steam game or game in cd

[wiak]

i got steam on D:\
everytime i reinstall windows, i can just run steam.exe and get all the games working, no need to find the stupid DVDs of games and install them, and then have DRM problems must have DVD in drive etc to play

Steam is WIN!

 

[DirectorC]

I DO like that about Steam. I keep a copy of the steamapps directory backed up when I go to do a system reinstall, then copy it back over after installing Steam and all my games are there.

 

[InTeL-iNsIdE]

I must admit that I am starting to like steam, though I only ever buy the weekend deals

 

[AsRock]

I like having the disks over digital as all it takes is your account to get hacked and i don't like having to run another program to run a game so i would pick D2D over steam.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

The only games I have ever bought as a download are those only offered as a download (e.g. Hard Truck: Rise of the Clans). I buy disks because HDDs are much higher cost per volume than DVDs in addition to very limited operational costs of DVDs compared to HDDs (failures are rare, no power required to keep them spinning when even not in use). If there is a game I want to play, I just have to spin around, grab the disk, throw it in a computer, take x minutes to install, grab known-to-be-flawless patches off my server, and I'm playing in under 30 minutes. Steam can't beat that with download + install times. And about DRM, Steam requires an internet connection which means, over night, Steam can prevent you access to all the software you purchased for no reason what-so-ever. Once you got a game working either 1 minute ago or 10 years ago, the same method you used to make it work should always work now and in the future. There's no middle man okaying your access every time you just want to play something.

Basically, Steam has no advantage in my eyes.

Honestly I think if Steam ever does go belly up they will allow you to DL your games without needing a steam client to run them. Its nothing Ive ever really worried about. As a matter of fact I think digital downloads are the way of the future.

And who would pay for the OC-12+ connection ($1000+/month) for you to get access to those downloads? If Valve goes belly up and no one buys them out, you're screwed. Assuming Steam would even let you play the games you previously downloaded, there is no way you would be able to legally obtain another copy of the game for you to play without a buyout or merger. Even if there was a buyout or merger, there's no saying the publishers whom own that content wouldn't pull the plug for intellectual property and copyright purposes.

 

[TheMailMan78]

The only games I have ever bought as a download are those only offered as a download (e.g. Hard Truck: Rise of the Clans). I buy disks because HDDs are much higher cost per volume than DVDs in addition to very limited operational costs of DVDs compared to HDDs (failures are rare, no power required to keep them spinning when even not in use). If there is a game I want to play, I just have to spin around, grab the disk, throw it in a computer, take x minutes to install, grab known-to-be-flawless patches off my server, and I'm playing in under 30 minutes. Steam can't beat that with download + install times. And about DRM, Steam requires an internet connection which means, over night, Steam can prevent you access to all the software you purchased for no reason what-so-ever. Once you got a game working either 1 minute ago or 10 years ago, the same method you used to make it work should always work now and in the future. There's no middle man okaying your access every time you just want to play something.

Basically, Steam has no advantage in my eyes.



And who would pay for the OC-12+ connection ($1000+/month) for you to get access to those downloads? If Valve goes belly up and no one buys them out, you're screwed. Assuming Steam would even let you play the games you previously downloaded, there is no way you would be able to legally obtain another copy of the game for you to play without a buyout or merger. Even if there was a buyout or merger, there's no saying the publishers whom own that content wouldn't pull the plug for intellectual property and copyright purposes.

No one has to pay for it man. Ya see you can ALREADY download ALL games from Steam and make your own back ups of the games. The only thing they need to do is give you a heads up they are shutting down and you need to make such backups if you already havent done so. If you read about Valve they want you to make these backups. They even included a handy little tool in steam to compress the files!

Personally I already have back ups of all my favorites. Like I said before there is no down side to steam. Just ignorance of the system.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Valve says nothing about backing up anything in their legal terms. You know what that means without me spelling it out.


I will spell a portion of it out for you though:
a) Unofficially, Valve wants you to make backups so you stay off their bandwidth and servers which cost them a fortune.
b) Officially, they will disown their consumers should a publisher make a fight out of making backups without a kickback being to the publisher (this is why they fight piracy in the first place).

 

[TheMailMan78]

Valve says nothing about backing up anything in their legal terms. You know what that means without me spelling it out.


I will spell a portion of it out for you though:
a) Unofficially, Valve wants you to make backups so you stay off their bandwidth and servers which cost them a fortune.
b) Officially, they will disown their consumers should a publisher make a fight out of making backups without a kickback being to the publisher (this is why they fight piracy in the first place).

Dude they include backup software integrated into Steam. How much more official do you want? Have you ever even used Steam?

Heres a tutorial BY VALVE on how to backup your games.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8794-YPHV-2033

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Valve hasn't gotten sued over it yet. That's when it becomes official and they have to alter their agreement to reflect that situation as it plays out. Valve knows that threat looms over their head. The major publishers don't consider Steam a threat as most are competing not only in publishing boxed retail goods but also in digitial distrobution (especially EA DLM).


This stems from the risk you take with all internet services and their flexible "terms of service." Almost every terms of service have a clause in there that says they can modify it without your prior consent. To quote a few...

http://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/

VALVE DOES NOT GUARANTEE CONTINUOUS, ERROR-FREE, VIRUS-FREE OR SECURE OPERATION AND ACCESS TO STEAM, THE STEAM SOFTWARE, YOUR ACCOUNT AND/OR YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS(S).


Valve may amend this Agreement at any time in its sole discretion.


In the case of a one-time purchase of a product license (e.g., purchase of a single game) from Valve, Valve may choose to terminate or cancel your Subscription in its entirety or may terminate or cancel only a portion of the Subscription (e.g., access to the software via Steam) and Valve may, but is not obligated to, provide access (for a limited period of time) to the download of a stand-alone version of the software and content associated with such one-time purchase.

 

[twicksisted]

i find i play a game for a year or so max... then get the latest version or never play it again...
I find steam is pretty usefull and have bought a lot of stuff on it

 

[TheMailMan78]

Valve hasn't gotten sued over it yet. That's when it becomes official and they have to alter their agreement to reflect that situation as it plays out. Valve knows that threat looms over their head. The major publishers don't consider Steam a threat as most are competing not only in publishing boxed retail goods but also in digitial distrobution (especially EA DLM).


This stems from the risk you take with all internet services and their flexible "terms of service." Almost every terms of service have a clause in there that says they can modify it without your prior consent. To quote a few...

Ok so IF they do change I wont buy anymore. As it stands NOW they are a full proof service that allows me to download games and back them up.

Also don't you think publishers know about the backup feature already? I mean really man your looking for problems that could happen but are not likely. Steam is great and you saying "what if the sky falls" really doesn't change that.

 

[Delta6326]

Well for me i say Cd's when you live in no wheres vile and have crappy internet about dial up speed you cant download big games

 

[Chryonn]

ok, ok, we can all agree that each type of distribution has its advantages.

as for Valve/Steam going belly up, i'd stake my entire bloodline that that'll never happen. if it does then any of you can come over and end my life. that's how adamant i am about Steam never going out of business and, of course, that is my opinion.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Ok so IF they do change I wont buy anymore. As it stands NOW they are a full proof service that allows me to download games and back them up.

You risk losing everything you currently have. Steam is DRM and it stands between you and the game. No Steam = no game.

Also don't you think publishers know about the backup feature already? I mean really man your looking for problems that could happen but are not likely. Steam is great and you saying "what if the sky falls" really doesn't change that.

Publishers know about pirates (all they do is backup their software as well) but they don't pursue them until they have an incentive to (like a huge hype game sells like crap). Valve is no different.

They are likely, it is just a matter of when. We're talking about money here, lots of it. Publishers dance to the tune of money jingling.

as for Valve/Steam going belly up, i'd stake my entire bloodline that that'll never happen. if it does then any of you can come over and end my life. that's how adamant i am about Steam never going out of business and, of course, that is my opinion.

No one thought GM or Chrysler would go belly up, or the 130+ banks that filed for bankruptcy in 2009, or GE (damn near close to it), or NBC getting traded around like some Pokemon trading card. All it takes is one bad decision by Valve and they are gone. It is a dog eat dog world out there.

 

[Disparia]

When the revolution comes I'll be more concerned about composting my waste and zombie lookout.

Til then, I'm just going to sit back and enjoy my Steam games

 

[SummerDays]

Anyone know how to move entire game directories to a ram disk without Steam throwing a fit?

 

[kurosagi01]

well i like the fact with CD/DVD you can just install it and download patches at the same time while its installing,save internet speed in my opinion lol.

 

[TheMailMan78]

You risk losing everything you currently have. Steam is DRM and it stands between you and the game. No Steam = no game.

Well its a good thing you don't need to be online to play Steam games or else we might be in trouble. Again you risk nothing by buying through Steam.

Publishers know about pirates (all they do is backup their software as well) but they don't pursue them until they have an incentive to (like a huge hype game sells like crap). Valve is no different.

They are likely, it is just a matter of when. We're talking about money here, lots of it. Publishers dance to the tune of money jingling.

So Valve is "unofficially" supporting the back up of games by including backup software IN their DRM software and publishers don't care because if the game is selling well they don't have to call Steam users pirates? Wait....wut? Do you understand how ridiculous you sound? I mean really. You are a SMART guy that I have a lot of respect for but this is just some backward ass thinking on your part.

No one thought GM or Chrysler would go belly up, or the 130+ banks that filed for bankruptcy in 2009, or GE (damn near close to it), or NBC getting traded around like some Pokemon trading card. All it takes is one bad decision by Valve and they are gone. It is a dog eat dog world out there.

Yeah I agree with you here but even if Valve closes its doors tonight Ill still be able to play the games I bought off Steam for YEARS to come. I am at no risk no matter what Valve does.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Well its a good thing you don't need to be online to play Steam games or else we might be in trouble. Again you risk nothing by buying through Steam.

You still require Steam software and Steam software requires user accounts which are the sole property of Valve.

You are a SMART guy that I have a lot of respect for but this is just some backward ass thinking on your part.

All I have to say is read the agreement you signed. It answers all your questions.

Yeah I agree with you here but even if Valve closes its doors tonight Ill still be able to play the games I bought off Steam for YEARS to come. I am at no risk no matter what Valve does.

Valve holds the right to strip access from you for any or no reason at all. The risk may not appear imminent but that doesn't mean it isn't present. Again, the agreement spells it all out.


With a disk, the publisher can remove the right for you to do anything online involving the game but they can't legally reclaim the physical disk, packaging, nor key without legal authority (search & seizure). Once you throw the Internet into the fray, you basically forfeit all your rights to the corporation that owns that intellectual property--at least until the law changes (which is unlikely).

 

[TheMailMan78]

You still require Steam software and Steam software requires user accounts which are the sole property of Valve.



All I have to say is read the agreement you signed. It answers all your questions.




Valve holds the right to strip access from you for any or no reason at all. The risk may not appear imminent but that doesn't mean it isn't present. Again, the agreement spells it all out.


With a disk, the publisher can remove the right for you to do anything online involving the game but they can't legally reclaim the physical disk, packaging, nor key without legal authority (search & seizure). Once you throw the Internet into the fray, you basically forfeit all your rights to the corporation that owns that intellectual property--at least until the law changes (which is unlikely).

You dont need a internet connection to use steam games once they have been downloaded. Its no different than owning a disk. What don't you understand man?!

 

[zithe]

This is one of those reasons why steam exists http://store.steampowered.com/app/13210/

 

[FordGT90Concept]

You dont need a internet connection to use steam games once they have been downloaded. Its no different than owning a disk. What don't you understand man?!

You need Steam to play the game. If the Steam service shuts down, your user account won't get authorization and the games will therefore be unplayable.

I'm not talking about downloading it, I'm talking about the DRM aspects of the Steam software.

 

[dr emulator (madmax)]

this thread reminds me of a time when i didn't have an internet connection and i downloaded and setup a steam account at my uncles house, now from what i remember steam needs you to be online to activate it obviously for the drm part and then it'll work offline, but if you have your system set to delete temp files (i'e tools/internet options/browsing history or a history killer )and steam did go offline (routine maintainence and the like) you might not be able to play even demo's (i know this fact because i have cleared the history and yes it killed steam when i was offline)
but as for them disappearing i really can't see it happening any time in the near future

another thing i've just noticed is that jizzler has grown a mustache

 

[FordGT90Concept]

You need not look farther than the startup path for a Steam game to see how Steam is the middleman (DRM):
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe" -applaunch 12840

You run Steam to launch your game; thusly, as previously stated, no steam = no game--backup or not.

another thing i've just noticed is that jizzler has grown a mustache

That's not just any old 'stasche, it's a super-duper-bar-handle-stasche.

 

[TheMailMan78]

You need not look farther than the startup path for a Steam game to see how Steam is the middleman (DRM):
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe" -applaunch 12840

You run Steam to launch your game; thusly, as previously stated, no steam = no game--backup or not.



That's not just any old 'stasche, it's a super-duper-bar-handle-stasche.

I can disconnect from the internet start steam and play my games. If Valve shuts down that cannot change. Its called "offline mode". How can anyone stop me?