Valve Releases New CS: Global Offensive Trailer

[kwahoo]

Their business model

Once the item store was introduced, revenues from item sales alone were four times larger than revenues from sales of TF2 itself, and after the free-to-play transition was finished, overall revenue was up 12 times higher than monthly TF2 sales were.

http://gamasutra.com/view/news/16492...freetoplay.php

[curaga]

For the record though, valve previously gave portal away for free (and probably still do unless you've got an Intel graphics card), currently give Team Fortress 2 away for free, claim to be giving away DOTA2 for free, and, I suspect, will give L4D away for free for too (as its the linux lauch title, and not super new). When steam comes to linux (and the games get ported) theres almost no excuse for not trying them unless you really hate first person games (which dota2 isnt). They're all relativly modern, and 90%+ games.

No excuse, but a good reason: Steam is malware. Defective by design.

So no matter if it's free or even if they pay me if it calls home, scans memory, or does many of its other questionable acts.


So yeah, I could try it in a VM that doesn't have net access. Except the VM's horrible 3d performance. And that they wouldn't allow that, because without net access they can't call home, among other things. But this is getting offtopic.

[kwahoo]

So yeah, I could try it in a VM that doesn't have net access. Except the VM's horrible 3d performance. And that they wouldn't allow that, because without net access they can't call home, among other things. But this is getting offtopic.

Steam Offline Mode.

[curaga]

All the milk's already spilt at that point - it has to be online before it can go offline.

At that point they have your info, CC number, and as much data off your system as they managed to gather up to that point.

Please note that you must connect to the Steam Network and test each of the games you would like to use in Offline Mode at least once to set up your account and configure Offline Mode on your machine.

[boot]

The Steam Hardware Survey is opt-in, not mandatory, and thats the only information they gather from your computer. Except for platform..., they need to know wich OS you are using.

I don't see the issue with the credit card number, everytime you buy something with it, either digital or phisical the store always keeps that information or has a 3rd party who does that for them.

[curaga]

The hw survey, for which they nicely ask for permission, is not what I mean.

Also, the topic was a free game as a launch promotion, I have no intention to buy anything from Steam. I'm under the assumption that they require the CC for such promotions too.

[boot]

They don't require CC, only if you want to buy something and you have other options such as paypal and you can buy credit vouchers from gamestop (that is if you live in the USA).

[yogi_berra]

I have no intention to buy anything from Steam.

You'll miss out on a lot of exceedingly great deals. Like "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" for $4.99, just to list one price from the recent summer sale.

[curaga]

You'll miss out on a lot of exceedingly great deals. Like "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" for $4.99, just to list one price from the recent summer sale.

That's entirely true, they often have good deals. But it's also true that it's not for the game, it's for a lease of the game, only valid for as long as Valve likes you. And having to use Steam, which is a DRM platform and thus malware.

[KameZero]

But it's also true that it's not for the game, it's for a lease of the game, only valid for as long as Valve likes you.

How is that different from buying a game from anywhere else? Including buying an actual DVD of the game. Gotta read those licenses you agree to.