Make Aces High Available on the STEAM system

[Spikes]

I will never buy anything from steam.  Every story I've heard about it is bad.

I have CSS, L4D and Team Fortress 2 from them, no problems but I don't rely on them for all my games.

[Noir]

I will never buy anything from steam.  Every story I've heard about it is bad.

I will never buy a 50+ euros game again as I can get it cheaper on steam (most of the time). Also I play doom likes so it's the only place to go.

[Noir]

Also on steam you can find less known games that would never have a chance to get distributed otherwise.

[AWwrgwy]

I'm confused.  We have a game that is free to download.  It patches automagically when you log on as needed.  It's only $16.01 a month that goes directly and completely to the developer and owner.

What does STEAM do better?


wrongway

[vonKrimm]

I concur in part with the OP; STEAM is an interesting idea and has potential.  That said, there would need to be a separate STEAM arena which we direct subscribers could access and our current ones that the STEAMers could not play in.  I know, double standard and all that but would keep the current base of players and vastly expand HTC's exposure to a new base of customers.  If the STEAMers like AH enough, they could convert to direct subscription and have all the goodies.  The STEAM cost would need to be less than the current monthly subscription of course and only part of those monies would flow into HTC's coffers, but the potential for volume is there for HTC to make additional revenue even with a lower margin per unit.  The biggest downside is that we would see is the kay-rap-ola increase on the BBS.

[salun]

I'm going to admit. I've had this idea before. Hell My AH is already launch able from my steam account. How ever three major issues come to mind.

1. It would be a large expense to HTC to nail out all the details, legal license and what not to get AH available on Steam. Time, money, and legal consultation that could be better spent updating the game

2. If on Steam then chances are what would they charge for the software? Aces high is free to download. What about those of us whom already have it now? Will we have to pay 20 dollars to use it on steam? On top of out 15 a month?

3. Aces high is a bit of a diamond in the rough. To much exposure degrades the game play quality. Games like world of warcraft are over populated with twinks and idiots that make the game nothing more than a grade school dis fest. "Yo momma and your such a newb." sort of stuff. I like the fact that a new comer can come on AH and feel welcomed. Hell even when our base is getting bombed to bits I find it more relaxing than say winning a COD4 game while the other team is winning about how teams are stacked. So exposure isn't necessarily a good thing as it weeds out those who are not committed to really learning to play.

[Ack-Ack]

I'm confused.  We have a game that is free to download.  It patches automagically when you log on as needed.  It's only $16.01 a month that goes directly and completely to the developer and owner.

What does STEAM do better?


wrongway

Nothing, absolutely nothing.  The only thing it would bring is increased cost for HiTech and crew with very little or nothing in return.


ack-ack

[guncrasher]

all the ah shareholders that want to go to steam say yey or nei, rest of us dont get to vote.  You guys want to change the way AH management runs the business, talk directly to them, the rest of us that have no saying.  U may also want to research what happened to AW once gamestorm went out of business.

semp

[Ack-Ack]

I will never buy anything from steam.  Every story I've heard about it is bad.

There are some games that I've gotten through Steam and frankly, for digital downloads, that the only place I'll go for them.   Never had any problems with any of the games I've gotten from Steam but I'd rather buy the retail box version for the manuals and other things that come with the retail box.


ack-ack

[trotter]

I will never buy anything from steam.  Every story I've heard about it is bad.

Steam is actually a very stable, reliable platform for gaming.

Now if it was up to me, I personally would never let exist such a third party program in my gaming, but certain games I play are Steam Required (Red Orchestra, E:TW) and thankfully it's never a problem.
I am begrudged to say that sometimes I find the auto-patching convenient, too.

The problem is, as some have mentioned, that Steam itself has a community, and it is largely a community of underage Xbox gamers. Without awares of HTC's long-term playerbase preferences, I would venture to say that the Steam community would attract many of the "wrong type" of AH player. But who am I to say, it's not my game. I personally would love the kill padding from 13 year olds stalling P-51's with gamepads.

[K-KEN]

I'm confused.  We have a game that is free to download.  It patches automagically when you log on as needed.  It's only $16.01 a month that goes directly and completely to the developer and owner.

What does STEAM do better?


wrongway

That is all that needs to be said.

Let me give you all some History. Air Warrior, an early flight SIM,  was owned by KESMAI. AOL got involved, then it was "assimilated" into Gamestorm. Gamestorm had many games. What ever happened? Well, EA, of Nintendo fame, bought out Gamestorm. Within a year or so, Air Warrior was scrapped. Many many players and programmers were let go. People who spent many years of their lives for a community that still lives today-in part and even partakes with Aces High.

HiTech and others here were a part of that enterprise.
I never want to see that happen here. You do not realize what the ramifications of "joining" or being "taken over" bring. Nothing good would come of it, mark my words.
wrongway and a few others said it right, I just gave you a bit more history.

EDIT: I might add too, the bureaucracy getting something "fixed" or changed would be like getting Health Care or Social Security reform in the Government. The recent update is a prime example of how this current system works. It Works!! The phrase "Two Weeks" came from the Air Warrior community and it was a joke, not funny - sad.  

[Stogie]

This is the first time I have heard of STEAM but it sure sounds like Gamestorm in new clothes.. I feel it would be the worst thing that could happen to AH.  The support we get from Hitech is unmatched by any other online game I have seen in many many years.

As it was said, this works why fix it?

[Fender16]

I hate STEAM. They'd loose my $14.95 a month if they went with STEAM.
No thanks to this idea.

[Ack-Ack]

This is the first time I have heard of STEAM but it sure sounds like Gamestorm in new clothes.. I feel it would be the worst thing that could happen to AH.  The support we get from Hitech is unmatched by any other online game I have seen in many many years.

As it was said, this works why fix it?

It's nothing like Gamestorm.  Steam is the digital distribution and game matching system created by Valve (the guys that made Half-Life) about 5-6 years ago.  It started initially as a way to circumvent the big publishing houses to keep their independence as a gaming developer.  Its worked great for them, Valve is now considered a power house in the gaming industry and still remains an independent studio/developer.


ack-ack

[guncrasher]

It's nothing like Gamestorm.  Steam is the digital distribution and game matching system created by Valve (the guys that made Half-Life) about 5-6 years ago.  It started initially as a way to circumvent the big publishing houses to keep their independence as a gaming developer.  Its worked great for them, Valve is now considered a power house in the gaming industry and still remains an independent studio/developer.


ack-ack

why dont you picth the sale to AH directly and come back and let us know how it went.  Why is this posted here when we have zero/zilch/nada/nyet/pionyansen/tumocotaseco to do with how AH manages itself.  You are just wasting the time that could be better spent trying to free the sheep, so It can roam freely on the game.

semp