When I think of Steam, I think of games. And while there are a growing number for Mac, it is predominantly a Windows based platform. But it seems that my preconceptions of it being a game repository are quite wrong, as much to my surprise, Virtual DJ has landed in the Steam store.
Here’s the word ya heard:
Now Available – Virtual DJ
Virtual DJ is now available on Steam and to celebrate is 10% off*!VirtualDJ is the most complete and extensive DJ software on the market today. It provides an exhaustive set of features for you to take advantage of and create great mixes. Whether you are a beginner or a professional DJ, you will find working inside VirtualDJ to be fun, intuitive and highly efficient.
*Offer ends March 14th at 10am pacific.
It’s a canny move to get Virtual DJ on Steam given the captive gaming audience constantly browsing the site, it’s likely to raise even more awareness, and given the 10% discount, more sales too.
It’s also worth underlining that Virtual DJ can only be had via digital download. You can get it on CD bundled with assorted controllers, but you won’t find in it any retailers. None of you need me to tell you how to grab a copy of Virtual DJ — I simply posted this because I found the steam link interesting.
Achievement unlocked!
WUBWUBWUBWUBWUB
Does this allow me to access my Virtual DJ/music information from different computers that I log in to with steam, just like my games?
No, but it’s actually already possible to do that by way of a cloud storage service.
Not for the application itself. If I log in to a second computer with steam I have access to all of my games. Will I also have access to vdj?
You can use VDJ anywhere it’s installed. Your music library, however, will not move with it.
From personal experience the retail VDJ versions can be installed on multiple computers as well…I have a hunch as long as you aren’t abusing it you won’t be locked out with the retail versions…And Steam is well…Steam.
It seems as if the big players are no longer taking DJ’s seriously. What with toy like iPad apps and now VDJ hooking up with a game site ….are DJ/Gamers going to be the next console generation?
It’s important to remember that DJing is now a consumer level activity. The pros are still very well served with all manner of crazy nextlevelness that 10 years ago we could only have dreamed of. But the entry level is a much easier thing to service via the internet. And Steam is a digital store, thus the perfect vehicle to get the VDJ word out.
Scott (SBDJ) at Atomix has confirmed that this is only the Broadcaster Edition of VDJ, not the full Pro version or any other variations.
i’d love to see djing meld into a video game mode. especially the social aspect of it. the computer could detect timing for “scratch accuracy points” and detect things like key and beat-lock for “mix accuracy points” and we could interact and compete online. but please don’t take this idea and run with it, and not include me, i don’t like that. – ef hutton
Already been done! It’s called DJ Hero.
Everyone is forgetting about the SteamBox that’s coming. Do we think that a Linux version of VDJ will be imminent? It could be a game-changer…
I have two concerns here.
Firstly, is Virtual DJ going to be tightly integrated with Steam’s DRM system? Offline mode can apparently be a bit flaky at times, and do you really want to risk taking a laptop to an event, only to find that you’ve not got internet access, Steam’s offline mode isn’t working properly and Virtual DJ won’t start. This concerns me for an application that’s designed to be used on the move.
Secondly, Steam has a nasty habit of enforcing updates on end users. Do you really want to risk breaking VDJ by being forced to apply an update that may or may not introduce new bugs, right before an important gig? Do you really want to arrive at and event, and have to download and apply an update before you can run the software?
Steam is convenient, but it’s had these two major problems since day one, and neither has been fully addressed. For games, I can live with it. For DJ software, it makes me extremely uncomfortable. I can’t say Steam is a good fit here.