Proposed structure change to Console forum

[Shifty Geezer]

Just wondering if people think it would be a good idea to have stickied platform threads at the top of "Games Industry" or not? It'd keep platform discussion more unified where posts might otherwise spawn new threads because the platform thread has dropped off the radar. However, there would be a good four or five stickied threads:

Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 5
Steam
Xbox Series

This is prompted by there being a few Steam update discussions over the years but no central Steam platform thread. With that created, I think there's argument these key threads should be maintained. But we've gone this long without them.

 

[iroboto]

Like just super large overarching threads for folks to discuss the platform that is outside of specific threads?

I guess a poll or survey may make a slot of sense.

 

[Remij]

Yes, great idea.

Each platform should have it's own stickied thread for platform specific discussion, and then the rest of the Games Industry forum as a general discussion of the overall industry.

 

[arandomguy]

I have a general dislike, not specific to this, of using the term and effectively promoting "Steam" instead of "PC Gaming."

In that sense I don't like the idea of a Steam thread being stickied as it implies the above.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I have a general dislike, not specific to this, of using the term and effectively promoting "Steam" instead of "PC Gaming."

In that sense I don't like the idea of a Steam thread being stickied as it implies the above.

Hmmm. I suppose in fairness you'd then need a GOG and an EGS sticky. Except, are these large enough to warrant? We don't have niche console platforms represented.

"PC Gaming" doesn't make sense as the platform threads will include news, updates, etc. When Steam gets a new user mode, say, it'd be in that Steam thread. When Steam hits a landmark, offers controller support, and when it gets Linux updates and a new Steam OS, it'd be in that thread.

My interest in a Steam thread came about from it featuring regularly in gaming discussion whenever the PC gets mentioned. It's a de-facto standard for PC gaming and provides the reference experience and service for PC, even if other options are available.

 

[Remij]

Hmmm. I suppose in fairness you'd then need a GOG and an EGS sticky. Except, are these large enough to warrant? We don't have niche console platforms represented.

"PC Gaming" doesn't make sense as the platform threads will include news, updates, etc. When Steam gets a new user mode, say, it'd be in that Steam thread. When Steam hits a landmark, offers controller support, and when it gets Linux updates and a new Steam OS, it'd be in that thread.

My interest in a Steam thread came about from it featuring regularly in gaming discussion whenever the PC gets mentioned. It's a de-facto standard for PC gaming and provides the reference experience and service for PC, even if other options are available.

Exactly. It's not that you need to have stickied threads for each platform... but the major current ones. Steam deserves to have it's own space.

Not only that, Steam Deck is also a platform... having a "Steam specific" thread can contain all the information and happenings of Steam both on and off PCs.

 

[Malo]

We have a PC gaming store thread dedicated to PC game sales, which seems to work just fine covering all the PC stores. So a combined dedicated thread for Steam, GOG, EGS etc?

What would be the general discussion for these, about the platform itself? Define platform, would that include technical discussion on the hardware? Is this more about the software ecosystem?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Discussion would be health of the platform (those famous Steam landmarks we keep getting), updates and features, distribution and business, user experience, grumbles and compliments, and comparisons to other platforms over what's good and bad.

Putting it another way, we have a PS5 thread and an XBox Series thread. Users of those consoles can post about updates, new features, and grumbles about features or lack thereof. Steam users don't have such a thread. A major update just gets its own thread maybe.

From another perspective, the thread would provide a latest insight into what is happening with the platform. Open up the NSW to Steam threads, and read about the latest development or MAU numbers.

 

[Davros]

Not sure about this
Nintendo Switch = hardware
PlayStation 5 = hardware
Steam = not hardware
Xbox Series = hardware

If it was
Steam
PlayStation store
etc
that would make sense

 

[arandomguy]

Hmmm. I suppose in fairness you'd then need a GOG and an EGS sticky. Except, are these large enough to warrant? We don't have niche console platforms represented.

"PC Gaming" doesn't make sense as the platform threads will include news, updates, etc. When Steam gets a new user mode, say, it'd be in that Steam thread. When Steam hits a landmark, offers controller support, and when it gets Linux updates and a new Steam OS, it'd be in that thread.

My interest in a Steam thread came about from it featuring regularly in gaming discussion whenever the PC gets mentioned. It's a de-facto standard for PC gaming and provides the reference experience and service for PC, even if other options are available.

I realize it's somewhat an optics issue here and that I might be the minority (growing?) that feels this way with respect to Steam but it would be akin to something like having the "Nvidia" thread being stickied and not the "AMD" one. If the Steam thread exists and discussion popularity naturally pushes it to the top (which it likely will) that is one thing but directly stickying it (or it's own sub forum, or etc.) is another.

If we look at it in practice the existing Xbox and Playstation threads naturally already find their ways to the top, well unless theirs a lot of mod merges I just didn't notice? And it seems like the new Steam thread is as well.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

That's the reason not to. That'd also spare people from stickies that aren't particularly active. Switch doesn't actually have a system thread, apparently! Now we have a Steam thread, we can just leave them all to float or drown organically.

 

[Malo]

Not sure about this
Nintendo Switch = hardware
PlayStation 5 = hardware
Steam = not hardware
Xbox Series = hardware

If it was
Steam
PlayStation store
etc
that would make sense

Consoles are definitely not just hardware. That's why he uses the term "platform".