Consoles have DRM. In fact, they ARE DRM.
More to the point, though, I'd say the main reason Steam gets a "free pass" is because PC gamers sold their rights away ages ago. And no, Steam didn't get a free pass. People went into it kicking and screaming, and if they had kicked a little harder, there might not be a platform-wide DRM policy that's not only excused but fellated.
I know, I know, GOG, Amazon, etc, but many titles require Steamworks to operate, so I think that falls flat. I mean, I like GOG, but it shouldn't be a method to excuse the fact that we have a monopolistic platform on PC as well. Of course, we have primarily Gabe NEwell's word on that, so maybe he's PC gaming's Saddam Hussein, hiding in a hole while the coalition wrecks Baghdad and his radio guy announces that all is well.
I DON'T KNOW.
I think a lot of these excuses are just that. Excuses.
However, I also feel the "trade-off" argument is...Pretty valid. I mean, that was the give and take. We buy consoles for simplicity. We get fewer features as a result. That's a fair trade, and why I'm shifting away from consoles. Because if I have to patch games and install things and sign up for things...I might as well go to PC. Hell, I might as well go to Steam, where at least most titles do that smoothly.
Also, Jim touches upon one question we should always, always ask:
What's in it for me?
And, also, not exactly what Jim said, but PC gaming is evolving. Steam's lending or rental or whatever you want to call it is a step forward, where locking you in is a step back.
LaochEire said:
Honestly, with Steam. I really just don't get it. Someone enlighten me, please.
Quoted because I hope the next bit answers your question
Dragonbums said:
I honestly guess it's just the region you are in. Which really sucks.
I literally got Skyrim last year for $30.00 on Steam during their sales as opposed to $60.00 at retail.
Except a lot of the time, you can look and find the same prices on Amazon, either digital or e-tail. I honestly think people are too lazy to look for a deal these days, see a slashed price somewhere, and go AWESOME!
I buy from Steam sales, for the record, so I'm not saying they're bad. What I am saying is that it takes a few mouse clicks to compare other sources for the best price: a far cry from the days where you had to drive across town or maybe multiple towns. I don't get why someone would be so lazy.
Well, there's one exception: I understand the desire for a unified library. That doesn't mean that the sale prices are actually as noteworthy as phrased by so many.
I mean, I buy all my ebooks from the Kindle store. It's nice to be able to go to one site to redownload my books if I need to. I even enjoy the fact that they have routine deals. Are they the best prices? Not always, and it's best not to pretend such.
I don't know if, for example, you could have found Skyrim specifically for 30 dollars. I do know that I've found a lot of stuff on other sites at about the same price. Sometimes less.