Steam problems - worth getting worked up about?
- Thread starter Susurrus
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I'd argue that it's a DRM issue in that it's the DRM that needs the key. It might come down to Valve/Steam being fools, but the root cause is the added layer of DRM (aside from Steam itself).Hiphophippo said:
While I'm fairly confident that this issue will be solved (though Steam support is utter crap mostly) it still highlights the problems DRM is causing the people who actually buy the games. I doubt pirates ran in to this problem.
No I have no intention of cracking this game, but I surely can understand why some people would do so after buying an (even if it's temporary) product.
Furthermore I think it reflects rather poorly on the developer and publisher and I doubt I'll be buying anymore from either party. The game is a year old. It's on Steam. There is absolutely no reason why it needs 3rd party DRM aside from Steam itself.
Shit happens, indeed, but Valve has released no clear statement, as far as I'm aware, if this will be resolved. Sadly that is pretty typical of their approach to customer support. I've sent a support ticket but I have no illusions that they will actually answer. And if they do it will likely be like the other times I've asked them for support: when I have solved the problem on my own (thanks to the kind people on the internet) or have forgotten the game entirely.
Given that Steam doesn't reduce prices with time, you probably paid no less for it than you would have got at your local video games store (it's a pretty old game now!). Personally I hate Steam, it's a resource-hogging, buggy, lumbering beast that needs to be taken to the knackers and be put down for glue. Just the other day they released a new patch (automatically downloading it to everyoe who had the game and was connected) which broke L4D2. Globally. As a DRM it's actually fairly useless, seeing as a Steam protected game will usually be cracked within a few days of release (although in some cases multiplayer required a lengthier patch).
Compared to disc-shuffling, it's a major leap backwards.
Compared to disc-shuffling, it's a major leap backwards.
It's a trade-off though, right? For the advantage of being able to download most games you want and to have cloud saves and all that, you sometimes have to deal with things like this. Just like at the store you sometimes get a buggy CD or they're out of stock, charge more or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I say raise hell. Make sure Steam and Valve are aware. Steam doesn't have a counter we can yell over or a manager we can ask to see, so this post and others like it are important so Steam will take steps to avoid these PR problems in the future (by providing better service). Or one would hope.
But when you do post, just remember that shit does sometimes happen. Services like Steam are a constant work-in-progress.
But when you do post, just remember that shit does sometimes happen. Services like Steam are a constant work-in-progress.
Why the fuck would you need a CD key when your installing the game through Steam, without a CD?
Thats just freaking stupid. And its probably left in because the Publisher thinks it might do something. And it does do something, piss off the guy who bought the thing.
Thats just freaking stupid. And its probably left in because the Publisher thinks it might do something. And it does do something, piss off the guy who bought the thing.
Are you going to spout that on every Steam thread now?SpireOfFire said:
Just because you have bad internet doesn't mean Steam is the devil..
im sorry is my opinion bothering you?Maddyfiren said:
i didnt mean to offend such a steadfast steam soldier like yourself.
I personally don't like steam. I've never heard of this happening, but I have heard of people buying from brick and mortar stores and going home and being shown with a message "Game has not officially released on steam, cannot install", also steam can be a bloody nightmare to run at times and can be glitchy as shit. I also don't like the idea of having to register my store bought games online. I also hate having to have an online presence with single player games, and if I don't want to I have to go through a mind fuck with steam.
Well I'm sure they're aware of the problem. But how is this any different than WoW's servers having extra or unexpected downtime? I mean, people pay to play the game, yet sometimes things don't quite go according to plan.Garak73 said:
The point I was making is that each type of distribution, traditional and digital, has its own peculiarities and potential problems. This is one of digital's potential problems. I'm not saying it's right and I'm not saying it's been handled properly, which is why I still encourage these kind of posts. Making people aware of a company mistakes is an important part of helping to prevent them in the future. I'm just saying that any complaint should be made with a sober awareness of the realities.
I don't see how Valve can even be compared to Activision.. In addition, really Steam is meant for multiplayer gaming and people who play single player games all day long can get their games from other sources without having to download them and have a "constant" internet connection.. The only problems I see with Steam are not being able to have the game you bought be shared with multiple accounts in your own home.. And that publishers look to release games solely through Steam at an attempt to stop piracy.. It's not that many games right now but in the future many games will require Steam, and even though there are some people that don't like Steam, at that point in time where Steam is almost a requirement for PC gaming most people should have access to super-fast internets..Skizle said:
um do you know how many pc games I have been locked out of FOREVER because something happens to the cd key, honestly I would rather wait afew days to play my game then have to buy a new copy of a really old rare game. also how do you know they knew they were out of keys also I think it would take a fair bit of work to remove a game from steam but I know nothing about the guys of steam, personally all the times I have been locked out of buying a game because I accidently screwed up one digit in my credit card number and them running out of cd keys of APB I still consider steam my dream platform because one it lets me keep in touch with all my friends and I get kick ass sales and just the fact that I get to support valve with every purchase.GamesB2 said:
It's normally a problem on the publisher side actually. I remember this happened with Riddick a while back. Atari said nothing of it for a month then they finally fixed it. I think you'll find if you send a support ticket to Valve you'll get a similar answer.
Alright, well apparently I'm coming across like I'm a Steam fanboy or something. I'm not saying stores and Steam are the same. In fact that's the opposite of what I'm saying. I'm just saying this is the risk with a digital distribution service. I'm not trying to defend Steam or Valve or anything. I have a very mellow sensibility when it comes to most things so I tend to encourage a similar outlook in others i.e. I just think people should chill. It's always the same thing: someone makes a complaint post (nothing wrong with that), but then it turns into some overblown vendetta. Sure it's usually all just talk, but I thought I'd nip it in the bud. Nevermind.MaxPowers666 said:
Yeah but losing the CD key is, in essence, your fault.CrazyMedic said:
To phrase it differently, once you have the box with the CD key and the disc then all of that is your responsibility. Obviously it's not your fault if a bulldozer happens to crush your disc and somehow incinerate your CD key... but in the realms of general reality a CD key is not difficult to keep safe.
If Valve are selling a game without enough CD keys that's like buying a disc based game, without a CD key in it and being told you have to pick it up at an undetermined date.
Would that really fly if this wasn't Valve?
Evidently not... I feel no affiliation to Valve or Steam, I prefer GFWL, but if Microsoft did the same thing I'd still be damn pissed off and not brush it off with blatant fanboyism... it's inexcusable, no matter what your public image.
Sorry you've had bad experiences with them. As for myself, it's been nothing but sterling. In fact, I'm poised to recover a stolen laptop of mine thanks to their help. At that point, they can do little wrong to me.teh_gunslinger said:
But I'm biased because of that, and I respect that.
It's absolutely reprehensible, but on the flipside the game worked as of Monday and I paid half price for it. The issue as I see it isn't so much that they sold a product you then couldn't use, as had I known there would be a couple day wait I probably still would have bought it (sales are sales!), the problem is there was no notification to the would-be purchaser to that effect. A simple graphic explaining they were unexpectedly out of license keys due to higher demand then was forecast would have sufficed, with the stipulation that you could still purchase the game at the sale price and have it otherwise ready to play come Monday.
Of course they didn't do any of that (in the forums sure, but only as responses to threads people had already started to ask just "what the hell" was going on/complain), so we have every right to be miffed at them. I'm just not going to get particularly worked up about it personally, since the game I purchased works now and I did get it on sale.
Of course they didn't do any of that (in the forums sure, but only as responses to threads people had already started to ask just "what the hell" was going on/complain), so we have every right to be miffed at them. I'm just not going to get particularly worked up about it personally, since the game I purchased works now and I did get it on sale.