Steam set to become app store

[Edvard]

Hmm... 

The Software titles coming to Steam range from creativity to productivity. Many of the launch titles will take advantage of popular Steamworks features, such as easy installation, automatic updating, and the ability to save your work to your personal Steam Cloud space so your files may travel with you.

http://store.steampowered.com/news/8584/

[KynloStephen66515]

Steam could not find an Internet connection, unfortunately this means ALL the software you bought before you had an unexpected Internet failure, will no longer work

I expect that to be one of the error messages when they start this crap.

[wraith808]

I still haven't had that problem (shrugs).

And Impulse (that POS) already has applications other than games in the store.

I still think that the word App is being overused - what I usually think of when I think of Apps is a The Single Responsibility Principle^w, i.e. something that does one thing well.  Those are the types of Apps I look for also.

[Edvard]

I agree the word is being overused, and hence my derisive tone.  Steam, despite it's drawbacks, appears to be an excellent content-delivery client for games, and adding non-game content is, in my opinion, not the greatest idea in the world.
It is, however, what the fans/consumers want, so they'll make of it whatever is eventually rolled out.  My question is, how will it be implemented to take advantage of the cross-platform direction they've taken lately (supporting Linux, and Mac previously).  Will you be able to filter the list, or will the client do that for you automagically?
Interesting times...

[wraith808]

It will probably be the same as what it does now, I'd think... steam doesn't really care, nor try to impose any limits on you.  There's an icon at the bottom to let you know what platforms a game is for, and other than that, you can buy it.  I've never bought anything on the Mac, so I can't say for sure if it restricts (or warns) you if you try to buy for a platform that something isn't available for, but I can say that you can see everything.

[iphigenie]

So Impulse/Gamestop is trying to become Steam while Steam is adding things that the original Stardock Impulse had...

[wraith808]

^ And GameFly is also trying to become Steam...

[Renegade]

I'm liking that there are more "app stores" opening. I like the idea of having more competition out there. It reinforces a degree of openness, and erodes the "walled garden".

I still think that the word App is being overused - what I usually think of when I think of Apps is a The Single Responsibility Principle^w, i.e. something that does one thing well.  Those are the types of Apps I look for also.

I wrote a treatise on this issue a few years ago for Samsung Multimedia Solutions Center arguing against the incessant use of "app" and instead using "software" or "program" (etc.) as appropriate. (This was all for developer materials, and not end user stuff.) Alas, lost that one.

OT

"App" was/is just short for "application software", which is a very specific kind of software. It has since been applied as you describe - tiny, single feature software. But it's still a muddled word with no clear meaning at the moment. Apache is not an app. MySQL is not an app. SMF is not an app. Wordpress is not an app. etc. etc. The point is lost when marketers get involved and start pretending that they actually understand what they're talking about. "App" is a simple word for people though, and for end users, in that space, makes sense to use. For other areas? Cripes... Developers that have to use the word "app" for everything because they don't know the difference between client, server, and SaaS web applications, well... they represent one of the things that's wrong with the world - fundamental native language illiteracy.

Games are not application software. Pfft... Why can't people simply speak English properly? (I don't mean non-native English speakers who have an excuse.)

I came across a new term, "fusking". It's just URL hacking through brute force. We don't really need to invent new terms for everything, and we don't need to muddy existing terminology.

[Carol Haynes]

IMHO a slightly worrying development - the Steam servers barely cope with what they are doing now without adding loads of cloud-based app type stuff.

I have no problems with the internet at all but I frequently get 'Cannot connect to steam' on first attempt to open Steam when it is trying to login - and when opening pages in the Steam browser windows I could sometimes go and make a cup of coffee in the time I wait for the page to actually appear. (They never open immediately and the Steam browser make IE look positively whizzo - which is strange because as far as I can tell it is an IE shell ???)

The other issue is that when Steam feels the need to update stuff they never ask your permission and unless you have a very fast broadband (and Steam in a good mood) you could easily find yourself waiting for a couple of hours (or even days) bfor you can open an app depending on the size of download. (I have a customer whose son plays Steam games and on average it takes him between 7 to 10 days to get new games installed - even when he buys it it on DVD). Of course you can't amuse yourself in the meantime by playing another game because that suspends the download!

[40hz]

I'm liking that there are more "app stores" opening. I like the idea of having more competition out there. It reinforces a degree of openness, and erodes the "walled garden".

I still think that the word App is being overused - what I usually think of when I think of Apps is a The Single Responsibility Principle^w, i.e. something that does one thing well.  Those are the types of Apps I look for also.

I wrote a treatise on this issue a few years ago for Samsung Multimedia Solutions Center arguing against the incessant use of "app" and instead using "software" or "program" (etc.) as appropriate. (This was all for developer materials, and not end user stuff.) Alas, lost that one.

Don't feel too bad. IBM spent millions trying to get everybody to adopt the term "solution" (e.g. Accounting Solution or Payroll Solution) - which is actually rather evocative since it puts emphasis on the result rather than the mechanisms and/or methods employed. Made sense to IBM since they were offering a nice medley of hardware, software, services, and support for most of their stuff. Almost like saying IBM sells "results" rather than products and services. Very clever. And not at all inaccurate at that time.

The public was having none of it.

[iphigenie]

IMHO a slightly worrying development - the Steam servers barely cope with what they are doing now without adding loads of cloud-based app type stuff.

I have no problems with the internet at all but I frequently get 'Cannot connect to steam' on first attempt to open Steam when it is trying to login - and when opening pages in the Steam browser windows I could sometimes go and make a cup of coffee in the time I wait for the page to actually appear. (They never open immediately and the Steam browser make IE look positively whizzo - which is strange because as far as I can tell it is an IE shell ???)

The other issue is that when Steam feels the need to update stuff they never ask your permission and unless you have a very fast broadband (and Steam in a good mood) you could easily find yourself waiting for a couple of hours (or even days) bfor you can open an app depending on the size of download. (I have a customer whose son plays Steam games and on average it takes him between 7 to 10 days to get new games installed - even when he buys it it on DVD). Of course you can't amuse yourself in the meantime by playing another game because that suspends the download!

I've had lots of gripes with Steam but never seen unable to connect unless I am fully offline.

I think the "pause downloads while you play" is configurable somewhere

I used to buy a lot on Impulse but it now rarely offers much that is not US-only. So I migrated to buying on gamersgate at least as often as on steam, based on price and idealism, far less fancy social features but downloads are totally separated from playing and playing never requires online (except in cases where the game originally used lame DRM, like Assassin's Creed 2. I buy *these* on steam). There even is a chat/screenshot overlay if one is so inclined, one that uses normal chat). It's in part because I like diversity and competition, and in part because it doesn't matter what I do, when I am offline I rarely can play steam, there's always some reason or other why it wont let me start offline.

I also often buy from the developer, even when it is a little more expensive than Steam or Gamersgate.

And I have games on Desura and gog.com too - what i lack isnt games, its time to play

[Carol Haynes]

Just went to my Steam Workshop page to look at Portal 2 maps I uploaded and all my maps have disappeared. They are still listed publicly if you have the direct links but my profile is bare!!!

Yeah - I am going to trust Steam with cloud data.

Just to say I regularly get can't connect on first attempt to steam - second attempt is usually fine - but I di have it set to start with windows so maybe there is a connection issue sometimes at startup.

[Deozaan]

Steam's first set of non-game software have arrived:

http://store.steampowered.com/software

It includes Game Maker Studio (free), which you can use to make games and publish them straight to the Steam Workshop!

[40hz]

Yeah - I am going to trust Steam with cloud data.

Had similar problems (on and off) with my account at Steam.

I don't really like them. I have maybe six games? I hardly ever log on any more.

I'll just stick with GoG for my gaming experience. GoG "gets it."

[iphigenie]

I'm curious whether they will make the software sold via steam able to run without running steam. If not, you're buying software that you can only rely on when you have access to a connection, which is inadequate imo.

[wraith808]

I'm curious whether they will make the software sold via steam able to run without running steam. If not, you're buying software that you can only rely on when you have access to a connection, which is inadequate imo.

Have you tried this recently?  I have three of my computers (XP desktop, W7 Laptop, Macbook) set to offline, and I haven't had any problems with this on any of them...

[iphigenie]

Ill give it another whirl - I've just not had luck with that on steam at all so far. It didnt matter that I would connect at work and check, by the time I was at the not-connected hotel and tried to start a game steam would say an update is needed, or my credentials havent been used recently, or any of 6 different excuses. It greatly reduced my purchase frequency, as I like to own my stuff and be able to use it

Will try again