Gameguru Mania

[ggrobot]

Valve just sent me a press release announcing that there is a huge sale on every title going on right now at the Steam game store. Yes, everything is on sale. Savings range from 10% off of the regular price, up to 75% on some titles.
Through January 2, 2009, every game on Steam is available at 10% to 75% off the

Read more...

Source: GGMania headlines
GGMania.com - Daily Gaming and Tech news

[doodaddy]

Sounds like really good sales. Nevertheless, I am anti-DRM and will buy these elsewhere, or not at all. I'd prefer CD copy protection over any network DRM anyday.

[Jelster]

I think the DRM for most titles on steam is part and parcel of the distribution system. I know i happily load steam games I own on several PCs but can only maintain an online connection to steam on one. Offline I can play on as many as I wish.

Sure there is some negatives to steam, much like the dog eating your physical DVDs is a negative. For the most part it is nice to have an online resource to pull from where ever you are and whenever you please.

[sikapossu]

many of those packs is overprices compere if buy seperent
on euros 2 game in pack shows

game 1 Shadowgrounds 4,99€
game 2 Shadowgrounds Survivor 7,49€

Package price17,99€

http://store.steampowered.com/sub/552/

there was bigger list on steam board wich show many game/packs was price much higher after this so called discount

[Ozieo]

No thanks, I don't even pay 1 cent for airware.

[Jelster]

I love those alien breed style shooters. Grabbed Shadowgrounds and Alien Shooter. I'd guess the disparity in price is probably due more to some default values rather than some evil plan to deceive. Still it's a good heads up.

Ozieo:
There are pros and cons to either side. You're just far more used to dealing with the cons of physical media ownership.

[Sabot]

[Safer]

Stumpus: While having a DVD does what? How about reading through a software liecense and see what it says.

[doodaddy]

Thanks for the replies! (And without flames, even! )

As far as I can tell, a big "con" to networked DRM is that I can't resell a game. I don't like them taking away that implied right that I had with an actual (copy-protected) CD.

I know I don't have the right to re-sell, because I was the victim of buying a used copy of half-life 2 on Amazon. After installing, it wouldn't take the key. I'm sure this is a problem, but Steam's support pages ran me around in circles and eventually claimed that I'd "need to purchase another copy". What?!

So basically, I buy a (used) game first, then they tell me I have no rights to it. I didn't bother to get the seller involved. Enough was enough. $20 lesson learned.

[Jelster]

[Sabot]

I've probably got a 'back catalogue' of over 500 PC games from the past 15years.
In that time i've had about 7 PCs that i've built myself inc a couple of HDD failures. I can 'rummage' through those games and still play titles -because of age- that are worth another play, with no DRM hassle etc. I'm old fashioned, i still buy CDs for music as i have a multi-changer in my car and a DRM free MP3 player The moral, i suppose, is if the $hit hits the fan, With a physical copy your up-and-running instantly. No re-download, or another license used etc.
With Half Life 2 i wanted to sell it on to a friend (when it first was released retail) i was told it would cost me 10bucks by VALVE to release a new key and of course you needed STEAM to be installed always to even play it after a new install of OS or upgrade etc -being a PC upgrader.
The consoles trump the PC in the DRM dept, since you can buy and sell-on titles (that are also on PC) without any bull third-party software (like STEAM) being installed to 'activate' it for single player only use or MP.

If you are of the current generation that downloads everything, then you don't understand what it's like to proudly wait for a retail copy inc the HUGE manual that accompanied games back 'then'.
DRM only inconveniences the legit player in more ways than one today and the pirates still get around it by playing games like the 'old days', with no online checks or third party software to play the game.

DRM and digital downloads have hurt the games industry big-time!
The idea of buying vapor-ware doesn't make any sense to todays generation, especialy when they can get vapor-ware from torrent etc for nothing.
If PC games were kept in shops -like music should be too- then none of it would be in such a dire mess.
Amazing how consoles sell MILLIONS of titles -even allowing for pirated software- because their games are still physicaly in shops.

VALVE sales speak nothing for the PC industry as a whole, nor do they speak worldwide, but they were one of the big instigators of piracy by not having on the HL2 box ,'must be online to even play SP'. Boy, i never forgot that day and never will!!
Tarnished was an understatement.

[Jelster]

Steam is far from invasive, you don't need to run it if you're not playing a game, it can easily be stopped, uninstalled etc like any other program. After initial activation you can play offline without a problem. TBH I consider Steam, as a DRM platform, a positive experience. The DRM is invisible and requires the user to do nothing more than be connected to the internet and it also offers a launch pad for your games, community links, friends lists and content, automatic updating of your games etc etc.

While you're of course entitled to be pissed off about having to activate HL2 or run a program in the background to play a game. I can't help but feel that at least with regards to the DRM, you're being difficult now out of principle more than having any practical problem with it. Totally with you on the resale and what-if's of ownership of a virtual product though. Would be nice to see these things clearly laid out now rather than when the issue is forced.

With regards to the shops and digital distribution I think you're far from correct. Apple and Valve have built extremely successful business models based on digital distribution so the customers are clearly there. Those models address a need of the consumer, one that retail probably doesn't and which would likely be filled with an illegal download if there was no alternative.

For Consoles. Better sales I would pick as being due to firstly the fact that console owners buy consoles to play games. Secondly that consoles receive more marketing attention and exclusives than the PC does. As for DRM on consoles it comes at it from a different angle than a PC does but you're still accepting limitations on life of your software bound to a piece of hardware. There is no assurances that you'll be able to play on a newer console version, or that spares will be available for your old one. And again, lose your discs or damage them and you're screwed.

Really Valve instigated piracy because of a one time online activation? One of the most anticipated games in gaming is released and you think their DRM was what promoted piracy? LOL. Oh and for the record in case you missed it, you needed a one time online activation to play, that was it. From there on in you could play single player offline as much as you wished. I mean honestly, who doesn't install a game and then go online to get the latest updates anyway. Again, sounds far more like a principled objection than actual practical one.