Here's The First Screenshot Of The Linux Steam Client

[V!NCENT]

@prez:
I already gave my arguments a long ago. If only you'd have bothered to read them... But you have also forgot why people are against drm in the first place.

But oh well... Steam has been around since the p3 days and the 56k days.

Anyway, even for the purist FLOSS advocates I have a reason to get Steam: where are you going to get the data files for quake, doom, wolfenstein and duke nukem 3D from for which the code is released as GPL? Guess for how much money Steam is offering this without drm and copy protection?

All I can say... No I am not going to even bother calling you faul names for your complete lack of practical insight and your lack of IQ...

[blackshard]

Don't forget, Valve also tells you UP FRONT if the 3rd party installs the nasty DRM schemes like Securom and makes it very clear in the infobox what 3rd party DRM is used and what the limitations of it are.

They absolutely do not have to do that (that I know of) and I'm pretty sure that that information is not present on retail boxes of various games. By Valve putting that information there, I know what has 3rd party DRM and so that I can choose not to purchase any such crap.

We should not forget that valve criticised against DRMs.

[j883376]

4th, Steam doesn't install any spyware, rootkits, ect. which automatically makes it better than most forms of DRM you find in windows games. The fact that they let you run your account's games from multiple computers also makes it a lot better than most of their competition, who will start locking you out if you activate a game too many times. And I've never had a problem with stability, another common problem with DRM that steam doesn't seem to have. So while I agree that Steam has the <B>potential</B> to be a bad system, calling it the worst DRM in existence is ridiculous. Nonsense.

Don't forget, Valve also tells you UP FRONT if the 3rd party installs the nasty DRM schemes like Securom and makes it very clear in the infobox what 3rd party DRM is used and what the limitations of it are.

They absolutely do not have to do that (that I know of) and I'm pretty sure that that information is not present on retail boxes of various games. By Valve putting that information there, I know what has 3rd party DRM and so that I can choose not to purchase any such crap.

[smitty3268]

First, you can buy plenty of Steam games over the counter to get real DVDs with the files on them. After you install, if just launches Steam to authenticate. So your point about wanting a real CD is nonsense, what matters is the type of DRM present not the way you get the files.

2nd, if Earth 2160 doesn't work in SP without a connection in Steam, then you should complain to the makers of that game. Steam absolutely supports this, but they can't fix crappy code that the game developers make for them. It sounds like they just did a bad job of porting the game onto steam.

3rd, it's absolutely true that Steam gives Valve a lot of control. If you don't trust them, then it would be a scary system. But honestly they've been friendlier to gamers than pretty much any other gaming company over the past decade, so when they say that they will free the DRM if the company ever goes under I actually believe them. Their founder has actually said he hates DRM but they just have to have it or no one will publish any games through Steam. I would be nervous about a steam system run by EA or Ubisoft. I'm not with Valve.

4th, Steam doesn't install any spyware, rootkits, ect. which automatically makes it better than most forms of DRM you find in windows games. The fact that they let you run your account's games from multiple computers also makes it a lot better than most of their competition, who will start locking you out if you activate a game too many times. And I've never had a problem with stability, another common problem with DRM that steam doesn't seem to have. So while I agree that Steam has the <B>potential</B> to be a bad system, calling it the worst DRM in existence is ridiculous. Nonsense.

[blackshard]

They will stop after few years. Yet most of people won't game damn since Conviction is a really poor game, not even a Splinter Cell. Those who really like it will forget it few years later, since current generation of gamers are just want more and more games.

Well, I agree that splinter cell conviction is no more splinter cell, but the point is the same. Maybe after 4-5 years ubisoft will release a patch that will let the game run without perpetual internet connection.
Could steam do the same if they fail? (And I really doubt they will fail)

Requirement of third party software to download and play game is not DRM anymore?


Earth 2160 retail version works In SP without requiring internet connection, unless you want to play MP. Steam version works otherwise.

Ok, can you list all those games that works this way? And can you list all those games that install securom/safedisc/starforce/other drm crap in your computer and steam version works otherwise?
It's a publisher coiche, not Valve's one.

And you can do the same thing with retail versions of game, without need of installing a third party software like Steam, which also creates additional problems. Search a bit and you find a loads of topics how people have problem with backup games or playing in offline mode.

I never had problems playing offline, at least with Valve games. However, if you search what you want, you'll find exactly what you want. You can find tons of people having problems with Linux, for example, but this doesn't mean that Linux sucks...

[Przeciwko]

<snip>]

I have no arguments so I post a crappy comic, eh? and I thought Phoronix posters are above that.

Ask ubisoft if they stop their servers. How people will play splinter cell conviction or newer games?

They will stop after few years. Yet most of people won't game damn since Conviction is a really poor game, not even a Splinter Cell. Those who really like it will forget it few years later, since current generation of gamers are just want more and more games.

Steam doesn't impose any drm

Requirement of third party software to download and play game is not DRM anymore?

If you buy the box of the game, most probably, will need to stay connected the same way if you purchase the game on steam.

Earth 2160 retail version works In SP without requiring internet connection, unless you want to play MP. Steam version works otherwise.

As many people said before, Valve games just need a one-time activation, and you can activate them everywhere you want as many times as you want, then you can happily play offline as many times you want.

And you can do the same thing with retail versions of game, without need of installing a third party software like Steam, which also creates additional problems. Search a bit and you find a loads of topics how people have problem with backup games or playing in offline mode.

[blackshard]

It will be hard to achieve success in that if the comapny stops exists.

Ask ubisoft if they stop their servers. How people will play splinter cell conviction or newer games?

Steam doesn't impose any drm, publishers are using their own drm if they want. If you buy the box of the game, most probably, will need to stay connected the same way if you purchase the game on steam.

As many people said before, Valve games just need a one-time activation, and you can activate them everywhere you want as many times as you want, then you can happily play offline as many times you want.

[V!NCENT]

It's quiet ironic that people who choose Linux because of being Open-Source & DRM free , can't wait for Steam which i basically one of the worst DRM forms available.

[Remco]

No this was on my mind. They could remove game from their service completely and probably giving back the cash. The disturbing thing is that in such option they can decide to what games you have accesss.

It will be hard to achieve success in that if the comapny stops exists.

Btw. Here is fine example how in reality this Backup stuff works.

This is actually not how I backup my Steam install. I just put it in offline mode and then I make my weekly system backup. Whenever I need to restore it, I can.

[Przeciwko]

And if valve starts doing things like deleting your games in order to make you repurchase it

No this was on my mind. They could remove game from their service completely and probably giving back the cash. The disturbing thing is that in such option they can decide to what games you have accesss.

or just don't want to keep game's authentication in their servers (and dont release non-steam fix), think valve is getting so big on online game distributing that EU would most likely notice that.

It will be hard to achieve success in that if the comapny stops exists.

Btw. Here is fine example how in reality this Backup stuff works.

I have nothing against digital distribution if they don't force you to install third party software (Direct2Drive, GoG) which is Steam. It basically offers nothing that you could do on your own (seriously, it's so hard to download patch for a game?) and adds only more problems. Yes, it has everything in one, but is loosing freedom is worth it?