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My problem with Steam and the new Wii Speak
pedrovay2003 | 7:05 PM on 11.17.2008 11 comments


I just want to go on the record here and say that I absolutely, positively love both Valve and Nintendo (yes, even Nintendo, believe it or not). Half-Life is one of the greatest video game series I've ever played, and even though the Wii has been getting a lot of flak lately, I still love mine. However, there's one thing that bothers me about both Steam and Nintendo's new microphone peripheral, Wii Speak: You're locked into your purchases.



To be honest, I actually don't hate Steam. In fact, I think it's one of the best PC gaming services I've ever used. I've been really interested in Left 4 Dead lately, and I'm sure I'll pick it up for the PC. The problem I have with Steam, however, is how you will forever own any games you buy, even if you decide you don't want them in the future anymore. For example, I have the Half-Life 2 Game of the Year Edition, and I've wanted to grab the Orange Box and the Half-Life 1 Anthology, just to have two nice compilations of all the games. But if I do that, I would have no more use for the GotY package. So what could I do with it? Nothing. I can't sell it, I can't lend it to a friend, I can't even freaking give it away for free, unless I give my account information away with it. Obviously, I'm not going to do this. Now I never buy games with the intention of getting rid of them later, but sometimes it just happens to turn out that way. At least with Steam you can download demos of pretty much all the games on there to make sure you like what you're planning on buying. This isn't the case with Wii Speak, however.



Wii Speak is Nintendo's new voice communication solution for the Wii, which is something that's long overdue. It's been way too long already that we've had to play the few online Wii games that are worth playing without being able to talk to anyone. But with this new device comes something that's absolutely ridiculous: A special code that must be entered to be able to use the mic. Now, at first, this doesn't sound too awful, but the problem sets in when you learn that the code can only be used once, and only on one console. This is absolutely unacceptable. Not only does this make it impossible to ever get rid of the device if something happens to it, but you can't even bring it to someone's house to even use it on another console. You're more stuck with this than you are with games in Steam. And this takes it one step further --- Wii Speak is untested. We're used to using standard headsets to chat with people online while gaming, not just speaking out into nothingness and using the TV speakers to listen for the response. We as consumers don't even know if we'll like how this device functions, yet we can't buy any used or even borrow one from anybody before we spend the $29.99 for a brand-new unit.

This all goes back to the war against used gaming products that companies have been fighting in full force lately. I understand companies don't get any money from used sales, but it's not like they're hurting for money. Once the games and accessories are paid for by the consumers, the ownership of the products changes hands, and no one should be allowed to tell us that we can't sell our own property.



Now, for some people this stuff may not be much of a problem, but it really bothers me. I feel like we're being told what we can and cannot do with our own property, which is exactly what Steam games and a Wii Speak are. Once that hard-earned money leaves out wallets, we own the product, and we shouldn't have to feel like we don't. Does anyone share my opinions, or am I delving a bit too deep into it?



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11 comments | showing # 1 to 11

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Lurfadur's Destructoid Blog
I had the original HL2 and bought The Orange Box. After installing The Orange Box a little notice comes up and says that you have an extra copy you can gift to a friend. In fact, I just gave my extra copy to my friend who is getting L4D through Steam. So be careful when you say you can't EVER give a game away to a friend after having an extra copy on Steam. Granted, they must also have Steam installed and have an account but that is all free.
Wexx's Destructoid Blog
If you have your half-life GOTY edition stuff on your steam account, and you decide to get the orange box, you will be given codes for the games you already have to give away to your friends.

I'm not really too interested i, the WiiSpeak or whatever that silly microphone thing is, but yeah, that does sound awful.
garison's Destructoid Blog
I heard that you don't need the code that comes with the WiiSpeak mic. to use voice chat in online games. I think that the code that comes with it enables you to download a special chat channel (kind of like Skype) to the Wii Dashboard.
Aerox's Destructoid Blog
Sadly, with PC games this is pretty much the norm. The used PC games market is pretty much non-existent, mostly because otherwise people would just copy down the CD keys, burn a copy of the disc, and then sell it to some schmuck who suddenly finds he can't get online because the key is already in use. Since very few games are single player only now (Fallout being an exception, except you need the CD code to log into Live), most people won't be willing to buy a used game that likely won't let them play multiplayer.
pedrovay2003's Destructoid Blog
@Lurfadur and Wexx

...Are you two serious? If I buy an extra copy, the other ones can go away? I don't have to keep them both pointlessly? I honestly had no idea that was possible! If I had a batch of cookies ready right now, I'd give them to you two.
RJG's Destructoid Blog
Right now there is even a special offer where you buy L4D for $149 and you can get four copies, one for you and three for your friends. It's essentially buy three, get one free. Brilliant!
Kyousuke Nanbu's Destructoid Blog
PC Gaming LOL.
pedrovay2003's Destructoid Blog
@Kyousuke

I'm not a PC gamer at all, actually, except for the old Jedi Knight games. But Valve stuff is always better on the PC.
ajaxender's Destructoid Blog
As the others said, if you end up with more than one copy of a game on your account, you can gift it to someone else who has a Steam account. Its not much but its nice.
Also as the others said, theres just no re-sale market for Pc games, mostly because of the Cd keys. In fact, I had that exact issue when i first bought Half Life 2 Goty, from EB; someone had returned it and they key was still in use. Luckily the other copy they had was new.
pedrovay2003's Destructoid Blog
@Ajaxender

Holy crap, that really sucks. I'm glad you were able to get a new copy.

@Atlas

Honestly, the picture doesn't bother me, but the spamming (in any form) does. You almost got banned once already in the past couple days for having more than one account. I'd love to report you for spamming and make that banning a reality.


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 about me

Name: Peter
Home State: New York
Currently Residing In: Utah
Birthday: October 13th, 1985 (I'll always secretly consider the NES to have been a birthday present to me from Nintendo.)

As far as video games go, I've been a gamer since I was two-and-a-half. I try to play whatever interests me, despite what other people think of those games. I don't consider myself to be a "casual" gamer, but I also don't take games unbelievably seriously. They're games, after all. They're meant to be enjoyed, not obsessed over. I never base whether I buy a game or not on a single review -- I have to try the game for myself to be totally sure.


CURRENT FAVORITES:

Metal Gear Solid Series (PS1, PS2, & PS3)
Fatal Frame Series (PS2, Xbox, Wii)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (PSP)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES (PS2)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (PS2)
Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii)
Dead Space (PS3, Xbox 360)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
Anything Zelda-Related (Various Nintendo Platforms)






My most prized gaming-related possession: A factory-sealed copy of the original Famicom Disk System Zeruda no Densetsu (The Legend of Zelda).





Mario and I were tight back in the day, yo.


I've had a few articles promoted on the front page... Check them out if you want. (Thanks, Hamza! :D)
Good Idea, Bad Idea
The Start of the Affair
Expanded Universes
Other Worlds Than These
I Suck At Games


Also, I'm on a crusade to help my paralyzed friend walk again. Check this out to learn how you can help, and here's the Facebook group. I'd like to send a big thank you to all of you who have already donated --- It means a lot to both of us. Unfortunately, this probably won't be a short-term thing --- It may be over a year before Travis can make it to China for the surgery. If any medical conditions should arise before that time (knock on wood that nothing happens), the donated money will be used to help pay for any bills if needed. Again, thank you all.

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