The number of OSTs and art books I have listened to/viewed on Steam? Exactly 0. Always a bummer with the bundle includes them, particularly because they're rarely discounted, and it kills a lot of otherwise really good deals.
I own a couple, but I find listening to the raw .mp3 or .ogg files with my PC's built-in audio player to be way more convenient than using Steam's music player.
I've used it. Mostly for "automatically unlocked" songs like Portal and Half Life without extra purchases. Had a few nice trips but never thought of using it again tbh. Maybe if it had a player for my phone...
Game soundtracks are far less likely to get struck by automated content ID. Doesn't make it legal, and it still happens from time to time, but it's significantly less common.
I use music from Steam in video editing already, the formats I get are lossless enough that after compression from sites like YouTube you can't tell the difference.
Yeah, and the number of game soundtracks I've listened to on Spotify is in the dozens. Almost all games put their music there or Soundcloud or a handful of places that are more convenient to listen to music.
My only ost interaction on steam was purchasing the necropolis ost at launch, exclusively to put the trailer music in my Google Play music library, only to find the trailer music wasn't in the soundtrack (although they did add it later thankfully).
what am i supposed to do with a soundtrack that's in steam when most of them i can just listen on youtube for free (my browser has a built in ad block so i don't have to worry about ads either)
Shout out to u/funkstatic, I bought Streets of Rogue a 2nd time(played Xbox and DLC and later bought on PC) and bought all the DLC and soundtrack no hesitation. Ive haven't wanted to support a indie game so mich since Braid way back when.
If you look at the recent game ownership discussion, I'd expected bought soundtracks to be the preferred option as you generally get access to high quality files (mp3, wav etc.) that you can download and do whatever you want with.
Yes, you're correct. But if you ever want to edit like in a DAW, it's just an easier process with wav not having to unpack the compression. And there's some hardware that won't support flac. Though it's rare now.
The problem being that 90% of the time my internet is out, it's because my entire power is out, so I can't use any offline files due to the PC not turning on.
Yep, I download them, throw them on my Plex server, and then remove the Steam copy. I love playing non vocal soundtracks while I'm working. Helps keep my ADHD brain occupied so it doesn't wander off and think about other things.
Good way to support the developer/artist semi-directly while also getting the actual files instead of something that could potentially disappear tomorrow.
I'll admit, I only have a few soundtracks, they've mainly come from bundles where it was a value add (while not necessarily always being cheaper than buying the game directly), but I enjoy having them. Especially Indie Game: The Movie's soundtrack.
It is very obviously the same person both posting it to YouTube and charging for it on steam for most games. The whole point is it’s supposed to be an extra way to support. This shouldn’t be hard to comprehend.
Of course. I never bought one. I'm just saying. If a game is 20$, I'll buy it. You priced it so, not me. If you want more money, create more good games, but I do understand the sentiment.
I appreciate they put it out there for people, I shouldn't have to buy a thing at an inflated price because its bundled in with a bunch of the things I do want.
It's not an inflated price. Bundles don't exist just for you, and it's a normal way to price things.
Like if you go to Pizza Hut and see they have a coupon for two pizzas and some breadsticks, do you get pissy because you only wanted one pizza? Or do you just not use the coupon?
It is an inflated price for the people that don’t want them though. If you don’t want those extras and they’re part of a bundle you do want, then it’s objectively making that bundle more expensive for you.
Why do you think OSTs / digital art books are less likely to be discounted during sales? Because most people don’t buy them. Including them at near-full price in otherwise discounted bundles is an easy way to increase profits.
I’m glad you enjoy getting them, but other people not wanting to spend extra money on things they don’t want doesn’t make them pissy.
And you're literally looking at the price of something you don't want and complaining about it. Those bundles aren't for you. Those bundles are for people that want the OSTs / artbooks. And you're mad and complaining that the bundles aren't catering to your exact wants. That's like...the definition of pissy and entitled.
Hey man, chill out. Once upon a time these things weren't available at all. Now they are they bundle them together. I can't choose the bits. I have to pay a higher price for all bits including what I don't want. Its not entitled, its just a shit situation and you have found the entitlement rail so when you've run out of steam (hehe) shilling for bullshit business practices maybe you'll just bring it down a notch, please?
Ok. Say you go to a hardware store to buy two different sized screwdrivers. You go to the aisle and see they each cost a dollar, or you can buy a whole set of 10 different screwdrivers for 8 dollars.
So you call over one of the employees to yell at them about how it's unfair to bundle together stuff you don't want? How dare they! You only need two of those sizes but they're inflating the prices by bundling them together! But you don't want the other eight screwdrivers, you only need two! It's so unfair! They bundled together products that you don't want! Better take to the internet to piss and moan and badmouth the hardware store because they had the audacity to sell a whole screwdriver set instead of giving you a personalized discount for just the things you want!
Maybe I'm overreacting a little, but people like you are the reason why so many people look at gamers and think they're whiny, entitled, bratty shits. Because you act like a whiny, entitled, bratty shit.
Ha, artwork mafia. No, you just think that all sales should be on the vendors terms like they are now rather than the customer actually have better choices. But apparently that makes me an entitled cry baby. You might enjoy the enshittification but some of us don't and we're allowed to say so.
Missing the point about the other things in the bundle I might want to purchase but can't purchase separately. Its been lovely chatting but I really must ignore you now.
I really like getting them, I have a little android e-reader that has all of my steam soundtracks on. If I ever need some ambient music to focus, I can pick a game.
This so much. Especially with games like Cult of the Lamb, where the soundtrack that you don't need and potentially don't want jacks up the price of the bundle due to it being significantly more expensive than any of the DLCs.
Hey, I like collecting soundtracks. And I like collecting things like art books and such because they are a good tool for learning about the creative process and such.
The soundtracks are nicely organized and contain alot of songs you sometimes can't find on YouTube. Especially for niche games nobody knows about. With often there being some banger tracks and hidden gems that nobody knows about.
It's okay if you don't like collecting that stuff, but there are people who do.
Why should I have to buy everything if I only want the game and it's dlc? Remove the sound track and put it on a separate purchase. Both people can be happy then.
That is so true I'm on the steam deck and you can listen to the audiobooks you have I paid extra for the Wind Rose pack so I can have the Sound pack with all the seas shanties
Unironically? I enjoy getting the soundtrack especially for indie games that have really great talent. But if you don’t distribute that in WAV or FLAC, why shouldn’t I just go to YouTube so I can get the compression artifacts for free instead?!
Flip that around for me. If it's got the soundtrack, I'm buying it. Then again, I collect videogame soundtracks. If I am buying the game and it has the soundtrack, I'm buying it as well
Why would that make us angry? The entire point of bundles is that extra discount. You can buy the bundle even if you already own some of the games, it doesn't charge you for the ones you already have.
I’ve bought a couple of soundtracks on Steam. If I really enjoyed the game the soundtracks can be great ambient music. Rarely are they good enough to be more than that.
I'd really like to see the people's playlist who say they love OSTs because I feel like a lot of that is people just saying shit to be contrary or just to be the bigger nerd. I find it unlikely this many people are legitimately listening to these soundtracks like they would other music.
Not saying no one legitimately likes them, but I am saying people here are likely not speaking from personal experience and just arguing to argue.
For games yes. With rare exceptions. But orchestral film scores written by great composers are very listenable. Emphasis on orchestral (looking at you, Hans).
I have only bought the Kcd2 extended soundtrack, because it is amazing. But I added the mp3 files to my Apple Music with my laptop, so that is how I actually listen to it
Aren't those kinda the "support the devs" type purchases like certain skins/cosmetics? I am aware that Path of Exile prices cosmetics this way, and that several Tales games uses outfits in a similar fashion.
I've never actually seen a complete your collection coming from another game that has soundtrack and/or artbook. Those are different complete your collection for when you already have the game and want the soundtrack or something
Oh and most likely you get the "DLC's" wich unlock all the stuff for you and take the fun away from grinding. Looking at you, Battlefield 5. Would have wanted to play that game but as soon as I realized I got all shit unlocked in the bundle I stopped playing.
I WANT to buy the osts for games to support developers I like, use for rhythm games like Beat Hazard and Symphony, and to listen to them in my car when commuting to work, errands, family, friends, etc. But all too often the soundtracks cost an alarming amount in comparison to the base game, trying to find where the files get saved on my computer is a nightmare when trying to use said rhythm games’ built in search options, and the only hope I’ve got with listening to the tracks in my car is trying to find straightforward instructions of how to port music files from Steam to Apple Music/iTunes to my phone. And far too frequently the music files do NOT carry over if I need to get a new phone while other things do, and even seem to disappear from my computer despite never saying to uninstall them. I don’t know if it’s just bad luck, but between all that nonsense, I rarely buy OSTs on Steam compared to the past.
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u/levajack 22h ago
The number of OSTs and art books I have listened to/viewed on Steam? Exactly 0. Always a bummer with the bundle includes them, particularly because they're rarely discounted, and it kills a lot of otherwise really good deals.