Steam

[QueenBex]

Tell me about it.
1) is it worth getting
2) what are the prices like
3) what kind of things does it offer
4) is it just games or do they have other things too?
5) would I need to be connected to the internet to play games or can I just download and play wherever and whenever I want?
6) How much is it? Is it a subscription service type of thing?

[lcockitt]

I recently joined Steam, so I'm no expert. Hopefully folk will correct me if I'm wrong!

1) If you have internet and like PC gaming, then yes.
2) Frequesnt sales, although brand new games may be cheaper to buy in hard copy from a shop/online. I guess it depends on the game/time of year.
3) Games, games and games.
4) As far as I'm aware, it's just games (although they have forums/groups etc as well for discussion)
5) I'm not sure - to play with others, then yes, but single player? I guess if you downloaded and wanted to play offline it's do-able.
6) Free to join, some games are free, no subscription. Just pay for the games you want to play/download.

I hope that makes sense, hopefully others that have been on it longer than I have will expand with more info!

[Servotron]

1) Yes, if you have time to play all the games you will accrue.
2)Prices are good with regular sales and then the two big yearly sales.
3)Chat with friends, Discussion groups, fan art, built in game guides written by fans.
4)Games, but they have started to branch out into offering programs and desktop software.
5)Obviously you need the internet to download the games, but you can play them offline once downloaded. It sometimes kicks up a fuss if it can't connect and won't let you sign in but there are ways around it.
6)It's free, but some games might want a subscription. (Basically some of the MMO's but most are going free-to-play now).

EDIT: Also, if you do decide to get Steam, here's a link for rules on surviving the big sales: http://www.pcgamesn.com/how-survive-201 ... ummer-sale

[rosey175]

1) Yes, if you enjoy games and spending money on more games, and sitting at your computer.
2) Average, but they do have good sales, particularly the summer/winter sales.
3) Games, more games than you'll ever finish in your lifetime. Inspiration for all those cross stitch pieces. There's chat / discussions as well as fan-made add-ons (for those times you ABSOLUTELY NEED Thomas the Tank Engine mod in Skyrim).
4) Games (although as Servo said, they're branching out some plus attempting a stand-alone console).
5) It depends on the game. We didn't have Internet for about a year after moving so we'd wind up hauling our computer(s) to some place that had Internet and buying / downloading a game. You can also make hard-copy backups of your downloaded games in case you wish to install your account on a new computer (and save yourself downloads). Also, Steam likes to be on and online all the time but there is a way to disable this.
6) Free to join, random games will be free randomly. I haven't bought / played any that require a subscription but they're out there.

--LOL at the survival guide. Those sales do get kinda nuts for some people.

[RMDC]

Steam has come a long way from its rough early days. It's my preferred venue for PC game shopping. You frequently get good deals - half off or better, which is how I got Portal 2 and Mirror's Edge - and, as rosey noted, the mod community increases the life of the games you buy. Steam handles mod installation for many games so you don't have to burrow through directories and alter .ini files.

Finally, there are community tools. Steam's chat feature works in game as well as in the Steam shell. When your friends start playing a game, Steam alerts you - and if it's multiplayer, that makes it easy to join in.

[QueenBex]

Thanks all for your replies! Sounds interesting for sure! I'll have a think about getting it and let you all know, perhaps we can play together someday?