GOG - The First 5 Years

Valve doesn't force anyone to put their games up on steam. Publishers and devs choose steam because it's good business for them. Personally I don't consider steam much of a drm issue, it's just a store with an online library. Hell, you can even play offline if that's an issue. The only difference between gog and steam is that with gog it allows you to download the games directly to your computer instead of to a client. Really, all you have to do is log in.
I understood some of the drm issues people had early on when it made games unplayable in many situations but now I think the drm hating has gone way overboard. It's not really hard to just simply log in to something and you have access to tons of games wherever you want, whenever you want, online or offline - it doesn't matter at all.
Steam isn't aiming for monopoly either, they simply growing because other similar ones such as origin are overpriced, poor designed and have poor service (basically they are shit).
Gog profits from this too and I see gog living on much longer than origin will.

I can download GoG game excutables, apply mods, back them up (the excutable) and run them without the need for a third part software to activate them. Steam is a DRM, you can not play the majority of the games without it running in the background, nor back games up without, again, running Steam in the background, nor modify the game excutable (for modding or otherwise).

You might have heard recently that there was a glitch with the Steam API settings for the just released Metal Gear rising game, which is a single player game, that prevented the game running offline without the Steam client being online. This was a Steam issue that is fixed now, but highlights the fact that Steam is a DRM.

I wonder how long you can keep Steam offline before it starts complaining that you need to connect online and verify your details (for security reasons of course and to update the client - oh swell!). So even in offline mode, can you still keep playing a Steam game (again with the client in the background) indenfinetly?

Steamworks is also a process whereby online gaming has to take place through a Steam client, which is where Steam is putting its weight now (and hence not continuing with single-player type games such as Half-life from a recent interview with Gabe Newell).

I have no issues with Steam as I use it myself, but GoG is a pure and simple DRM free online outlet without the Steam DRM. It is a matter of convenience especially for an older person like myself who is used to running programs from disks locally without an online client.

By the way, the Steam business model, intended or not, does force developers/publishers to put games on Steam for obvious reasons.

Fair points yes, but that doesn't change the fact that steam is one of the most simplistic and non harming drm's you can get. It's hardly ever noticeable. I just think there is a lot of arrogance towards it.

NyxVampiria said:

Fair points yes, but that doesn't change the fact that steam is one of the most simplistic and non harming drm's you can get. It's hardly ever noticeable. I just think there is a lot of arrogance towards it.

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You just have to look at the big picture

NyxVampiria said:

Fair points yes, but that doesn't change the fact that steam is one of the most simplistic and non harming drm's you can get. It's hardly ever noticeable. I just think there is a lot of arrogance towards it.

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I agree with all of this but the fact remains that you don't *own* any games on steam and something like this can happen...

http://hexus.net/gaming/news/pc/64193-order-war-first-game-erased-steam-user-libraries/

lostforever said:

I agree with all of this but the fact remains that you don't *own* any games on steam and something like this can happen…

http://hexus.net/gaming/news/pc/64193-order-war-first-game-erased-steam-user-libraries/

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Could be mistaken but I think I read somewhere that valve had a backup solution or were working on one that could enable you to download your games outside the client in case of a shutdown or such. At least I hope so nothing lasts forever.
Besides, everything has it's risks. No one's boxed copies are safe from a house on fire either

lostforever said:

I agree with all of this but the fact remains that you don't *own* any games on steam and something like this can happen…

http://hexus.net/gaming/news/pc/64193-order-war-first-game-erased-steam-user-libraries/

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That is a critical point, which means that even if you have your Steam games backed up somewhere on disk and installed them, you will still not be able to run them should something like this happens.

I imagine a crack/emulator would be quick to come out if this ever does happen. You'd be amazed at how resourceful game players are.