Widescreen Gaming Forum

Now that I have used Steam for a while, I have personally found Steam to be one of the best things that has ever come along.

Gone are the days of trying to find my brother online, find online servers or running a dedicated server, checking that the right ports are forwarded, that our games are at the same version number, and headbutting the wall because you still can't play alongside each other for unexplained reasons.

Steam > Invite Friend > Play.

Ugh you are completely right, I remember using Gamespy to find servers. I don't even remember how I could connect with friends that I met in game back then...

I do wish they would update their server browser stuff a little bit more. I would like to see team coloring on players in the 'view game info' panel for example.

this might be of some interest to some of you guys : http://steamunpowered.eu/steam-alternatives/

quite informative website as a whole

Steam frequently has incredible bargains on games that you just don't see in the stores, especially around the holidays.

The Steam Subscriber Agreement has changed. Anyone know the differences?

Many, if not most, major games these days require online activation. This renders hardcopy versus digital moot as far as "owning" a game goes.

Many, if not most, major games these days require online activation. This renders hardcopy versus digital moot as far as "owning" a game goes.

Not necessarily, there is a case to be made that you have more legal protection with a store-bought physical disc than a download if you choose to violate the EULA for whatever reason. I mean, depending on the court it could end up meaning jack-diddly-squat, but there is a difference in point of sale purchase laws for downloads and physical media.

As for Steam I am sure I commented before but my whole thought process is that DRM is impotent, it's a non-issue, it might as well not exist. Why companies keep using it I have no idea and I feel like it drives more people to piracy than it could ever stop (since it stops no one), but whatever... on an open platform it's completely irrelevant. If for some reason someday Valve or whoever else decide to take my account away I'll look at my games shelf, find the boxes for all the Steamworks games, then pirate the shit out of all of them and burn new DRM-free discs. Problem solved.

In the meantime Steam is annoying sometimes but is mostly harmless, and it's good for multiplayer.

As for Steam I am sure I commented before but my whole thought process is that DRM is impotent, it's a non-issue, it might as well not exist. Why companies keep using it I have no idea and I feel like it drives more people to piracy than it could ever stop (since it stops no one), but whatever... on an open platform it's completely irrelevant.

I think light DRM is great, something like the simple disk check of yonder. It actually stopped me from pirating a game when I was a little kid, prior to having internet access. That is really the piracy that they have to protect against, the idiots that are too stupid or scared to crack the game.

That being said I definitely agree on that about mass piracy over the internet, there is no point unless you're using the DRM for the first time. (Ala Bioshock using SecuROM 7, the first with online activation.)

http://machinarium.net/blog/2010/08/05/machinarium-pirate-amnesty/
http://machinarium.net/blog/2010/08/12/machinarium-pirate-amnesty-extended-stats-revealed/

http://machinarium.net/blog/2010/08/05/machinarium-pirate-amnesty/
http://machinarium.net/blog/2010/08/12/machinarium-pirate-amnesty-extended-stats-revealed/

I like the guy in the first comment on the second article who tries to come up with elaborate reasons why the US percentage is higher. The US has a lot more people, dimwit.

[quote]http://machinarium.net/blog/2010/08/05/machinarium-pirate-amnesty/
http://machinarium.net/blog/2010/08/12/machinarium-pirate-amnesty-extended-stats-revealed/

I like the guy in the first comment on the second article who tries to come up with elaborate reasons why the US percentage is higher. The US has a lot more people, dimwit.

Yep, and the game would be marketed the most there too.