Steam Turns 18 YO Today - Rolled Out: Sept. 12 2003

I remember being somewhat against the idea. If only because I feared everyone and their uncle would end up requiring we use multiple different storefronts and launchers. Well, that did happen, but it took way longer than I thought it would.

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Unlocked Nov 23, 2020 @ 7:58pm

Member since November 23, 2004.
 
Gorankar said:
I remember being somewhat against the idea. If only because I feared everyone and their uncle would end up requiring we use multiple different storefronts and launchers. Well, that did happen, but it took way longer than I thought it would.

steamyears16_80.png

Years of Service
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Unlocked Nov 23, 2020 @ 7:58pm

Member since November 23, 2004.
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And the only other storefront/launcher worth it is GOG.
 
Do you remember EA's first foray into digital downloads?

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Steam was and still is probably the best Digital Games Downloader and Launcher
 
Aireoth said:
you are in the minority for sure.
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Susquehannock said:
Yes, very much so. All my game disks from the 90s still work fine. So do the back ups. And lest we forget how many do not have broadband, or any internet at all. Just let me click the game icon and play.
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Same. All my CD/DVDs (that I've tried) lately still work - and I very much miss having physical media. Even if to avoid a few gigs of initial downloaded program files (I think most people...most people here at least...are baking the cost of unlimited internet into their monthly budgets. Which is fine, but not free)

In the same vein, when the internet occasionally drops, I'm thankful for my DVD/Blu-Ray collection. Netflix/etc. are great - but you need connectivity. "Hey, the internet's out." "That's ok, we'll just watch Netflix...err..."
 
pfc_m_drake said:
Same. All my CD/DVDs (that I've tried) lately still work - and I very much miss having physical media. Even if to avoid a few gigs of initial downloaded program files (I think most people...most people here at least...are baking the cost of unlimited internet into their monthly budgets. Which is fine, but not free)

In the same vein, when the internet occasionally drops, I'm thankful for my DVD/Blu-Ray collection. Netflix/etc. are great - but you need connectivity. "Hey, the internet's out." "That's ok, we'll just watch Netflix...err..."
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I like the game boxes but I do prefer downloading the games since it's faster. I can download faster from the internet than read from an optical drive.

My Toaster software came on 45 floppies, that was such a pain if you had to reinstall.
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Zepher said:
I like the game boxes but I do prefer downloading the games since it's faster. I can download faster from the internet than read from an optical drive.

My Toaster software came on 45 floppies, that was such a pain if you had to reinstall.
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I'll tell you what - when I got my Zip Drive (parallel port model!) it was like a dream-come-true. Copying my floppies onto 1 Zip disk (with much faster read access than 3.5") made reinstallations a breeze. Those were the days!
 
pfc_m_drake said:
Same. All my CD/DVDs (that I've tried) lately still work - and I very much miss having physical media. Even if to avoid a few gigs of initial downloaded program files (I think most people...most people here at least...are baking the cost of unlimited internet into their monthly budgets. Which is fine, but not free)

In the same vein, when the internet occasionally drops, I'm thankful for my DVD/Blu-Ray collection. Netflix/etc. are great - but you need connectivity. "Hey, the internet's out." "That's ok, we'll just watch Netflix...err..."
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TBH, I have had Spectrum (once TWC) cable internet so long (late 90's) that has 0 data caps, I never thought that people buy internet that has data caps. Didn't know that was a thing outside of cell phones... lol. I Download WAY faster (500Mbps) than I would be able to install from optical media. Plus it's great for using 1 account across several PCs (sometimes I play a racing game or MSFS2020 on my entertainment PC on my big TV). Typically I am gaming on my gaming PC though, but the freedom is nice to have without worry about a stupid disk.

I am kind of surprised optical media did not turn into flash media for game distribution though... for people with crap internet, I could see how that would be a lifesaver.
 
I'm only at 12 years with steam but I remember having another account before that one that I lost access too, would have been ~14 years otherwise, I think.

As mush as I used to love steam I find that I don't use it as much as I used too for the pass ~2 years I've been enjoying xbox game pass for pc and the GoG store a lot more then steam. The last game I got on steam, while on sale, was borderlands 3 with season pass last year.
 
xmadror said:
I'm only at 12 years with steam but I remember having another account before that one that I lost access too, would have been ~14 years otherwise, I think.

As mush as I used to love steam I find that I don't use it as much as I used too for the pass ~2 years I've been enjoying xbox game pass for pc and the GoG store a lot more then steam. The last game I got on steam, while on sale, was borderlands 3 with season pass last year.
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I just bought Black Mesa yesterday since it was on sale for $5. I never really played the original Half Life so I figured I'd give this a go.
 
steamyears11_80.png

Years of Service
550 XP
Unlocked Nov 17, 2020 @ 10:08am

Member since November 17, 2009.

I have another account that is older with other games but forgot the log in..
 
idiomatic said:
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I did five builds for Christmas that year, I have four younger siblings. 9600/9700s with Halflife included, built for Doom 3 I think? I think I got a dual core athlon in a shuttle? Oh, I built one in a piratey treasure chest for my sister who was on pirate kick. Good times.
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I feigned projectile diarrhea to avoid 2 a day football practice to play doom 3 when it came out.
 
My friends pulled me into Counter Strike back in high school

Geez... can't believe it was that long ago. I think about playing some good ole CS sometimes.

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Played CS 1.5 daily. When 1.6 came out they forced you to make a steam account to play it. A lot of my friends refused to adopt it so I took a few days to actually make a steam account to play it. Ignore the badge number, you need to buy a game to update it.
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A year later for my Christmas I built a new PC to play HL2 and bought the huge steam game pack. Since it was the era of every game had a CD key and some friends didn't have CS 1.6; I made a new steam account so I'd have two copies of CS. This account ended up becoming my main account I still use today.
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My wife and I get our $50 out of the unlimited data to the nth degree every month, minimum since 2012 7.9TiB.
 
stryder2720 said:
Spoiler alert, it's fantastic
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I need to restart that. I was having a great time, got lost in this area with all the water tanks. I think I have to raise the water in each tanks, its a bit of a maze. I was getting frustrated and took a break.

That was like six years ago.
 
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