No More Steam Keys Usable on e-store DCS?

Why has this thread been moved to Steam support? Nothing to do with Steam support. Attempt to hide it?

I read somewhere that a module bought direct from ED standalone will put more money in their pocket because there's no Valve cut. A lot of people (most?) discover DCS on Steam, invest in a few modules, but then ultimately migrate to the standalone version (delivering higher quality revenues). With this change the keys won't transfer, so nor will the customers, who will not want to write off their Steam module investments. End result is more Steam users relative to standalone and lower quality revenues.

Makes it seem pretty logical for Steam to want to pursue this change.

Steam gets to keep its customers

Bignewy, may I ask for a clarification about the news? Does it mean that all keys purchased from Steam, from today will be incompatible with ED stand-alone, or that M2000C and all future release's keys would be incompatible with ED stand-alone?

Yup, seems like it:

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3137093&postcount=1

The M-2000C Going Forward.

Older Modules will still be issued SF Licenses if I read the News Note Correctly.

Yup, seems like it:

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3137093&postcount=1

Apparently, since Groove edited his post for clarity, this only affects new releases as opposed to new purchases.

Apparently, since Groove edited his post for clarity, this only affects new releases as opposed to new purchases.

Ah OK, that is helpful.

I still think the only reason this is happening is a move completely to Steam in the future. 2.5?

Ah OK, that is helpful.

I still think the only reason this is happening is a move completely to Steam in the future. 2.5?

Not going to happen. You would screw over everyone who bought modules through the ed store and it would prevent future sales through the ed store.

Not going to happen. You would screw over everyone who bought modules through the ed store and it would prevent future sales through the ed store.

All historic ED keys would be validated on Steam, so no problem there, and yes, obviously if everything moved to Steam there would be no more ED store purchases. All links would be to Steam.

I can't think of any other devs currently offering their product as standalone and Steam. There probably are some but I can't think of any!

Supporting 2 platforms is a pain - ask any Mac devs on Steam and MAS! Moving to a single platform makes a lot of logistical sense if the financial aspect can be worked out.

There is one good reason why this is not good for some people, let me explain.

When you buy at ED you HAVE TO HAVE either PayPal or a CreditCard, not even sure if PayPal is still supported..BUT...I dont have either one NOR do I want any of those two.

ED would force me to subscribe to a credit card contract with either my bank, which I surely wont do, or go to PayPal if still supported, which I also wont do.

On Steam, it's THAT SIMPLE, I take a 50€ cash, walk down to the drug store on my corner, buy one of those STEAM cards for 50€ and all is fine.

I could even buy via CellPhone bill iirc via steam.

HOW do people without credit card pay now ?

Remember, outside of the USA credit card use it NOT the normal way to pay, we have a big dislike to credit cards here in europe across the board. It can be misused, cracked, stolen, seen all that, same with PayPal. I know people personally who got robbed this way and I know people in person who bought stolen PayPal accounts on the DW and went shopping with it for a LOT OF MONEY, which is a bad thing I know, I also dont like those guys but I know this is a fact and just happened last few month.

Again, how do I pay now ??

I could buy one of those PRE-PAID credit cards and pay a huge amount on top for service and charging fees. I have done that ONCE and never again, its like a 15% malus on top.

This is for sure not what ED wants, to exclude many customers outside of the US.

I am aware that most US citizens do have multiple cards, we generally over here have zero or maybe ONE that we often hesitate to use for many things, we are just a bit different in this matter.

ED should be aware of this and open ways to pay without a big malus for the customer.

When you buy at ED you HAVE TO HAVE either PayPal or a CreditCard, not even sure if PayPal is still supported..BUT...I dont have either one NOR do I want any of those two.

Why not Paypal? You can refill your account without a credit card, benefit from a good protection, it doesn't get any easier.

PayPal is not listed anymore as a payment option as far as I can tell from the screenshot i took 20min ago.

In addition, for paypal you need to bypass their clearance which I voided ( tbh, my wife did ) by not paying 7,30€ in time a few years back. I never had one nor do I want one.

PayPal is not listed anymore as a payment option as far as I can tell from the screenshot i took 20min ago.

 

In addition, for paypal you need to bypass their clearance which I voided ( tbh, my wife did ) by not paying 7,30€ in time a few years back. I never had one nor do I want one.

That would be a problem, since the system they are using for VISA doesn't work in several EU countries. So if they don't keep Paypal, it means a lot of customers won't be able to buy their products anymore.

Not sure what you had exactly, but it's usually the matter of doing a less-than-1€ transaction to verify the link to the bank, that you get back anyway. Last time they asked I told them I had already done that before and they didn't insist. I'm not a huge fan of Paypal but I have to admit it's very convenient and safe.

On the other hand, the credit cards are sometimes easy but you need to trust the system, and last time I tried with ED, a few months back, they were using Sage Pay which doesn't have a nice reputation, and caused quite some problems. I never had feedback from ED about this, even though there was a ticket. This also coincided with an attack I had on my card, I had it cancelled and had to get another one.

Other than those two systems, I don't see how you could pay the products you want to buy, so you'll have to comply somehow, I don't believe they'll change the whole system for one user and without good reasons ;)

That would be a problem, since the system they are using for VISA doesn't work in several EU countries. So if they don't keep Paypal, it means a lot of customers won't be able to buy their products anymore.

 

Not sure what you had exactly, but it's usually the matter of doing a less-than-1€ transaction to verify the link to the bank, that you get back anyway. Last time they asked I told them I had already done that before and they didn't insist. I'm not a huge fan of Paypal but I have to admit it's very convenient and safe.

 

On the other hand, the credit cards are sometimes easy but you need to trust the system, and last time I tried with ED, a few months back, they were using Sage Pay which doesn't have a nice reputation, and caused quite some problems. I never had feedback from ED about this, even though there was a ticket. This also coincided with an attack I had on my card, I had it cancelled and had to get another one.

 

 

Other than those two systems, I don't see how you could pay the products you want to buy, so you'll have to comply somehow, I don't believe they'll change the whole system for one user and without good reasons ;)

Oh no, not only ONE customer, I just took myself as an example, there are for sure more in the same situation now.

I can go to my nextdoor buddy and give him cash and he will buy via PayPal ( If PayPal is still possible, it is NOT listed as of now on the Shop Website, at least I didnt see it when I did the test 1h ago ).

Not for me, I a have methods to bypass this hurdle, others may have not.

Paypal is still listed for me at checkout

Strange, I dont see that on my shop website, maybe I need to go one click further but I didnt wanna BUY actually so I stopped at the screenshot I took.

Still, PayPal is a hurdle.

Oh no, not only ONE customer, I just took myself as an example, there are for sure more in the same situation now.

 

I can go to my nextdoor buddy and give him cash and he will buy via PayPal ( If PayPal is still possible, it is NOT listed as of now on the Shop Website, at least I didnt see it when I did the test 1h ago ).

 

Not for me, I a have methods to bypass this hurdle, others may have not.

Yeah, it was a bit of an exaggeration ;) I know there are others, I meant "a minority" :)

Still, some vendors accept money transfers but it's more work, and you pay internation transfer taxes which may get quite expensive. So it's quite rare, since it's a problem for both parties. Not sure I see any other solution, really.

Ahh OK !

Thank you BigNewy, I was afraid to actually buy and not wanting to do that, my mistake, very clear.

It is still a bit strange to just offer those methods to pay I have to say as a customer.

There are so many ways to pay otherwise which arent used. Sad for both ends I guess.

It seems to me everybody assumes, it is ED that decided willingly to no longer accept keys bought on Steam.

From what I've read it looks to me as if Steam enforces their own Steam DRM on all future products, which in return prevents ED to use the Steam proprietary system in their standalone version that is currently based on StarForce pro-active.

So I for example do not want to use Steam and the bullshit Steam client running yet a couple more "background services" I don't want clogging up my Sim PC.

So what should ED do now?

Going completely to Steam and paying Valve a considerable share for their "Services"?

Plus forcing 3rd party developers translators and testers to install the ED standalone for nightly builds and development, Steam betas and Steam release version in addition?

Forcing customers to go through Steam and their proprietary system, reducing the option for early access, beta and alpha releases dramatically?

Or maybe we accept that like FSX Steam that is a different game than MS FSX, on a proprietary platform controlled by Valve and it is Valve that make the rules for Steam and stop barking up the wrong tree.

If Valve decides they want only Steam DRM in their Steam Store you should either decide which store to use and accept the limitations of your choice.

If people can live with buying every FSX add-on again on Steam to use "the convenience of the Steam platform", Valve will continue its strategy and force products into their environment.

If you don't like the implications, go buy from the producer directly, get the benefits of all early access and options to get access to stuff in development plus control over updates/rollback and change of versions through the DCS-Updater.

Or choose Steam to have the convenience of auto-updates, background downloads and Steam-Community.

PayPal is not listed anymore as a payment option as far as I can tell from the screenshot i took 20min ago.

You need to click on the Checkout button to see it, not just Buy.

I bought my initial DCS modules on Steam as I didnt have acredit card back then and it was easy as 1-2-3 to buy from Steam.

Later on I said to myself, SUPPORT ED and get a MasterCard which I did ONLY for DCS for like 2 years and bought any other module I own ( and I own all but the very recent ones ) until this card ran out. The thing is, this cards costs me more per year than the modules I possibly buy are worth. That is not good for my inner balance :P

I am forced now to buy via my best buddy who has PayPal, well, its OK for me to do so but others may be left out.

I wished ED would add a few of those "pay at the drug store and get a voucher" thing like iTunes or amazon cards. I only pay amazon this way and I do have to do that pretty often and it is SAFE and convinient for both ends I guess.

I am forced now to buy via my best buddy who has PayPal, well, its OK for me to do so but others may be left out.

 

I wished ED would add a few of those "pay at the drug store and get a voucher" thing like iTunes or amazon cards. I only pay amazon this way and I do have to do that pretty often and it is SAFE and convinient for both ends I guess.

I know we are getting WAY off topic here, but I think you are exaggerating unnecessarily this whole CC/PP thing.

Over the years I have bought 1000s of items via CC or PP, and I think I have encountered a problem once. On that occasion, the CC company refunded my money straight away.

The bottom line here is that, most likely, Steam is in control of this situation. However it works out, ED probably has no choice in the matter. The dog wags the tail and Steam is most certainly the dog in this situation.

Still the main point was, it is up to Valve to decide what they offer in their shop, it seems.

I'm not so sure ED "decided" to disallow that.