TESO On Steam

Poll Question
Should it be released on Steam? Discuss your reasons below on why or why not. Also, feel free to introduce other ways to successfully market TESO besides Steam if you have any.

EDIT: This does not mean that everyone has to buy the game through steam. It is only a post-release option that could boost notoriety and sales in the game to PC gamers. I suggest reading everything below before you get into discussion and post as people seem to be jumping to this conclusion.

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Introduction
After thinking about the loads of attention that Steam has amassed through its vicious sales on market, I thought I'd create a poll on whether or not TESO should be the first payment required MMO to be purchased on steam. First off, there are pros and cons to TESO being on Steam. These are of course not all the pros and cons to TESO being on Steam, but are the only ones I can think of there really being. I also would assume any release on steam would be done AFTER the official launch of the game as a type of after booster to its sales. I also would say if they were to do this, those who want to could transfer their account to give them the game on steam so that they could play through Steam with friends. While P2P, B2P, and F2P is still being discussed, I feel this subject is less about the payment model and more about how the fans feel ZOS should market their game.

Pros
1. You increase the notoriety of your game, giving it to a larger audience of PC gamers in particular.
2. You offer people the ability to connect in a MMO with their steam friends so that people have a way of connecting with the community outside of the game other than just forums. In other words, people can play with friends much easier which is always good.
3. You allow the game to have sales further down the future, and those sales will of course be noticed by a large amount of people.
4. With the rise of digital purchases being noticed by even Sony with their digital download plan for the PS4, it is good to be a step ahead of other developers in what could be the new market for all games. A big head of that market for PC gaming at least will most likely be Steam.

Cons
1. Steam of course takes cuts of profit obtained by the developer, and whether or not ZOS decides to make it P2P or B2P they will get cuts to total profit.
2. You run the risk of the relatively bad reviews given through Steam. I've seen many good games given very poor reviews due to its more player-friendly review system. While I'm all for everyone being able to voice their opinions, I don't feel the less well-known or respected players should have a big impact on a games rating. Overall, I feel this has a possibility of hurting the game's true rating.
3. Steam does have other MMORPGs on it, but all of them are Free to Play, Pay to Win type MMOs. While it isn't as if these games are not played, it gives MMOs on Steam a relatively bad name and to be the first to put a legitimate MMO title on there could be shown some hesitation to buy from this.
4. While steam is a great way to give notice to a game, it is also a way to show a sort of desperation to sell the game. Sure, a lot of people use steam, but it isn't EXTREMELY recognized just yet. While, personally, I see Steam blowing up and being the new way to get video games, that might take a while. So, in a sense, investing in the idea that it does go big will bolster game sales, but if some other platform similar to Steam were to take its thunder. . you're kind of screwed.

Conclusion
There are legitimate arguments to both sides of the coin here, and while I personally want TESO to be on steam I would love to see what the community of TESOF thinks.

I really don't see why they can't have Steam and Retail..

Screw steam, just adds more potential things that could go wrong, imo.

Oh no. It would be cool if it were added with achievements, but I don't believe it would be very good. Like all normal free-to-play MMORPGS it should be downloaded in the official website or be bought in stores like World Of Warcraft.

(March 17th 2013, 03:05 PM)Qallidex Wrote: Screw steam, just adds more potential things that could go wrong, imo.

Ok. . why do you think that then? =P

(March 17th 2013, 07:31 PM)Kilivin Wrote:

(March 17th 2013, 03:05 PM)Qallidex Wrote: Screw steam, just adds more potential things that could go wrong, imo.

Ok. . why do you think that then? =P

No steam?

There's always the possibility since Skyrim is on Steam. I guess we will just have to wait and find out what ZOS does. Or perhaps how Bethesda chooses to publish it.

If my only option for digital purchas was via Steam, I would do it.

But Bethesda also just recently opened up their own store so perhaps they will use it to release the digital version of the game. I hope so. I don't really mind Steam but it is a resource hog.

(March 17th 2013, 07:54 PM)Qallidex Wrote:

(March 17th 2013, 07:31 PM)Kilivin Wrote:

(March 17th 2013, 03:05 PM)Qallidex Wrote: Screw steam, just adds more potential things that could go wrong, imo.

Ok. . why do you think that then? =P

No steam?

You seem to of majorly misunderstood the post.

(March 17th 2013, 09:08 PM)Kilivin Wrote:

(March 17th 2013, 07:54 PM)Qallidex Wrote:

(March 17th 2013, 07:31 PM)Kilivin Wrote:

(March 17th 2013, 03:05 PM)Qallidex Wrote: Screw steam, just adds more potential things that could go wrong, imo.

Ok. . why do you think that then? =P

No steam?

You seem to of majorly misunderstood the post.

I don't think it should be put on steam, which part do you think I'm missing there? haha

No thanks, Steam rips off NZ/Aus, we get charged ridiculous prices.

Steam is simply another distribution channel in gaming world, producents can use it (and many promotional tools it has) to attract more customers. Of course they would have to pay Valve hefty commission and Valve would probably want a bite from subscription fees as well

I dont think a AAA title such as ESO would need to distribute via Steam, but I wouldnt mind that option if they do

I would prefer that it not be on Steam but there is Skyrim, as Tabby said. So many games now have Steam entwined into them and I wish they would post that in LARGE letters on the game box when you purchase it.

Since Bethesda just recently opened their own store I hope it will be distributed that way.

(March 17th 2013, 10:34 PM)babylon Wrote: No thanks, Steam rips off NZ/Aus, we get charged ridiculous prices.

Everyone gets charged with rediculous prices, besides maybe US? I'm not familiar with their pricing on Steam.

You have to remember though, you can't compare a Steam's price on a product with some other Digital retailers price. As I've come to learn these past years, with Steam you're paying both for the product and the service as well.

And yes, it's quite rediculous at times. Just look at EVE Online, you can't play it through Steam unless you buy another EVE account through Steam. I'm currently playing on my account from 2005 through Steams 'EVE Online Demo' launcher. Since I didn't buy my original account through Steam I'm not entitled to use their service to launch and manage my game.

Getting a Steam-account is free, but using their service regularly is not. I don't particularly like it, but a business is a business and I've come to accept it for now.

As with having TESO on Steam, sure why not! If the developers and publishers feel that the availablity, tools for managing and patching their games and the publicity that comes with Steam is worth the cost? I say; Go for it.

I see people say Steam will also receive part of profit, but from what i see is that they also get more clients which means more money to ZOS as well, i know few people out there who only play games on Steam and dont bother to perches them other wise.

One advantage for a game company to use Steam besides drawing a larger audience that I see, is that the game company no longer has to deal directly with customer problems. Maybe I'm wrong here, but isn't it Steam that you contact and complain to if you're having problems with a Steam game?

If so, this frees up the game company to proceed on creating new games and updates for existing ones. Think so?