I wanted to play Skyrim, but need a steam account… .I have one, but they can’t find it.
er… I have the Skyrim DVD, but can’t install it? Since I need to log in to Steam?, er… Returning the package (opened) to the store I purchased it from.
What is up with this crap?, Seriously… buy a standalone game, and be forced AFTER THE FACT to deal with an online service? Nope…
No replies needed, just ranting, but Buyers Beware, this isn’t a load-and-play game, it’s a marketing deal to force you to deal with Steam.
It’s pretty common these days. Skyrim says so on the box. It’s not after-the-fact. I know it does, because I have it right here.
If you’re buying a PC game you need to be sure you meet the requirements before purchase. They put them on the box. Yes, it can be a pain - that’s why they invented consoles.
Steam largely IS PC gaming, at least here in the states.
Also, steam rocks. Achievements, games auto update, tons of free content, tons of sales, a built in mod manager for some games (like skyrim), built in friend list, voice chat. Really, I can’t imagine you’ve done much pc gaming the past 4 years if Steam is outside your radar.
As noted, it says Steamworks right on the box. Anyway, you could have always started a second account if you couldn’t access your original. Doesn’t sound as though you ever used it anyway.
Seriously, and I mean no offense, but not all of us WANT this shit, especially for a single-player game!
I’m playing thru Skyrim right now, and my Lvl39 “Sneaky Archer” is kicking all kinds of ass with only the latest updates. I personally have no use for “auto updates”; (I’m perfectly capable of updating my game myself, thank you, and steering clear of those that may cause problems on my PC) “Mod Managers” (I tried the High Resolution Texture Pack and removed it after a day of play due to shimmery-blue textures, and NPCs showing up with chalk-white skin) I play most of my games alone, (with the exception of MMOs “Champions Online”, or “DCUO”) so I have no need for a friends list, or voice chat. I also pay no attention to “Achievements” in this game, just whether or not my mission queue is clear. I DO have Steam installed but that’s just for TF2 MP, which I haven’t played in well over a year.
This is all just obtrusive DRM under another name. Heaven forbid a PC gamer should have a gaming machine that doesn’t have Internet access.
Auto update’s a reason not to buy a game like Skyrim with Steam - Bethesda’s games are made to be modded, so why would I want them tinkering with my game and screwing up my mods without my permission?
I really don’t want Steam, but I’ve been forced to deal with it. I don’t WANT auto updates, either. I didn’t like them on AOL, and I don’t like them on Steam. In fact, auto updates are a big reason why I switched from AOL oh so many years ago.
As for “it’s on the package”, well, technically, yes, it is. However, I’ve always had to look and look and look for the notice, even when I KNOW the damned game requires Steam.
And yes, I’m used to looking at the packages for system requirements. I’ve always had to do this, even back in the days when I was using a C-128, because I had to make sure that the program was compatible with my printer, for instance. And I want to know if I’m getting shareware or game samples, or the actual complete games when I buy a package of card or board games.
Do not want Steam. Do not like Steam. Forced to deal with Steam anyway, if I want any new computer games other than casual games.
Uhm, you CAN turn off auto updates for games you own, right?
It’s a convenience that I, personally, love. Unlike console gamers who occasionally get stuck behind an update window, I always find my games are ready to play.
OK, so you don’t care about ANYTHING Steam offers. More power to you, why do you care about Steam then? It runs when the game runs, but it’s not like it’s taking up much of any system resources, and it allows you to play your games offline.
It’s innocuous. And it offers a ton of features, for those interested.
In terms of DRM, it’s the bees knees compared to something like Ubisoft’s schemes. Unfortunately a LOT of PC gamers are lowlife pirates. If the harmless, and useful (to me) Steam is the answer, I’m all for it.
I love this platform too much to get all up in arms about a trivial thing like Steam, specially when I think about what PC gaming might be like without it.
Another Steam fan checking in. Kinthalis covered most of what I would say but there is one more reason I would never go back to retail discs for games.
You can lose them. Case in point: sometime over the last 7 years and three moves I lost disc #2 for No One Lives Forever 2. Yeah, my bad. But replacing that disc is relatively expensive. If I had purchased the game on Steam (which I cannot because the publisher won’t release it) I could just re-download my game and be on my way. Instead I troll Amazon to see if there are any used copies for sale. Yes, I could just download a cracked copy of the game but I don’t do that. Having a physical copy of the game has made it harder for me to go back and replay one of my favorite games.
So, everyone is different (another great thing about PC gaming) but never having to worry about a lost or damaged disc is something I count in Steam’s favor.
I’d be entirely on board with the OP’s rant, except that I don’t think I’ve bought a PC game on hardcopy in close to two years, thanks to Steam. Everything’s digital download these days for me, and Steam is simply a phenomenal service for that purpose. As far as DRM schemes go, this is just about the least painful one I’ve yet seen - for one thing, it’s DRM that allows you to play without the disc at all, which is pretty convenient.
Not if the steam app causes your system to crash :mad:
I completely reformatted my PC from scratch because I was having no end of troubles. Afterwards was running beautifully. Until I re-installed Steam and bam, same bad behaviors.
You could go into the settings under “Interface” and change it so Steam doesn’t autorun when Windows starts. At least that way it shouldn’t cause any problems when you’re not actually using it.
I care because it seems that I’m not getting the choice to buy a physical game. And it seems that Steam gets into my computer more than I’m really comfortable with. I’m not saying that Steam shouldn’t exist, I’m saying that I’d prefer to have the option to buy a physical game.
This is ridiculous. I just did a quick Google search, and Skyrim has already been pirated. Heck, I’m pretty sure all the games on Steam have been pirated. Steam only prevents piracy in the sense that it provides an alternative way to get your game without going to a store.
And I feel for the person who specifically chose to get the game from a store and is forced to use the online method. It is deceptive–Steam isn’t just a requirement for the game. You are purchasing a Steam game that has conveniently already been downloaded for you. It’s more like when you used to have the choice from a shareware author to get physical copies of the game when you register.
A requirement is something you actually NEED to run the game, and the existence of pirated copies that play exactly the same show that Steam was not actually needed.
And I say this as someone who, like the rest of you, only buys his games online anymore.
EDIT: Almost forgot:
You answered your own question. If you don’t like a program, you don’t want it to run when the game runs. Duh.