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    Steam

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    A digital distribution service owned by Valve Corporation. Originally created to distribute Valve's own games, Steam has since become the de facto standard for digital distribution of PC games.

    Steam?

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    theredcoat24

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    #1  Edited By theredcoat24

    Hello, I'm thinking of using steam but are a bit hesitant on it, any word of wisdom to help me over come it?

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    mosdl

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    #2  Edited By mosdl

    Easy - steam sales

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    natetodamax

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    #3  Edited By natetodamax

    It's not a scam.

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    bubahula

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    #4  Edited By bubahula

    what are you afraid of specifically ?

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    Romination

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    #5  Edited By Romination

    Pros- Steam makes PC gaming easy with direct downloads, easy patching, and constant sales.
     
    Cons- Constant sales may make you get a mindset of "The id pack is only $15!? I'm losing money if I don't buy it!"
    Also computer space.
    And if you don't have the right graphics card, you're pretty limited in choices

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    iam3green

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    #6  Edited By iam3green

    download it and download some demos to see if u like it. i like steam, it is great program for games.

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    LordAndrew

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    #7  Edited By LordAndrew

    If we knew why you're hesitant, we could probably give more specific wisdom.

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    rjayb89

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    #8  Edited By rjayb89

    Don't install it, they'll steal your money with their weekend deals, free updates on Valve games, huge selection of old games and games new, and intuitive user interface.  Don't.

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    JB16

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    #9  Edited By JB16

    Steam is great...if you're American like me. If you're not then be prepared to pay high prices since according to steam, dollars and Euros are worth the same in many games.
     
    But steam has great sales every week, you're not a PC gamer if you dont have it installed.

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    Dalai

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    #10  Edited By Dalai

    Go for it, but you'll end up buying games in bulk for a mere pittance... even games you have no interest in playing.

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    theragu40

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    #11  Edited By theragu40

    Steam is fricken awesome.  Seriously.  Download it.  It's great.

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    FightMeNerd

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    #12  Edited By FightMeNerd

    Steam will take all of your money with their amazing deals. Right now COD4: Modern Warfare is 15 bucks till monday. Left 4 Dead 2 is 20 dollars, and they have the passing add on for free.
     
    Steam cloud saves  your save file online so if you computer ever breaks or your visiting a friend and you want to play your games they allow you to redownload them over again as many times as you want and it sends your save file so you can pick up from where you left off.

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    HitmanAgent47

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    #13  Edited By HitmanAgent47

    Every problem is adressed before you can even think about it, it's all figured out and safe.

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    Savage

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    #14  Edited By Savage

    You can download it, install it, and mess around with it (try some demos, etc.) without paying anything or providing any payment information.  There's very little commitment or risk.

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    Brians

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    #15  Edited By Brians
    @theredcoat24:  Do you  like computer games, do you like occasionally great sales, do you like less restrictive methods of ensuring you own your games, if so steam might be for you.
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    shirogane

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    #16  Edited By shirogane

    Don't do it! You'l end up spending heaps of money on heaps of cheap games, but never actually bother playing them! $2 for Psychonauts, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., etc?
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    Pantalooney

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    #17  Edited By Pantalooney

    It's awesome and you can buy with Paypal 

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    Brians

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    #18  Edited By Brians
    @Shirogane:  But buying cheap games and finding out you don't like them is a good thing right? 
    I know I'd rather get a steam sale discover I dislike a game than pay full price for the same thing.
    Also no ones mentioned how great steam deals are during their crazy December sales.
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    takua108

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    #19  Edited By takua108
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    MrKlorox

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    #20  Edited By MrKlorox

    The answer to the question "Steam?" is  always "Yes!"
     
    Add a feed from http://www.steamgamesales.com/ to your RSS reader to stay updated on price drops and sales. It certainly beats launching Steam to get the sale window to pop up.

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    takua108

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    #21  Edited By takua108

    The best part about Steam is that you can buy games on it, and, most of the time (except when there's some third-party DRM on it), you can download Steam on someone else's computer, download a game, and play it as fast as that someone's Internet connection will go. Plus, Steam Cloud is going to start putting my saves in the cloud (even on commercial games, like Just Cause 2), so I really don't have to worry about anything if... when my computer is completely destroyed and I need to reformat or something. 
     
    There's really no excuse to not at least give it a go. I can't really understand it when some people be hatin' on Steam.

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    MrKlorox

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    #22  Edited By MrKlorox
    @takua108:  Just cause 2 is a Steam exclusive. Are you sure non Steam exclusive games are getting cloud support?
     
    edit: and Randy Pitchford was hating on it because Valve is also a developer and he feels Borderlands was not promoted fairly compared to L4D or something. His qualms have nothing to do with the service itself.
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    takua108

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    #23  Edited By takua108
    @MrKlorox: Oh, well, no... I just meant, like, it's cool that a game that's also being released on the consoles is getting the cool Steam features for the PC version. I would very much like for this to become a trend.
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    shirogane

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    #24  Edited By shirogane
    @Briguile said:
    " @Shirogane:  But buying cheap games and finding out you don't like them is a good thing right?  I know I'd rather get a steam sale discover I dislike a game than pay full price for the same thing. Also no ones mentioned how great steam deals are during their crazy December sales. "

    Yeah, damn december sales are annoying. I wanted to just buy everything... 
     
    It's not that you don't like the games you end up buying, you just don't end up playing them, cause when you open steam to play them, it's like... 
    OMG! Something else is on sale for some insanely cheap price! Must buy!
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    Geno

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    #25  Edited By Geno

    Did we mention that there's a whole new makeover coming next Monday? That'd be a great time to check it out. 

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    takua108

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    #26  Edited By takua108
    @Geno: Or right now, if you just go to Settings -> Beta Participation -> Change... -> UI Update.
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    MrKlorox

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    #27  Edited By MrKlorox
    @takua108:  Oh I see what you mean now. Darn I was hoping you had heard something I hadn't. But to backup what you said, yes more and more PC versions of multiplatform games are becoming Steam exclusives, which makes it even harder to avoid.
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    Brians

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    #28  Edited By Brians
    @Shirogane:  True but paying cheap for something you don't play is better than paying full price.
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    Strife381

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    #29  Edited By Strife381

    STEAM SALE!! buy LFD 2 today!

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    takua108

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    #30  Edited By takua108
    @Briguile said:
    "...paying cheap for something you don't play is better than paying full price. "
    This should go on the front page of the Steam store.
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    Brians

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    #31  Edited By Brians
    @takua108: If only, my love for steam started this year but it's gotten to the point  where If I want a game I go through them. It's only for the companies I really like that I buy their games the in stores.  
    So I buy more stuff on steam and  only stuff I really like on disc which is less and less.
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    defaulttag

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    #32  Edited By defaulttag

    Dude, why DON'T you have steam (assuming you're a PC gamer or starting to) steam is great. its also secure as long as you don't share you're account info. games you buy can be downloaded and installed in as many computers as you want. to play them, you'll need to login everytime. you can only be logged into steam in one computer at a time. lots of games also allow you to play offline though as well. you can delete games and reinstall them as many times as you want. you also have a single organized friends list. If you have a friends who are playing a certain multiplayer game you own as well, you can just right click their name and 'join.' you'll be playing with them instantly (depends on game). Steam is for convenience. Retail discs and constant use of CD keys to install is a hassle. If you intend to game on PC, you HAVE to use Steam. (besides Blizzard games which don't use Steam at all)

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    theredcoat24

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    #33  Edited By theredcoat24

    Thanks, I'm a bit of a poor college student now, but as soon as the summer comes I'll have money :).

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    ThePhantomnaut

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    #34  Edited By ThePhantomnaut

    Steam is everyone's best friend. Check every weekend for sales. Left 4 Dead is still $20 until Monday ($33 for both games package).

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    gexecuter

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    #35  Edited By gexecuter

    Steam is pretty good specially when they have crazy sales which is all the time! Also consider gog.com if you  want to buy old games, site is great!

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