The End?

[rizzuh]

I don't see why a LAN center should be able to buy twenty copies of a $20 game (CS). The center could make endless profit, and people would go to LAN centers instead of buying games (because LAN centers can charge almost nothing at a certain point).



If LAN centers could do this, then it would be bad for the industry and thus bad for the consumer. Please guys, this is not difficult economics.



Just because Ted Turner buys a copy of Terminator 2 on DVD, doesn't mean TBS can play the movie on the air free of charge.

helloworld wrote..

Any thriving store can pay off that license fee easily, however the problem comes when you realize this is one of the cheapest solutions and to be legal in total, some places would have to pay more per machine per month then they would make on average for that machine.

If the product doesn't sell, the supply goes down. If a game is so small that it can't generate enough revenue to cover a license then the game is not a product worth having on the machine. It's not the fault of the license, it's the fault of the popularity.

[helloworld]

The problem rizzuh is some more important products just charge unrealistic amounts. At one point blizzard wanted upwards of 20 thousand dollars a year to license diablo 2 for a small location. Many companies are as bad or worse then this. The product sells but the cost just cannot be coverd on average. This is why most LAN centers do not have complete legal licencing. There are some titles you must have, that fall into the range of the unrealistic, and if you dont take the risk to carry them people will move on to the one that does. Ive actually never heard of any of these licensing schemes being enforced either.



Im not saying a return is not a fair request, I think valves system for charging is very fair. It is the best ive heard yet. They also intend to add support for centers that is above that of retail. They have the right idea basically.

appended @ [time="1066887642"]

For those curious about the additional features afforded to shop users, its simple things like cd's containing steam and cache's and most importantly, the ability to have your steam id's scrubbed from vac bans so that if one little bastard runs rampant you dont lose a rather large investment. There are other things supposedly, but they are not talking.

[kodt]

the whole idea behind steam is like MMORPGS -> constant updates and logging in etc.. Cept MMORPGS are monthly fees so they can pay a staff to always be working on updates and so them right. Steam doesnt have this money, so steam ends up being crappy. No i dont want to pay a monthly fee for cs. But valve doesnt seem to be able to manage steam.



Another thing is that if a LAN center already payed for the HL licence cant they continue to use 1.5 at the lan and then if they want 1.6 they pay the fee? Or if valve wants them to pay for any product of theirs then they should at least get credit for the copies they already bought. Whatever i rarley play at a LAN center but it would be cool if a ton of people stopeed playing cs this way valve might get motivated and do stuff right :)

[Pyro978]

i don't know why you guys are complaining about this matter. this affects the lan centers. but how could you not see this coming, Valve has already thought bout charging people extra for HL2 mods and such. All bets are on Valve tryin to milk as much as possible out of their HL products. But i don't think Valve should raise prices at a LAN center TOO significantly, i mean those CS tourneys and such give their title great publicity. just look at the CPL Championships...

[helloworld]

Another thing is that if a LAN center already payed for the HL licence cant they continue to use 1.5 at the lan and then if they want 1.6 they pay the fee? Or if valve wants them to pay for any product of theirs then they should at least get credit for the copies they already bought.

No, the fact is in the EULA for profit use of HL is not permitted. THis is true in most EULA's, but most people do not read them. While the legal binding of a EULA has always been debatable and traditionally not touched upon, if Valve provides the licensing alternative LAN centers will have to use it. Regular retail copies of HL are technically "illegal" for their use, so they have no choice. It has nothing to do with 1.6, that is just timing. Remember though that this fee will include multiple games, not just the standard hl1 package. While additional initial licensing fees may exist I will sy it is still a better deal then previously offerd. This entire thing is not a revelation, LAN centers are one of the few places to get away with what they have for so long. You do not think rental stores just go out and buy regular dvd's and games for rent do you? There is a reason arcade cabinents cost an arm an a leg also.

[|5hadoW Hunte|2]

just play bots ;]

[-:Nighthawk:-]

Last week I went to a LAN up in Kelowna, B.C. with some of my friends. We played for nearly 5 hours at a total cost of $3 CDN. Yep, a tooney and a looney for 5 hours of entertainment. That was just playing CS1.5 (and a wee bit of Desert Combat on the side), but it kind of opened my eyes to how a LAN center can charge ridiculously low prices and still do well, provided they find a good location and manage their money well.



One more random thought... it would be nice if instead of $10 per machine per month, it was $10 per USED machine per month. If you've got 100 computers, but only 30 people play CS at any given time, it seems like it'd be nice to only pay for 30 licences, but have the game available on every machine so you don't have to shuffle people around. We'll see how it turns out, but I don't see this having any sort of massive impact. Probably half the LAN centers will just end up using CS1.5 for a while, I'd guess.

[JdeFalconr]

Maybe I don't completely understand this post, but it sounds like Valve is getting greedy and finally realizing the cash cow that could be and already is CS.

[rockyexe]

This is so ridiculous, raising up the cost of using the computers at LAN centers by, i say 10%-40% this definitely will impact people that go to LAN centers like me. first of all valve needs evaluate themself, write a better software, and fix up things inside their company (i.e. fix network and try not to get another game jacked by hackers, fix bugs in CS 1.6 and etc.) first before getting greedy and hacking up LAN centers. Some LAN centers are not that great but i feel bad for people who dont have a decent computer for CS. Also by doing this LAN centers might just screw CS if they cannot keep up with the cost and they will go to other game developers for better deal or maybe better games. that's what i say.

[azz0r]

Good job I dont go to a LAN center, spotty freak filled gaming centers.

[Diamond Dust]

This makes perfect sence though, It is illegal to use a game for profit that you don't have permission for. Think of it as something differn't to make more sence. Like you buy a cd and charge people 1$ an hour to listen to it, it would be the same thing as what lan centers do. I always thought they had to pay for some kind of lisence.

[Mp5A4]

screw valve i'm looking forward for other gr8 title like Doom 3, NFS:U and Max Payne 2 or console

[PhilDEE]

Edited by [user="186438"] @ [time="1066895732"]

All my friends at school play at a lan center. they charge a very small amount ($6 Australian for 6 to 8 hours, though i dont play that long). i guess this could mean that their marks will increase now. even though i dont like the idea of being charged more, i do realize that Valve does need to make a profit. their methods have been a bit harsh, and i have been doing a lot of Steam-bashing, but i do believe that this is reasonable, if true.



I agree with #11...bad timing indeed.



Edit: Yes and the publisher (Vivendi/Sierra or Activision for DoD) does make most of the money, i think. i forgot that.

[CheesyPeteza]

You have always had to pay vivendi money to charge for people to play cs in a lan centre. I think this news is saying that lan events where you have to bring your own pc type things now have to pay a licence to valve.



I think this comes from steam. Steam only works over the Internet, but if you want to play it on LAN then you have to pay a license.



I could be completely wrong, but it seems the most rational explanation of all this.

[fat404]

yo, i just want to say someting really cool that i just round out. u can shoot while holding your mouse 1 key with the GLOCK 18!!!!!

correction: only in burst fire mode u can fire it...