Why must PC Games be linked to STEAM?

[Lutherf]

I'm going to jump in with the "pro-Steam" crowd. The convenience alone makes it worthwhile.

Also, keep in mind that you can (generally) upload your CD games to Steam which makes moving from one machine to another a breeze. In many cases your save games and everything are portable in this fashion which is REALLY handy in this day of mods and DLC.

Besides, it's handy to know that I've spent more than 1100 hours of my life playing Civ V.:doh

 

[CriticalThought]

I'm going to jump in with the "pro-Steam" crowd. The convenience alone makes it worthwhile.

Also, keep in mind that you can (generally) upload your CD games to Steam which makes moving from one machine to another a breeze. In many cases your save games and everything are portable in this fashion which is REALLY handy in this day of mods and DLC.

Besides, it's handy to know that I've spent more than 1100 hours of my life playing Civ V.:doh

I remember playing Civ 3 from dawn to dusk. Addictive and a major time suck.

 

[VanceMack]

I havent had any problems with my Steam account. The Left 4 Dead dedicated servers suck right now though. I suspect they are pushing everyone to 2 getting ready for a release of 3.

 

[Deuce]

They wanted contact information so that if your account got hacked or some other issue arose, they could actually verify you are who you say you are and maintain the security of your financial transactions and information. You failed to comply with basic security requirements so this company really has no reason to continue supporting your avenue of potential liability.

 

[Captain Adverse]

They wanted contact information so that if your account got hacked or some other issue arose, they could actually verify you are who you say you are and maintain the security of your financial transactions and information. You failed to comply with basic security requirements so this company really has no reason to continue supporting your avenue of potential liability.

Great. Exactly why I question a requirement for me to be linked to this system in order to buy and play games.

I never wanted to be linked to STEAM. I want to play strategy games on my personal computer. I don't want to play with other people, I don't want to hack anyone, I just want to buy a game and play it.

If I don't have to belong to STEAM, I don't have to worry about anyone hacking my "account."

Requiring that I belong, and then requiring I give them personal information in order to protect me from hazards of belonging? Reminds me of protection racketeering.

 

[Deuce]

Great. Exactly why I question a requirement for me to be linked to this system in order to buy and play games.

I never wanted to be linked to STEAM. I want to play strategy games on my personal computer. I don't want to play with other people, I don't want to hack anyone, I just want to buy a game and play it.

If I don't have to belong to STEAM, I don't have to worry about anyone hacking my "account."

Yeah, and the company who made the game you bought really wants to get paid for it. So they'd like to take some measures to make sure you don't share that game with 100,000 of your closest friends. Hence the online validation of a one-use security code.

Data transfer being what it is today, along with bittorrent and the like, file sharing is just stupidly easy to do these days.

 

[Captain Adverse]

Yeah, and the company who made the game you bought really wants to get paid for it. So they'd like to take some measures to make sure you don't share that game with 100,000 of your closest friends. Hence the online validation of a one-use security code.

So because a very few people with the kinds of capability to hack a game's security...the same people who seem to be able to successfully hack STEAM anyway, might do something like that...put requirements on the vast majority of people who just want to play.

I call B/S. This is merely a phased attempt to "lease" games to purchasers. Making it so you don't really own the game you bought, you are just granted a revocable privilege to play it.

 

[Deuce]

So because a very few people with the kinds of capability to hack a game's security...the same people who seem to be able to successfully hack STEAM anyway, might do something like that...put requirements on the vast majority of people who just want to play.

I call B/S. This is merely a phased attempt to "lease" games to purchasers. Making it so you don't really own the game you bought, you are just granted a revocable privilege to play it.

Sharing a CD key is a skill literally every person has.

 

[Captain Adverse]

Sharing a CD key is a skill literally every person has.

Yeah and it only works for the game you bought, right? So if I sell, or loan my game, of course I'll give them my key. :shrug:

 

[Deuce]

Yeah and it only works for the game you bought, right? So if I sell, or loan my game, of course I'll give them my key. :shrug:

Post a CD key on twitter and unlimited people have it. And these days, getting the other half of the equation (the data itself) is almost comically easy. Thanks to bittorrent and high speed internet connections, one physical copy of a game can turn into 100,000 electronic copies overnight.

 

[Mycroft]

I like playing P.C. Games.

Not massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) versions like World of Warcraft and Diablo; not first person shooter games like Doom, Ghost Recon and Medal of Honor.

Nope, I like strategy games like Heart of Iron, Europa Universalis, the Creative Assembly Total War Series (Medieval, Rome, Empire), and Civilization.

Once upon a time you could get a P.C. game, enter your key code and play on your P.C., no strings attached. Then when Empire Total War came out it required a connection to something called STEAM. This was the first Creative Assembly game that came out after they became a subsidiary of SEGA. It didn't say so on the original version when I bought it in the store (still have the box). I found out six months later only after contacting the company online who talked me through the connection.

This requirement also appeared for Firaxis games after I tried to get Civilization V.

The boxes all now say there is a one-time connection to STEAM to validate the game. That turned out not to be true. You have to connect and create an account, then you have to go "offline." I have also bought some games and skins on steam after originally joining.

Now twice since this all started STEAM has asked me for more information about myself. The first time it was relatively minor and I wanted to play my games and maintain access to the ones online, so I added a bit about myself. The second time they informed me of a change in the terms of service requiring even MORE personal information I just ignored it. A month later they discontinued my account, stripped me of access to all the games etc. I had purchased online, and now I can't play the P.C. games I bought from stores.

Whatever happened to "I bought the game, I OWN the set I bought, and as long as I don't try to bootleg it, it is mine to use freely without reservations?

So here are my questions:

Why must a P.C. gamer belong to STEAM and adhere to their increasing demands for personal information in order to play games?

Why can they deny access to a game bought and paid for?

How can I get a refund for all the games I bought while using their system?

Most importantly, is there any way I can get a version of games after 2008 that don't require a STEAM connection?

I read through the thread...here is my take on the whole thing.

If you cannot get your account reinstated (or if you just don't want to hassle with it anymore), then I'd say you would be justified in pirating those games you've already paid for but cannot play.

 

[SocialD]

I like playing P.C. Games.

Not massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) versions like World of Warcraft and Diablo; not first person shooter games like Doom, Ghost Recon and Medal of Honor.

Nope, I like strategy games like Heart of Iron, Europa Universalis, the Creative Assembly Total War Series (Medieval, Rome, Empire), and Civilization.

Once upon a time you could get a P.C. game, enter your key code and play on your P.C., no strings attached. Then when Empire Total War came out it required a connection to something called STEAM. This was the first Creative Assembly game that came out after they became a subsidiary of SEGA. It didn't say so on the original version when I bought it in the store (still have the box). I found out six months later only after contacting the company online who talked me through the connection.

This requirement also appeared for Firaxis games after I tried to get Civilization V.

The boxes all now say there is a one-time connection to STEAM to validate the game. That turned out not to be true. You have to connect and create an account, then you have to go "offline." I have also bought some games and skins on steam after originally joining.

Now twice since this all started STEAM has asked me for more information about myself. The first time it was relatively minor and I wanted to play my games and maintain access to the ones online, so I added a bit about myself. The second time they informed me of a change in the terms of service requiring even MORE personal information I just ignored it. A month later they discontinued my account, stripped me of access to all the games etc. I had purchased online, and now I can't play the P.C. games I bought from stores.

Whatever happened to "I bought the game, I OWN the set I bought, and as long as I don't try to bootleg it, it is mine to use freely without reservations?

So here are my questions:

Why must a P.C. gamer belong to STEAM and adhere to their increasing demands for personal information in order to play games?

Why can they deny access to a game bought and paid for?

How can I get a refund for all the games I bought while using their system?

Most importantly, is there any way I can get a version of games after 2008 that don't require a STEAM connection?

This all doesn't sound right. The only thing steam has had me do is validate with an email. that's it. ive not been required to do anything else. sure it will ask you to fill out a profile , but you don't have to.. I haven't.
I have a hard time believing they stripped you of your account.

As for why they are steam games. because steam/valve made a deal with the game producer. steam has a lot of visibility and ability to renew sales in older games. In the end its worth it for a game maker.

 

[Reformedfindlay]

Steam is life. Steam is god. Steam is good. Steam is great. Steam is life.

You'll get used to it.

 

[PeteEU]

Steam is the second worst piece of PC software out there after iTunes.

Sadly due to piracy, the gaming companies are using Steam to secure their software.. not that it always works of course. It pisses me off royally that I need to be online to validate my off-line game. Add to this the piss poor software Steam is and well. It took them years to fix their off-line mode for example... almost makes Apple look fast.

 

[Lord of Planar]

Steam is the second worst piece of PC software out there after iTunes.

Sadly due to piracy, the gaming companies are using Steam to secure their software.. not that it always works of course. It pisses me off royally that I need to be online to validate my off-line game. Add to this the piss poor software Steam is and well. It took them years to fix their off-line mode for example... almost makes Apple look fast.

I never had problems with off-line. I says not connected, and asks if I want to start in offline mode.

 

[PeteEU]

I never had problems with off-line. I says not connected, and asks if I want to start in offline mode.

It does now yes... but a couple of years ago.. not so. In fact there was no official "off-line" mode at all.. you had to hack Steam to activate it.

 

[Lord of Planar]

It does now yes... but a couple of years ago.. not so. In fact there was no official "off-line" mode at all.. you had to hack Steam to activate it.

I have used steam for several years and never had problems.

 

[Redress]

Steam is the second worst piece of PC software out there after iTunes.

Sadly due to piracy, the gaming companies are using Steam to secure their software.. not that it always works of course. It pisses me off royally that I need to be online to validate my off-line game. Add to this the piss poor software Steam is and well. It took them years to fix their off-line mode for example... almost makes Apple look fast.

Oh come on, compared to Windows 8, it is wonderful.

 

[Lord of Planar]

Oh come on, compared to Windows 8, it is wonderful.

LOL....

That's not a very good argument.

Anything is better than Windows 8!

 

[PeteEU]

I have used steam for several years and never had problems.

Well I have "used" steam since the start, and for years there was no legit off-line system that actually worked. It was frustrating as hell when you did not have an internet connection but the game was a single player off-line version. Add to that bugs that made it crash and so on... lets just say, my faith in Steam is not big. Plus they have pushed up game prices ... I usually buy Football Manager every year... first time I bought it on Steam it was 20 euros... now it is near 50.... this was over 5 years.

 

[Reformedfindlay]

Steam is the second worst piece of PC software out there after iTunes.

Sadly due to piracy, the gaming companies are using Steam to secure their software.. not that it always works of course. It pisses me off royally that I need to be online to validate my off-line game. Add to this the piss poor software Steam is and well. It took them years to fix their off-line mode for example... almost makes Apple look fast.

Aaaaalrighty then.

I'm kind of neutral towards Steam. I just use it to get games. The platform itself isn't all that bad, and the steam community market is fun as hell to take advantage of and scrape some bucks out of other suckers for absolutely no cost!

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Aaaaalrighty then.

I'm kind of neutral towards Steam. I just use it to get games. The platform itself isn't all that bad, and the steam community market is fun as hell to take advantage of and scrape some bucks out of other suckers for absolutely no cost!

One of the biggest problems with steam right now is the early access QC.
Someone will release a game for early access, eventually they push it to full release, unfinished and steam allows these bug ridden pieces of garbage to stay up.

 

[beerftw]

I like playing P.C. Games.

Not massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) versions like World of Warcraft and Diablo; not first person shooter games like Doom, Ghost Recon and Medal of Honor.

Nope, I like strategy games like Heart of Iron, Europa Universalis, the Creative Assembly Total War Series (Medieval, Rome, Empire), and Civilization.

Once upon a time you could get a P.C. game, enter your key code and play on your P.C., no strings attached. Then when Empire Total War came out it required a connection to something called STEAM. This was the first Creative Assembly game that came out after they became a subsidiary of SEGA. It didn't say so on the original version when I bought it in the store (still have the box). I found out six months later only after contacting the company online who talked me through the connection.

This requirement also appeared for Firaxis games after I tried to get Civilization V.

The boxes all now say there is a one-time connection to STEAM to validate the game. That turned out not to be true. You have to connect and create an account, then you have to go "offline." I have also bought some games and skins on steam after originally joining.

Now twice since this all started STEAM has asked me for more information about myself. The first time it was relatively minor and I wanted to play my games and maintain access to the ones online, so I added a bit about myself. The second time they informed me of a change in the terms of service requiring even MORE personal information I just ignored it. A month later they discontinued my account, stripped me of access to all the games etc. I had purchased online, and now I can't play the P.C. games I bought from stores.

Whatever happened to "I bought the game, I OWN the set I bought, and as long as I don't try to bootleg it, it is mine to use freely without reservations?

So here are my questions:

Why must a P.C. gamer belong to STEAM and adhere to their increasing demands for personal information in order to play games?

Why can they deny access to a game bought and paid for?

How can I get a refund for all the games I bought while using their system?

Most importantly, is there any way I can get a version of games after 2008 that don't require a STEAM connection?

Team acts as an anti piracy measure, cds were used for anti piracy until sc burners became available, then they used bad code on cd that cd burners would neglect, but then people wrote software to include intentional bad secors and code. This led to the current two forms, most pc games use systems like steam to require internet to a registered account, while consoles still use cds, but use proprietary hardware and software while such is impossible for a pc.


Or in lamens steam is the most popular platform to sell games and have anti piracy.

 

[Jetboogieman]

Steam is the second worst piece of PC software out there after iTunes.

What nonsense is this?

You have grossly offended our lord...

 

[sookster]

Steam asked me repeatedly for my cell phone number for increased account security. After denying it about three times, they stopped asking me.