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0 pointsfriendlybus6y ago0 comments

Steam multiplayer? You mean the friends list? Steam doesn't provide hosted mp servers for games. Mods are made by community members that can be released anywhere. Workshop is just a distribution channel.

Battle.net and origin are lock in services. Nothing about them is open to the public or accessible. Steam is pretty open and reasonably successful at it.

0 comments

BlueTemplar6y ago

Mods can be released anywhere, but in practice, usually aren't ! Steam might not provide hosted MP servers for non-Valve games (are you sure it doesn't ?), but we've even seen older games having Internet multiplayer removed to the exclusivity of Steam's own "VPN" : Dawn of War 1, Civilization 4 (for which they also managed to break most mods for no seemingly valid reason)...

mrr546y ago

In practice mods are definitely released outside of Steam Workshop. I don't think I've ever used Steam Workshop for a Skyrim mod for example.

BlueTemplar6y ago

Skyrim had mods before Workshop even existed. Things are very different for games released with Workshop support.

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pcr06y ago

Steam doesn't host multiplayer servers, but it does offer services for match making, lobbies, voice chat and P2P networking (including the use of Valve's network as a relay).

https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/multiplayer

BlueTemplar6y ago

Also, Battle.net is in a somewhat different category, as, as far as I know, is only used for Activision-BLizzard games ? (No possible monopsony issues when it's the same company !)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsfriendlybus6y ago0 comments

Battle.net and origin are lock in services. Nothing about them is open to the public or accessible. Steam is pretty open and reasonably successful at it.

0 comments

BlueTemplar6y ago

mrr546y ago

In practice mods are definitely released outside of Steam Workshop. I don't think I've ever used Steam Workshop for a Skyrim mod for example.

BlueTemplar6y ago

Skyrim had mods before Workshop even existed. Things are very different for games released with Workshop support.

1 more reply

pcr06y ago

Steam doesn't host multiplayer servers, but it does offer services for match making, lobbies, voice chat and P2P networking (including the use of Valve's network as a relay).

https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/multiplayer

BlueTemplar6y ago

Also, Battle.net is in a somewhat different category, as, as far as I know, is only used for Activision-BLizzard games ? (No possible monopsony issues when it's the same company !)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse