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Which PC game digital distribution services have you used in the last 12 months?
- Thread starter EviLore
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DisenLedZep
Member
To sum it up, Steam.
Basically because others DD doesn't allow me to purchase outside of US, Canada, Europe and Australia...
Oh! And I was about to buy StarCraft 2 from the Blizzard Store, but the region locked thingy turn me down
Basically because others DD doesn't allow me to purchase outside of US, Canada, Europe and Australia...
Oh! And I was about to buy StarCraft 2 from the Blizzard Store, but the region locked thingy turn me down
GAF has got me into Steam big time, even though my PC specs keep me to only older titles and classics I either missed or want to play again
I browse GOG from time-to-time, but I've haven't bought anything yet
I put "other" because I've bought directly from places like Popcap and Telltale. Not sure if that counts as digital distribution services, but that's how I got those games.
Direct2Drive banner ads on websites remind me of pop up ads that I've conditioned myself to ignore over the past 15 years of internet usage. I'm sure they're perfectly legit, but their ads with "DOWNLOAD TO YOUR HARD DRIVE NOW!!!!!!" just trigger that "something's shady" reaction in my mind.
I browse GOG from time-to-time, but I've haven't bought anything yet
I put "other" because I've bought directly from places like Popcap and Telltale. Not sure if that counts as digital distribution services, but that's how I got those games.
Direct2Drive banner ads on websites remind me of pop up ads that I've conditioned myself to ignore over the past 15 years of internet usage. I'm sure they're perfectly legit, but their ads with "DOWNLOAD TO YOUR HARD DRIVE NOW!!!!!!" just trigger that "something's shady" reaction in my mind.
MirageDwarf
Member
May be renaming "Others" with "Others (Blizzard, EA, PopCap, Telltale, GFWL etc.)" would be a good reminder.
VALIS said:
Oh, so it's better within the GFWL client? Their website just lists all the GFW games and mostly just sends you to a bing shopping search when you click to buy, unless the game is on Live On Demand.
Every other DD service gives you a functional storefront on the web, without requiring proprietary software to access it.
Danne-Danger
Member
Steam, GOG, GamersGate and Impulse (though only the first two more than once ).
And the list is missing MekTek!
).And the list is missing MekTek!
Have to admit I haven't used any and it's been way longer then 12 months. I haven't had a good working computer that can run stuff decent since like 2003 and the one I was using for WoW died a year ago and I never replaced it. I just find myself really hard pressed to buy PC content when everything is now on consoles (Blizzard is the exception that keeps me on the fence) Also if I go, I'm one of the people who is going big so a good PC Gaming Computer, built is at least 800-1000 Dollars to get it running. I imagine taking this plunge with Diablo 3 and I would love to for Cataclysm but it just isn't happening.
Would say though I would be up for using Steam if I could run it better or it hit consoles. They have tons of content and seem to consistently run good deals.
Would say though I would be up for using Steam if I could run it better or it hit consoles. They have tons of content and seem to consistently run good deals.
Anerythristic
Member
I use GOG to get the classic CRPGs. I've bought them all.
jim-jam bongs
Member
I selected "other" as one of mine, and for the record that was the Blizzard store.
brain_stew
Member
EviLore said:
Its storefront is the standalone client, just like Steam. The webstore is launching within a week or two.
brain_stew
Member
Phenomic said:
Well over 90% of the content on gog.com is guaranteed to run on your PC and hardly any of it is available on any console, nevermind current console DD services.
None.
I can' t care about DD on PC until they start providing point/money cards like XBL/PSN/Nintendo does. Sounds childish, but I don't like using Paypal or attaching my credit card to things online.
I can' t care about DD on PC until they start providing point/money cards like XBL/PSN/Nintendo does. Sounds childish, but I don't like using Paypal or attaching my credit card to things online.
Not to mention my PC is old as dirt and wouldn't run most of the games on DD with the exception of GoG but again: CC=no.
classicdms
Neo Member
I own more than 70 games on Steam. I have purchased 3 titles through GOG. I bought Civ4 from D2D when it was on sale for 5 bucks and then promptly bought it again on Steam when it was on sale there.
I picked Steam (my main DD provider), GOG (For awesome old stuff), D2D (for random awesome salage), Impulse (very rarely used now thanks to Stardocks anti UK policies) and other.
As for the Others, I have used Green Man Gaming (Interesting concept, variable pricing), GetGamesGo (Eurogamers DD service, bought 3 Ubi games from them), the EA UK Digital Distro service (Random good sales, just bought Mass Effect 2 Digital Deluxe for £16) and the Eidos UK store (Random sale again).
All in all, I use and abuse whichever DD service gives the best deals and where the DRM isn't too unacceptable. I'm not fussy really, and I love a bargain.
As for the Others, I have used Green Man Gaming (Interesting concept, variable pricing), GetGamesGo (Eurogamers DD service, bought 3 Ubi games from them), the EA UK Digital Distro service (Random good sales, just bought Mass Effect 2 Digital Deluxe for £16) and the Eidos UK store (Random sale again).
All in all, I use and abuse whichever DD service gives the best deals and where the DRM isn't too unacceptable. I'm not fussy really, and I love a bargain.
brain_stew
Member
TheSeks said:
But your credit card has fraud protection. Why the insane paranoia? Do you refuse to use sites like Amazon as well?
Hellsing321
Member
I've just used Steam though I do have an account at GOG. Haven't actually bought anything from them yet though.
Oh, thread topic. Right.
Steam mostly, of course. Their sales are insane. I have, no joke, 256 games in my games list. The overlay is fantastic, the automatic patching is a godsend, there's really nothing else like it at this point.
I use GoG to pick up the cool older stuff like Freespace, etc. I like the extra stuff that comes with their games, like the soundtracks, wallpapers, full manuals, etc. They kind of fell out of favor with me thanks to their little publicity stunt a couple months back.
I bought a couple of games at Direct 2 Drive when they had a sale, and then used the CD keys to tie them to my Steam account.
And I bought Sins of a Solar Empire from Impulse at some point, apparently.
Steam mostly, of course. Their sales are insane. I have, no joke, 256 games in my games list. The overlay is fantastic, the automatic patching is a godsend, there's really nothing else like it at this point.
I use GoG to pick up the cool older stuff like Freespace, etc. I like the extra stuff that comes with their games, like the soundtracks, wallpapers, full manuals, etc. They kind of fell out of favor with me thanks to their little publicity stunt a couple months back.
I bought a couple of games at Direct 2 Drive when they had a sale, and then used the CD keys to tie them to my Steam account.
And I bought Sins of a Solar Empire from Impulse at some point, apparently.
I've bought nearly 200 games on steam in the last two years.
Within the last 12 months, I think I bought some games on sale on D2D, one game from Impulse, 2 games from Blizzard's store, 3 seasons of games from Telltale Games, and a handful of games from GOG
I think that's it. I primarily use Steam, but I'm not afraid to buy from elsewhere.
Within the last 12 months, I think I bought some games on sale on D2D, one game from Impulse, 2 games from Blizzard's store, 3 seasons of games from Telltale Games, and a handful of games from GOG
I think that's it. I primarily use Steam, but I'm not afraid to buy from elsewhere.
Blast Processing
Member
Steam - 90% of my DD purchases
GOG - 4%
Impulse - 3%
D2D - 3%
Numbers are approximations based on a few seconds of recalling what I've bought over the last 12 months.
GOG - 4%
Impulse - 3%
D2D - 3%
Numbers are approximations based on a few seconds of recalling what I've bought over the last 12 months.
Dick Laurent
Member
prefer to buy direct from developers (through trymedia, bmtmicro, digitalriver, paypal and other creditcard solutions) where they get a better percentage deal compared to these, but I end up using gamersgate and gog quite a bit aswell.
The nuts and bolts of Impulse are nice, but they're always so far behind the curve as far as sales and releases go that while I have half a dozen games or so on there, I haven't purchased anything from there in the last 12 months. I buy a fair bit of stuff from Gamersgate because they stay on the ball fairly well with regards to sales and releases. Steam and GoG are no brainers. D2D and EA.com are shit in Australia usually.
brain_stew
Member
Fredescu said:
They bill me in dollars here in the UK despite advertising their prices in Sterling. That adds another ~£2 to the cost of each purchase on their store from me and considering their pricing is pretty shitty to start with, and their selection (especially in the UK) pales in comparison to Steam and D2D, well its usually enough to keep me away.
The service is quite decent generally speaking though, but it counts for little when I can't buy the games I want at a competitive price.
Steam - frequent purchases through new releases or sales.
GOG - few games a year
Impulse - sins of a solar empire
Other - Blizzard\StarCraft II
I had used GamersGate and Direct2Drive in the past 18 months but not the past twelve. Although the D2D game I bought was immediately activated on steam and downloaded there.
In the future I see myself mostly using Steam and GOG unless the other services have an exclusive. I get the emails from the other services but they never cause an impulse buy. Pun Intended.
GOG - few games a year
Impulse - sins of a solar empire
Other - Blizzard\StarCraft II
I had used GamersGate and Direct2Drive in the past 18 months but not the past twelve. Although the D2D game I bought was immediately activated on steam and downloaded there.
In the future I see myself mostly using Steam and GOG unless the other services have an exclusive. I get the emails from the other services but they never cause an impulse buy. Pun Intended.
pieatorium
Member
Steam mostly, GFWL once and Bnet once
Nabs
Member
Just Steam. The other DD services don't really interest me, plus I don't like having games on a bunch of sites and services.
Without Steam, Steam sales and Steamworks games, I probably wouldn't be gaming on my pc. I probably wouldn't have a gaming pc.
Visa Gift Cards work on Steam just fine. As long as you can register it to a person or an area code, it'll go through.
Without Steam, Steam sales and Steamworks games, I probably wouldn't be gaming on my pc. I probably wouldn't have a gaming pc.
TheSeks said:
Visa Gift Cards work on Steam just fine. As long as you can register it to a person or an area code, it'll go through.
I've only used Steam in the last 12 months (and for that matter, at all). I did not select the option for GoG as I haven't used it, but I plan to use it to purchase Baldur's Gate at some point. The interesting thing is that the separate service is a real barrier, if BG was already on Steam I would almost certainly already have purchased it.
Steam: The best selection of new and old games, great interface. And the most important thing for me, the prices are still in USD even if you're buying from another country (Mexico in my case). The special sales and discounts made me buy some good games that I wouldn't have bought any other way, like Serious Sam Second Encounter HD.
Blizzard Store/battle.net: Well, the only way to buy a digital copy of WoW and expansions. The great thing about this store are international prices. Full games and monthly fees for WoW are priced lower than local auction sites (like mercadolibre.com, the mexican ebay), import stores or retailers like Blockbuster and Wal Mart.
Blizzard Store/battle.net: Well, the only way to buy a digital copy of WoW and expansions. The great thing about this store are international prices. Full games and monthly fees for WoW are priced lower than local auction sites (like mercadolibre.com, the mexican ebay), import stores or retailers like Blockbuster and Wal Mart.
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