SEV on Steam?

Suicide Junkie · #1 December 11th, 2005, 01:29 PM

We aren't talking about the product, but the distribution/installation/registration.

SE4 is perfect in that regard. Keep your CD safe, along with a copy of the patches.
Aaron dosen't try to screw you, and dosen't try to chip away at your rights.

If the US were to suddenly sink under the sea, then once the tidal waves and floods settled down and power was restored in your country, you would be able to buy a new, dry computer.
You would then be back to stomping the EEE with your baseships as soon as you can boot up your new PC.

Half Life 2 becomes completely unusable after far less.
The company could go bankrupt. Bam Game Gone.
An explosion or fire could destroy the servers. Game down.
Lose internet access? Game down.
The company could decide to start charging money for each play. Game held hostage. You do have a choice to pay the ransom in order to keep playing in this case.
Large scale disaster in the US? Game totally gone.

wilhil · #2 December 11th, 2005, 01:47 PM

actually, i think steam works with a distributed system that it can log on to any available server, I know they use servers all around the world for content delivery, would make sense if they used them for logon...

but if the us went under, there is more than just using a little game that you have to worry about!

anyway, everyone thinks of valve and loads of other companies as a big bad place, but really as I tried to say above, this is one of the reasons I love it.

I can move to any pc, install steam, log in, and download ANY game I paid for, and play it in record time, without touching a cd, fine not everyone has broadband, but luckly I am in a adsl2+ area (24mbs) and where I work, I have a 155mb/s (stm-1) connection, the way the world is going, a lot more people will have broadband by the end of the decade...

I am against the loading times that you get from steam'ed games, but apart from that, I love it... read the link in my post further up and that post, and you will know a lot more.

steam and valve DO block your user if you use pirated games/keys that are hacked e.t.c. for other games you own, but really, you only have yourself to blame for that, as for transfering keys, they do charge...

well, as I said, If you have a computer faster than ~3ghz and have a ADSL connection, and do not use pirated games, there is not really a reason for not loving steam, it doesnt need to have cd in drive for games, it just works perfectly... If on the other hand you have a slow machine where starting and running steam in the background interfears with your game, or do not have a fast connection for downloads, then I understand your reasons for not liking it

edit -- just to add to the above, using steam on diffrent machines at diffrent times, I have done at least this, 6 diffrent machines (although at least 2 months between), reloaded HL1 and mods about 8-9 times, HL2 3 times.... they dont charge or question you each time, it is simple to use and works great!

Fyron · #3 December 11th, 2005, 02:37 PM

I think you completely missed SJ's point...

There is also the destruction of reselling the game or giving it as a gift just by giving them the CD. Valve has no right to know that I got tired of the game and gave it to someone else, and that should not cost any money! I don't have to pay Parker Brothers to give you my Monopoly set, why should I have to pay Valve to give you my HL?

Steam is all about the destruction of fair use and rampant invasion of privacy... This, and being tied to the fortunes and whims of the company to keep playing the game, is why I personally do not like Steam. The negatives greatly outweigh the positives.

wilhil · #4 December 11th, 2005, 02:51 PM

Yes I agree on that point...

I think steam is brilliant at everything it does apart from that, I think software should be free to trade as much as you want like that after you have bought it, and I compeltly disagree with what they do to charge people to transfer, I think you should be allowed to dis-associate your key with steam and give it to someone else for free... unless they droped prices.

I think there should be two options, the current cost of games is stupid for some things, the only reason I think conosles will be the way foward, I think that games for the pc should either be the same price and follow from consoles as you can do what you want, or a steam like system, but much much cheaper..

I personally do not like any sort of digital download, I always like having a physical box... I hate spending money if you do not have anything physical to show for it.

kerensky · #5 December 11th, 2005, 03:11 PM

** This is an alert of the emergency broadcast system**
** In the event of a flame war the best methods of___**
** Protection are to pull yourself into a fetal ________**
** Position and wait in a deep dark place until it is___**
** Over. This has been an alert of the emegency____**
** Broadcst system.___________________________**

Fyron · #6 December 11th, 2005, 05:47 PM

I don't see anything even remotely approaching a flame war, or ever lukewarm for that matter...

kerensky · #7 December 11th, 2005, 08:53 PM

I was just joking... But it is getting tiresome with everyone going back and forth supporting, counter-supporting, counter-counter supporting, counter-counter-counter supporting, counter-counter-counter-counter supporting, etc. steam and on and on

Strategia_In_Ultima · #8 December 12th, 2005, 08:14 AM

Quote:

wilhil said:
.....well, as I said, If you have a computer faster than ~3ghz and have a ADSL connection, and do not use pirated games,.....

If, If, If. (Well OK the last one could be ruled out but heck.) Each "If" cuts down on the people you can reach.

wilhil · #9 December 12th, 2005, 01:46 PM

That was the point I am trying to make, I think steam is the future for games with the benefits it gives, honestly, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages as long as you have the above.

that is why I said, I think that before the end of the decade, when the majority of people do have faster machines and broadband, then it will be good... at the moment steam is good, but as I said, the bad points are big to people who are affected.

before anyone starts to have a go at me for saying this, I on that link in the first post, (if you read it!) said all about how much steam is bad and hate it... but the only reason is for the overheads of launching a game and how it slows it down.

in the future when computers are faster and everyone has a fast connection, it will be best.

I can as well respond to the other post here about physical vs digital downloads, I would think it may be best to have a digital download system where you could buy physical goods from a shop, and install solo, but then just choose to join it to a account like steam, thereby giving you the benefits, but also not requiring you to use a service..

dogscoff · #10 December 12th, 2005, 01:51 PM

Wilhil, you've failed to address some of the other reasons mentioned in this thread for not wanting Steam:

1 - What if the company goes bust/ suffers some catastrophic outage? Your game becomes unusable.
2 - What if you want to sell the game on or give it to someone else?
3 - What if the company suddenly decides to start charging you for the privelege of playing a game you've already bought?