What is your favorite computer game download distributor?

[Secret Fawful]

GoG, then Steam, then....um...well...Telltale. I really hate D2D.

[JedExodus]

Steam, tried and tested. Has enough features that it's a boon, even if it is DRM wrapped around a whole pile of lovely lovely features.

Coupled with crazy sales and a level playing base for indie and major devs/publishers it's the way forward for the PC platform.

GOG are great for the oldies, but it segregates my collection that wee bit. I'm def leaning towards Steam when it's available for all my purchases, i've even repurchased some stuff I have on disc (Civ IV, GTA IV) when it's been on sale and given my retail copy away to friends.

Steam is all these things done right. GFWL is a total mess on the other hand and a sign that Microsoft have really lost sight of what's important to PC gamers

[DAISHI]

Originally Posted by JedExodus

Steam, tried and tested. Has enough features that it's a boon, even if it is DRM wrapped around a whole pile of lovely lovely features.

Coupled with crazy sales and a level playing base for indie and major devs/publishers it's the way forward for the PC platform.

GOG are great for the oldies, but it segregates my collection that wee bit. I'm def leaning towards Steam when it's available for all my purchases, i've even repurchased some stuff I have on disc (Civ IV, GTA IV) when it's been on sale and given my retail copy away to friends.

Steam is all these things done right. GFWL is a total mess on the other hand and a sign that Microsoft have really lost sight of what's important to PC gamers

This. I just mentioned in another thread that GFWL almost entirely prevented me from starting Bioshock 2 today. Had to download updates for 2 hours, then every time Live kicked in it would crash the game.

[JedExodus]

Originally Posted by DAISHI

This. I just mentioned in another thread that GFWL almost entirely prevented me from starting Bioshock 2 today. Had to download updates for 2 hours, then every time Live kicked in it would crash the game.

Not to mention that it'll start, say "oh you need an update" donload the update, then restart. After restarting it starts to download the next update in the sequence, lather rinse repeat.

Like seriously, there's just no excuse for that

[VeronicanPlay]

For never games I like Steam, easy to use and you can get good deals on bundles, or when they have their crazy sales.

When I am nostalgic and want to get very old games cheap or when they can't be found on Steam, then I go to GoG.

[Jennifer]

I honestly don't mind any of them, but I like Telltale, GOG.com and Steam the best because of their amazing sales.

[flesk]

Originally Posted by JedExodus

Not to mention that it'll start, say "oh you need an update" donload the update, then restart. After restarting it starts to download the next update in the sequence, lather rinse repeat.

Like seriously, there's just no excuse for that

Apparently that procedure makes perfect sense to Microsoft. I started up my wife's notebook with Windows 7 to install some stuff on it before going on vacation last week. We don't use it very often, and I don't remember when it was last used, but I had to install updates in four goes with restarts in between before I installed anything else. When I haven't used my laptop with Ubuntu in a few months, it's always able to install everything it needs to update in one go.

[Armakuni]

GoG, beyond any shadow of doubt!

They focus on classic games (well, with several games I would consider pretty modern still but as long as this doesn't take over, it's not an issue for me) which is what I play the most by far.
I also really love the no-DRM model they're using - that really does result in a very different feeling of 'owning' a game that I certainly don't get with any games using online authentication DRM.

Fantastic company, I hope they stay around for a long time.


EDIT - I was a bit disappointed when I contacted them, back when they first put Gabriel Knight 2 up on their site, to ask if they could maybe put a little mention somewhere on the Gabriel Knight 2 page about the English subtitle patch I created way back (well actually the patch itself was already created, but all the subtitles were in another language... so it's more accurate to say I wrote the English subtitles and not the patch itself).
I still think it would be worth a mention as I know plenty of people prefer having subtitles, and - Collector has written such a great installer for it that fixes every issue the patch originally had, and also makes it really easy to install without running into trouble.

[corruptbiggins]

The ones I use are Steam, GOG & Telltale and they're all good for different reasons. Steam because of the great sales they often do; GOG is the place to get old quality games and Telltale are perfect for their own games. So neither one is best but at the same time they all are.

I've tried D2D and GFWL marketplace but neither are good enough to replace well Steam really as that's the only real comparison I have to use.

[Chyron8472]

I wish Curse of Monkey Island was available through Steam or GOG.

Seriously, I would buy it today. I want a copy for my nephews (they love Murray).

[Soeroah]

I love Telltale's games, of course, but when I want to get another game they don't sell, I'll either buy a hard copy or use Steam. I'll probably be using Steam more often now that I've discovered Steam downloads don't count toward my monthly Internet quota.

[JedExodus]

Originally Posted by flesk

Apparently that procedure makes perfect sense to Microsoft. I started up my wife's notebook with Windows 7 to install some stuff on it before going on vacation last week. We don't use it very often, and I don't remember when it was last used, but I had to install updates in four goes with restarts in between before I installed anything else. When I haven't used my laptop with Ubuntu in a few months, it's always able to install everything it needs to update in one go.

I sorta let that fly because I presume the OS is a more tricky beast to tinker with and break than a game.

Sometimes though, Windows Update will dick about and not give you the update that you really need for a wee while so you have to hunt for it on Microsofts pretty hateful Windows Update site. Gives my arse a headache

[Vainamoinen]

Originally Posted by Scnew

What is your issue with Steam? Malware seems a bit... harsh.

I see your point, but unfortunately, I mean mine as well.

Call me old-school. I've been gaming for 20 years now, and the idea that a company exercises that much forced, continuous, needless and incalculable control over my PC and its installed programs, I find it repulsive and creepy. The fact that other companies have driven their DRM in even worse directions doesn't exactly relativize my animosity; I just find these companies even more detestable. I can't accept that stuff. I didn't even think of buying TTGs really DRM-mild online-activated episodes before I definitely knew that I'd get my hands on a disc version eventually.

Now that I think of it, problems remain even with this disc version, because there's not really a legal way to sell it. It's yet another thing that really bugs me with modern DRM. I wish there was a law stating that you have the right to sell computer programs, and any measure to prohibit the possibility would be illegal. Good-bye, "online activation codes". But don't get me wrong: I have accepted what TTG does, and I find it almost acceptable in light of copyright infringement being viewed as a petty offence and the dangers of international distribution. It gnaws at me, but I hmnjrghjahbrglaccept it. Up to here, but no step further.

Originally Posted by Armakuni

EDIT - I was a bit disappointed when I contacted them, back when they first put Gabriel Knight 2 up on their site, to ask if they could maybe put a little mention somewhere on the Gabriel Knight 2 page about the English subtitle patch I created way back (well actually the patch itself was already created, but all the subtitles were in another language... so it's more accurate to say I wrote the English subtitles and not the patch itself).
I still think it would be worth a mention as I know plenty of people prefer having subtitles, and - Collector has written such a great installer for it that fixes every issue the patch originally had, and also makes it really easy to install without running into trouble.

That's... great and probably very appreciated by so many people, but the result of your inquiry was unfortunately foreseeable. For example, TTG can not support any unofficial/modified "fan" patches of any kind and on occasion has had to delete such links from its own forum. With GOG, it's even worse, because they are not the developer of their games, only the distributor! Supporting unofficial patches would "only" be a serious legal responsibility risk for TTG, but GOG absolutely can't do it. Nonono.

[Martin McFly]

The primary ones I use are Steam and Telltale. I usually use Telltale for their own games and Steam for everything else.

[EvilDeadFan]

Steam is the King of distribution, you can;t topple those sales and amount of games.

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by EvilDeadFan

Steam is the King of distribution, you can;t topple those sales and amount of games.

You can't topple them because you don't know what they are. Valve doesn't release sales figures for Steam.

[GuruGuru214]

I think he was referring to the size of the library and the deals, not sales figures.

[vehemt]

Steam mostly because of their auto patching and their great friends feature. It makes it so easy to drop in games that my friends are playing in.