Apparently every time because I'm old and my memory is fucked:)

Also, I really like blaming Bethesda for the horrible state in which that game was released. I don't know why, schadenfreude I guess (damn, I spelled that right without the spell checker!).

*Rolls eyes*

Pc gaming is in a great state. Flourishing profits, innovative games, a plethora of game types and genres. Not to mention a ton of Free to play MMORPG's. Ea didn't decide to invest a lot into a supposedly dead platform for the fun of it. Plus, the amount of DRM free games on it last year is insane.

Steam isn't anything like a toolbar. If you never use the program for anything else except for game playing, then yes it can be seen as fluff. But I use a lot of steam aspects daily, for me and a lot of others, it's anything but a toolbar.

That does not change the fact that the Steam client is not optional in the case of a lot of games released these days. I prefer big corporations not trying to force feed me products I do not need, thank you very much. Steam is a DRM and advertisement software and I do not want it on my computer.

Although true, you can turn off the game advertisement popups, and have the main screen default to library, and you'd never see any advertisements, you could just use it as a library/social client.

But yes, naturally it's also an advertisement client, although if the big corporation is a digital store, you can sort of expect that ;)

This .... the day that the steam client becomes optional for non Valve games (I'm not so demanding as to insist that Valve no use their own software) is the day that I will start buying Steamworks titles.

till then, fuck 'em, their is plenty of other stuff out and in the works to spend my time and money on.
*eye roll*

the entire god damned program, and it's non-optional nature, is the problem. I don't care that "well you can do this ...." or "you can do that ....."

how can I not install the motherfucker? when you got a valid solution to that I'm all ears.

Then take your money elsewhere, invest on a console, buy the games when they go drm free, create more awareness for the importance of DRM free, buy GoG exclusively, buy off Gamersgate, who have drm free titles that are on steam. Write to publishers and devs telling them not to use steam so much or to release a drm free version, that they are losing money because of that decision. The only guys that I have seen so far that are passionate about DRM free gaming enough to stand up and make a difference are the guys who run this site.


Oh and big corporations? Constantly, smaller devs, pubs and indies release thier games on steam. Last year alone, magicka and Terraria beat out the AAA games and outsold them. Super meat boy, serious sam 3, total war shogun 2, E.Y.E and a lot of other small to 'medium' games release on steam.

Hell, buy the games super cheap and then just crack them.

The ads? easy, turn them off in options and make your library window the default window to open once steam is loaded up. Unless you go to the home page, you'll never see a game ad.

Yeah steam is DRM, it will always will be. But it provides a range of features and services to make that pill much easier to swallow.

I know you don't care. Isn't that great? :)

it's about as great as you, and every other Steam addict, playing the "well you can ...." game as if those who complain are bitching about the steam client without ever using it.

I hate the god damned thing because I have used it, and it's an invasive piece of shit who's security features could function in stealth mode just fine while the rest of it's "features" are nothing unique.

All I said was that you could take out the advertising part, which if you'll notice, is what part of his argument was about. I'm sorry if that 'curse curse' annoys you. That's not really my problem.

The people working at the publishing department of Valve are not really to blame as they are just doing their jobs and they are doing it well. I'm more so blaming on one hand the third party publishers and marketing people at developer companies who settle for Steam handling all of their PC sales, and on the other hand PC gamers who are progressively more and more willing to assume the role of the perfect consumer and who choose comfort over their own customer rights.

Of course I'm not one to talk since I have bought Skyrim and I also plan to buy the New Vegas complete pack that comes out a few days from now. Still, whenever I can make the decision not to buy Steam games without too great a sacrifice I tend to walk that path.

I want in on this.

Third party publishers settle for Steam because it's currently the DRM solution which a) works best with b) little to none interference / possible problems for paying customers.

As far as customers rights goes: yes, a lot if not most of the gamers give up rights with each bought game on Steam. There's little to argue here and yes, I'm one of those. A lot of gamers also acknowledge the right of the publishers / developers to protect their work. And as much as one might like it or not, Steam so far seems to be the best compromise for both sides.

However, I do get this strange itch every time someones talking about "their rights" as customers, to justify getting a pirated version...

Not to rile you up or anything, but I'm fairly certain that for my second and subsequent installs of Skyrim I will get a pirated version to circumvent Steam. I just hate having bought a game and not having unrestrained access to it. Guess I'm old fashioned that way.

What a pointless thread. Seems to me the OP knew the answer to his question from the get-go and is just using the replies to justify his complaints regarding Steam/Bethesda.

Maybe these forums should have a "Steam complaints" sticky, so that all the whino's can put their incessant butthurt posts in one place that can easily be ignored by the rest of us?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP_WhG4fe-w

Use Steam! it's got Electrolytes, it's what gamers crave ....