[PeachE]

people are going to b**** no matter what. they'll b**** if it's an inconvenient system. if Valve had decided to go the legal route and filed a few hundred John Doe lawsuits, people would b**** about that too. and if Valve just let people steal the game, the people who paid out good money for it would b****.

Steam isn't a perfect system, but it's not exactly a trojan horse. You have to understand what software companies are facing these days. It will never be easier to buy a game than to steal it, if only because buying it will always come with that nifty 50 dollar price tag. And we're at the point where every major piece of software is released illegally online days before it ever reaches the shelves. Yes, it's bad that the customers feel like their being treated like criminals. But I'm really quite proud of Valve for coming up with a solution within their own business model, rather than running to the government for help or filing several hundred john doe lawsuits, like ... the music industry, just for example.

[vyper]

Right anyway...

Spoiler:

Ending is... interesting. It leaves things open for HL3, in more ways than one. I loved the slow-down time effect, especially with Alyx's motion.

I do wish it had lasted slightly longer, because as G-man walked away I couldn't help but feel a little cheated - as if something was missing. We've waited 6 years for this, and I really was expecting a little more to it. Ah well...

[Flipside]

I think sticking with the whole 'Steam' idea was probably a bad one, Steam is reknowned as a dodgy piece of software, and people are going to be suspicious of it from the start.

It's not the theory that is at fault, it's the practice

[.::Tin Can::.]

What if Steam's purpous was to infect every computer in the world with its mark, and then Valve loaded every Steam App with a virus that baleeted your computer! o_0

Oh noes....

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by PeachE
people are going to b**** no matter what. they'll b**** if it's an inconvenient system. if Valve had decided to go the legal route and filed a few hundred John Doe lawsuits, people would b**** about that too. and if Valve just let people steal the game, the people who paid out good money for it would b****.

Steam isn't a perfect system, but it's not exactly a trojan horse. You have to understand what software companies are facing these days. It will never be easier to buy a game than to steal it, if only because buying it will always come with that nifty 50 dollar price tag. And we're at the point where every major piece of software is released illegally online days before it ever reaches the shelves. Yes, it's bad that the customers feel like their being treated like criminals. But I'm really quite proud of Valve for coming up with a solution within their own business model, rather than running to the government for help or filing several hundred john doe lawsuits, like ... the music industry, just for example.

It feels like a Trojan horse to me - I have absolutely no idea what it's doing when it sits running in the background.  But I've always felt the legitimate purchasers shouldn't be punished because of the pirates - and in this case I am being punished, or made to feel that way.  

Surely it's just as important to keep your existing customers loyal, as it is to find those who are not?  I mean, how much money did Doom3 make, a game that was leaked just prior to release and was as anticipated?  And AFAIK that game didn't have a horribly obtrusive form of copy protection.

[Ford Prefect]

I just remembered that I have a coupon that came with my graphics card that gives me a free copy of Half-Life 2. I'm downloading it now.

[PeachE]

... I mean, how much money did Doom3 make, a game that was leaked just prior to release and was as anticipated?  And AFAIK that game didn't have a horribly obtrusive form of copy protection.

steam isn't really highly obtrusive. all it requires is that you activate the game before you start playing. it's the equivalent of requiring registration instead of just asking for it. after that, you can run in offline mode all you want. hell, if you're that paranoid, tell your firewall to block steam. the games (with the exception of multiplayer of course) will still run.

btw, Doom has sold a little over a million copies. given the average price of games, after costing somewhere in the neighborhood of  $14mil to produce, it's safe to say it brought home a 7 digit profit, which will be a good jumping off point for the production of their next game.

...

as i said before though, people are going to piss and moan no matter what. one rumor (only a rumor, unconfirmed afaik), states that valve is releasing a cracked version and watching the accounts that use it. even if this was effective (which it's not) and even if it was true (which it probably isn't), it only effects those that would hack the game. and yet, people are still pissed off at this rumor.

meh.

[.::Tin Can::.]

Life goes on, ya know?

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by PeachE


steam isn't really highly obtrusive. all it requires is that you activate the game before you start playing. it's the equivalent of requiring registration instead of just asking for it. after that, you can run in offline mode all you want. hell, if you're that paranoid, tell your firewall to block steam. the games (with the exception of multiplayer of course) will still run.

 

It doesn't run in offline mode - just gives a server inaccessible error (which was sort of the whole point).  And this is the retail copy, CD key et-al.  So having to wait between 1-5 minutes before it even starts loading the game, really pisses me off.

But I guess I've made my objection to the whole situation clear anyways.  It's a pain in the arse, and I'm not a happy bunny about it.

[vyper]

Aldo, try updating steam and hl2, mine's works fine in Offline mode but I had to wait 2 hours for updates when I first installed it.

Depending on where and when you bought it, some UK discs have had errors.

[aldo_14]

I dunno, supposedly it is updated but they give you **** all information as to what the program is actually doing.

[Slasher]

I'm able to run HL2 in offline mode too (a good thing being on 56k).  Frankly I hope Valve scraps Steam as a requirement for their games.  If they want to make it optional for those with broadband so people can download updates easily then fine.  But in its current state it's a real *****.

[Fineus]

Could someone point out to me where Offline Mode is? I've looked high and low but haven't seen any sign of it..

[Stealth]

I originally thought i'd bypass Steam by buying HL2 retail in stores... boy was I wrong.

Keep an eye on the port activity light of your router or switch that your computer's plugged into... I did... and while I'm playing HL2, i see that little light blinking like crazy, when the only thing running is HL2 and it's "companion" Steam.  I don't know what it's doing, but i don't like it.  As was mentioned, I've got no problems with the game validating with a server every time you want to play online, to make sure that no two CD keys are in use (like Blizzard does with their games), but they make the game too "online oriented"... I mean with 5 CDs, I'd have thought I could install it, MAYBE verify it... I can still see that... because I can see how they don't want someone installing it on 10 computers... but the whole "logging onto your account to play the game"... that's bull crap, and I don't like it.  I mean, when I click on "Half Life 2", i expect the game to pop up, not some little turquoise box to pop up saying "Logging into your account..."

*shakes head*

otherwise, the game seems good.  I'm not happy with my framerates, but I suspect it's my crappy 9200.  When you run the "Frame rate test", what FPS are you all getting?

Overall, great game, I'm loving it, but Steam i don't like one bit.  It's taken to extremes, and it's not like it's going to stop piracy of the game... or if it was supposed to, then it's already failed in that regard.

[Stealth]

Originally posted by Kalfireth
Could someone point out to me where Offline Mode is? I've looked high and low but haven't seen any sign of it..

try unplugging your computer from your network and then running HL2.  i'm going to try that when I get home, and see how Steam starts freaking out.

[Slasher]

To be honest I don't know enough about Steam to tell you how Offline Mode would work on broadband since you're always connected to the internet.  The way it works for me is that when I'm not online and I start the HL2 exe it starts Steam up, Steam finds out I'm not connected to the internet after a minute or two, asks me if I want to try to reconnnect to the servers or just run Steam in Offline Mode, and then off I am to several more minutes of loading to get to the HL2 menu screen.  

I'd like to think there's a way to run Steam in Offline Mode without disconnecting from the internet, but I really don't know how.

[Stealth]

yeah for us it'd be the same as just pulling the plug or shutting an interface down *nods*

[Ransom]

I tried that, but after clicking 'Start in Offline Mode' it says it has a server error or some other rubbish then quits. Ugh. Why is it trying to connect to the server when it's supposed to be running in offline mode?

[Ford Prefect]

Well I started up HL2 and it seems to get stuck in the loading screen. I think it's either my graphics card or that my processor isn't fast enough.

[Flipside]

Sorry, saw this on Photoshop Phriday and I just had to......