On the value of Steam Keys

BillyMailman

So, there's been some furor over the fact that those of us who already have ESO apparently won't be getting any Steam Keys, and a lot of people seem to think that those of us who really want such keys are just feeling entitled, and there's some claims that Steam is way too bloated for a mere game launcher. So, I'd like to take some time to explain why I feel Steam is totally worth it, and why giving Steam Keys to existing subscribers matters.

I'll start with a quote from ZOS, slightly trimmed down to the bit relevant to this discussion:

ZOS_AmeliaR wrote: »

... if you'd like to play via Steam, you can add the existing title to Steam.

To do this, head to "Games" option within Steam and select "Add Non-Steam Game to My Library." Then, select the checkbox next to "The Elder Scrolls Online" and click "Add Selected Programs."

I'd like to talk a little bit about the Non-Steam Game option. Because the above quote very much indicates that ZOS don't really appreciate how vastly different the experience is between a game owned on Steam, and one only added as a Non-Steam game.

(As an aside for context: I've had ESO launching through Steam via the Non-Steam game option since the NDA came off, and I was allowed to mention that I had access, and I've been hoping that ESO would come to Steam all that time, for all the reasons below.)

Non-Steam Game differences

One of the things that makes Steam awesome is the Steam Overlay. I can be playing ESO, a friend can be playing TF2, and we're able to chat easily. Mostly just brief messages during respawns, but it's still pretty awesome. Adding a game as a Non-Steam game neuters that overlay a LOT. Here's some screenshots to help explain.






The first one is a shot of the Overlay in ESO. The second is the Overlay in Skyrim.

Working left-to-right, top-to-bottom, the following features simply don't work:

• Time Tracking: A Non-Steam game only tracks the length of time you've had it launched this time; it won't remember that past the moment you exit. Tracking play time isn't a huge feature, but I really do like being able to look at just how much time I've sunk into a game, see at a glance if I've been playing too much lately, etc.
• Links On Skyrim, the links in the upper-right let me look at Steam Groups and Guides for the game, DLC, Steam Workshop for the game, and the game's website. Workshop and DLC don't apply to ESO, and the other three links are still there, but they don't do anything. The guides and groups almost certainly do exist; they're player-made content that every game gets without the devs having to do anything, but I don't get links to them in the Overlay.
• News/Guides/Community Hub/Discussions: These four sections have the same problem as the links; the content in these sections exists, but Steam doesn't know what I'm actually playing, so it can't show me anything. (Friends is showing stuff, I've just rather obviously blacked it out.)
• Screenshots: The Screenshotting functionality of Steam is nice. Any game, any time, I can hit F12 to take a screenshot of what I'm looking at. And I can even upload those screenshots to Steam's servers to share with the world. I have, for instance, taken some amazing shots of the views in places like Eldenroot and uploaded them. But because Steam doesn't know what game I'm really playing, those images don't go into the various Community feeds for ESO.

And it's not just the overlay that's different. The differences in the overlay are just easy to illustrate with screenshots. In fact, here's another couple of screenshots:




The first is the list of options I get when I right-click a friend's name while he's playing ESO added as a Non-Steam game. The second is the same thing, but he's playing a multiplayer game that we both own. There are options right there to launch the game, join him, view info on the game he's playing, etc.

Every player running ESO as a non-Steam game, is a friends list full of people who can't look into it this way. Another barrier to my hopping in-game quickly. Because having that quick link right there in chat when a friend wants me to join him? That last bit of convenience has made up my mind to play something before.

The ultimate fact here is that playing a game you own on Steam is fundamentally different from playing a Non-Steam game. Between the News, the Screenshots, the Community Guides, the Time Tracking, the Groups, etc., there's a lot missing. And I haven't even mentioned the Trading Cards yet, which ESO has support for, because I know they're a bit divisive.

Having a game on Steam is a matter of Community as much as it is a matter of being able to launch the game that way, probably more so. And all adding a Non-Steam game really doesn't get you much more than the ability to launch it, and a neutered overlay. An MMO thrives on community, is built on its community, and by making it harder on players who want to participate in that community, you're only hurting yourself.

After all, wouldn't it be awesome if more players like me, who truly love this game, were able to quickly take screenshots like the one I linked up there, and upload them somewhere where thousands and thousands of other fans would be able to appreciate them? Wouldn't it be awesome if people like me, who've been playing for months, were able to write up tons of guides, and likewise able to reach those guides just by pressing Shift-Tab when they're stuck? Wouldn't it be awesome if, the next time my buddy bugs me about us playing out Covenant characters together, all I had to do was right-click his name in chat, hit Launch Game, and I'm in, rather than find ESO in the list of everything I own on Steam (which is getting to be a bit long of a list these days)?

Zenimax Online Studios, you certainly don't owe any of us Steam Keys, but you absolutely owe it to yourselves to at least reconsider just how much harm you're causing by not giving those of us who already support your game the ability to use these tools, and support the ESO Community on Steam.

Maotti

I totally agree with you, this decision is garbage!

Zenimax does not care about their customers at all, it's a sad sight really.

Csub

I agree that a layman might see it as minor differences but for, us, Steam users, those are quite important features.

Delith

THANK YOU. This post is AMAZING.

jrgray93

Great post. 100% agreed.

Necronomicon

Agree, amazing work, Zos you better give us this.

MercerFrey

Agreed, this needs more views.

Madval

Agree, steam rocks ! And I want my damn cards !

emeraldbay

Even though I'm content with using the non-Steam game overlay, I can definitely see why this is important for some players. I'm hoping they allow the transfer to Steam in the future, and kudos to a well-executed explanation.

Rosveen

Finally, a calm and well-reasoned explanation. I support your message. However, I'd also like to take this opportunity to let the forum know that not all Steam users feel that the sky is falling because we didn't get our shiny new keys: I own over 150 games on Steam, I have Steam running in the background pretty much all the time. Am I upset I can't transfer my ESO account to Steam? Not at all. Even if I had the option, I probably wouldn't use it to save myself the hassle of opening one more window to launch the game. But I definitely see the benefits for others.

robertlive2014

I don't really like Steam any more than any other distribution channel, and I don't use any of the features the OP seems to like, but it seems to me that you should be able to request a Steam key for an existing subscription, now that the game is being sold on Steam, so that you get that same Steam experience as players purchasing the game on Steam. Do we know for certain whether Valve isn't equally to blame for this limitation?

drkeys143

Thanks, great post , I feel exactly the same way , I would like to be able to enjoy and share the experience of ESO with friends in steam (which is where I play most other games)

DungeonGrind

I'm not suggesting this is wrong, but what do you think the reason to not do this would be?

Nestor

It's probably not as simple as giving someone a key and then they can migrate their game, including characters, to Steam. Characters are assigned to the account that is created when you first get the game. Can characters even be transferred to another account? Based on not being able to move characters from the Euro server to NA, it may not be that easy to do. Sure, there could be language issues with the Euro/NA servers (but don't some folks play in English on the Euro Server?).

This could be one of those things that sounds really simple to do, but the backend processes and programming are getting in the way.

Amsel_McKay

I want it on steam so I can use my steam money to buy horses and all the future stuff they add to the steam cash store... (Like the horse I did not know about that you can now buy on steam... I did not know you could find that on the ESO "store site")

Falmer

Um... you can still use the overlay... You just use alt-tab instead of shift-tab. Nothing is preventing you from using Steam Chat while the game is playing.

AelyinESO

Great post! well-explained.

Something interesting I was reading Steam Comments about the game and there'r many negatives comments, LOL, but according to the STEAM STORE, Elder Scrolls Online is getting 3th in top sellers.

I have steam since many years, I don't mind to play in STEAM (I support all people that wish to transfer to STEAM), but I would like same treatment @Zenimax is giving to them, even for more players, they need to keep the old players as well.

Arkhaniir

I think I won't even use the overlay as a non-steam game *which I tried and well, felt that it was enough* and I was persuaded that all this "HOW THE HELL WE ARE NOT GETTING KEYS WORLDS FALLING APART WHATS WHAT" attitude was pointless. As I still do not approve that kind of attitude, the way you explained the importance of getting a Steam Key for ESO made me change my mind. Great post, sir. I belive I won't use my key either way but know I support the idea of getting a key.

Still we should keep in mind that ZOS has been listening to the feedback from the community since the beginning. Therefore I belive that upon receiving enough feedback with explanation and attitude like this, they will change their mind on the subject.

Once again, great post. I'll be sharing this.

AelyinESO

Check: http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/120411/official-discussion-thread-for-eso-arrives-on-steam#latest

Koloki

Not being able to have the trading cards is the worst for me really
I LOVE my trading cards

But seriously great posts Zenimax should look a this, all this functionality is important for people specially the ones with steam accounts full of games and friends.

More then once i have given up on buying a game because it was not available on steam.

SFBryan18

This news that we can't port to Steam is probably the worst thing I have experienced with this title so far.

Fairydragon3

I like this argument over the, "Why can't i get a dog" one

very i insightful. I will remain hopeful this might be implemented in the future somehow

indytims_ESO

Fairydragon3 wrote: »

I like this argument over the, "Why can't i get a dog" one

I don't. I am much more interested in the denied content, than I am in "Steam features" that I don't use - because I rarely utilize Steam at all.

The fact is, though, that Zeni -could- have done this in a -much better- planned way, and folks who want the content and folks who want the Steam bells and whistles could have -all- been happy.

But Zeni chose not to do this so that they could attempt some sort of recruiting gimmick... three months after launch?

I just think this could have been handled better all around.

Natjur

If the dog was a promo code, so you could buy it again and add to your current account there would be less screams.

If ESO sold an 'account covert code' which allows you to enter the code into Steam and ESO gets added to your game list (with cards etc) there would be less screams.

Instead, there are no options.

nicholaspingasb16_ESO

They should offer a transfer option where your account and game are transferred to steam.

Laura

I seriously think the marketing team at ZoS might be drunk 99% of the time. This and the dog is most likely one of the biggest PR disasters I have seen this game have

Natjur

nicholaspingasb16_ESO wrote: »

They should offer a transfer option where your account and game are transferred to steam.

Looking at the dev logs, they did review this, but steam wants 30% of the box sale price for every game linked to their system. Doing this would cost ESO millions.

Arkhaniir

Natjur wrote: »

nicholaspingasb16_ESO wrote: »

They should offer a transfer option where your account and game are transferred to steam.

Looking at the dev logs, they did review this, but steam wants 30% of the box sale price for every game linked to their system. Doing this would cost ESO millions.

Where can we see the dev logs?

Spottswoode

Natjur wrote: »

Looking at the dev logs, they did review this, but steam wants 30% of the box sale price for every game linked to their system. Doing this would cost ESO millions.

That should only include the number copies sold on Steam. Valve being able to charge for a product that was purchased prior to the game's availability on Steam would not necessarily be dictated by the contract. Moreover, Valve would be missing out on a great deal of potential money, perhaps even in DLC and cosmetic gear in the future, for this game by not allowing the current non-Steam users to use the same product. Having the launcher merely use Valve's proprietary system does include some cost, which could easily be paid by us subscribers. Zenimax could charge an extra one time fee to allow users to transfer to Steam.

Huiwu

Even WarZ give their non-steam players free Steam keys.

Miflett

Yay for all the Steam Cards and who knows what else we'll be missing out on. http://steamcommunity.com/market/listings/753/306130-Craglorn?filter=elder scrolls