Valve\'s Newell: Most DRM Strategies Are Just Dumb

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Gameguru Mania News - Dec,03 2008 -

Valve's Newell: Most DRM Strategies Are Just Dumb - briefly
(hx) 11:51 AM CET - Dec,03 2008 - Post a comment / read (6)
Valve co-founder Gabe Newell left no doubt about his company's stance on DRM in a recent email to a fan: Left 4 Dead is developed entirely by Valve. Steam revenue for our games is not shared with third parties. Around the world we have a number of distribution partners to handle retail distribution of our games (i.e. make discs and boxes). EA is one of those partners. As far as DRM goes, most DRM strategies are just dumb. The goal should be to create greater value for customers through service value (make it easy for me to play my games whenever and wherever I want to), not by decreasing the value of a product (maybe I'll be able to play my game and maybe I won't).We really really discourage other developers and publishes from using the broken DRM offerings, and in general there is a groundswell to abandon those approaches
Well, I think Valves Steam DRM is "just dumb" too. They don't treat their customers much better than the others.

last 10 comments:

smnoamls

(05:42 PM CET - Dec,03 2008 )

You know I like to contribute to your site when I can, but I cannot remotely agree with you on this.
Steam has got to be the best thing since sliced bread.
Their DRM is not even REMOTELY invasive.
They have no driver install base, you dont need the dvd in the drive . . .
Its easy as pie to buy games and play them, and they even remember your settings for you ( steam cloud ).
They are pioneers in the digital distrobution game, bar none.
Their DRM is not better?
Its the best.

(07:47 PM CET - Dec,03 2008 )

smnoamls> Steam has got to be the best thing since sliced bread.

there's no doubt the DRM is crap.

With Steam you can't lend out or sell your games. Also the future of your ownership of your games isn't known if Valve/Steam ever goes out of business.

Additional, you still need to activate you Valve games online even if you bought them in the store. I fail to see how that is any better than the current DRM out there (not included the latest SecuRom with the limit installs)

doodaddy

(08:23 PM CET - Dec,03 2008 )

Hmm. I completely agree that Steam DRM is no better than the others. I've sadly been bitten by it twice. Once, I simply bought a used version of Half-Life 2 on Amazon. I'm pretty sure that that is a completely "legal" purchase, yet it would not run. My attempt to navigate Steam's site and explain the situation was so obtuse that I'm sure it was purposely confusing so I'd go away. Which I did. Except I don't plan to buy another Steam game ever. Should I feel guilty that I didn't read EULAs and what-not first? Of course not. Shame on Valve. I can only assume many customers with less knowledge than me are having a worse time.

Also, it is ugly and starts slow, so there. It just feel clunky. No love lost from me.

P.S. I went on a job interview with Valve... unfortunately it was the Steam group. I think my lack of enthusiasm was fairly obvious when I found out. I didn't get called back even before a tech interview. (-:

electronox

(11:39 PM CET - Dec,03 2008 )

I have to agree with smnoamls. If anything, Steam is the best consumer DRM out there. You get to be a legit customer and you can download and install your games on any computer, log in, and play! What isn't easy about that? You don't even have to forfeit a portion of your money to Worst Buy or Ugly Mart. Instead it goes to Valve, who heavily REINVESTS its money in improving Steam and its own games, creating a cycle of awesomeness.

Sure it sucks if you still want to pirate your games. But if you are a legit customer, you win.

As far as reselling your games - well, you should have downloaded the demo, decided if you liked it, and then bought it on Steam. Games with replay value are only the highest quality games, and this is what you should buy on Steam.

That said, it would be rather intriguing to see an Amazon Marketplace-like addition to Steam, where Valve gets maybe a 15-25% cut of what you sell the game for to another user. If you think that sounds like a big margin, you have never sold your game to Gamestop, et al.

Steam naysayers seem to be jealous of the incredible business plan that is embodied by Steam. Get over it, your pirating forced it upon us, and embrace the future.

Sabot

(05:05 PM CET - Dec,04 2008 )

electronox> Steam naysayers seem to be jealous of the incredible business plan that is embodied by Steam. Get over it, your pirating forced it upon us, and embrace the future.

Not at all!
I happen to be a PC gamer for a long time, and also not of this generation that doesn't know what a record shop was. Therefore i have always physicaly bought a game from a shop -or online, but still a hard copy.
Also, STEAM is generaly accepted -like Windows LIVE- in America but not so much in Europe. I have already been a victim of credit card fraud, due to an employee (nothing to do with hacking or virus) stealing my details from the shop i bought online with outside the EU.
So obviously i aint using a credit/debit card outside of my home country.

Valve/STEAM don't speak for the masses and they also don't help those that wont use a credit card online. They are stuck in their own perpetual world spouting sales figures and the like. I bought everything Valve right up to HL2, then the $hit hit the fan with activation and being online to play it -in the early days. I don't want an Apple Ipod Itunes DRM, which Valve games are exactly like. You MUST have STEAM installed and connected blah,blah. They also charged 10 bucks to 'clear' your STEAM account if you wanted to sell HL2 on, yeah RIGHT!!
Sorry, total load of bull... I therfore rented the Orange box on console -no STEAM DRM garbage, played portal and episode1 & 2 then returned it.
SecuROM doesn't bother me ( hell starforce never bothered me either) playing Fallout3, Far Cry2 without any hassle, but then i build my machines and wont be dictated to.
One thing, i will never will buy anything from VALVE again.

nb411	(11:11 PM CET - Dec,04 2008 )
A lot of games are so dirt cheap on steam I can't see much benefit in selling them on anyway. I think that is a very weak argument for not liking steam. The money you save is about what you would get from selling on your hard copy anyway. People just seem to hate it because it is different, and fail to see what advantages it has over other alternatives.

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