Tag: Steam

Borderlands 2 Review Bomb on Steam Met with new Policy

Valve has addressed an unfolding controversy involving review bombs of Borderlands 2 on Steam. The review bombs come as a result of the news that Borderlands 3 will be a timed exclusive for the Epic Games Store on PC. Valve has introduced a new “off-topic” tag for reviews to address the issue.

Borderlands 2 Review Bombs

Borderlands 3 Controversy

The controversy regarding Borderlands 3 is a bit convoluted. In short terms, Gearbox, the developers of Borderlands 3, have announced that the game will be available only through the Epic Games Store on PC for roughly six months. The game will still be available through normal retailers for consoles.

Some people have taken issue with this, stating that they feel as though Epic is unfairly competing against Steam, a larger PC content delivery system. To voice their frustrations, they’re review-bombing Borderlands 2 on Steam to announce their distaste. However, these reviews have nothing to do with the content of this earlier game.

Valve’s Response

Valve, graciously, has taken the situation in stride. They’ve implemented a new system to tag reviews as “off-topic”. In the case of the Borderlands fiasco, the off-topic reviews simply don’t relate to the content of the game. People looking to make a purchase based on a game’s merits don’t need to be caught up in weird reviews about digital content distribution.

This is a great opportunity for Valve to indicate that they are serious about preserving the integrity of their user reviews. After all, many consumers rely on the user reviews to tell whether they would enjoy a given game. People abusing it muddy the waters as to what’s good and what’s not.

Brand Loyalty

Largely, it appears people upset with Epic Games and Gearbox feel as though Steam is some kind of “default” for PC game distribution. However, this isn’t the case: Steam is simply the largest platform. Valve is no more friend to a consumer than any company selling goods. As such, outrage over a game’s distribution rings unusual, in the least.

In broad strokes, consumers’ speed to condemn a strictly lateral move from one digital storefront to another is odd. Downloading a launcher and using it to purchase a game is a bit annoying, sure, but it’s hardly ruining the experience. Boycotts over such a miniscule inconvenience ring a bit hollow.

Other concerns, such as the idea that Epic Games is somehow a greedy corporation just trying to grab your cash, are even more odd. Epic is no more or less “greedy” than Valve. They’re both just trying to sell games.

April 9, 2019
Valve Puts Temporary Hold on Adult Games on Steam

Valve’s guidelines for what games will be allowed on the service have changed quite a bit recently. While they were initially a bit more direct, cautioning developers to reduce offensive content in said games, they’ve recently backed off of this a bit. Instead, the massive publishing company has stated that they’re reworking the Steam Marketplace to allow users finer control over what they see.

For instance, if a parent wishes to restrict their child’s marketplace from being able to view adult games. Or, even if certain customers simply don’t want to see adult games or have them recommended to them. As far as Valve’s concerned, under the new policy, you can have whatever you want in your game, as long as it isn’t illegal, such as depictions of certain acts involving minors.

Adult Games Held Back from Steam

According to some developers, though, their games have been put on hold from being released for the time being. Apparently, according to developer Love in Space, their game Shining Song Starnova was being put on hold by Steam until it met new requirements. According to Valve, they’ll have more information on why titles like this are being held back soon. The company maintains that this is all part of the new initiative that customers can be selective with what they see on the marketplace.

Unseen Benchmarks

For developers like Love in Space, however, this is a rather unsettling prospect. They’ve been given no official timeline on when they can expect their game to be released. Further, they’ve received no statement as to what changes they need to make so that it can be released. While such measures might seem trivial to some, to many developers, this is unsettling.

While content restrictions on mature games make sense, the developers need to be informed. Informed as to what guidelines they’re operating under, for one, and what won’t fly. Steam is the single largest platform for PC games in the world. And, as such, not having one’s game be available through the service is a poor business decision. As such, the developers’ distaste for this opaque policy is understandable.

July 18, 2018
Top Ten Deals for your Buck During Steam Summer Sale

The Steam sale is on, and you know what that means: time to save some money on great games! If you’re looking to find sweet deals, the Steam Summer Sale is the time to do it. Starting with the games that cost the least, we’re showing off some of the hottest sales this summer! Event ends July 5th, so don’t miss these deals!

Craziest Deal of the Steam Summer Sale: Left4Dead 2, $2

Photo Credit: Steampowered

The famous co-op zombie shooter is available for two bucks right now. If you ever needed an excuse to experience this intense horror game, here it is! Grab a few copies for some friends while it’s so cheap and get ready to blast zombies, together!

Fallout: New Vegas, $3

Photo Credit: Steampowered

Three dollars will buy you a full meal at Taco Bell, or a copy of Fallout New Vegas. Choose wisely. Fan-favorite New Vegas is renowned for its world, story and gameplay. New Vegas follows the adventures of the “courier” through a western-inspired post-nuke Nevada. The player is given a ton of agency in deciding how the story unfolds. Every action has consequences, and the game’s various factions feel very fleshed out and real. If you haven’t played this one before, now’s a great time to try it out.

Borderlands 2, $5

Photo Credit: Humble Bundle

Five bucks doesn’t even get you a foot-long sub anymore. It does, however, get you a copy of the best looter-shooter ever made! Borderlands 2 is 100% adrenaline from start to finish. Witty, laugh-inducing writing meets tight gunplay and addictive RPG elements. Rewarding skill trees and fun enemy types keep you engaged through this massive opus. If you’ve ever loved first-person shooters or Diablo-style looters, check this out. It’s awesome, and this deal is nuts.

Dishonored: Definitive Edition $10

Photo Credit: Humble Bundle

Step into the shoes of trained assassin Corvo for the low price of ten bucks. Corvo Attano is granted otherworldly powers by the Outsider and must solve a murder mystery to clear his name. The dark, foreboding city of Dunwall serves as the backdrop to the stealth-action. This game was great for full retail price, so it’s a steal for ten bucks.

Ori and the Blind Forest, $10

Photo Credit: Steam

The flowing, slick platforming action of Ori is top-notch. A stellar indie game, ten dollars is quite a deal on this one. A sequel was teased at E3 2018, so if you’ve been interested in seeing what this platformer is all about, now’s the time! Ori features a beautiful world and a lovable, slick protagonist. Controls are tight, and the world is evocative of such games as Rayman Legends.

Dark Souls 2, $10

Photo Credit: Steam

Dark Souls was a revelation when it first released, so a ton of pressure was on the sequel to follow up. It did a great job of filling in for its older brother, though it wasn’t perfect. However, $10 isn’t much to ask for such a stellar game. If you’ve been playing the Remastered version of Dark Souls 1 and want to see where the series went from there, here’s your chance! Prepare to die a lot, though.

Fallout 4, $15

Photo Credit: Kinguin

The second Fallout title to grace this chart, Fallout 4 came out in November 2015 to great reviews. For only $15 you can experience the tale of the Sole Survivor as they look for their son. Whether you’ve played it before and want to relive the quest or haven’t played it and want to see what the hype is about, $15 is a pretty solid price to pay for it.

ARK: Survival Evolved, $20

Photo Credit: BGR

Discounted from a full retail price of $60, this is a great deal. ARK is a game that involves dinosaurs and lasers, so $20 seems fair by any metrics. Okay, jokes aside, this is a fun survival game. You can hunt, or tame, dinosaurs and you try to survive however you can. While the survival genre is a bit past its heyday of 2017, this is still a great game for a great price.

Grand Theft Auto V, $20

Photo Credit: YouTube

GTA V may have come out in 2013, but it still retails for around $60. That alone helps show how much staying power Rockstar’s games have. However, it’s on sale for $20 right now, which is a steal. If you haven’t had a chance to play this open-world masterpiece, now’s your chance to snag it for cheap! The online multiplayer for this one is a cherry on top, considering how great the single player is.

Final Fantasy XV, $25

Photo Credit: Steam

While this game was released in November 2016, it only saw a Windows release March of this year. That makes the sale price of this version that much more impressive! $25 for a relatively new AAA game is kind of crazy. For PC gamers who may have skipped this one since it was on console, here’s your chance to try it out. Featuring beautiful graphics and a gripping, epic story, Final Fantasy XV is a return to form for the storied series. Here’s hoping they stop making MMOs for future entries, huh?

June 25, 2018
Steam Link iOS App Blocked from Release

Steam Link, Valve’s game streaming app, has been blocked from release by Apple, Valve claimed in a statement to Ars Technica. The app, which can stream PC games to a separate device on the same Wi-Fi network, was blocked due to “conflicting with app guidelines,” according to Apple.

Why Was it Blocked?

The answer to that question is somewhat unclear. Perhaps Steam Link’s ability to stream games purchased through Valve’s Steam store didn’t comply with Apple’s guidelines. Apple requires a thirty percent share of every in-app purchase. This may have conflicted with the way Valve presents the Steam Link service.

Valve claimed in their statement that “the Steam Link app simply functions as a LAN-based remote desktop similar to numerous remote desktop applications already available on the App Store.” The decision was appealed, but the appeal was dismissed by Apple.

So No Steam Link on iOS?

Valve expressed their hopes for Apple to reconsider their decision in the future. As such, it’s not impossible that there may be a Steam Link on iOS someday. However, for the time being, the app remains blocked from release. Perhaps the two companies can work out a deal in order to greenlight the app.

While the app definitely competes directly with one of the App Store’s biggest revenue streams: games. Allowing users to stream games from their PC from a free app may have been a step too far for Apple. It seems the phone giant would rather be the big fish in a small pond in this fight. Allowing Valve to offer a free app for game streaming could have been seen as too big a threat to their games sales.

What if I Want to Stream to My Phone?

While the app was blocked from iOS, it is available on Android devices. While this is no help for iPhone users, it might convince those on the fence to switch to Android. Other alternatives include Steam’s Big Picture Mode, which allows users to play their Steam Library on a TV screen. In any event, it doesn’t seem Valve will be too badly hurt by Apple’s snub. Steam made $730 million dollars in 2014 alone, according to PC Gamer.

May 28, 2018
HTC Vive? Sure, if You’ve Got The PC for it…
The Good
- Stunning visuals
- very responsive and interactive gaming world
- lasting fun and very immersive experience
The Bad
- A powerful gaming is needed to enjoy the full experience
- Using the Vive can take some getting used to, mind your surroundings
- Costly gaming product
The conclusion

I found the HTC Vive to be solidly built and well made. HTC has created a very immersive and responsive world that keeps you entertained and surprised for hours. You will need a powerful computer and a fair amount of space to fully enjoy the Vive. In terms of cost, considering a price drop from $599.00, it is certainly worth purchasing.

The Gist.

As long as you have a powerful PC to push the Vive, it’s pretty incredible. The system pushes a lot of pixels to the small monitors, and you need a pretty fancy graphics card and processor to match up. The required PC components is partly due to the HTC Vive, providing just about a 180 degree field of virtual vision, and it’s stunning features that come with it. The price is a little steep relative to most gaming gear at $599.00, but it’s pretty cutting edge. As time passes the price will come down. It’s an early adopter product at this point but I have to say that as far as early adopter gear goes, it’s been surprisingly robust. For how new the product is it’s surprisingly smooth and a polished. The responsiveness of turning your head and immediately having the environment respond is impressive. I didn’t notice any real lag when playing with it. The unit is reasonably light, but does get little warm after extended use. SteamVR makes using and purchasing VR games a quick and easy process. Steam also offers a large variety of VR games for how new this system is.

Final thoughts

HTC Vive is a truly great system and HTC obviously put a lot of work into this product. The wiring, controls, and overall setup is a bit cumbersome, but that is expected with any new technology at this level. I’m sure as time passes, the controls will be simpler, sleeker, and everything will be wireless. But for now, if you’re into gaming, the Vive is definitely worth a try!
January 19, 2018