Steam vs Retail – Which is Best?

Today I was having an online chat with a gaming friend through Steam as to which game they might buy next (which turned out to be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2) and where they could get the best bang for their buck.

Obviously, Steam was one option on the table but the other considerations were eBay or going retail. eBay ended up being ruled out immediately despite the low price of $48. The item’s originating country was Hong Kong and the item itself was a product code to get the game via Steam. Steam has had a habit of revoking games purchased in markets other than the one an account holder resides leading to major disappointments for some people.

Another option was to go retail. Most people who don’t know any better would go to specialist stores like EB Games or more general stores like Dick Smith. Looking at both of these stores, these are the prices they were offering online:

• EB Games:
  • New: $119.95
  • Pre-owned: $104.00
  • Postage:
    • Standard: $4.95
    • Express: $6.50
• Dick Smith:
  • New: $88
  • Postage: $6.95

Through Steam, the same game is available for US$89.99 which works out to be AU$97.30 at the current exchange rate of US$1 = AU$0.925.

In terms of price, there’s not much between the prices from Dick Smith and Steam (around $2). Obviously, with a better exchange rate, Steam would break even at US$1 = AU$0.94787.

So why would you choose Steam over getting a retail box?

First of all, the digital content delivery system that Steam has refined over the years makes installation a snap without the discs. Doing away with discs also means that you won’t fall for the “disc insurance” (another $3 at EB Games) and you won’t have to find a place to store them. Also, Steam will automatically keep your game fully patched and up to date whilst standalone games might require you to visit their websites to download and install the patch yourself or dedicated updating software (which can become annoying if you have a lot of games installed).

Steam (Library)

Steam also provides a great place to keep track of all your purchased games, launch the ones you have installed and download the ones you have yet to download or have previously removed. You can also check out what achievements you have unlocked or have yet to unlock and your friends that also play the various games that you have purchased. If a friend happens to be playing a game, you can also join in (provided it is a multi-player game).

Of course, Steam works best with a broadband connection and a generous usage quota as some games can be several gigabytes in size. Check the details of your plan as the usage may be split into peak and off-peak periods and there could be additional charges if you go over these limits.

Still, some people will like having something physical and tangible to possess. To these people I say “knock yourself out”.

With that in mind, do yourself a favour and go without the wasteful clutter of boxes, booklets and discs and get your games through Steam.