Oprindeligt skrevet af Richo:

Transfer/Recognition of DLC from other platforms

Not a request for Steam to just accept full games from other platforms. This is simply requesting a method of utilising the licence you already have on Steam, but Steam not getting upset when another platform provides the licences to the DLC. (Even downloaded from the other platform if needed).

This request is for somebody that owns a game on two different platforms, one being Steam, and the other platform has a DLC your steam copy does not have. That Steam can recognise DLC (if verified).

The rational is, if I have a Steam Machine, and I have a game on GOG or Epic, I do not expect Steam to honor that and provide a licence to that game too. However, if I also own the game on Steam, and the GOG or Epic version I also own has a DLC that my Steam version does not, it is pretty annoying to start a play through on Steam only to realise I should have installed the Epic/GOG version.

If Steam can see the DLC's I own on other platforms and honor them (or not object to that platform providing the licence), then I don't have to audit every game I install against my entire library in case I have a better version elsewhere.

Coming from somebody that did a playthrough on the Witcher 3, then had to pull my save out, and move to GOG to play the DLC. If I had to do that on the Steam Machine, that would be a total pain in the ass. If Steam could see I owned the DLC, and not get upset another platform provided DLC's to the game (or Steam itself did) then this problem would have been very seamless to fix.

Obviously the option to install a 'non-steam game' is there, but this is more quality of life.

1) Steam recognises DLC and installs them
2) Steam recognises DLC, and doesn't object that another platform installs them
3) Add Non-Steam game (Not exactly an easy process in front of the TV, on a couch, using a controller)

What I'm not asking for is that Steam just gives out a licence to the DLC, but rather integrates DLC's to ensure the user isn't in a situation where they would have been better off using a competitors version, whilst utilising the primary Steam licence, and Steam not objecting to the use of third party provided DLC (verfied ownership to prevent piracy).

Oprindeligt skrevet af Richo:

Pretty sure if GOG was to install Witcher 3 DLC's in my Steam install directory Steam would probably assume it is unlicences or pirated content. It would need to be a layer of communication between platforms, and possibly developer blessing.

Oprindeligt skrevet af cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Oprindeligt skrevet af Richo:

Pretty sure if GOG was to install Witcher 3 DLC's in my Steam install directory Steam would probably assume it is unlicences or pirated content. It would need to be a layer of communication between platforms, and possibly developer blessing.

Game devs can offer their licenses from their platform to be added to Steam, if they wish to. They'd basically give you a key to add to your account.

:nkCool:

Oprindeligt skrevet af Richo:

Oprindeligt skrevet af cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Game devs can offer their licenses from their platform to be added to Steam, if they wish to. They'd basically give you a key to add to your account.

Pretty sure that costs them to do that though doesnt it?

The request I laid out above is just so a user can sit down on their Steam Machine and if setup to compare DLC from other platforms, will have the confidence to know that when they install a game, it is the most functional version they own.

Oprindeligt skrevet af cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Oprindeligt skrevet af Richo:

Pretty sure that costs them to do that though doesnt it?

The request I laid out above is just so a user can sit down on their Steam Machine and if setup to compare DLC from other platforms, will have the confidence to know that when they install a game, it is the most functional version they own.

Keys cost Valve and the game dev $0.

:nkCool:

Oprindeligt skrevet af Ben Lubar:

Oprindeligt skrevet af cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Keys cost Valve and the game dev $0.

The rule is basically that as long as you are treating Steam users as equal to the people you're selling keys to, Valve will provide unlimited keys for free.

To remove the "basically" from that sentence and read the actual rules, click here: https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/keys#3

Oprindeligt skrevet af Richo:

Oprindeligt skrevet af cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Game devs can offer their licenses from their platform to be added to Steam, if they wish to. They'd basically give you a key to add to your account.

:nkCool:

Pretty sure that costs them to do that though doesnt it?

The request I laid out above is just so a user can sit down on their Steam Machine and if setup to compare DLC from other platforms, will have the confidence to know that when they install a game, it is the most functional version they own.

Oprindeligt skrevet af Spawn of Totoro:

GOG did this long ago for some games owned on Steam. Game developers had to give permission for it to happen and not many did. Obviously they stopped doing it at some point. I would guess due to the lack of interest and they needed the sales to stay alive.

While a nice idea, many developers would see it as a loss of money, since the user no longer has a reason to purchase the game on another platform.

I don't see it happening from Valve. As others have said, developers can offer the keys for multiple platforms, though that would likely turn into a key selling frenzy for users would just sell them to get back some of the cost of the game.

Oprindeligt skrevet af Ben Lubar:

Oprindeligt skrevet af Spawn of Totoro:

GOG did this long ago for some games owned on Steam. Game developers had to give permission for it to happen and not many did. Obviously they stopped doing it at some point. I would guess due to the lack of interest and they needed the sales to stay alive.

While a nice idea, many developers would see it as a loss of money, since the user no longer has a reason to purchase the game on another platform.

I don't see it happening from Valve. As others have said, developers can offer the keys for multiple platforms, though that would likely turn into a key selling frenzy for users would just sell them to get back some of the cost of the game.

There is a system where a developer can (with the player's permission) activate a Steam key directly on their account without showing it to them.

Sega uses it for the Two Point Hospital mailing list thing. There used to be partial documentation about it on the Steamworks website, but it was removed at some point (although the system definitely still works, so the developer would just need to contact Valve to get it set up).

That would at least mostly avoid the reselling problem.

Oprindeligt skrevet af Ben Lubar:

Oprindeligt skrevet af Spawn of Totoro:

GOG did this long ago for some games owned on Steam. Game developers had to give permission for it to happen and not many did. Obviously they stopped doing it at some point. I would guess due to the lack of interest and they needed the sales to stay alive.

While a nice idea, many developers would see it as a loss of money, since the user no longer has a reason to purchase the game on another platform.

I don't see it happening from Valve. As others have said, developers can offer the keys for multiple platforms, though that would likely turn into a key selling frenzy for users would just sell them to get back some of the cost of the game.

There is a system where a developer can (with the player's permission) activate a Steam key directly on their account without showing it to them.

Sega uses it for the Two Point Hospital mailing list thing. There used to be partial documentation about it on the Steamworks website, but it was removed at some point (although the system definitely still works, so the developer would just need to contact Valve to get it set up).

That would at least mostly avoid the reselling problem.