead of letting it become just another way to buy on Steam, maybe they’d be that competition.

    • RickRussell_CA@beehaw.org
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      7 months ago

      If I remember correctly, at the time Valve justified the 30% by pointing out that Apple was charging the same for music and video content. And Valve immediately started building value-added services like forums, updaters, multiplayer support, achievements, etc. to justify the price.

      If you compare what Valve was doing to the physical media distribution methods of the period, it was a MASSIVE improvement. Back then, you could sell 10000 units to Ingram Micro or PC Mall, or whatever, and you only got paid if they sold. And any unsold inventory would be destroyed and the reseller would never pay for it. And if you actually wanted anything other than a single-line entry in their catalogs, you paid a promotional fee. Those video games featured with a standup display or a poster in the window at the computer store? None of that was free; the developer was nickeled and dimed for every moment their game was featured in any premium store space.

    • ursakhiin@beehaw.org
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      7 months ago

      They are very indie. I had only heard of one of their games, Lugaru, before today.

      They seem to be getting better at making games, but they still look to be visually lacking.

      • RickRussell_CA@beehaw.org
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        7 months ago

        Huh. So, I actually own Lugaru, which I purchased through Humble Bundle in May 2010.

        It… was not a good game. Basically anthropomorphic rabbits beating the crap out of each other, which SOUNDS good, but was not executed well.

        • Auzy@beehaw.org
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          7 months ago

          I agree. I think I played it 10min. It felt like more a university project I recall.

  • Eggyhead@kbin.social
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    7 months ago

    Is there a way to read without the invasive trackers? I’m fine with ads, just not the cookies.

  • Feydaikin@beehaw.org
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    7 months ago

    Just from a quick search about the case, it seems to hold very little water.

    Hell, it’s already been dismissed once.

  • JokeDeity@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    Fuck this company, I’m glad they’ve made their name known so I won’t buy any games they have anything to do with.

  • Aatube@kbin.social
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    7 months ago

    Why does the title say Valve v. Wolfire when it’s Wolfire that sued Valve? Or does the order of versus not actually matter for titles?

  • Sentau@feddit.de
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    7 months ago

    I don’t get wolfire’s point here. Yes steam takes a hefty 30% cut but game developers are free to sell directly if they want to. Unlike apple who have completely locked down the iOS app ecosystem or Google who allow sideloading but scares and warns people against downloading apps from non Play Store sources, steam does nothing to hinder games not sold through it. If there was a competitor who was as good as steam but took a smaller cut, then that competitor would have been the market leader in place of steam.

    • RidderSport@feddit.de
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      7 months ago

      Exactly, I mean you can even add Non-Steam games to Steam. Yes, you don’t get achievements that way and there’s no support for workshop or big picture or the community plug-in, but you can launch the game from the steam library.

      On another note, can Steam, even for a small payment of 2 dollars, add those functions for games not bought in the Steam store, but that could have been bought through Steam? I really want to have TW3 with achievements, but don’t want to buy it again.

  • ArtZuron@beehaw.org
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    7 months ago

    Remember, if Valve actually lost this suit, which they almost certainly won’t, it won’t improve the videogame ecosystem. It will possibly make it worse.

  • Guntrigger@feddit.ch
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    7 months ago

    I see a lot of covid misinformation going on around this story which is extremely worrying. Just because the human race not currently at risk of imminent extinction from it doesn’t mean it’s not still a serious illness. Some people get long term complications from it. Some people are extra vulnerable to it. Some people are still dying from it.

    “Just get the vaccine” is the worst kind of uninformed handwaving response to the concerns and worries of other humans, it’s upsetting it is becoming the norm.

    • sfera@beehaw.org
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      7 months ago

      That’s not how the Covid vaccines work. It’s all a game of probabilities and you can still get sick. They may also help you get more easily through the sickness, but it’s not a guarantee. Previously having additional health issues and age are also factors to take into account.

      So maybe his concerns aren’t completely without base.

      • QuentinCallaghan@sopuli.xyzOP
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        7 months ago

        And even if vaccines reduce the risk of long COVID, the risk is still there. 1 in 10 COVID cases leads to long COVID. It’s about layers of protection against COVID, one of which is vaccines. The others are masks/respirators, good indoor air quality, testing, UVC lights, staying home if one is sick and so on.

      • espiritu_p@kbin.social
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        7 months ago

        Well,
        especially if he has additional health issues he should go for his vaccine. Of course it’s not a guarantee, but it lowers the risk for a serious illness significantly.

        And it’s still not an excuse to stay away from a courtroom.