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Why must PC Games be linked to STEAM?

Your Star said:
The phone number is used to protect your account from hackers, and to be able to retrieve your account.
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Interesting. That I might have gotten hacked a couple of months after ignoring this phone thing is pretty coincidental.

Still, my point is that STEAM should not be a requirement. You buy a game in the store, upload it to your PC and you are good to go should be the norm. Joining STEAM-type websites should only be an option IMO, in case you want updates or skins etc..
 
FieldTheorist said:
Personally, I'm a loyal to Steam because, so far, they have an extremely good customer service and high respect for their customers (cf. Origin, which I will not use).

However, to answer your question, GOG.com pretty much has what you're looking for. It's the only other service that I use, personally.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll check it out. :)
 
Jetboogieman said:
Ok.

I'm looking into this for you, one other thing I got was refreshing the steam files, if for any reason they became corrupted, missing or modified that could screw up your interface with the server and cause it to think you don't exist.

This has happened to other people, I'm working my way through a thread that looks like it'll have an answer.

Have a look at this though:

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3134-TIAL-4638
Click to expand...

Thanks, I put it on my favorites list to check later. :)
 
Ok there is one other thing that it may be and I'm going out on a limb here.

There's a difference between your display name and your username to login, if you've gotten them confused that may be an issue as well.

If you could find your welcome email (which I doubt you'd have, I know I wouldn't) that may confirm what the account was called and you could go from there.
 
Lord of Planar said:
I don't have the answers to most your questions, but I don't see Steam as too invasive. I was real concerned at first, with my first Steam game, but I'm good with them now. I have Kerbal Space program, Civilization V, and Cities: Skylines. Thinking of getting another.

As for the personal information? I didn't think it excessive, but paid by credit card too.

While we're at it...

Any suggested "best" Steam games?
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Well I'm not on STEAM anymore. However, my favorite strategy games were Empire Total War and Napoleon Total War.

If a company would merge the diplomacy systems in the games developed by "Strategy First" (Europa Universalis, etc.) with the video battle systems in those two Total War games, I would be in gamer heaven.
 
Jetboogieman said:
Ok there is one other thing that it may be and I'm going out on a limb here.

There's a difference between your display name and your username to login, if you've gotten them confused that may be an issue as well.

If you could find your welcome email (which I doubt you'd have, I know I wouldn't) that may confirm what the account was called and you could go from there.
Click to expand...

I don't. I got so pissed off at all the problems I just deleted everything. You know how it is. ;)
 
Captain Adverse said:
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?
Click to expand...

Having been a gamer for years before B.P. (Before Pong), I feel your pain. Like you, I really like strategy games like Civ V (I once had a collection of Avalon Hill board games, if that means anything to you)...but I also do first-person shooters (and I sunk thousands of dollars in quarters into the old arcade machines). I just got off the PS4 a little while ago, finally starting to like Black Ops III (but my KDR is still sucking)...it does wonders for my hand-eye coordination...or at least that's the excuse I give my wife :)

Anyway, I once had a problem with Steam when I first bought Civ V and Skyrim...but once I figured it out, I haven't had a problem at all, and - particularly when it comes to Skyrim - greatly enjoy the easy access to player-generated mods.

I tell my kids that I want them to do two things - to learn to be happy, and to learn to adapt. Once I adapted to the new way of doing things with Steam, I didn't have anymore problem. I look at it like this - we had to adapt from the keyboard to the mouse, from the DOS command prompt to the GUI, from cassette tapes to floppies of different sizes to CD's to USB chips...and now to online access. So...my recommendation is this: millions of others have figured it out, so you can, too. I know you can because you're no dummy, having digitally b**ch-slapped me around a couple times. Just have a bit more faith in yourself :)
 
Captain Adverse said:
Interesting. That I might have gotten hacked a couple of months after ignoring this phone thing is pretty coincidental.

Still, my point is that STEAM should not be a requirement. You buy a game in the store, upload it to your PC and you are good to go should be the norm. Joining STEAM-type websites should only be an option IMO, in case you want updates or skins etc..
Click to expand...

I'm not saying you were hacked, just saying it's there to help protect your account. It's main use is to confirm password changes and stuff via text message.

Also, you're not going to be able to buy games in stores probably sooner than you think. Digital is the future.
 
So I don't really have anything else Captain, unfortunately nthing more promising arose but you're not the only person who's had this issue, as annoying as it is, you'll need to keep bugging Steam Support, but everyone says steam support did fix it up in the end.
 
You can remove the connection, but I can't go into that here. :cool:
 
Glen Contrarian said:
Having been a gamer for years before B.P. (Before Pong), I feel your pain. Like you, I really like strategy games like Civ V (I once had a collection of Avalon Hill board games, if that means anything to you)
Click to expand...

Oh HELL yes! The very first strategy board game I ever played was "Blitzkrieg" by Avalon Hill. I also owned Diplomacy, Caesar, and Gettysburg, but my all-time favorite Avalon Hill board game was Third Reich. I used to go to game conventions and play it.

Glen Contrarian said:
...but I also do first-person shooters (and I sunk thousands of dollars in quarters into the old arcade machines). I just got off the PS4 a little while ago, finally starting to like Black Ops III (but my KDR is still sucking)...it does wonders for my hand-eye coordination...or at least that's the excuse I give my wife :)
Click to expand...

I tried those for a while. But it does take a lot of rapid finger/thumb coordination, and I had to leave that to the younger crowd. I also tried Warcraft, Starcraft, and Heroes; but they are really kinda simple and get boring pretty fast. Instead I got interested in strategy gaming. Started with Birth of the Federation, then found the Total War series, etc.

Glen Contrarian said:
Anyway, I once had a problem with Steam when I first bought Civ V and Skyrim...but once I figured it out, I haven't had a problem at all, and - particularly when it comes to Skyrim - greatly enjoy the easy access to player-generated mods.

I tell my kids that I want them to do two things - to learn to be happy, and to learn to adapt. Once I adapted to the new way of doing things with Steam, I didn't have anymore problem. I look at it like this - we had to adapt from the keyboard to the mouse, from the DOS command prompt to the GUI, from cassette tapes to floppies of different sizes to CD's to USB chips...and now to online access. So...my recommendation is this: millions of others have figured it out, so you can, too. I know you can because you're no dummy, having digitally b**ch-slapped me around a couple times. Just have a bit more faith in yourself :)
Click to expand...

Yeah. I get technology. I understand what I've already experienced and I learn quickly when I encounter new tech. I am not a techie though, I leave that to the experts. I just see people getting so attached to their I-phones, I-pods, and lap-tops with the easy access answers, and I wonder how it will affect them if it all ever goes to hell.

I'm especially concerned with kids who use the tech as a barrier to real interpersonal relations. Texting instead of talking, taking selfies instead of enjoying the actual experience.

My post here demonstrates my annoyance with requirements to connect in order to play games etc. That should be an option, not a requirement. It's like they are merely renting you the games on good behavior instead of selling you a copy for your personal entertainment.
 
Jetboogieman said:
So I don't really have anything else Captain, unfortunately nthing more promising arose but you're not the only person who's had this issue, as annoying as it is, you'll need to keep bugging Steam Support, but everyone says steam support did fix it up in the end.
Click to expand...

Thanks man. I appreciate the effort. :)
 
Your Star said:
I'm not saying you were hacked, just saying it's there to help protect your account. It's main use is to confirm password changes and stuff via text message.
Click to expand...

I know. I was just musing on the possibility that the request for my number could have been because STEAM was experiencing a concern with my account being hacked. If so, I'd rather they had sent an email explaining if it was the case.

Your Star said:
Also, you're not going to be able to buy games in stores probably sooner than you think. Digital is the future.
Click to expand...

I've already noticed this. I guess I'm becoming a semi-Luddite because I don't think fostering dependence on this technology is all that good an idea.

Did you see that movie "Kingsman?" I like the acting and it was a cool Bond-type movie, but the idea of implants directly linking to the internet/communication system worries me immensely.
 
Captain Adverse said:
Oh HELL yes! The very first strategy board game I ever played was "Blitzkrieg" by Avalon Hill. I also owned Diplomacy, Caesar, and Gettysburg, but my all-time favorite Avalon Hill board game was Third Reich. I used to go to game conventions and play it.



I tried those for a while. But it does take a lot of rapid finger/thumb coordination, and I had to leave that to the younger crowd. I also tried Warcraft, Starcraft, and Heroes; but they are really kinda simple and get boring pretty fast. Instead I got interested in strategy gaming. Started with Birth of the Federation, then found the Total War series, etc.



Yeah. I get technology. I understand what I've already experienced and I learn quickly when I encounter new tech. I am not a techie though, I leave that to the experts. I just see people getting so attached to their I-phones, I-pods, and lap-tops with the easy access answers, and I wonder how it will affect them if it all ever goes to hell.

I'm especially concerned with kids who use the tech as a barrier to real interpersonal relations. Texting instead of talking, taking selfies instead of enjoying the actual experience.

My post here demonstrates my annoyance with requirements to connect in order to play games etc. That should be an option, not a requirement. It's like they are merely renting you the games on good behavior instead of selling you a copy for your personal entertainment.
Click to expand...

I really get most of what you say. My first AH game was Gettysburg (or was it Tactics II? I forget). I never was able to get Diplomacy...I wanted to very much - the fact that even Kissinger endorsed it made me want to get it. I also had Stalingrad, D-Day, Luftwaffe, and a couple others. But like you, Third Reich was my all-time favorite. Axis and Allies was fun, but it never came close to TR. I'd have to say that I've never enjoyed a game like I did that one...and I was SO disappointed with the PC version that came out in the 1990's. I played Risk a lot, too...but that was only because Mom wanted in on the fun with me and my brother, and there was no way she'd put up with an AH game.

There's one other that I miss a lot from my youth - Strat-O-Matic Baseball. THAT was fun...and even to this day I can quote a bunch of players and their stats from the 1971 season. I just now looked online and saw that yeah, it's still around and there's even a Windows version! Man...but I am SO tempted. Maybe if I talk to my financial manager just right, maybe buy her some flowers....
 
In return for using the Steam platform to both distribute and provide functionality in certain games (certain games use steamworks to run their multiplayer for example), the games are linked to Steam and only Steam.

Certain games can be purchased without it at sites like gog.com, don't let the name of Good Old Games confuse you they have many newer titles.
 
Carjosse said:
In return for using the Steam platform to both distribute and provide functionality in certain games (certain games use steamworks to run their multiplayer for example), the games are linked to Steam and only Steam.

Certain games can be purchased without it at sites like gog.com, don't let the name of Good Old Games confuse you they have many newer titles.
Click to expand...

FieldTheorist mentioned that site. I'll definitely check it out.

I really prefer stand alone games. As I get older I seem to be becoming more concerned about privacy. I really hate all the ways business (and other) organizations are using our growing connection to the internet to collect personal information for all sorts of (IMO) nefarious purposes.

I'm using DuckDuckGo as my search engine now. I have refused to update to Windows 10, at least until I learn all the steps to shut off their information tracking add-ons, and I am wondering about the value of that Onion browser.

So something like STEAM requirements kinda annoys me. :shrug:
 
Glen Contrarian said:
I really get most of what you say. My first AH game was Gettysburg (or was it Tactics II? I forget). I never was able to get Diplomacy...I wanted to very much - the fact that even Kissinger endorsed it made me want to get it. I also had Stalingrad, D-Day, Luftwaffe, and a couple others. But like you, Third Reich was my all-time favorite. Axis and Allies was fun, but it never came close to TR. I'd have to say that I've never enjoyed a game like I did that one...and I was SO disappointed with the PC version that came out in the 1990's. I played Risk a lot, too...but that was only because Mom wanted in on the fun with me and my brother, and there was no way she'd put up with an AH game.
Click to expand...

I actually miss this kind of interaction. I really enjoyed going to conventions, playing with people I knew from prior events and first-timers. Trying new tactics and strategies. I often played the Soviet Union in Third Reich; not because I liked it, but just to show it could survive long enough to go on the aggressive when the Americans came in.

This faceless online stuff...not that much fun. I know adding Skype or other video systems helps but its still not the same IMO.

Glen Contrarian said:
There's one other that I miss a lot from my youth - Strat-O-Matic Baseball. THAT was fun...and even to this day I can quote a bunch of players and their stats from the 1971 season. I just now looked online and saw that yeah, it's still around and there's even a Windows version! Man...but I am SO tempted. Maybe if I talk to my financial manager just right, maybe buy her some flowers....
Click to expand...

LOL Good luck, flower might not be enough. ;)
 
Captain Adverse said:
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?
Click to expand...

It's DRM.
IIRC greenman gaming doesn't require you to download their client, but you need to double check it.

Of course you can always get a bootleg version of these games.
I recommend it now as a "try before you buy" method.
 
Captain Adverse said:
Now I admit that was an advantage. But as I remember it, most of the game companies had their own websites and would also update for free. There were also forums, especially for Civilization where some pretty awesome mods came out.
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With Steam updates are (semi)automatic.
 
Captain Adverse said:
Are any like the strategy games I listed in my OP?
Click to expand...

I play a strategic game named Commandos series sometimes and I have never had the problems you mention with Steam. Since this is a genuine problem then unless their FAQ do not explain I suspect that you may have been hacked.
 
Captain Adverse said:
FieldTheorist mentioned that site. I'll definitely check it out.

I really prefer stand alone games. As I get older I seem to be becoming more concerned about privacy. I really hate all the ways business (and other) organizations are using our growing connection to the internet to collect personal information for all sorts of (IMO) nefarious purposes.

I'm using DuckDuckGo as my search engine now. I have refused to update to Windows 10, at least until I learn all the steps to shut off their information tracking add-ons, and I am wondering about the value of that Onion browser.

So something like STEAM requirements kinda annoys me. :shrug:
Click to expand...

Well I am also privacy aware but Steam is pretty good, they ask for the information they need to process transactions beyond the normal email address.
 
You no longer own games when you buy them from stores. Now you buy access to games. Different world different market. In another ten years, most games will be subscription only.
 
CriticalThought said:
You no longer own games when you buy them from stores. Now you buy access to games. Different world different market. In another ten years, most games will be subscription only.
Click to expand...

Probably. So I'll just have to live without them.
 
Captain Adverse said:
Interesting. That I might have gotten hacked a couple of months after ignoring this phone thing is pretty coincidental.

Still, my point is that STEAM should not be a requirement. You buy a game in the store, upload it to your PC and you are good to go should be the norm. Joining STEAM-type websites should only be an option IMO, in case you want updates or skins etc..
Click to expand...

This probably isn't going to make you happy, but it is the basic truth. Whether it should or should not be a requirement is irrelevant. It is a requirement, so you have to live with it. I have never had any problem with Steam, and while I don't care for it in theory, in practice it has worked just fine, never a problem. It is a picking your fights kinda thing. Shouldn't be needed, but it is, and it works fine, so **** it.

Can't help you with your account issues, hope you get it resolved, and you got good taste in games.
 
To be honest, there's a lot going on that you can't see.

The people who are way into gaming are quite resourceful with computers. That makes the piracy market for games pretty sizable. Lotta people were "stealing" games and the revenue is important to developers. Steam is what the industry has basically responded with- we'll give you rotating sale prices on older games, but you gotta link them to your account, and your account has to log in to play games.

Honestly, i think it's a great tradeoff. I've never felt like steam was unnecessarily invasive as long as you take the time to configure it how you would like it to run. I have some computers where it runs automatically on boot and logs in automatically, i have others where it does neither one.
 
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