D2R and Steam?

Blizzard wrote:

As far as what’s next for Blizzard on Steam, we’ll be sharing more about potential other games coming to the platform when the time is right.

https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/blizzar ... -august-10

Seems like a test on Overwatch. If it works, they'll probably continue, if there is no significant result they'll continue as is...

Perhaps.

It may work for free-to-play games (not counting the macrotransactions). If they ever expand it to buy-to-play games, I hope it won't mean that we'll be forced to buy the same game both on BN and Steam (as we already do on consoles)...

Trang Oul wrote: 10 months ago

It may work for free-to-play games (not counting the macrotransactions). If they ever expand it to buy-to-play games, I hope it won't mean that we'll be forced to buy the same game both on BN and Steam...

I don't even play on PC, but I've seen enough of that kind of garbage.

Sry this may sound naive, but whats the point of getting bnet games to steam? I would welcome this if it means enhanced linux compability, but d2r and hearthstone (Thats the games i play) already run great on linux systems thru wine. What exactly is the platform and user group they are targeting? The steam deck?

I think this is a side-effect of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Previously, Activision has been trying to push the Battle.Net app (even removing some CoD games from Steam and putting them on Battle.Net app only). One thing, out of many, that became public knowledge due to the court hearings in the Microsoft/Activision vs FTC case was that apparently Activision acknowledged that it was a mistake to remove games from Steam and to put them on Battle.Net only, as it didn't lead to higher adoption of Battle.Net among gamers. So, it seems like this is basically them trying out the waters of reversing course, by putting games on more places (Steam specifically) instead of only trying to push their own app/launcher/storefront. And perhaps also as a way to show good intentions and "prove" that they don't intend to push for exclusivity in the future (even if the PC launcher/storefront is separate from the console ecosystems). I may be reaching here, but that's my 2 cents.

ShadowHeart wrote: 10 months ago

I think this is a side-effect of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

I initially thought the same, but later realized, why Steam instead of Microsoft Store (in case of buy-to-play games, either as stand-alone or on this cancer called Game Pass)? Using Steam seems to be against the planned acquisition.

Blubbalutsch wrote: 10 months ago

Sry this may sound naive, but whats the point of getting bnet games to steam?

I don't know if Steam Deck is popular enough, but more accessible games (even if just on another PC launcher) => more profit. And, as ShadowHeart noticed, improved PR - not being perceived as a monopolist.

I play D2R and Diablo 4 on Steam already; I have a headless Linux server that Steam streams to my TVs so I can play on the couch using a Steam Controller or I have my Steam Deck.

It would be a minor but welcome upgrade if they included both on Steam by default so I wouldn't have to manually install the Battle.net launcher and add a non-Steam game, but I certainly wouldn't buy them again.

ShadowHeart wrote: 10 months ago

I think this is a side-effect of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

I am just speculating; I don't have any hard facts, but I don't think this is why.

To my basic understanding, until the acquisition was approved, Microsoft was not legally able to interfere with / influence Activision Blizzard business. A decision to put Overwatch 2 on Steam was just recently announced, along with the merger approval, and both of these take time / have been in the works for months.

I think, as already mentioned, Activision realized that the demographic that enjoy their FPS games are not the same as those that enjoy Blizzard Battle.net games, and removing those titles from Steam resulted in a loss of players that they haven't been able to get back. Meanwhile, Overwatch 2 is struggling to keep itself alive amidst its never-ending controversies, and putting it on Steam is the perfect way to gain new players while testing / demonstrating how to consider Steam for other Activision Blizzard games.