IDEAS FOR RYZOM

A lot of games have that mechanic of "purchase the game, get 30 days free" plus "recurring subscription fee" pricing model. It gives publishers a way to sell boxes in stores. And since it works out to be about the same thing to the end-user, especially considering free trials, it can work to the advantage of the publisher wanting to put a boxed version in a store, or an electronic version online.

What I have rarely seen in other subscription-based games is "play for free for as long as you want, with some limitations", and definitely not on Steam. That right there could be a deal breaker for the terms that VALVe might require.

If terms suitable to both VALVe and Winch Gate can be worked out, and if Winch Gate wants the exposure and extra players/potential income, then Steam is a good way to achieve that. Contrasting the Apple Store, Steam markets primarily to gamers and people purchasing products for gamers, so the target audience is much more focused. That's all I've been saying =)

Just like with the overwhelming majority of other MMOs and games on Steam, however, you are not required to purchase your game from Steam just because it is available there. There is no need for prophecies of Doom and Gloom =)

While I have no clue about the terms Valve may have for letting a game be published on Steam, I think it should be mentioned that there is a section on Steam dedicated purely to free to play multiplayer games and MMOs. Which tells me that unlimited free trial or non-existence of the boxed version of the game/client probably wouldn't pose that big a problem.

I stil believe this is worth pursuing to boost game membership and enhancing the games visibility to the gaming community