Steam Is Getting a Redesigned Library and New Events Features

cageymaru

cageymaru

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At GDC today, Valve announced a new UI for the Steam Library. The new Steam Library has larger game icons and more categorization for your games. PC Gamer says the library reminds them of Plex or the Apple TV. The Steam Friend's List is integrated into the Library view on the right side. They noted that the coolest feature is using Steam Tags for games to create new categories such as "Ninja Action." A Beta release is scheduled for this summer.

The new Steam Events page will create a new way for fans of games to connect with developers. Games in your library that are organizing occasions like game updates, streams, tournaments, and so on will be found here. This is being built in response to today's live service games. Developers will be able to get the word out to fans through calendar support for Google and iCal, Steam client notifications, email, text message, and Steam mobile app. These events will be shown in other parts of Steam also.

"We think of this as the way developers will be able to communicate with players through Steam," Kroll said. "We want to build the foundation for a communication platform where all the interesting things that are happening in games can find their way to the customers. And the customers that are interested in finding out 'what's happening in games in my library, what kind of events are happening, what's been updated recently, what are my friends doing,' making all that much easier for players to be able to find."
 
what does "more categorization for your games." actually mean? You can categorize your games however you want right now... look:


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The biggest new feature for the library, at least in terms of functionality, is an extension of the tags Steam has been using on the store for several years. Those tags now carry over to the library page,
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Great, this should have always been a feature, as long as it does not override my current setup.

and you can perform an advanced search using several tags to drill down through your games.
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Not sure i understand the point of this one, there is already a search, works fine.

The cool addition here is that you can save a tag search as a "collection" of similar games, like, say, "Ninja Action."
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Don't get this one either, ctrl+click and then "Set Category" hey there's a collection of similar games...
 
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Well steam could use an uplift to bring it into a more modern environment. Honestly if they don't want to make games anymore, you would think Steam itself would evolve faster.
 
I like the old school simplicity of Steam and prefer it that way, but I've been complaining about UIs getting too fancy since Vista came around and MS Office went from intuitive to confusing (to me).

I would welcome the changes but I hope I can still reskin to something "classic" for myself.

Either way if this Epic fiasco gets Valve to start doing things, then I'm all for it.
 
As long as I can continue using the small view that is just a simple list of games I will be happy. That is the biggest thing I don't like about most of the other launchers. I don't need giant icons for the games that I own just a simple list on the side of my screen. I'm all for them adding different options though as long as they don't take any away.
 
Seems reasonable. Just improving what was already there, in place.

I've been wanting an integrated friends list for some time, so that's nice. Tear-away windows really need to be optional.
 
I really hope valve actually gives us event organisers some proper event tools. It's been a joke for years.
 
It looks to me like it's still somewhat familiar to the current version.

So long as the small-mode view is still there, I guess things don't really change for me. I never exit the small-mode view unless I need to pause a download (and it's ridiculous that downloads can't be paused from the right-click menu anymore).
 
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Looks like shit. Nothing wrong with the current library. Valve, make some good games, maybe a good game engine and maybe be more competitive to keep developers/publishers on your platform. I don't need this over sized, shitty space wasting GUI that no one asked for.

As typical of Valve over the past ~6-7 years, when they get off their ass to do something they just drop a steaming pile of shit.

Edit: And integrating the friends list onto the library page is cancer.
 
"the old familiar ..." doesn't seem to exist in the Digital world. Everything Digital has top be revamped every 6 months to a year otherwise people will loose interest.

It's like going to a real library that has actual books and ah, just smell the smell of those old books vs ... an iPad.

there's something important to humans about holding a real book in one's hands and reading it by candle light vs an illuminated display that smells like the P&J you had for lunch

In the real world "the old familiar" gives us a sense of continuity but in the Digital virtual world you're kept on the edge and given enough time there almost any person will become, well ... edgy ;)
 
Also please remove the Music player, VR, Integrated Browser etc etc etc etc, and call it "Steam Lite" for A) those of us who frankly don't give a shit or use that stuff, B) don't need a 130MB download when Steam updates for stuff they don't use. :)
IOW: Modularize Steam FFS!
I don't mind if you package everything together for the general public who doesn't know any better and would get confused by this... but for those non-idiots amongst us, please, de-bloat Steam! :p
 
velusip said:
Seems reasonable. Just improving what was already there, in place.

I've been wanting an integrated friends list for some time, so that's nice. Tear-away windows really need to be optional.
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I easily alleviate myself from any friends list problems by not having any friends, so much easier, and you don't have to listen to them whine on for hours about how their missus didn't come home last night etc, etc :) (forgetting to start in 'invisible' mode can be so stressful).
 
Flogger23m said:
Looks like shit. Nothing wrong with the current library. Valve, make some good games, maybe a good game engine and maybe be more competitive to keep developers/publishers on your platform. I don't need this over sized, shitty space wasting GUI that no one asked for.

As typical of Valve over the past ~6-7 years, when they get off their ass to do something they just drop a steaming pile of shit.

Edit: And integrating the friends list onto the library page is cancer.
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Can either spend $1 on game dev which will maybe make 1.10, maybe .90.

Or you can spend $1 on providing bandwidth for people to pay for games/download and make 10$ or more.
Much better business
 
As long as the small mode games list is still there and working as it is now I won't care. I only open large mode to go to the store or discussion groups when I have game issues or want to read up on problems people have with a game before I buy it.
 
What is with the super strong reactions to a UI change..
Like holy crap relax people.
I think it's about time they updated the look. Things don't stay the same forever grow up some of you
 
{NG}Fidel said:
What is with the super strong reactions to a UI change..
Like holy crap relax people.
I think it's about time they updated the look. Things don't stay the same forever grow up some of you
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There are a LOT of old stick in the mud types on this forum. They truly despise change and it's rampant across every sub-forum.

Every time i open a thread about something new, there are people hating on it. Kinda just how it is, you learn to ignore it.
 
As long as they don't mess with my grid view I'm all for some new UI nuances. I use Grid as a front end for all of my games and I have custom art for all of it. I'd hate to see that kind of thing go away. On the other end, Steam is a little dated looking in general. Making things more modern and less compartmentalized would be nice IMO. Right now many of Steam's different elements feel like totally different programs.
 
{NG}Fidel said:
What is with the super strong reactions to a UI change..
Like holy crap relax people.
I think it's about time they updated the look. Things don't stay the same forever grow up some of you
Click to expand...

Every time steam has changed the UI they have made it worse, as in it takes up more resources and still doesn't work right (ever try steams built in voice chat?).

I don't care that they change it, but when they fix it till it breaks, I get annoyed.
 
Dodge245 said:
Don't get this one either, ctrl+click and then "Set Category" hey there's a collection of similar games...
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Perhaps it's the ability to assign games to multiple categories, so you could have games in the "Ninja" category and games in the "Action" category, and anything in both categories would be "Ninja Action"?
 
Bawjaws said:
Perhaps it's the ability to assign games to multiple categories, so you could have games in the "Ninja" category and games in the "Action" category, and anything in both categories would be "Ninja Action"?
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You can already do that, my "Local Multiplayer" category also puts the games in there relevant FPS/Driving etc Categories...

I think the only difference is you can search for the tag per the store tags, then click a button to create a category for the games that show up?
 
Dodge245 said:
You can already do that, my "Local Multiplayer" category also puts the games in there relevant FPS/Driving etc Categories...

I think the only difference is you can search for the tag per the store tags, then click a button to create a category for the games that show up?
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Yeah, the tags part makes sense.

Although at the moment you can assign a game to multiple categories, they only show up in each of the individual categories: so a game assigned to both "Ninja" and "Action" appears under both "Ninja" and "Action" categories, but this doesn't create a "Ninja Action" category. Leveraging the tags idea would change this, though.
 
captaindiptoad said:
FFS VALVE!!!

All I have been wanting is PROPER UI scaling at 4K, and PROPER filters when searching for games. None of this "tag" bullshit!
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I think the organization by tags is a great idea. I have thousands of games in my Steam Library and it is a pain to try and remember what some were about. :)
 
I don't see why everyone is against the updated design, its not like you spend all your time your library. Pick your game, hit play, boom you don't have to see the UI anymore.

I'm all for the new look and pulling over the store tags, just as long as they don't auto sort like the VR titles currently do.
 
I will be welcome to the change. I will wait to see how it works before I say whether I like it or not.
 
One "feature" I've long wanted is simply the the ability to sort your games without having to create custom categories. Tons of sequential games are displayed out of order because the company names them something slightly different. An easier way to manually sort them would be nice.
 
Anyone want to take any bets that this redesigned release will coincide with the annual summer emptying of wallets? I am prepared..... I just picked up a $100 Steam card for $80 at the local Frys today.

As for the categorization of items, I've been using a utility called Depressurizer to assist with the categorization of the games. It isn't perfect.... after all, times that are no longer listed on Steam have to be manually categorized. I have also been using Playnite to see which games are on which store.

Now, if only Steam would modernize their backup utility. After all, I no longer CDs or DVDs to backup my games, just a big massive FreeNAS server.
 
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