Being forced to download extra launchers sucks.

Submitted by Zephyr28572 t3_11d9uki in gaming

I buy a game through steam. Why do I have to download and install a launcher to play the game I bought from steam. I downloaded all the game files from steam, I should be able to play it through steam. Customers should be able to choose which launcher they want to use, not be forced into using a rubbish extra launcher that never works properly. I'm looking at you EA.

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Schulle2105 t1_ja7ezaz wrote

Also why I don't buy things from ubisoft anymore I just can't be assed for another launcher,heck I installed epic years ago for free games but do you know how often I touched it?never and the 40 or so games rot there

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crackpotJeffrey t1_ja7fz3i wrote

Because they want to be able to advertise all their products to you, and take a better cut from those than they get through steam.

They know you'll play the game either way.

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PM_ME_HUGE_CRITS t1_ja7hb6x wrote

It's horrible having to wait an extra 30 sec to play my games! Do these devs think we're just made of time or something?

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a_crazy_fox t1_ja7inoe wrote

It is ridiculous indeed. With just my steam games, I now have a launcher for Ubisoft, EA, Rockstar and even still Origin (or again actually), because EA reverted back to Origin (PC only) for Sims 3 players, because the EA launcher will not start the game with (store) dlc.

I miss the times where you just bought a game, installed it, perhaps download some extra updates for the game itself and you were actually ready to play.

And man, that EA launcher! 😭

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Katana_DV20 t1_ja7iowv wrote

Replying to Schulle2105 (#2,052,821)

No need to install Epic client.

I just stay logged into the Epic website and claim the games from there using browser on pc or phone. It's faster.

I have sent up an alarm to beep me when the next free one rolls around.

I know I'll never play 99% of the free games so I mindlessly claim one that looks vaguely interesting and CBA to download the client.

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mpop1 t1_ja7kig5 wrote

But how are they going to push more ads on you, and make more money off you if they can not do that /s

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Katana_DV20 t1_ja7kkcl wrote

Replying to Schulle2105 (#2,053,798)

Yea that's a good time to keep tabs on them. Sometimes they drop a surprise.

Not long after I bought GTA5 on Steam; Epic gave it away for nothing with in-game GTA$1,000,000. I was like "Oh ffs"

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StressTree t1_ja7qez7 wrote

This is so annoying when I play siege

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hardy_83 t1_ja7re44 wrote

Replying to crackpotJeffrey (#2,055,573)

Yeah. The data they can pull from a person using their own launcher is probably one of theain reasons they force a launcher. Well that and control. Lol

But yeah there's a lot of worth in knowing your demographic and gaming habits. It may even pull data while it's just sitting on the background not being used depending on your countries privacy laws.

It's why companies like Facebook and Google fight tooth and nail to protect their data collection abilities.

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LupinThe8th t1_ja802ox wrote

This was my only problem with Marvel Midnight Suns. Not only was the 2K launcher annoying as hell, but it severely impacted the performance of the game.

If you've got it, do yourself a favor, disable the launcher. It's easy to find guides for doing so, and it'll improve the game considerably.

But for the life of me I can't see how this passed QA, when the problem isn't even the game itself.

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ScampersInATuxedo t1_ja831y7 wrote

Why? Because gamers won't fight back against this crap.

Yeah, get all pissy because I called you out, but prove me wrong.

Want them to change this bullshit? Perhaps stop buying the games forcing a new launcher on you.

How many times do I have to post it? Hit THEIR wallet, not empty yours.

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AriusArmarchusVT t1_ja85c0f wrote

This sucks especially hard on Steam deck because it's a piece of proprietary steam hardware and half of all launchers out there don't just work on download. So games like Jedi Fallen Order that were one of the games heavily used in the marketing of the Steam Deck now aren't compatible out of the box anymore due to EA Play.

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guy-with-a-large-hat t1_ja86c1x wrote

Gog galexy or playnite will fix that right up for you, able to combine your games and launchers into one. Doesnt mean you wont have to still download the other launchers but you will get to ignore them alot more.

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Thin-Performance-637 t1_ja8772h wrote

Also origins, ubisoft and epic games. So tons of launchers. Also you need a seperate account for them and in ubisoft theres no achivments on steam. Which means you could essentialy buy it off the launchers itself. I did that mistake with almost all ubisoft games. I just could of cracked them or bought them off ubisoft.

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Crackajack91 t1_ja88ydv wrote

Remember when PC gamers laughed at console people arguing over what was better, PlayStation or Xbox? They freak out when they have to download a free launcher

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a_crazy_fox t1_ja8aocy wrote

Replying to CatCatPizza (#2,059,721)

I get that. And I also refuse to buy new games that need a launcher.

However, I already bought games that need this and I just really want to play them as I paid for them. So for now, I will just have to accept it. Doesn't make it less annoying though.

But I do refrain from buying new games that need launchers. Who knows, if enough of us do this, they might actually stop this nonsense.

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Catty_C t1_ja8bzyn wrote

I preferred when games didn't need any launcher or had their own self-contained game launcher from the disc.

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2Sensitive1Wasabi6 t1_ja8fr5f wrote

Yea that just means I have something I don't have to pay. I just hate when it's a huge file. Just got rid of a couple of games for warzone 2.0 and they want my info. Quests who just wasted all that time and data. Delete. I guess I'm just retro but I think I enjoyed wasting quArters in machines with friends or salty defeated foes than these digital shoe tacks tracking data.

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Darth_Rutsula t1_ja8mlgg wrote

I hate game launchers as a whole. Just put the icon on my desktop and let me play. Stop making me open steam.

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Intercellar t1_ja8zbge wrote

That's why I don't play a single game from ubisoft

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Elendel19 t1_ja96u4d wrote

You know what sucks more? Monopolies.

Such a tiny inconvenience which causes steam to at least have some small amount of competition

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AriusArmarchusVT t1_ja97uy0 wrote

Replying to SadLaser (#2,068,579)

The steam deck is linux. A lot of those launchers check for cheat stuff and os version to make sure you're not cheating. Because it's a windows program running on linux some of the launchers freak out and won't let the game run. Other launchers aren't compatible with Proton (the compatibility layer the steam deck uses) for one reason or another. Like the rockstar launcher for the first few months just couldn't be installed but eventually a workaround was found. If you literally just install windows everything is fine and runs like normal, but not in the native steam os.

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Schulle2105 t1_ja9h7yy wrote

Replying to Rukasu17 (#2,071,836)

I just take them really around christmas,why?well it's free so I might hope to play them at some point,probably won't happen but I don't need to feel bad to pick up free stuff

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illy586 t1_ja9pjef wrote

Always how MMORPGs have been, Steam is just a client to get the core files, the launcher is to update them as MMOs are constantly being updated and files modified. They would have to use another step in the process to get those constant updates to Steam and that creates more of a problem for them and causes more variables in the process to screw things up. They handle it directly from the source, no BS.

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cptmcsexy t1_ja9v6dc wrote

Yeah its super annoying to buy it on one platform then requiring to play it on another launcher.

Even more annoying: I bought Deadspace 3 on origin but I tried getting the dlc on steam because its cheaper, but steam refuses to give me a code for the dlc because I dont own the game yet if I bought thr base game on steam it would send me to origin anyways

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Skygge_or_Skov t1_jaa1pwm wrote

Replying to illy586 (#2,074,329)

There still is a huge difference between simple launchers like gaijin, wargaming and lol (last time I played it like 6 years ago) use them, or whole new ad-platforms that try to shove their trash down your throat via shops and bloat up you RAM.

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Medwynd t1_jaa8f2q wrote

This is exactly how I feel about steam. I bought a physical copy of a game, I shouldnt be forced to use steam to play it. It's also why I dont buy games from steam unless it is my only choice. I hate that launcher full of features I have no use for.

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FuzzychestOG t1_jaa98tt wrote

Some of these launchers are poorly made as well. Like, they are buggy, break constantly, and take up way too many resources ie CPU/RAM. I'm looking at you, Ubisoft/EA.

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Bouric87 t1_jaagff0 wrote

I wouldn't even mind the extra launcher it's having to create another account and password with every launcher that really pisses me off.

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Ozi_izO t1_jaamhcs wrote

Get used to it, or don't buy those games...

I've used pretty much all the major launchers except for Epic for over a decade and never had a major issue with any of them.

Although, with a few exceptions, I tend to buy games from their proprietary clients more often than not anyways rather than force myself to use Steam as a middle man when it isn't necessary...

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BroForceOne t1_jaauxbg wrote

My understanding is that they can negotiate that Steam take a lower cut of sales if they don't make use of Steam's DRM or other platform features.

Steam is convenient but monopolies aren't good either. In a perfect world all the platforms would provide proper API's so the community could make nicely integrated open source launchers that consolidate all of our games like GOG Galaxy tried to be. Given how finicky GOG is, that unfortunately seems to not be a world we're in yet or maybe ever will be.

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HalalBread1427 t1_jab0yrc wrote

I've got 3 different launchers just for Minecraft LOL

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