(apart from the oft discussed price discrepancy between the USA and Europe)

Earlier today I was playing motoracer2 with my kids, 3 person split screen, stressless DRM free GOG version of course, and then they wanted to play Trackmania, which I bought on Steam a couple of years ago. Granted, the last time I played anything from Steam was two weeks ago, but still ... all I wanted was to start the smegging game I bought. Unbeknownst to me, the router had lost its connection while we were racing with our retro but fun motorcycles, and when I started it THIS is what I got (see picture).

WTF?????! What happened to "once you bought it you can also play it offline" ? This isn't the first time this happened of course, and complaining to Steam doesn't help one bit.

All this to just to say "Thank you GOG for all the hasslefree fun you grant your customers (including the cheesy comics;) !!" (add your favourite expletive directed toward Steam here).

I never liked the idea of Steam, but decided to give it a try with a game I refused to buy due to the DRM scheme on it at the time (the first Mass Effect). There were such large number of people touting the virtues of Steam that I figured I'd give it a shot (I don't usually bash something unless Ive tried it myself, so though what the hell). So I bought Mass Effect through Steam. Wasn't really impressed with the Steam service. It offers nothing to me personally, as I don't play multiplayer, care nothing about achievements, and don't do any of the social networking that a lot of people care about. Add on top of that the 'rental' service it really is, and I don't like it as a game delivery service.

However, I do use Steam for games I don't really care that much about, which I only purchase when they're deeply discounted on sales. I know what I'm getting into with Steam now though, so I only use it as a 'disposable game' service. I find it's brilliant for that.

Question, if I may:

Is there a reason you don't store login information? It's just an "open by default" method. Anyway, it's kinda "required" because steam is the paranoid type.

I am paranoid type myself and I agree with OP. I "do not like" steam. :)

Steam gives me gas. GOG makes me wet my pants (in a good way though).

LIAR! You plot to kill me, admit it!

Guards!

But anyway, I know what you mean. Didn't say steam holds undefeated trust with me. It's just that, for now, I can't name one serious incident with them <knocks on wood>

I do not like Steam. "Fine," one might say, "shut up and don't use it." If it were that easy, I would be thrilled to do just that. The problem is that so many games require Steam nowadays that just ignoring it isn't an option. I can either put up with its inane bullshit, or I can go out of my way to avoid it by always reading the fine print and not buying games that I otherwise would.

Well tbh i hate steam as they rip the disc copy of a game and put it on the store and sell it...

Yes the majority of times it works but when it dont then your screwed big time, They dont fix the slightest thing.

I brought COD W@W and that dont work... Not even if i install from disc now (i blame that on steams setup crashing >.>) COD 4 that works but servercache file is corrupted, Need to get another one >.>

On GOG i can expect 9/10 of the games to work, If they dont someone has already solved the problem or its just a simple file fix.

Therein lies my world. It's weird when I sit down to think about it. Steam and other even less savoury DRM systems have rapidly turned me from something of an impulse buyer to someone who will think four or five times before handing over my money.

On the upside, it's saved me a veritable fortune over the last eight years or so :-)

Sure it is. It's easy, I do it all the time. Any non-Valve game that requires Steam is an instant no-purchase for me. A few examples of games I would have been interested in:

Fallout:New Vegas - pass
Civ V - pass
Empire:Total War - pass
Metro 2033 - pass

I've still got a backlog of games to play. Screw Steam requirements.

I have no problem with Steam, I think it's a reasonable service that offsets it's problems with real, unique advantages.

That said, I much prefer retail or services like GoG. Given the option, I'd always buy a game on GoG, even for a higher price.

What really bugs me is the rising number of games that require Steam.

I suppose it depends on how you define 'ignore.'

I do the same thing you do - I simply don't buy Steamworks games (I've bought one, actually, but I'm kinda sorry I did), and it's not as if I'm starved without them. However, it's not true that I ignore Steam and Steamworks, because they have a very direct effect on my purchasing decisions.

Ah, I see what you mean.

After the OS upgrade, steam ask the darn security key thingie every time I log in. Wasn't it supposed to add my computer to the whitelist or something?

Steam has never worked properly for me..

Steam loves to give me shit.