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You have a point.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zenicetus
OTOH, I'd like to play MTW or STW (since I dislike the more recent TW efforts) but AFAIK I cant without screwing with the video drivers and other components of the reasonably modern PC that I have here in NJ. While it's true that Steam may go out of business, it's more likely that changes to the PC hardware and OS will render ETW unplayable before that happens.
[*]During authentication will it insist to download the latest version of steam?
Yes , it does automatically when steam starts
[*]Will I need to authenticate if I do a reformat? For many this being a regular occurance and sadly the nature of windows.
You don't need to autenticate the games again if you reformat , but you will need loguin on steam
You have no limits to download the game , you can install and reinstall it all the times that you want.
[*]Will I need to download patches via steam and can I keep a backup copy for future use rather than re-downoad every time?
Patches are downloaded atumatically , and yes you can do backups , but it use to be more usefull just to copy and paste the game directory.
[*]Will the makers of steam never change their terms of use so that this game authentication requirements don't change whether now or in the future?
NO , they will never change the terms.
[*]Will I need to authenticate everytime I re-install the game?
No , but you will need loguin onto steam
I see that not so many people here knows how steam works.
To play a Steam game first of all you will need to have a Steam account . The games that runs under steam are ALWAYS linked to the Steam account , games can't be moved to another account or sell to another user .
If you buy ETW on retail you will receive thegame with a keycode , you will to open the steam program , loguin onto your account and put the ETW keycode onto your steam account . You can only do it one time , and once done you will not be able to change the game to another steam account.
And be aware , all the games that runs under steam needs at least connect to internet one time in order to run . You can install the game from the CD but you need to autenthificate it on the steam net .
If you go to visit family or friends you can play the games that are associated to your steam account easily , you only need to download steam again in another computer , loguin in your account and download the games . No matter where you are , you can activate your steam client everiwere with your games alwais ready to donwload an play.
Actually Steam , Nvidia and ATI gifts some games to the owners from a graphic card from one of those companies . If you don't have a steam account you can use those links to start ...
http://www.steampowered.com/nvidia/
http://steampowered.com/ati_offer1a/
Sure, that's a valid point too. There's a window of time beyond which you can't reasonably expect to play older computer games, unless you keep an old PC around just for that purpose. But I think many of us would still like the same window of time we've had with previous games, for playing on older platforms that can still run these things. Invasive DRM shouldn't be the limiting factor there.Quote:
Originally Posted by SpencerH
I have a bunch of games in my closet that I've re-installed over the years. Heck, I might want to revisit Rome one of these days, and re-install RTW for a little Phalanx-busting action. And I can still do that, as long as I don't jump too many generations of hardware and OS into the future. I don't think that's too much to ask for, when we're paying $60 for a game.
If the game companies want to rent us games as a limited-time service, pay-as-you-go for as long as the company lasts, at an appropriate price for a monthly rental, that would be one thing. And I think many of us might go for that. But this isn't what they're doing. They're charging a full commodity price for the game, as if we could use it forever (as long as we have the hardware to run it). But there's a time bomb attached to the game, that may nor not may go off at some future time when the company goes out of business.
Forgive me for being skeptical here but you know this how?Quote:
Originally Posted by macduro
I'm sure . This is because steam is only a distribution tool , the terms of use for the game only concern to Sega , the owner . They are the only one than can decide about game athentification , adding DRM or other tools or redirecting you to another loguin place as games for windows live ...Quote:
Originally Posted by Nebuchadnezzar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zenicetus
Valve has said in some ocasions that if eventually they go out of bussines the will release a steam edition that allows you to continue playing your games offline , without loguin in to the valve servers .
At this moment there are some cracking tools that allows you to do this things , so if Steam eventually closes his doors you can be sure that you will not lost your games.
Steam is a great plataform , it has some incovenients for the customers but offers great things .
The most important thing to now about steam is that it's a plataform for games from valve , valve rent his space to another companies for sell his games online .
The support for the nonvalve games that are on steam is responsability of this other companies ,and sometimes the use to release bad ports to steam , with versions taht are bugged , not fully updated or with very expensive price if we compare it with the retail version .
There's also the chances of your computer blowing up or someone breaking into your house and breaking the computer, and the internet collapsing with a nuclear war breaking out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zenicetus
SEGA/CA don't have a crystal ball that tells them when or if they will go under.
And besides, as macduro noted, how hard is it for someone to bring out a patch/program to deactivate the STEAM part?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monk
Not going to go in to the piracy thing, but if you're talking about NPD sales statistics, they're grossly flawed. If you buy Empire as a download from Steam instead of buying a retail copy of the game, to these guys, it's like you never bought the game at all.
Those monthly subscriptions I pay for World of Warcraft? Nope, they're not PC game revenue at all. At least, until the first quarter of this year, when they decided that there was over $1B in MMO gaming subscriptions they were not tracking that must've been hidden under a rock.
A lot of these sales research firms are employed by retailes. Since a lot of PC revenue has cut out the middleman, retailers, they pretend these don't exist. Much of PC game revenues nowadays are subscriptions, advertisements, micro transactions and downloads.
I can't wait to see these guys call Empire a bust because the "retail" sales have evaporated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by macduro
LOL I don't think so! I'm sure SEGA's EULA will include something about users also accepting Valves T&C
and guess what? No surprises to see Vaves TC contains a clause where they can change their agreement whenever it wishes.
Perhaps you forgot Kingdoms and Securom. Sega washed their hands on those having problems and redirected them to securom for help. SEGA may be the publisher/developer but I doubt they take much responsibility for the third party inclusions.
Well , if you don't believe me you can go to the steam forums and ask about it . Valve can change the EULA for the Steam tool , but not the EULA for games that are not from Valve .Quote:
Originally Posted by Nebuchadnezzar
I told you again , Valve just rent a space in to the Steam to other companies for sell his games , and are those other companies who decide over his games , about the support , upgrades or about how the people can acces the game .
From the Steam EULA :
6. THIRD PARTY CONTENT
"Third Party Content" means software and other content provided by third parties, other than Valve, that is designed to work in conjunction with the Steam Software (e.g. mods of Valve game products). In regard to all Third Party Content, Valve acts merely as an intermediary service provider. Valve does not screen Third Party Content available on Steam or through other sources. Valve does not assume any responsibility or liability for Third Party Content.
Renting space? LOL STEAM is not only a distribution tool but also SEGA's authentication tool.
I am not referring to STEAM changing SEGA's EULA. Clearly this isn't possible. My point is whats stopping STEAM changing authentication requirements sometime in the future.
err.. Clause 6 means what? A standard line wherever a partnership of sought exists and they wish to wash their hands from any responsibility of each other. For sure SEGA will also include one in theirs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nebuchadnezzar
Well as far I know Steam never has changed the authentification requeriments for any game or for the main tool , but they can do it of course , it says clearly at the EULA , and if says clearly that you have 30 days to agree or to ask for an account cancelation with the possibility of receive a nonsteam downloadable version of any game that you had on your account .
This is not 100% sure of course , specially as you noted above , when we talk about third party games because they wash their hands leaving all responsability for the developer .
It seems that you are a lot worried about securerom and targes problems , Steam and Valve are totally against securerom and targes sistem . Gabe Newell , Valve's owner , said some weeks ago that securerom is a stupid tool and that he is traiying to stop developers to include it in the games that they release on steam . Gabe said that the actual authentification sistem is the best way to protect the games , specially when you are using a tool that doesn't need any cd to install or to run the game . If you don't have Cd you don't need to include programs as securerom that is specially based on the cd/dvd authentification.
YOu can have your doubts , but if you want to paly Empires you will have to use Steam.
Steam is not perfect , but is better than other sistems .