Do you use anything like Steam, GOG, GameTap, etc.?

[BetaWolf47]

I myself used GameTap for a short while. It was amazing until they changed from the standalone client to the browser-based client.

[buzz_n64]

No, never have, never will. (WISHES TO BAN ALL DLC)

[retroman]

i have never used it, and never will..i to dislike dlc...i like having the hardcopy of my game.

[Iron Draggon]

I only use Steam when a game I bought on disc forces me to. Otherwise I have no desire to use it for purchasing game downloads, and I'd prefer not use it at all. I don't like the way it prevents you from restarting games. You can't just uninstall a Steam game and reinstall it to restart it from the very beginning. They stay on the server with progress intact no matter what you try to restart them, and it really pisses me off that you can't restart them!

[phreakindee]

I use Steam and GoG when they have awesome sales. Getting a ton of games, in a convenient yet annoying-that-they're digital form, for quite cheap is great, especially when they're older games like Quake or MDK.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Why can't we choose more than one service?

I use Steam and Good Old Games. I have more games on Steam, but prefer GOG's stuff because it's got more classic games there. Stuff I skipped back in the day.

By the way, buzz_n64, GOG's games have no DRM. You pay for your game, you download an installer, you install your game, AND YOU'RE DONE. You can back up your installer and it will never ask you for any online authorization or stuff like that (only to download the installer, maybe). Maybe you want to have a physical copy, and I don't blame you. But sometimes it's not worth paying outlandish eBay prices for the full set.

And I have no idea what Iron Draggon's going on about. Only games with Steam Cloud or achievements have that feature, and there's very few games that have that. And you can disable the cloud in most games. I have several games that have achievements and yet my records and progress are -not- saved online (other than achievement progress).

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Nope.

[maxlords]

I use Steam and GOG. I hate DLC but some of the older software they're updating for modern systems is GREAT....and cheap as hell.

[Gameguy]

I've only used Steam for Portal since they were giving it out for free.

[Nebagram]

I don't consider my PC games part of my 'collection' so I have no problems using Steam, but only if there's a particular title I'm after that I can find on there (I don't do much PC gaming).

[boatofcar]

I don't consider my PC games part of my 'collection' so I have no problems using Steam, but only if there's a particular title I'm after that I can find on there (I don't do much PC gaming).

This. Plus, gotta give some love to Mac gaming in the hopes that it will keep growing. I'd love to see more strategy titles make their way to OS X.

[CDiablo]

I hate DLC but regularly use steam. I cant rationalize buying games that drop to $0 as soon as you buy them. ON the other hand when paying $2 for a game really doesnt hurt much. I some how have also rationalised buying Dawn of War 2&Chaos Rising at full price($80=$0 resale). Yes I am a hypocrait.

[ScourDX]

No. I am not a big fan of online content delivery. If I want to do that, I might as well download game for free. A lot of online content delivery is restricted by region. If I want to buy game which is on sale in US, I can't because I am not from that country. As a consumer I am not getting the benefit.

[shopkins]

I've bought several games off GOG.Com. I think it's a really neat idea and there's not much difference from installing it yourself because they don't saddle things with DRM. The also have things tuned to work on most systems, which saves a little Dosbox fiddling hassle. And I also don't really collect PC games so much as I just want to play them, so I don't care if I get the box and the media.

I've only bought Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis off Steam and didn't like it as much as I liked Gog.com. There was an annoying Steam interface/launcher thing that came with it. I just wanted the game.

[Flashback2012]

I don't consider my PC games part of my 'collection' so I have no problems using Steam, but only if there's a particular title I'm after that I can find on there (I don't do much PC gaming).

Why not? Do you only have non-physical copies of PC games? I count the physical copy titles as part of my collection but not software/data only games like Cave Story.

As for the subject, I voted for Steam as it's the only one I use regularly. Whie I don't use the others, I've been tempted to look into GoG.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I've only bought Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis off Steam and didn't like it as much as I liked Gog.com. There was an annoying Steam interface/launcher thing that came with it. I just wanted the game.

Non-Steam versions don't have anything but the program launcher. The Direct2Drive version, for instance.

Even though I am a Steam user, there's a few games that I do not want there.

[betamax001]

I have Steam and i used it to download Portal about a year ago when I bought it for 10 bucks at GameStop. I may get some more games with it if they all work for Macs now, because I get a MacBook for school.

[boatofcar]

No. I am not a big fan of online content delivery. If I want to do that, I might as well download game for free.

Except for, you know, compensating the authors of the work and keeping the industry alive. Except for that.

[Nebagram]

Why not? Do you only have non-physical copies of PC games? I count the physical copy titles as part of my collection but not software/data only games like Cave Story.

I have the odd physical copy but it's a case of where to stop if I start counting them. Sure, games like Oblivion, Footy Manager 2008 and Civ 4 (all of which I have) are clear-cut examples but where do I include such modern classics as 'Infinite Sudoku'? Added to the matter is the fact I also include ethereal games (wiiware, XBLA etc) as part of my collection so I then have to include shit like Minesweeper and... ugh. Easier just to forget the whole thing.

[ScourDX]

Except for, you know, compensating the authors of the work and keeping the industry alive. Except for that.

If they want support, perhaps they should consider potential consumer outside of USA.

[kedawa]

I use steam for the freebies and gifts from other people who have extra codes for games they already have.
I've never actually bought anything on steam.
If my computer was more powerful, I'd have bought Street Fighter 4 when it was on sale, and probably a half dozen other games.

[BetaWolf47]

If they want support, perhaps they should consider potential consumer outside of USA.

They do, and GOG is completely DRM-free, region-free material.

[sixwayshot]

I used GameTap for a while. I actually really liked it.

But, now, I use Steam regularly. They've got so much good stuff on there: I grabbed all the Jedi Knight games for $7. Bought tons of Rockstar games for $40 altogether.

Honestly, it's a hell of a lot better than digging through my drawer full of old games. Less discs to clutter things up, as well.

[Trebuken]

Voted for Steam, but I also occasion GOG. Both are great, Steam is more convenient - and they have some incredible deals at times.

[otaku]

I've used steam a fair amount yes had gametap for a bit its a nice service as well

[boatofcar]

If they want support, perhaps they should consider potential consumer outside of USA.

Where do you live? I've lived in both Asia and Europe, and I can't think of any time I've been denied DLC. Maybe because I have a US Xbox Live account?

[Overbite]

I only buy PC games if they are available on steam. The exception to that is blizzard games because they don't use steam for some reason.

I play PC games all the time.

[Jorpho]

It makes no sense to me to buy PC games except when Steam has them on sale. The discounts are just too tremendous, and with such a massive backlog there's nothing I can't wait for.

GOG is nice, but their sales have never been quite as compelling. Oddly enough, I don't think I've gotten around to playing any of the stuff I've bought from D2D. Oops.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Where do you live? I've lived in both Asia and Europe, and I can't think of any time I've been denied DLC. Maybe because I have a US Xbox Live account?

Companies like 2K Games and Rockstar (on Steam, anyway) hate most non-USA countries. I can't even browse their catalog, I get booted back to Steam's front page. It's an idiotic stance.

Overbite: Blizzard doesn't use Steam because Blizzard already has their own Steam service: Battle.net.

[ScourDX]

Where do you live? I've lived in both Asia and Europe, and I can't think of any time I've been denied DLC. Maybe because I have a US Xbox Live account?

I live in Canada and Asia. Most of the time deal happens in the US and I got denied from purchasing because I am not from US. I hate the fact when I am at Asia, my IP got redirected to Asia page.

[BetaWolf47]

I used GameTap for a while. I actually really liked it.

Same here. Their standalone client was ace. For your classic games, it supported netplay for many of them. You could chat with people on the online servers, and play with or against people. Plus, for the Dreamcast and Saturn games that are on there, the accuracy is better than emulators. It's just a shame they never got around to putting more than ~20 games on there between the two platforms. In fact, they haven't added a classic game on there for years.

Then they ditched that client, and upped the price to $80. They went from an amazing standalone client that was aesthetically and aurally pleasing, to the unstable, featureless browser-based system that they have now. They now have to rush to bring back what they once had, and now fix the crap that wasn't broken before the new system. It was a disappointment to many, many customers. For the $60/year for unlimited access to all 1000+ games, it was the best deal on the market.

[placebo]

Like many here, I use GOG and Steam (moreso Steam) for their sales. I've only got a netbook so that limits what games I can play, but I've still got 10-15 games on both services.

[Jorpho]

Apparently GFWL is starting to get some people's attention. (They have a sale on the older PoP games at the moment.)