OS Neutral Still Using Steam? Read this.

[Pakaku]

I hope everyone does realize that when you buy a game on GOG or Humble that are not DRM-free, many of those games are very likely Steam-dependent, meaning that you will still need a Steam account to activate those games. This is always the case with Humble Store games that are pre-sold as "Early Access".

I was never talking about Humble Bundle, and you've obviously never bought anything from GoG.

 

[Wardenski]

I downloaded total annihilation off GOG. It didn't work, got a black screen upon starting it up. Had to find solution on their forum. This put me off GOG and wrappers forever.

Not really any alternatives for steam for me, except for the discs that I own. Not interested in Mac App store, don't game in OSX anymore.

Blizzard, in its all mightiness, decided that Starcraft II will not start up any-more because I have Snow Leopard. This was the only game I played in OSX...not anymore.

 

[Cougarcat]

I've seen less and less games for the Mac on Steam and more appear on the App Store (e.g. you can get a Mac version of the updated Baldur's Gate series on the App Store, but not on Steam). The plus for Steam in the past has been that you get both the Windows and Mac versions so I don't have to deal with the potential problem of switching platforms in the future if Apple continues to destroy either OS X hardware choices or the OS itself. Plus often the Windows versions run faster even on the same Mac hardware running Windows.

But the past couple of years, I find a LOT of games that are Windows only on Steam that DO have Mac versions available (often by Aspyr and I imagine they allow some and not others due to bad licensing deals with Steam that are not very profitable for Aspyr compared to the App Store and I think this has something to do with getting the Windows versions for free and they sometimes get the money rather than Aspyr depending on which one you run first or something like that).

Just FYI, Beamdog has full control over their Steam versions now (Atari did previously, and for some reason didn't care about uploading the Mac version). So BG I, II, and Icewind Dale are SteamPlay. I was able to contact Trent Oster on Twitter and he gave me a BG key, which was very nice.

Anyway, it seems that recently, Aspyr/Feral (or really, the companies they are licensing from) have been better about SteamPlay. All their titles this year use it, with Borderlands being available day one. Can't think of anything that's MAS-only that I would care about that isn't a cider port, and I'll never buy from there anyway because of the PITA patch approval process.

As to Steam being less profitable, I doubt that. They both take the same 30%, and Aspyr gets paid when PC users buy from their work or non-gaming Macs. Many of Aspyr's games are also crippled (i.e Civs have no Multiplayer because it uses Steamworks.) It probably works out.

 

[saturnotaku]

As to Steam being less profitable, I doubt that. They both take the same 30%, and Aspyr gets paid when PC users buy from their work or non-gaming Macs. Many of Aspyr's games are also crippled (i.e Civs have no Multiplayer because it uses Steamworks.) It probably works out.

Feral/Aspyr only get paid when Steam games are purchased on OS X or downloaded and played first on a Mac. If you buy a game on Windows, play it on that operating system, then later download it on OS X, the Mac porters won't see a dime.

 

[Dirtyharry50]

JSo BG I, II, and Icewind Dale are SteamPlay.

Baldur's Gate II Enhanced Edition is still Windows only on Steam as of this writing. It isn't Steamplay (yet!).

I started a thread in the Steam forum asking for the Mac version for this one too. Hopefully it is coming soon where the other two are Steamplay.

 

[xSinghx]

I'm suspicious that you single out Steam for this, as though noone else does it.

You always come back around to bashing Steam.

I'm tired of reading it.

There's nothing suspicious that he posts something about Steam as opposed to any other service it is by FAR the largest online retailer of game downloads with some 100million users. There's nothing that even comes close. So a change in TOS effects peoples' entire game libraries not simply one or two games they might have purchased from Origin - if that's what you think deserves equal consideration - it's simply nonsense.

 

[xSinghx]

And although there is a circumstance were Steam could lock you out of your games, I imagine this is not an issue for average players just playing their games. My understanding is that some kind of cheating or hacking would have to be involved. Is there another example?

Unfortunately this is incorrect. Steam can lock you out of your games for all sorts of reasons. Below is just an example of one other but there are many more.

I've used Steam from the beginning of its Half Life 2 launch days and not had problems with the service until this year and have since decided not to purchase or use anything from them again.

The cause of this was Steam's lack of proper labeling for Ubisoft games that require Uplay. Typically any and all requirements on a game are (and should be) listed in the System Requirements at the bottom of the game page on Steam. With games by Ubisoft requiring Uplay (a second DRM program that is required to be both installed and launched in order to run the game) Steam has decided to hide this feature off to the right hand side of the game page, under controller support features and the ESRB rating (a frivolous area unnecessary for most viewers to pay much attention to).

It's important to point out the invasive nature of Uplay and it's bad reputation as well:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/07/30/ubisoft-respond-to-uplay-security-drama/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ibm/201...he-cloud-is-boosting-global-travel-and-trade/

The Uplay requirement has until this month been listed in light grey font and is still listed in extremely small type atypical when compared to other 3rd party requirements such as those listed by MMO's or specific games that have features that will effect the typical user experience of a game such as Early Access games or hardware specific requirements (see Dark Souls, or The Witcher 2). In those instances the requirements are highlighted front and center at the top of the page with a bright orange or green box around them. Unlike GoG which has a 30day return policy, with Steam all sales are final from the moment of purchase.

Contacting Customer Support which until this year was the first time I've ever had use them is a wretched experience. All communication is through email which takes a minimum of a week and is typically just answered by a bot with preprogramed answers responding to the key words of your email. The return mail would be laughable for it's wildly off topic responses if the process weren't so infuriating.

So to have an actual human response will likely take several weeks as it did with me and then you will be equally dismissed. "All sales are final and no attention is needed to clarify any information on the game page etc." In other words, 'thanks for your money and go **** yourself.' If you are unsatisfied with this and contact your credit card company to freeze payment Valve will lock you out of your account until the money is paid.

This kind of blatant disregard and disrespect underlined the importance of supporting alternatives to Steam and it's near monopolistic control over digital downloads. I've started buying from GOG and the app store as well as supporting some DRM Free Kickstarters for iOS and OSX. My hope is apple unveils an apple tv with the graphics power of something near the wii or better and opens the platform to games but who knows. For now dealing with Steam Support has made me ardent supporter of just about anything else. I might even pick up a console finally. (Haven't done that since the SNES days)

 

[Wardenski]

I agree that Uplay sucks.

It took 2 hours to update itself before I could play Far Cry 3. After that, I have had no issues.

 

[roadbloc]

Its hardly Valve/Steam's fault that Ubisoft have ******** DRM and uPlay is as about as useful as a chocolate teapot. But I do agree that putting it in the system requirements would be a good idea to make sure users are clear about what they are downloading. One thing I dislike is more DRM on top of my DRM. And that (alongside that Ubisoft's PC ports are usually horrible) is the reason I don't bother with Ubisoft anymore. Or EA.

 

[dan1eln1el5en]

the article is old, the world have changed since then...to more "steam"

every service you look at today is based around these "licensees" similar to "the old days" in a way nothing changed.
I remember Autodesk took a German ebay'er to court for selling 2nd hand AutoCAD licensees, that he had bought in failed companies. deemed illegal, since you don't buy a copy of the software, you buy a licenses to use it.
but since in the old days we would be handed a physical copy many people think of it as such, but it was. and is.
today many things are DRM protected or requires online access regularly, this means a computer without internet access will have software that will "turn off" at some point...looking at you Adobe.
and if a piece of software hits Appstore that is later found illegal it will be deleted from your iPhone...or Android if its from the Play Store.

I will continue using steam, and I will continue buying licensees to legal software at an even lower price than what I was used to.

 

[sonicrobby]

Who ever rejects the terms of service? Everyone always clicks accept without reading it anyway... This changes nothing on how I view steam. I dont believe I will ever have anything to do with class action lawsuits, so it doesnt affect me at all. As long as they keep letting my play my games, I will keep using them.

 

[Cougarcat]

Feral/Aspyr only get paid when Steam games are purchased on OS X or downloaded and played first on a Mac. If you buy a game on Windows, play it on that operating system, then later download it on OS X, the Mac porters won't see a dime.

Right. But a side benefit that AspyrBlair mentioned on another thread is that if a PC gamer buys it on their work Mac or secondary Mac, it gets registered as a Mac sale. Anyway, I guess my point was that Aspyr and Feral are doing SteamPlay more than ever now, so the numbers must be working out for them.

 

[antonis]

and if a piece of software hits Appstore that is later found illegal it will be deleted from your iPhone...or Android if its from the Play Store.

No idea how it works on android. But on iOS, if an application is removed for any legal reason from Appstore, it will not be removed from your iPhone or your Appstore purchases. It will just be unavailable to new buyers. Apple doesn't screw Appstore customers that much.

 

[Washac]

No idea how it works on android. But on iOS, if an application is removed for any legal reason from Appstore, it will not be removed from your iPhone or your Appstore purchases. It will just be unavailable to new buyers. Apple doesn't screw Appstore customers that much.

I have seen games removed from sale on GoG but if you had bought them they stay in your library, Fallout 1 and 2 changed license owner and the new owners wanted them removed from sale, I had them and they stayed in my library.

Two games I had on steam where removed from sale, one was Metro: Last Light which the software house dropped sale of the Mac version on steam, the other was removed from sale over legal issues, but both have stayed in my library.

As you say just no longer available for new buyers.