Game Release Date + Preloading

Aces-B2 · 02-21-2011, 09:52 PM

Probably a few hundred thousand threads about this, but I felt it should be necessary to post this.

.

As a repeat steam customer, and someone who dwells in the field of business, I cannot understand why this has not been addressed and corrected. I am not sure if its because of Steam's location, but Steam is almost ALWAYS late with game releases, and not allowing most if not all games to be preloaded (at least 12-24 hours prior to the release).

My issue lies with the fact that when games are said to be released a certain date, that means they should be available to be played/downloaded and activated at 12:00 AM, or at least available to the timezones that are at 12:00 AM or have past that point. A single activation for 12:00 PM the next day on PST no less is really unacceptable. Don't get me wrong, I am not mad, enraged, or wish to express any sort of negativity, as I have bought steam games in the past with this issue, but when I come home from work around 5-6 EST and get download speeds of 20 kbps when I am capable of 3.0 MBPs, and I have to wait an extra day to play said game on top of the release date, that is annoying. After all who wants to wait to play a game after work

. The downloading should be done beforehand.

Now, going back to what I said regarding good business, Steam would have a lot more presales and a lot more sales if these games were available for purchase and unlocking at the time of release. Some people unlike myself, are paying $60 for the exact same game sold on steam and get to play it earlier. Hence the benefits are higher of buying it at a store, same value, earlier unlocking.

The second issue is preloading. I understand the concepts of how download speeds are affected, Steam only has so many servers and a lot of people downloading a single game can decrease speeds for everyone, the only hope is bouncing around steam download servers until a fast one is found. However, allowing users 12-24 hours to preload a game will allow bandwidth to be used in various amounts to make the release overall smoother, instead of everyone pressing the download button the minute a popular game is released, thus making your customer base much more happier as a result.

As you can see from my forum account, I have been here a long time, I love Steam and the services it provides, I will continue to purchase Steam games, but as a company providing these services, and controlling a good portion of the digital distribution of PC gaming, I would encourage Steam to resolve these issues which may push away any future customers.

tschumann · 02-21-2011, 10:35 PM

I'm sure Valve realises that everyone downloading the game on release day isn't good for speed, hence their tendency to have preload periods, but preload periods are seemingly up to the publisher.

Aces-B2 · 02-22-2011, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tschumann

I'm sure Valve realises that everyone downloading the game on release day isn't good for speed, hence their tendency to have preload periods, but preload periods are seemingly up to the publisher.

I can understand the publisher request, but that wouldn't allow the game to unlock at 12:00 AM.

slayvus · 02-22-2011, 09:06 AM

Again, that is at the publisher's request when a game is released on Steam.

Aceofspades · 02-22-2011, 11:01 AM

Yeah. I know what you mean, but I guess they simply don't want to anger partners, because of it.

slayvus · 02-22-2011, 11:10 AM

It's not that they don't want to anger them, it's that they don't want to breach a contract which would open them up to being sued.

SiMMENS · 02-23-2011, 11:14 AM

Well I think this sort of issue should get better if they rework some of these contracts or experience enough technical issues as Steam continues to dominate

Devilboy135 · 05-15-2012, 08:38 AM

I was about to put a ticket up about it my self actually :P. I haven't been a Steam game purchaser for a long time so I have only pre-purchased one game which was Sniper Elite V2.. I wasn't aware that you aren't always able to pre load games before hand. I didn't even know it existed at 1st. I purchased Sniper Elite V2 and a few days later it said Pre-Load so I did it :P...

Back to the point though. I would too like to know why Steam release dates are later than store dates. Seems a bit weird. Surely it wouldn't affect any companies in the slightest if Steam had the same release dates as stores did?

damaged · 05-15-2012, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devilboy135

(...)

Back to the point though. I would too like to know why Steam release dates are later than store dates. Seems a bit weird. Surely it wouldn't affect any companies in the slightest if Steam had the same release dates as stores did?

Developers/Publishers make agreements (i.e. the B&Ms threaten not to carry their game if they don't) with brick and mortar stores to withhold sales, as they (the stores) deem Steam (and other DDs) as having too much of an advantage over them. And don't call me Shirley.

cylon · 05-15-2012, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devilboy135

Back to the point though. I would too like to know why Steam release dates are later than store dates. Seems a bit weird. Surely it wouldn't affect any companies in the slightest if Steam had the same release dates as stores did?

Steam use the same release dates as the stores. There have been posts from people saying "its available on xxx day but steam says yyy" and it always turns out to be people looking at console release dates vs PC release dates.

Unless you have specific examples that people can comment on.

02-21-2011, 09:52 PM	#1
Aces-B2 Join Date: Jun 2007 Reputation: 7 Posts: 73	Game Release Date + Preloading Probably a few hundred thousand threads about this, but I felt it should be necessary to post this. . As a repeat steam customer, and someone who dwells in the field of business, I cannot understand why this has not been addressed and corrected. I am not sure if its because of Steam's location, but Steam is almost ALWAYS late with game releases, and not allowing most if not all games to be preloaded (at least 12-24 hours prior to the release). My issue lies with the fact that when games are said to be released a certain date, that means they should be available to be played/downloaded and activated at 12:00 AM, or at least available to the timezones that are at 12:00 AM or have past that point. A single activation for 12:00 PM the next day on PST no less is really unacceptable. Don't get me wrong, I am not mad, enraged, or wish to express any sort of negativity, as I have bought steam games in the past with this issue, but when I come home from work around 5-6 EST and get download speeds of 20 kbps when I am capable of 3.0 MBPs, and I have to wait an extra day to play said game on top of the release date, that is annoying. After all who wants to wait to play a game after work . The downloading should be done beforehand. Now, going back to what I said regarding good business, Steam would have a lot more presales and a lot more sales if these games were available for purchase and unlocking at the time of release. Some people unlike myself, are paying $60 for the exact same game sold on steam and get to play it earlier. Hence the benefits are higher of buying it at a store, same value, earlier unlocking. The second issue is preloading. I understand the concepts of how download speeds are affected, Steam only has so many servers and a lot of people downloading a single game can decrease speeds for everyone, the only hope is bouncing around steam download servers until a fast one is found. However, allowing users 12-24 hours to preload a game will allow bandwidth to be used in various amounts to make the release overall smoother, instead of everyone pressing the download button the minute a popular game is released, thus making your customer base much more happier as a result. As you can see from my forum account, I have been here a long time, I love Steam and the services it provides, I will continue to purchase Steam games, but as a company providing these services, and controlling a good portion of the digital distribution of PC gaming, I would encourage Steam to resolve these issues which may push away any future customers.

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02-21-2011, 10:35 PM	#2
tschumann Join Date: Mar 2009 Reputation: 148 Posts: 2,632	I'm sure Valve realises that everyone downloading the game on release day isn't good for speed, hence their tendency to have preload periods, but preload periods are seemingly up to the publisher.

02-22-2011, 09:06 AM	#4
slayvus Join Date: Jun 2008 Reputation: 782 Posts: 2,727	Again, that is at the publisher's request when a game is released on Steam.

02-22-2011, 11:01 AM	#5
Aceofspades Join Date: Nov 2008 Reputation: 12 Posts: 402	Yeah. I know what you mean, but I guess they simply don't want to anger partners, because of it.

02-22-2011, 11:10 AM	#6
slayvus Join Date: Jun 2008 Reputation: 782 Posts: 2,727	It's not that they don't want to anger them, it's that they don't want to breach a contract which would open them up to being sued.

02-23-2011, 11:14 AM	#7
SiMMENS Join Date: Jun 2010 Reputation: 91 Posts: 685	Well I think this sort of issue should get better if they rework some of these contracts or experience enough technical issues as Steam continues to dominate

05-15-2012, 08:38 AM	#8
Devilboy135 Join Date: Mar 2011 Reputation: 0 Posts: 11	I was about to put a ticket up about it my self actually :P. I haven't been a Steam game purchaser for a long time so I have only pre-purchased one game which was Sniper Elite V2.. I wasn't aware that you aren't always able to pre load games before hand. I didn't even know it existed at 1st. I purchased Sniper Elite V2 and a few days later it said Pre-Load so I did it :P... Back to the point though. I would too like to know why Steam release dates are later than store dates. Seems a bit weird. Surely it wouldn't affect any companies in the slightest if Steam had the same release dates as stores did?