Steam (Moved from Skyrim thread)
 

Interest level dropped.

Why? Does your computer suck so bad that steam actually affects your system resources? Because if so, I doubt it would have ran Skyrim even without Steam. And if that's not the reason, then why?

Now, you'll have a friends interface like you would on either console version, plus achievements, and easy access to DLC, which will always remain with your copy of the game. (not to mention the game you purchase will always remain linked to your steam account for re-download at a later time if needed) And also, you can still play the games offline. (just covering my bases here, as to why this is not a bad thing)

You'll also get quick/easy patches, save games to the steam cloud, a game web browser.

I really struggle to think of a reason why he would say that.

Steam is one of the best things to happen to gaming.

I didn't used to like Steam, admittedly. It had a lot of stability issues, and used a lot of resources. But with technology advancing, and me wanting to streamline my gaming (ie; having less DVDs sitting around taking up space), I really like using it as a platform. Especially because as far as PC gaming goes, friends lists used to be nothing more than MSN/AIM and the like. If Steam keeps catching on and getting even bigger, it could easily become the PC equivalent of Xbox live or PSN. Really hope more games use it. It's disappointing that BF3 is using EA's Origin, as I have no interest in using their service at all. But then again, I was buying it on console anyways for hardware reasons.

I dont like Steam because I dont like how it takes complete control over copies of the game I own. Now obviously, I don't own the game, but I do own a copy of the game that I have certain rights to.

First, Steam ties them to an account. If I lose my password or access to my account for whatever reason (for example, losing access to the email account, which has happened in the past with forums), then all the game copies I "own" are gone.

Basically, with Steam, I no longer "own" a copy of the game. Steam owns everything, I'm just renting it. Eventually programs like Steam and the movement for games to come in digital format only (for the same or higher price!) are going to lead to an END of a $59.99 game copy and a monthly fee for every game you want to play.

I know they want to fight piracy, but this is NOT the way to do it. I want a physical copy of the game. I want a manual, box etc. I dont want to pay the same amount of money and get even LESS control over what I bought, when the game ends up getting tied to a steam account that I might lose over the years. I still pull out and replay PC games that arent 15 years old...in 15 years, its very plausible that I would lose access to Steam and I wouldnt be able to play the games I paid for. I could UNDERSTAND Steam, if games on Steam cost half the price of retail games, accounting for the fact that you lose out on having a box, documentation etc.


I dont know where you guys live, but I dont live in a closet. I'm not rich either, but I have room to have...THINGS in my house, like games on the shelf, CD's on a rack and books on a bookcase. These days, it seems everyone complains about "DURR I DOESNT HAVE ROOM FOR ANYTHING IN PHYSICAL FORMAT". Are people living in closets?!? And scratching game discs? I own, probably around 70-100 PC games, and counting the ones on CD rom, (I own some floppies!), I have NEVER scratched a single CD. Everything is in pristine condition, neatly on a shelf. If you have a problem "scratching" CD's, maybe you shouldnt use them as coasters or use them to slide around on the floor. I dont understand how people can "scratch" CDs so often and easily.

As far as Steam "features" like achievements, I couldnt care less about. I dont need those features, I just want to be able to play the game I paid money for without running some program that steals control of it from me.


If they think programs like steam will help reduce piracy they are wrong...very wrong. Because right now pirates look a whole lot better in contrast when a person can pirate a copy of a game that doesn't require steam and be able to play it with no problems. I bought Morrowind and Oblivion. I'm not buying Skyrim.
Steam is junk, and the movement to all digitized games, is a movement to take more away from the consumer. You're paying more for less.

but that is the future of all media, games, dvds, tv shows...everything.

not saying thats a good thing, but it is the progression.

Its the progression because of all the people who willingly give up their rights.

If Steam ended up with no following and people refusing to buy Steam games, guess what, the progression would slow down drastically and companies would look for ways to make more money off physical media.

This way they just drive more people to pirates.

of couse it would, but that isnt going to happen

True, but I am not going to participate.

Pintint is like a Gay Furry Droford.

so basically you accept that the trend is heading to all digital format, you choose not to participate...so when we finally do fully tansition...you what? continue your platform of non involvement or do you rejoin the population?

if the latter: why needlessly wait? and if the former...well...even books age going digital...tic tac toe will onmly last you so long...

If all games go digital, I will no longer buy games.

If all books go digital, I'll stop buying books.

In all likelyhood, at least where books are concerned, there will still be publishers making paper books (new LPs are still being made, I have a 2008 album on vinyl). I have no problems paying twice as much to get something in a real format instead of paying the same for less.

Ultimately, I can live without games and books, if they choose to no longer produce them in physical format. I still dont understand how people have trouble keeping their discs scratch free, or keeping their books intact. How do you live day to day if you're that careless? How do you use a stove without catching fire?

Mind boggling...

Except I'm not gay. But carry on...

yeah, i can never understand how people let their disks get destroyed like they do.

I rather like Steam. When I got a new computer, I didn't have to go looking for all my game discs. I just downloaded & installed a single program (Steam), went to my game library, and installed everything I wanted. It's just so easy.

^^^ thats what the future looks like. (and no i dont use steam)

lolllllllll

his reasons basically consist of doubt, and bad memory. the fact that he doesn't know if he will have access to his email account is just hilarious. I have had the same email for 7 or 8 years now. i use it for everything related to account sign-ups, etc.. it is a gmail account. i don't think it will go anywhere for the next 20 years. honestly.. i feel it will still be there 20 years from now because it is google, and there is no way google is going anywhere. i have a 2nd email that i use for personal stuff, which i've had for 2 years. since i began using the internet, i have only stopped using -2- email addresses. the first, was a hotmail account that i stopped using because the email itself was just dumb. i also hated hotmail. the 2nd, was through a provider i knew was temporary because it was through a friend's hosting service.

how do you have that much of a problem with emails that you are worried you'll lose access to it? set up 2, each with a different password. link them to one another so that if you forget the PW of one, you can send it to the other. and if you somehow forget both, then you've got much bigger problems in your mind to deal with.

i find it kind of funny how a lot of people's reason for disliking steam involves 'well i dont actually own the game.. steam does'.

why is steam going to take away your access to it? are you really just that untrusting? what would they possibly have to gain from taking away someone's access to a game they paid for? why is this a reason for disliking the platform? what reason have they given you to think that you will one day no longer have access to the games you bought.

like it or not, this is the future, like Destor said.

just can't believe anyone would choose a hard format to take up space (it's not a matter of if you have the room.. it's a matter of useless formats sitting there doing nothing 99% of the time) when they could just install a single program and reinstall almost all of their game collection at once.

Also, what? No they don't. DRM in the form of monitoring software, -limited use keys-, always on connections, and PRICE, drive people to pirate. Steam encourages me to buy games BECAUSE of its ease of use. Why would it encourage people to pirate?

I will say that I am probably one of the biggest game pirates on this board. I download a fuckton, and I have since I first found out how to download, years ago. But Steam is the first platform to actually ENCOURAGE me to purchase games because of all the special offers and deals they have all the time. They make it worth it to actually pay for things, ESPECIALLY because I will have access to them for years to come. All I have to do is load their program, log in, and boom.. I download what games I want from my collection, any updates right there, and start playing.

That's another thing. Updates. No longer do you have to go searching for updates to a game. They're just there, with a single mouse click, your game gets updated.

I get if you don't understand just how big Steam is and is becoming, but Valve is a company that will be around for a while. I have no doubt that Steam is one of their most profitable ventures now, and is only building in popularity. Even if their games bombed, they would still make a massive profit on Steam sales.

If Pintint wants to give up on something he enjoys due to some dated, idiotic definition of "Ownership", then FINE.

Do you use email Pintint? Or when they stopped mailing actual letters did you just stop?

IS IT EVER REALLY YOUR MAIL IF ITS DIGITAL AND CONTROLLED BY YAHOO?!?!?!?!?!

Really, that is your stance?

Right? :lol:

No really, Hanso has a point. You don't really own any of the information in emails. They could decide to stop giving you access at any time.

For instance. Steam just had a deal where I could buy -all- of the GTA games in a bundle for $12

I did. I now have all of the GTA games.

its like space age capitolism

Skryim thread derailed by steam argument :'(

I mean, I hate Steam(and the idea of games going digital distribution only) too. Not because of ownership reasons, but because of monthly bandwidth caps. But you don't see me going on a rant about it.

wasnt much of a damn thread tbh :mad:

FUCK YOU TPWW :foc:

Because there is no way to lose an email without losing a password to it, oh wait, I lost an email account because someone hacked it and changed the pass, damn, must've been my imagination.

I prefer having a hard copy with access available at all time. What if I had no internet and wanted to play all of my steamworks only games? Oh wait, I couldn't do that because I'd need to log into my steam account.

I dont care if its the future or not. Just because something is "the future' doesnt mean its better. I mean, its great for publishers because they dont have to spend any money making packaging for the game and rake in bigger profits, but its bad for the people who ENJOY having a hard copy of their game.

Really, if they had an option where a steam game was $49.99 and a hard copy was $69.99, I'd pay the premium just to avoid dealing with Steam. And you may laugh all you want, but eventually they will make you pay hourly fees for ALL games you play when everything is distributed through digital services only.

Why would steam want to take away your access to it?

$

Why not? Lets start charging all our steam users a fee for using the service!



I use email, but I still mail physical letters for certain things from time to time.

Of course I am old fashioned and its also personal preference. When I buy a hard copy of a game, I feel that I "bought" something. If I buy a digital copy, I feel like I paid money for nothing. Not to mention I like having a paper manual and a box with box art to display on my shelf. I like the old school large PC game boxes better then the half assed DVD boxes they use now as well.
If it comes to a point where I either pay to download a game through steam, I will either stop playing altogether or pirate.

Gonna say this for like the 5th time on here, you don't have to be online to use your steam games. You wait till it fails to connect (like 30 seconds tops), then choose to use offline mode. Boom. Done. No internet required.

I know this, because at the last Steam discussion had on here, I tested it by disconnecting my internet and starting up Steam. Sure enough, after failing to auto-connect, it asked me what I wanted to do. Chose offline mode, and I was then able to use my games.

Why would steam take away your access for $? They would lose customers by taking away their access. Nobody would buy products from them if they took away their access. Why do you think they would take away your access? "For Money" isn't an answer. I want to know the marketing strategy that you think exists that would make a company (especially Valve) take away access to a product that you paid money for.

If you're referring to a subscription-based service, then that is probably the stupidest thing I've heard about Steam. Turning Steam into a subscription based service would be counterproductive, and non-competitive. Especially with EA making their Origin service. -Nobody- would pay for a service that's sole purpose is to let you purchase games. Nobody. Why would someone choose to use a premium service in order to purchase games, when they can purchase them elsewhere? It's not as if Steam is the ONLY place you can purchase games. -Guarantee- that if Valve decided to turn Steam into a premium service, it would bomb. It would destroy Steam, and provide less access to games, which would in turn make game developers less prone to release through their service.

They already make money by pairing with companies who make the games, to get a cut of the price they charge for games. Every single game sold on Steam, a % of that goes to Valve. That's the point of the service. It is a place where game creators can market and sell their products. Valve already makes money on Steam. They would gain nothing by what you've suggested could happen.

I know you don't seem to have a lot of knowledge on the industry, but Valve is a quality company that cares about their customers. This may seem like a foreign concept to a lot of customers who use EA or Activision's products, but Valve has never given me a reason to think they don't care.

And also, don't be loose with your information, and you won't get hacked. Don't download things that seem shady. -Learn how to use your computer-, and prevent spyware and viruses from getting there in the first place. Really, your excuses are all things that are your own fault. The quality of Steam isn't even in question, because so far, the complaints you've had about -it-, are easily refutable or just made up claims that you think make sense.

Saying "They're going to charge hourly fees for all games" is nothing but speculation based on nothing. I mean, you obviously have very little knowledge on the gaming industry as is, so I don't know what gives you the foresight to think that hourly fees for all games are going to be the business model of the future.

You sound like you are just TRYING to find reasons not to like it. Like, there doesn't seem to be any valid reason for your hatred toward this service. You're just making things up in your head and believing them without any thought as to how ridiculous or baseless they sound.

plz stop derailing this thread. take it elsewhere por FAYvor

tpww was made for flame wars, its why i love this place <3

and req :heart:

lol.

You do have to activate them online though.

And you can see into the future ? I dont know why so many people fellate Valve, they are hardly as great of a company as people make them out to be. Sure Half Life 1 was great, but 2 was junk imo. And of course, Valve wouldnt get an idea to start charging people for anything other than the $50 entry fee...oh wait, they sell crap for TF2.

I read an interview a while back with someone from the industry who claimed that in the future, all games are headed to pay to play with a monthly fee. Pretty similar to cable TV. Of course, first they'd have to gain full control over whatever you install on your PC and Steam lets them do that.

ROFL on the computer security lesson. Thanks buddy, because I just give out my pass everywhere...oh wait, I regularly (about once a month) run anti spyware, virus and malware programs, defrag and scandisc my HD. It was not a security issue on my end, but rather on Hotmail's end. If there are people who've hacked into military computer systems...then nothing can be made 100% hack proof.

And yeah, Steam isn't the ONLY place to purchase games...but wait! all Steam games, no matter where you purchase them force you to install the program and play through it anyway! So, it doesnt matter where you go it from...

And turning Steam into pay to play would bomb? Sure, when we still have ways to go around it...but not if every single game released is a "steamworks" game. And there are thousands of people who will pay money for Steam anyway and would buy a dog turd if it had "valve" written on it, because by god, Valve are the greatest company known to man. :rofl:

If you like Steam, more power to you. I'm not supporting anything that takes control of my games away from me. Game companies complain about pirates and then take steps to screw their customers... Pirates FTW http://www.emofaces.com/en/emoticons...g-emoticon.gif

I dont see how one can engage in lust for animals and people dressed like them, and consider themselves OLD FASHIONED

alright guy. that you think valve isn't a good company speaks loads about your knowledge. half-life 2 wasn't a good game? get the fuck out of here. half-life, half-life 2, portal 1 + 2, Left 4 Dead 1 + 2, Counter-strike, Day of Defeat, the original Team Fortress.. there's a reason it takes them so long between sequels. because they're not like activision, turning out new products every other year for profit. they put out -quality-.

Valve is a classic company that stayed true to their roots and innovates through their technology and ideas. If you think Valve aren't that great of a company, then I'd LOVE to know what your idea of a GOOD company is. They must be paragons of the industry. :roll:

if your pc sucked too much to run it, then whatever that's your own fault too.. but half-life 2 was fantastic, from both a gameplay and a technological standpoint. and ESPECIALLY from a sequel standpoint. there is a reason it has won some -39- game of the year awards. i'd love to hear your reasoning if i didn't know it was going to be a bunch of self righteous made up bullshit in order to make yourself SOUND like you have some semblance of a clue what you're talking about.

and you mean TF2, the game which is now free2play? yeah that game, which has seen well over 100 patches since its creation, compared to more popular games like call of duty which see maybe 2 patches through their lives before the next crap game is churned out. patches which not only fix it, but also add countless new content for players to enjoy without having to purchase pointless expansions?

your comparison is a bit backwards.. they're not forcing you to pay anything to play it. they didn't take anything away from the players who bought the game. nor did they start charging for anything you can't get by playing the game. anything you can buy in the store can be crafted, gotten in a drop, or traded for anyways so there are no unfair items in the store.

so what's the point of your comparison? another 'game you dont like' so you think you can make things up in your head to give you a reason not to like it?

just lol

all of your reasons are lol

sometimes a bit rofl, but mostly just lol