Epic Games Does Suppress Linux Talk

[deanjo]

May 19th, 6 months and still no joy.

[deanjo]

Look at it this way - would you want your movies or music to have to authenticate online before you can use them? The only difference with games is that the PC medium makes it easier to do so, it doesn't make it any more right or consumer friendly. And ultimately, they're not doing it for our sake, and it sure as hell won't curb piracy (Steam games will be, and will continue to be cracked - and these illegit copies will be easier to use because the lack the need to authenticate, ironically). I think the content delivery itself is brilliant, but the authentication serves no purpose.

Why not? It's more incentive to give people net access where ever they are . In this day and age, a non connected computer is a extremely limited device.

[Shakey_Jake33]

Look at it this way - would you want your movies or music to have to authenticate online before you can use them? The only difference with games is that the PC medium makes it easier to do so, it doesn't make it any more right or consumer friendly. And ultimately, they're not doing it for our sake, and it sure as hell won't curb piracy (Steam games will be, and will continue to be cracked - and these illegit copies will be easier to use because the lack the need to authenticate, ironically). I think the content delivery itself is brilliant, but the authentication serves no purpose.

[Thetargos]

Well said, simply put, you don't like it, then don't support it.

I personally see nothing wrong with steam even with DRM intact. Ideally I wish the world would wake up and software engines and executables would be all be opensource with only the creative content having restrictions placed on it if wished like what id does with it's older engines but we are a long ways from that being accepted as a standard. I can't help but wonder how many less buggy games there would be if that business model was adapted.

It would actually be cool if Steam could be "broken down" to its delivery mechanism and its authentication system to be less intrusive. For example, it would be awesome if the web site could be use to authenticate an installation and not require the service to authenticate the copy prior running the program, but use a client as a sorts of e-store client to buy and download games, having the client be open source (to reassure customers about no extra info being sent). I don't think it'll ever happen, but "I'm a dreamer".

[deanjo]

Free software is about Freedom, even if you choose to renounce to those freedoms under certain circumstances, it remains your freedom to do so. I don't like Steam one bit, but as a delivery system it has proven to be reliable, nothing more.

Well said, simply put, you don't like it, then don't support it.

I personally see nothing wrong with steam even with DRM intact. Ideally I wish the world would wake up and software engines and executables would be all be opensource with only the creative content having restrictions placed on it if wished like what id does with it's older engines but we are a long ways from that being accepted as a standard. I can't help but wonder how many less buggy games there would be if that business model was adapted.

[Thetargos]

Steam is DRM, which is about limiting your choice. Linux is free software/open source, which is everything about choice. So both won't go together.

Free software is about Freedom, even if you choose to renounce to those freedoms under certain circumstances, it remains your freedom to do so. I don't like Steam one bit, but as a delivery system it has proven to be reliable, nothing more.

[xav1r]

Steam is DRM, which is about limiting your choice. Linux is free software/open source, which is everything about choice. So both won't go together.

[Shakey_Jake33]

I'm not even naive enough to expect it to be open source (though that would be ideal!), but the entire concept of having to register as part of a service, and use a client that has to call home every time we dare to use our own legally purchased software, it represents everything that I left Windows for in the first place. It's a shame because I'm all for digital distribution, removing the increasingly redundant processes that make up the traditional physical content distribution systems, essentially being propped up by the existing industry to save having to invest money into moving with the market changes and consumer desires.

[Fixxer_Linux]

Yes, Steam as a service is crap, as a delivery mechanism could be useful, but still leaves you wondering what kind of information such a service is "phoning home", not to mention the potential resource hogging it may be in Linux, and what it is on Windows.

I don't mind using steam with Linux as long as it's made open-source and therefore I'm sure that :
no information is send over the net against my will, no adverts are made for games that I don't care (pop-ups are as annoying as they are frequent in steam and in Windows in general).

Steam made open-source. This could be a april's fool post title !

[Svartalf]

And there's nothing you can do, except maybe get your money back, which I'd doubt because, you bought the Windows version anyway, and nowhere in the box is stated Linux support, despite anything they might have said.

Indeed... I've always wondered why people bought things like they do on this stuff in the first place.

If it doesn't have a Linux version, official or unofficial, why, for Pete's Sake, would you buy the title in the first place if you're not planning on using Windows to run the software in the first place?

I do it only in instances where I'm scouting out a title for LGP. I've only done it once and the title I was going to ask Michael about trying to get the porting rights to, he'd already beat me to the punch. I've pretty much not bought much of anything else- and all other games are Linux titles or Wii titles at this point.

I don't care if they say they're going to, until they DO it, there's no Linux version, now is there? You don't reward someone on just promises- you reward their deeds. Even if Epic has done versions, even ones on the install CD, in the past- they've not done it yet for UT3, now have they? May never do so. Unless you have "Linux Version" on the box, you just bought a Windows SKU and you'll play hell getting your money back on what is a working version of what you bought in the first place...

If you bought UT3, expecting to get a Linux client, I feel for you- but only to a point. You knew you weren't really buying a Linux copy- until that client ships, you can't buy a Linux copy. And running a title under WINE/Cedega/Crossover Games is, while running under Linux, adding a vote for the WRONG PLATFORM with your dollars. Why artificially prolong that Windows monopoly?