This situation just keeps getting uglier. Now Frogware is straight up accusing Nacon of piracy. They say the version of The Sinking City on Steam is actually a hacked version of the one licensed to Gamesplanet.

https://www.ign.com/articles/the-sin…-game-on-steam

Frogware initially put a statement on the Steam release that the version on Steam is not the final version and without any DLC. Later in the forums people actually showed that the Steam version contains all the story DLC (except the cosmetic outfit stuff) - and maybe the deluxe edition. So obviously Frogware is not happy about this!

The problem with Steam is that they control what is installed and the user cannot do anything about it. If there is a DRM or if the game requires the Steam client API, Valve could pull the plug anytime if the situation is escalating between the publisher and the developer. Maybe it's possible to copy the installation directory elsewhere and run it completely outside of Steam, a few games on Steam allow that (usually old games like NWN, BG, …).

I don't know Origin but perhaps it's the same, and obviously Microsoft too. And previously it was sold by Epic if I understand correctly, so probably the same constraints.

That's one of the reasons why I prefer GOG :)

What the developers sell on their site through Gamesplanet is DRM-free, and it looks like there is no tie either. But unfortunately it seems geographically restricted.

Steam has far too much control for my liking, but in practice it's not too much of a worry for me. If they started to pull nonsense like retroactively confiscating games I'd paid for from my library, I would consider the dark arts quite justified to sort that out.

Another twist: (Frogwares issues DMCA strike to get the game removed) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2…e-it-off-steam

Can someone explain to me why Frogwares didn't/doesn't want (an official copy of) the game on Steam in the first place?

Not sure, but I seem to remember something about Frogwares believing that Nacon wasn't paying them their dues, so went their own way. I assume the dispute is over who has the rights to distribute the game, and Frogwares thinks that Nacon's Steam sales will eat into their independent sales. I'd have thought that they'd be better off letting the Steam sales go ahead and sort out their share in court, but perhaps they're broke and desperate. It would be crazy to carry on like this if they weren't.