In my opinion when I buy a game on Steam then Steam is the first party launcher for me.
Doesn’t matter if the game is developed/published by EA, Rockstar, Ubisoft, or whatever.
I’m paying money to Steam, I’m getting game files from Steam, that makes it first party launcher.
Other companies are taking advantage of their role as developer/publisher to insert their own launcher to force me to create an account on their service.
But on Reddit (🤮) I see people calling Steam as third party launcher.
Am I wrong or redditors are wrong?
You are wrong. The company that makes the game is the first party. You are the second party. If the launcher wasn’t made by the first party, then it is run by a third party.
Damn, now I need to write my own launcher, just to have the unique second party launcher
Huh. I guess you could consider GeForce Now a second party launcher.
I would disagree. I think Steam’s definition is reasonable. The launcher you are intentionally using (i.e. you bought the game there and initially launched it from there) is the first party. Any other launchers are third party.
Now, if you’re looking at the game’s product page on the publisher’s website, that changes things. In that case, I’d say they’re justified in saying something like “available on these third-party launchers: Steam, GOG.”
Please see my other comment.
I’m talking purely from consumer POV.
I also don’t want a popup asking for a Tidal account when I’m on Spotify trying to listen to Jay-Z’s music.
Think of it this way. You’re free to call all creatures that live underwater “birds”, but no matter how many good reasons you have for doing that, or how much sense it makes to you, the rest of the world is going to assume that “birds” means flying feathered creatures. Unless you can convince the entire English speaking world that they are wrong and you are right, you’re just going to create confusion in others and yourself by refusing to use the terms as most people understand them.
Just checked.
Now what? 🤔
“Third party” in the general sense, means “Someone that isn’t you or me”
So, when Steam says third party, they refer to companies that aren’t Steam. When other companies say it, they refer to any other company, including Steam. It’s context sensitive.
And when I say third party as Steam customer, I am referring to other launchers, even if they made the game I bought. Or is context not important here?
Are you asking because you still don’t understand why you’re wrong, or because you’re trying to convince the world that everyone else is wrong?
If you’re having trouble grasping the concept, it’s probably because you keep referring to different, very specific examples as contradictions to other very specific examples.
If you just want me to say you’re right and everyone else should change their definitions to match yours, then you do you, and best of luck with that.
Damn that is the most polite fuck off iv seen in a hot second
Remember the example I said about the birds? This is essentially you saying, “But what about the Flying Fish? That proves that birds swim and fish fly.”
Like I said, you have every right to keep saying it wrong. It’s your choice.
You asked if you were wrong about what is a third party launcher, and they are pointing out that you were.
Your point of view does not matter when it comes to the definition of ‘first party’, ‘third party’, etc, because that is not how those words are defined.
Whether or not you like games insisting on you using the game developer or publisher’s launcher is separate question from what is or is not a first vs third party launcher.
So valve games are first party if played on steam hehe
This guy parties.