trevius
11-14-2012, 08:38 AM
Well, this isn't quite the news we have been waiting for yet, but at least it is some news related to EQ clients from Steam. It looks like as of yesterday, Steam added a new EQ2 download for the new Chains of Eternity EQ2 Expansion.
http://store.steampowered.com/search/?snr=1_5_9__12&term=Everquest
Even though EQ1 is F2P as well now, they still have a chance to sell the latest expansion for a profit on Steam. So, even though VoA was skipped on Steam, there might be a slight chance that we could see Rain of Fear added on Steam for EQ1 when it is released.
This is the fastest update I have seen to-date since I have been watching Steam. The expansion released for EQ2 on Nov 13 and was put on the Steam site that same day. Normally it isn't until months after the release that we see a download available on Steam.
This makes me think that maybe SOE is building a better relationship with Steam than they have had in the past, or maybe Steam is just being more responsive about it. Since Everquest: Rain of Fear is due out on November 28th, maybe we will get lucky and see a new client download on Steam for it on that date. I am an optimist though, so don't get your hopes up too high :P
If Steam does get a new client download, hopefully it will be a complete client like we have seen in the past with SoD and UF and not just a small patcher download that would require patching to Live. If it is a patcher download only, then it would be useless to us. Lets hope that this post isn't seen by SOE and give them any ideas about doing it that way lol.
My hope is that SOE would want to reduce their bandwidth utilization by supply a complete client on Steam, so that only a minimal amount of new updates would need to be patched via their network. This would make sense considering that Steam would be making money off of the sale anyway, so SOE might as well get something out of it if they aren't making the sale directly themselves.
If we get a new client available from Steam, I will surely be spending lots of time to make sure it is compatible with EQEmu! I will probably need some help with some of the more complex stuff like Tasks and maybe the new item slot stuff (as well as any unknown new changes that are complex). It is too soon to start planning this out though, since the chances of it actually happening is probably 25% at best.
Just figured I would get the information for the change on Steam out there so we can know to be ready if/when it happens. Heck, I am excited to see any updates at all on Steam that are EQ related since the last one was almost a year ago, and we need a new legally available client badly.
Hopefully if SOE does read this thread, they would see potential for income that they otherwise wouldn't get. I am sure they would make a fair chunk of money from the EQEmu community purchasing the latest Expansion on Steam. Even if it was full priced, I am sure a good number of people would be willing to pay it, and that is money that their F2P game wouldn't see otherwise. I know I would be buying one right away to start evaluating if it would make a valid client for us.
Note that if a new client does become available on Steam, don't buy it right away unless you are buying it to use it on Live. We will first need to verify it will be a functional client for the emu before we make the official news announcement about a new client version being purchasable. It will probably take at least a week to get a good idea of if it will work for us or not.
http://store.steampowered.com/search/?snr=1_5_9__12&term=Everquest
Even though EQ1 is F2P as well now, they still have a chance to sell the latest expansion for a profit on Steam. So, even though VoA was skipped on Steam, there might be a slight chance that we could see Rain of Fear added on Steam for EQ1 when it is released.
This is the fastest update I have seen to-date since I have been watching Steam. The expansion released for EQ2 on Nov 13 and was put on the Steam site that same day. Normally it isn't until months after the release that we see a download available on Steam.
This makes me think that maybe SOE is building a better relationship with Steam than they have had in the past, or maybe Steam is just being more responsive about it. Since Everquest: Rain of Fear is due out on November 28th, maybe we will get lucky and see a new client download on Steam for it on that date. I am an optimist though, so don't get your hopes up too high :P
If Steam does get a new client download, hopefully it will be a complete client like we have seen in the past with SoD and UF and not just a small patcher download that would require patching to Live. If it is a patcher download only, then it would be useless to us. Lets hope that this post isn't seen by SOE and give them any ideas about doing it that way lol.
My hope is that SOE would want to reduce their bandwidth utilization by supply a complete client on Steam, so that only a minimal amount of new updates would need to be patched via their network. This would make sense considering that Steam would be making money off of the sale anyway, so SOE might as well get something out of it if they aren't making the sale directly themselves.
If we get a new client available from Steam, I will surely be spending lots of time to make sure it is compatible with EQEmu! I will probably need some help with some of the more complex stuff like Tasks and maybe the new item slot stuff (as well as any unknown new changes that are complex). It is too soon to start planning this out though, since the chances of it actually happening is probably 25% at best.
Just figured I would get the information for the change on Steam out there so we can know to be ready if/when it happens. Heck, I am excited to see any updates at all on Steam that are EQ related since the last one was almost a year ago, and we need a new legally available client badly.
Hopefully if SOE does read this thread, they would see potential for income that they otherwise wouldn't get. I am sure they would make a fair chunk of money from the EQEmu community purchasing the latest Expansion on Steam. Even if it was full priced, I am sure a good number of people would be willing to pay it, and that is money that their F2P game wouldn't see otherwise. I know I would be buying one right away to start evaluating if it would make a valid client for us.
Note that if a new client does become available on Steam, don't buy it right away unless you are buying it to use it on Live. We will first need to verify it will be a functional client for the emu before we make the official news announcement about a new client version being purchasable. It will probably take at least a week to get a good idea of if it will work for us or not.