DCS: Black Shark now available on Steam

As far as im concerned DCS is not available to purchase via steam.

May i have an explanation as to why UK resident are not able to purchase this ??? pretty please with knobs on.

ohh and a list of other countries where its not available would be nice to know too. and only a suggestion but u might want to explain thats there are restrictions in your initial post. because for many people "IT IS NOT AVAILABLE" contrary to what is told here in the official section.

Why not available in the UK:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=941181&postcount=31

EDIT: I realized a bit late that it didnt say why - sorry.

Still doesn't explain WHY Blackshark is not on steam in UK, just that you couldn't get it on steam in UK.

I would have got my friends to finally get Blackshark and purchased a copy on steam myself.

Great news! Heavy steam user :smilewink:

Would make my day if I could activate my serial I already own so I dont have to buy it again... i am kinda... short on cash :P

Please guys, remember that there's a lot of legal stuff involved when doing something like this. I don't know why it's not available in the UK or why it's not possible, but please consider that there might be good reasons that aren't fit for posting on forums. Businesses generally don't give details of their various deals to public access forums for good reason.

Similarly, being able to migrate your existing copy to be a steam copy isn't a switch that TFC/ED can throw at a whim. Very few games can actually be migrated like this (Valve's own games and a limited few aside from that). Basically, why would Valve let you do that? They didn't get any money from your previous purchase, but you want to be able to use their bandwidth and their authentication servers that they pay for... ;)

So basically, I understand your wishes, but please don't think that you are being ignored with your questions - there just might be reason why we can't be told. International trade law is a complex jungle where very strange things can happen. :P

i do understand that, probally an obligation to a current UK distributor is given problems here. i would just like to know :) and appreciate iam far to nosey on that subject. Im dissapointed for you guys to be quite honest. It wont hinder me purchasing the marvelous software at hand. but it is naturally hindering your sales, Steam is a fabulous platform. I know of one dissapointed steam user so far, that would have endulged in this due to its inclusion within steam.

I hope ED find a way to change this at some stage for there own benefit. good times ahead.

incidentally regards adding your current Ed flightsims to steam isn't too straight forward if even possible. i tried this around 2 weeks ago, what i was trying to achieve was to have the shift/tab steam panel for easy chatting while playing.

Similarly, being able to migrate your existing copy to be a steam copy isn't a switch that TFC/ED can throw at a whim. Very few games can actually be migrated like this (Valve's own games and a limited few aside from that). Basically, why would Valve let you do that? They didn't get any money from your previous purchase, but you want to be able to use their bandwidth and their authentication servers that they pay for... ;)

OK, I can counter this one: Valve should be interested to get as many people to use steam as possible, as it is their advertisement and shopping platform. It would be in their interest to get us on steam, too, as we would have to start steam to play, thus see their ads and eventually buy something. So it's potential income. And even if we allready use steam: To play DCS:BS we had to start steam and as a consequence would be exposed to their ads even more than before. So I don't think Valve wouldn't be interested. ;)

OK, I can counter this one: Valve should be interested to get as many people to use steam as possible, as it is their advertisement and shopping platform. It would be in their interest to get us on steam, too, as we would have to start steam to play, thus see their ads and eventually buy something. So it's potential income. And even if we allready use steam: To play DCS:BS we had to start steam and as a consequence would be exposed to their ads even more than before. So I don't think Valve wouldn't be interested. ;)

100% correct on that. FACT.

No!! :cry:

ED please, please keep releasing your great software over your website!

Since I'm using Steam (bought Cod MW2) I'll never BUY a "normal" game again, I'm cracking them instead. Call of Duty MW2 was a disaster (still is btw) the support is crap, the game is not usable due to the non-dedicated server system, I was twice downloading a 5GB patch without changing the games version! And you can't play your game when the servers are down, because the Offline-Mode is not working and on release dates of well-known games the servers are always down.

I never had bigger issues with Starforce and I don't try to illegaly trick it, so I don't give a **** if it's Starforce or whatever!

I don't care if they are also released on Steam but not just there.

Just my personal opinion on that, hope you can understand my point of view.

Greetings

btw: Keep up your great work! Just bought FC2, for me it'd be worth 150$ (like some scenery packages I've bought for M$ FS2004 back then:doh:)

No!! :cry:

 

ED please, please keep releasing your great software over your website!

Speaking under correction here and by no means an official statement, but I'm relatively sure that distribution via Steam is just a secondary outlet and by no means indicative of an 'exclusive distribution intent' for ED's products.

You have nothing to worry about then........Steam just an added bonus is all for those who prefer it as well as being an added source of Revenue for ED, which for the end-user is ALWAYS a good thing.

Since I'm using Steam (bought Cod MW2) I'll never BUY a "normal" game again, I'm cracking them instead. Call of Duty MW2 was a disaster (still is btw) the support is crap, the game is not usable due to the non-dedicated server system

There should be a ban on people disliking steam because of Modern Warfare 2. So many things are wrong with that game on so many levels. To say steam is the reason it sucks is completely ignoring the state which Infinity Ward released it at the behest of Activision. I'm not saying that the game has no issues on Steam. I'm just saying its probably 10% Steams fault and 90% Infinity Ward/Activisions fault.

I didn't know that it's even possible to transfer CD key to steam.:joystick:

 

And steam doesn't rocks when they say USD = Euro.:music_whistling:

It is possible if the game developers and steam agree to allow it. As I said, X3: Terran Conflict just recently allowed people that purchased the retail version to use their keys to convert to the Steam version (mainly for the achievements etc). The old Half Life series (by valve) is another good example.

As for the price stuff. . . My suggestion is to just wait a month or two until they have a price 1/2 off weekend. Then you'll see what I mean when I say it rocks :P

You can already (and have been able to for years) place any game you have on your Steam library no matter if you own a "steam copy" of it or not. The only real disadvantage you'll have to owning a "steam copy" is that you will not be able to download it. So if you want your Black Shark or FC2 on your Steam, just add it. :)

Yes but this is not the same thing.

We are talking about actually using the Retail Boxed version CD Key to Register the game with Steam and convert to a full steam version game. That means updates, steam copy protection (instead of star force), and the other steam benefits if ED adds them such as achievements, etc.

It *IS* possible, I have done it at least twice with my own games, but again it is up to ED and Valve to make it happen. If both companies do not have an agreement then you can't do it.

Check out this link to see all of the games that can have their retail keys registered on Steam (Not just added to the menu):

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7480-WUSF-3601

No!! :cry:

 

ED please, please keep releasing your great software over your website!

Since I'm using Steam (bought Cod MW2) I'll never BUY a "normal" game again, I'm cracking them instead. Call of Duty MW2 was a disaster (still is btw) the support is crap, the game is not usable due to the non-dedicated server system, I was twice downloading a 5GB patch without changing the games version! And you can't play your game when the servers are down, because the Offline-Mode is not working and on release dates of well-known games the servers are always down.

 

I never had bigger issues with Starforce and I don't try to illegaly trick it, so I don't give a **** if it's Starforce or whatever!

 

I don't care if they are also released on Steam but not just there.

Just my personal opinion on that, hope you can understand my point of view.

 

Greetings

 

btw: Keep up your great work! Just bought FC2, for me it'd be worth 150$ (like some scenery packages I've bought for M$ FS2004 back then:doh:)

Well if you release broken games via steam they still are broken. It doesn't matter how you release them if they have massive problems. I have used steam since HL2 was released. No problems at all since then even though I use it allmost dayly and own several games. So I think your view on steam is _slightly_ biased because of this bad broken game...

But it seams that steam is planed as an alternative distribution platform. So everyone could get their favorite distribution channel. ;)

Nice to hear that, it will defiantly open up the game to a bigger market.

I've used steam long enough to know it like the back of my hand. So I've started a Steam group for people.

The name is Digital Combat Simulator: Black Shark.

Its generic, but when a user clicks on "Find community groups" on the store page, steam looks for that, so it would be best to make it associative.

No!! :cry:

 

ED please, please keep releasing your great software over your website!

Since I'm using Steam (bought Cod MW2) I'll never BUY a "normal" game again, I'm cracking them instead. Call of Duty MW2 was a disaster (still is btw) the support is crap, the game is not usable due to the non-dedicated server system, I was twice downloading a 5GB patch without changing the games version! And you can't play your game when the servers are down, because the Offline-Mode is not working and on release dates of well-known games the servers are always down.

But that has nothing to do with Valve or Steam's capability as a platform for games. It was Activision's decision to take out dedicated server support, its Activision's job to support the game and its Activision's job to test patches.

I've been a Steam user for years, I joined shortly after it was launched and its a solid system. I still like to buy some games in boxed form, like ED releases for example as I still have my disc copies of Flanker 1, 1.5, 2, Lock On, Flaming Cliffs, DCS Black Shark and Flaming Cliffs 2 but its nice to know they are available on Steam too should I need them but also as a way to get friends interested too.

This DRM subject is something I feel strongly about, plus I like steam ($3000 of games on it must mean I like it anyway, even if most bought on those fantastic sales!)

I'm buying a steam copy today to support ED in doing the right thing. I already own the game but would love the steam drm version to be successful, so voting with my wallet.

Smart business decision ED/Wags - thanks.

PS Please don't delay A10C on steam after release too long, as Id prefer not to have to buy it twice too :)

Man, it would be so fantastic if we could import our retail keys into steam.

I don't like the activation limits because they make me paranoid so steam would be perfect.

wow ... a steam version ..... where is the lokalized patch for non english users ?

Quick note on "delaying" A10C for steam, and again: this is not official. This is me guessing. I'm not involved with those things in any way, shape or form. (Enough caveats now? :P )

But: it's not necessarily a case of "delaying" A10C for Steam if it does not get released there right away. I don't know what the overhead is in "packaging" an application for Steam release, but I would expect that there's some work allowed. As you know, TFC/ED are "independent" on this market with no help from major publishers, which is sometimes good and sometimes bad. The latter applies to the resources available for handling releases - if you are to release for multiple distribution outlets at the same time, you need to re-do a lot of work with the same competence (that is, people), meaning that Release A will sit all done and ready while work on B and C are being done.

Do you want the option to buy it as soon as it's done, or do you want to wait an extra month or two while "packaging" is being done for all distributions? ;)

Again though, I don't know for sure how it works since I've never been involved with Steam in any way other than as a customer (roughly 100 games on my Steam library ;) ), but I am 100% certain that it's more complex than just FTPing setup.exe and data1.cab to Gabe. ;)

I've been lurking here on and off for months now, and have just registered. I am from the UK.

I think you know what I'm about to say. :P

I am rather disappointed to find that I can't get this over steam. I have been waiting this long precisely for a non-starforce version.

I'm not going to be so arrogant as to try and tell ED how much money they're making or losing under their current DRM policy as I'm sure they have a far better grasp of their own finances than I do. However, I'm certainly not buying anything with starforce on.

Yes, I know it's just an online activation now, but that's not the point. I haven't forgotten their past protection-racket-esque behaviour including linking to a pirated version of a non-starforced game on their forums. I simply have no intention of supporting such a company and am surprised that anyone making games would want to either.

Still, the situation is what it is. I can live without Black Shark, but am very interested in the upcoming A10 and possible Apache sims. I hope at least to be able to buy those.

Over to you, ED.

(Okay I'll stop now before I e-drama you all to death :P)

Cool... Black Shark on Steam, where i would've initially liked to get it.

Now i have it but would need to buy it again for a Steam version.

Hmm... think i'll just give that a miss and wait on A10C, even if it takes extra time.

well that is tremendous news, Iam really glad u sorted that one out Wags & Co hip hip hurray !. may this series GROW in popularity.!

Billy.... he's the best !!!!