Steam and its DRM

[LightOfDarkness]

I have had no problems with Steam so far.
It runs slowly, but it hasn't gotten a good optimization update in a loooooong time IIRC. The constant ads bother me a bit, but the good times they bring me for informing me of free weekends (and subsequent purchases) have made up for it tenfold.
Also, the logic of "Anything that gets between me and my games is automatically DRM" is a little flawed IMO. It would be like saying "I have to login to play , therefore it is DRM"

Besides, you can just create a desktop shortcut for all your games, so you don't need to look at Steam Library in order to launch your game.

 

[Chibz]

Meh. I would point to how easy people are finding to "compromise" the Wii and the PSP, and how big 360 games tends to leak before the release date. Don't think that consoles have it all their own way with piracy.

Piracy & cheating will never be as rampant on consoles as it is on the PC. This is mostly due to how the PC isn't really designed primarily for gaming. Also, most consoles (in order to compromise) requires hard moding the system. Plus you tend to get banned from .

Look at capcom as well. They tend to sodomize you with punishment for DARING to cheat on MH3.

 

[Chibz]

It will also always be BETTER.

PC online gaming will always be far more fun.

Consoles miss out on:
-Custom maps
-Custom skins
-Max number of players (you get what, 18 at most in most games? We can have pretty much as many as the server can handle)
-Dedicated servers, custom server rules and plug-ins

I love my PS3. I've always loved console gaming. But if you're really going to sit there and say that PC gaming isn't as good... you're going to be proven wrong, time and time again.

It's not as popular, I'll give you that. But... once you've gamed on a PC, you'll see that the wealth of options that you simply do not get with a console makes it a very unique and more open experience.

Actually, I used to game on PC primarily. I ditched PC gaming when it started going downhill.

Custom maps? Consoles are capable of that now. Have been since the PS2, one of my favourite games has a map editor on PS2.

Just Cause? Shit man, I only play good games.

Mods? Get out with your cheating, son. Gotta be legit 'round here.

 

[RobCoxxy]

Seriously? If you're playing multiplayer games, being connected to an internet service is no biggy.

And the DRM - connecting it to YOUR ACCOUNT - is perfectly fine.

 

[Chibz]

Custom maps? Consoles are capable of that now. Have been since the PS2, one of my favourite games has a map editor on PS2.

It's not even remotely the same. A built-in map editor allows you to manipulate content that is already there. REAL map making is creating your own content.

Just look at some of the crazy shit people have come up with for games like Counter-Strike: Source.

Little Big Planet is leading the charge into the world of full custom creation on consoles, but there's only so far you'll be able to go with the built-in hard drive.

Now you're citing CS as a quality game, too? The credibility ship, she's sinking! Grab the bucket and bail 'er out!

 

[Chibz]

How is it not a quality game? The only other game on PC that is played more than CS:S is Modern Warfare 2. And CS:S is 6 years old. CS is 10 years old, and is the 3rd most played PC game of all time.

If your opinion of quality relies on the amount of polish rather than the game play... then maybe YOUR credibility should be called into question.

CS is a primitive game with very little gameplay merit. It lacks polish and gameplay.

 

[AngelicSven]

I think steam's a great service because it rids me of physical media, and that I can go anywhere and download the game I want to play.

Also, resources? really? I have steam in the back right now, it's taking a whopping 9,050kb. Whoopdie friggin' do.

 

[Chibz]

Wait, before we continue arguing, answer me this. Just how much of CS:S, or even CS for that matter, have you ever played in your life? Be honest.

I've played a half dozen games at best. Which is enough to realize that it's got zero diversity. It actually got rather boring.

So I went back to developing TS:FP maps. Ah, good times...

Maybe it wasn't the worst thing ever made in retrospect. Maybe I'm just horribly spoiled by better made games like TS:FP.

 

[Delusibeta]

Mods? Get out with your cheating, son. Gotta be legit 'round here.

And with that, I'm out of here. Obvious troll is obvious.

 

[Chibz]

Mods? Get out with your cheating, son. Gotta be legit 'round here.

And with that, I'm out of here. Obvious troll is obvious.

Interesting. Disagreement = trolling? Neat.

I TRIED to get into Modern Warfare, I played a ton of it, but there was no team work involved. Other than having extra bullets fired down range, there was no point of having a team, you might as well have just went in alone.

Yes, it also apparently doesn't rely on diversity of game-type. Like I said, I probably just got so very horribly spoiled by TS:FP. Oh how I want TS4...

 

[Delusibeta]

Mods? Get out with your cheating, son. Gotta be legit 'round here.

And with that, I'm out of here. Obvious troll is obvious.

Interesting. Disagreement = trolling? Neat.

Saying "mods = cheats" is trolling. Honestly, at the very least do some research. [http://www.moddb.com/]

I would never buy a game on steam simply because of its DRM. None of the consoles force you to put up with such faggotry. Why put up with it from Valve?

Largely because both Live Arcade and PSN can (and has) have worse DRM. What do you mean I have to be online when I'm not on my home console? What do you mean I have to be online, period?

I play my XBLA games offline all the time.

The latter arguement was for that Final Fight PSN game that Capcom demanded online-only DRM. Although if you're not on your home Xbox, your games are only available to you on an online-only DRM basis.

 

[Savagezion]

Actually, I used to game on PC primarily. I ditched PC gaming when it started going downhill.

Custom maps? Consoles are capable of that now. Have been since the PS2, one of my favourite games has a map editor on PS2.

Just Cause? Shit man, I only play good games.

Mods? Get out with your cheating, son. Gotta be legit 'round here.

LOL! Obvious Troll is obvious. This post should be made into a demotivational poster.

P.S. This thread has been a joy to read.

 

[Arehexes]

How is it not a quality game? The only other game on PC that is played more than CS:S is Modern Warfare 2. And CS:S is 6 years old. CS is 10 years old, and is the 3rd most played PC game of all time.

If your opinion of quality relies on the amount of polish rather than the game play... then maybe YOUR credibility should be called into question.

CS is a primitive game with very little gameplay merit. It lacks polish and gameplay.

Which was made from a Mod on Half Life which just proves the point that it has a true editor

 

[Continuity]

CS is a primitive game with very little gameplay merit. It lacks polish and gameplay.

Well that sounds like flame bait to me but I have to say I disagree with you entirely. Sure the graphics are dated but good graphics don't make a good game and plenty of older games are still great despite their age. Other than the graphics its my opinion that counter strike is the best multiplayer FPS on the PC today, and has been since it first appeared as a mod. If it lacked gameplay as you say then it simply would not have endured this long with such high popularity, that alone without even saying anything about the game itself, demonstrates that it has tremendous gameplay.

 

[Chibz]

How is it not a quality game? The only other game on PC that is played more than CS:S is Modern Warfare 2. And CS:S is 6 years old. CS is 10 years old, and is the 3rd most played PC game of all time.

If your opinion of quality relies on the amount of polish rather than the game play... then maybe YOUR credibility should be called into question.

CS is a primitive game with very little gameplay merit. It lacks polish and gameplay.

Which was made from a Mod on Half Life which just proves the point that it has a true editor

So it's a trashy, primitive game based on another trashy game. I fail to see how listing subpar games counts as a worthwhile argument in favour of Steam, or PC gaming in general.

Just because something is popular doesn't make it good.

CS is a primitive game with very little gameplay merit. It lacks polish and gameplay.

Well that sounds like flame bait to me but I have to say I disagree with you entirely. Sure the graphics are dated but good graphics don't make a good game and plenty of older games are still great despite their age. Other than the graphics its my opinion that counter strike is the best multiplayer FPS on the PC today, and has been since it first appeared as a mod. If it lacked gameplay as you say then it simply would not have endured this long with such high popularity, that alone without even saying anything about the game itself, demonstrates that it has tremendous gameplay.

In today's day & age there's no reason for a legitimate gamer to play the cheat-infested ... hole that CS has become. But this comes with the territory.

And by Poseidon's Watery Balls (PWB) it only has one game mode! ... Maybe PC gamers just lack good shooters anymore?

 

[redisforever]

Well, since you are buying them online, through the Steam application, with said application having encased within it all the necessary components to play any given game once purchased, I'd like to know why you think it wouldn't need Steam to run, and how you see that as DRM. It's more like "well, I bought a PS3 game, so it's safe to assume that I'll need a PS3 to play it."

Mainly because it's a PC game, they are less restrcited than consoles.

I have bought games through Impulse, Capsule and GamersGate and all of those have been DRM free.

Also Steam is DRM because a normal game functions so:

Click on game ---> Play game

A Steam game functions differently:

Click on Steam link ---> Steam runs ---> Wait for Steam to verify ---> Play Game

Anything that gets in-between me and my game = DRM.

Well, Steam makes it easier to get updates, as it does it automatically. Me, I love Steam.

 

[Arehexes]

How is it not a quality game? The only other game on PC that is played more than CS:S is Modern Warfare 2. And CS:S is 6 years old. CS is 10 years old, and is the 3rd most played PC game of all time.

If your opinion of quality relies on the amount of polish rather than the game play... then maybe YOUR credibility should be called into question.

CS is a primitive game with very little gameplay merit. It lacks polish and gameplay.

Which was made from a Mod on Half Life which just proves the point that it has a true editor

So it's a trashy, primitive game based on another trashy game. I fail to see how listing subpar games counts as a worthwhile argument in favour of Steam, or PC gaming in general.

Just because something is popular doesn't make it good.

*sigh* No one said it's a good game, I don't even like Counter Strike myself. But the point is you have true freedom making what ever you please. Same could be said about Team Fortress 2, I played maps that no made for events for that server group only. Or Multi Theft Auto (a multiplayer hack for San Andras), there are maps made for that game that blew my mind and those were custom made. Yeah PS2 had some games where you could make custom stuff (Like RPG Maker 2 and 3, which is no where near as open as RPG Maker 2000, 2003, XP, VX), but it didn't have the free other games on PC have. You're pretty much saying "I hate it meaning it did nothing right at all", which isn't true.

 

[Chibz]

*sigh* No one said it's a good game, I don't even like Counter Strike myself. But the point is you have true freedom making what ever you please. Same could be said about Team Fortress 2, I played maps that no made for events for that server group only. Or Multi Theft Auto (a multiplayer hack for San Andras), there are maps made for that game that blew my mind and those were custom made. Yeah PS2 had some games where you could make custom stuff (Like RPG Maker 2 and 3, which is no where near as open as RPG Maker 2000, 2003, XP, VX), but it didn't have the free other games on PC have. You're pretty much saying "I hate it meaning it did nothing right at all", which isn't true.

I hate it because the few FPS I play did pretty much everything better.

Using Steam instead of one of the console services, or CS instead of a better shooter is like watching Lucky Star instead of Azumanga Daioh. Or... Eating beef jerky for dinner instead of filet mignon. It makes little sense.

 

[Arehexes]

*sigh* No one said it's a good game, I don't even like Counter Strike myself. But the point is you have true freedom making what ever you please. Same could be said about Team Fortress 2, I played maps that no made for events for that server group only. Or Multi Theft Auto (a multiplayer hack for San Andras), there are maps made for that game that blew my mind and those were custom made. Yeah PS2 had some games where you could make custom stuff (Like RPG Maker 2 and 3, which is no where near as open as RPG Maker 2000, 2003, XP, VX), but it didn't have the free other games on PC have. You're pretty much saying "I hate it meaning it did nothing right at all", which isn't true.

I hate it because the few FPS I play did pretty much everything better.

But that doesn't change the fact CS had a good map editor. Lets take Super Mario Bros, many say it's what brought gaming from the dead after ET and the flood of games killed the market(or at least help if you ask me). But I can turn around and say I think it didn't do anything worth while because platformers now a days do much more better things. That's saying Super Mario Bros didn't do anything worth while just because you feel games now are doing things better.

 

[Vigormortis]

Huh?

Why is steam such a big deal? You open your library, and doubleclick the game.

Care to elaborate why having running Steam is such a big deal?

I posted somewhere up there my problem with Steams offline mode, Steam doesn't like to stay running when my internet is being dodgy.

I also turn Steam off so that it doesn't start a huge update without me realising while I'm playing an online game.

I can understand your qualms in regards to using Steam, based on this and your previous posts. However, it seems to me that your troubles arise, not from Steam, but from your shoddy network setup. I'd imagine if you found a more efficient configuration for your network or perhaps more reliable hardware (can ask some to gift you a better router. xmas is here after all) then pretty much all of your problems would be resolved.

To address your second point, you do have the option of turning auto-updates off for one or all of the games in your library. That way, they'll never download a patch or update until you choose to do so. However, if you're playing a multi-player game, then not getting the updates is just illogical. 99% of Steam servers apply updates as they become available. Ergo, you're version (not being updated) wouldn't be compatible and would therefore be unable to play online. Likewise, you can run some games in offline mode even while logged in. This may help with some of the issues you've been having.