Your thoughts on Steam

[Zaxxon]

When I first heard the details on Steam, I was a bit apprehensive. Requiring an Internet connection to play an offline-only game? What happens if you don't have one? Or if the Steam servers are down?

The more I think about it, though, the more accepting I am. We're 18 hours away from release now, and no one has played the game. No warezers have succeeded in cracking Steam protection. Perhaps Steam will prove the 'real deal' in anti-piracy methods, and if so, I'm more able to accept it. In truth, we're fast approaching the point where not having an Internet connection is quite an anomaly, so that's not as big an issue as I believe some are making it, especially among gamers.

I'm not a fan of relying on foreign servers to play my offline game years from now, but I would be mighty surprised if Valve didn't unlock Steam games if Steam ever threatens to disappear.

Anyway, the bottom line is that it looks like Steam is bringing the 1-2 punch of protecting the game from piracy, and delivering a much higher % of my dollars to the developers of the game, with the added convenience (for me) of bringing me the product without my pasty white rear leaving my chair.

So, to sum up my rambling: what are your thoughts on Steam now? An intrusion on your privacy and rights as a gamer? A boon to developers everywhere? The next revolution in software delivery and protection? An outmoded method of power production?

[bluefugue]

So far my steam experience has been super. I just object in principle to the idea of mandatory internet registration for a game that doesn't need to be played online. If it really is that effective in stemming piracy, well then maybe it is worth it. But I don't like my games to be "tied" to some obscure online service thingie. Makes it complicated to play them years later if the company went under, or I forgot my password info, or whatever. There will always be workarounds I suppose but there are potential hassles.

God forbid, I like the idea of being able to buy a piece of software and use it when the hell I want and without answering to anyone.

And yeah, I didn't like Windows XP activation either, though I haven't had bad experiences with it.

[Kelric]

I just object in principle to the idea of mandatory internet registration for a game that doesn't need to be played online. If it really is that effective in stemming piracy, well then maybe it is worth it. But I don't like my games to be "tied" to some obscure online service thingie. Makes it complicated to play them years later if the company went under, or I forgot my password info, or whatever. There will always be workarounds I suppose but there are potential hassles.

God forbid, I like the idea of being able to buy a piece of software and use it when the hell I want and without answering to anyone.

And yeah, I didn't like Windows XP activation either, though I haven't had bad experiences with it.

Same here with everything quoted above. Though what happens if I lose my internet connection for a day or two? No game for me apparently, which just seems wrong.

[Zaxxon]

Same here with everything quoted above. Though what happens if I lose my internet connection for a day or two? No game for me apparently, which just seems wrong.

I believe Steam will fall into Offline mode in that case.

[godhugh]

Folks, you only have to connect once to activate it. That's it.

After that, you can play the game on a laptop sitting in the middle of the Sahara Desert if you want too.

Jeez, I fail to see why it's such a big deal to have to connect one time to activate the game.

Personally, I think Steam is fantastic. Incredibly fast download speeds when I was pre-loading HL2 and the whole experience was absolutely painless.

[Kelric]

Folks, you only have to connect once to activate it. That's it.

After that, you can play the game on a laptop sitting in the middle of the Sahara Desert if you want too.

Jeez, I fail to see why it's such a big deal to have to connect one time to activate the game.

Personally, I think Steam is fantastic. Incredibly fast download speeds when I was pre-loading HL2 and the whole experience was absolutely painless.

Well then, I have no issues with it.

[warning]

I've had no problems at all with Steam. They've been updating it regularly to squelch any bugs. I'm happy with it.

My issue is that other companies will likely start using this model. What if they don't do as reliable a job as Valve? Will they be around so I can still install the game 10 years from now?

[bluefugue]

Suppose my internet connection is down on the day I want to activate the game. My internet goes down from time to time, it could happen. Suddenly I can't play.

Suppose 5 years from now I want to replay the game and the company doesn't exist anymore. It could happen, game companies go under all the time & cease to support their software.

Suppose I misplaced my log-in information and my email address has changed so that the company can't verify it's still me. Happens on message boards all the time, who knows it could happen with a game. Sure it'll get straightened out after some mucky muck and emailing to admins and such -- assuming, again, the company that made the game still exists.

These are fairly extreme cases, sure. It's not the end of the world. Workarounds will evolve to deal with the potential complaints I have outlined. I'm not gonna boycott games because of it -- certainly not a game like Half Life 2 which I have been eagerly anticipating.

But I don't have to like it. Coupled with digital distribution it makes sense since you couldn't get the game in the first place without being online. But I don't appreciate this stuff being trickled down to CD/box-purchase games as well. There had better be a strong anti-piracy impact, otherwise it's bollocks IMO.

And FWIW it is more of a hassle to use software that you downloaded and registered, when reinstalling on new systems, new boxes, new Windows installs, etc. -- in my experience anyway. I bought Fruityloops that way, great piece of software but I haven't reinstalled since I built my new system because I'd have to dig up the password which is burned onto some backup CD somewhere, play a little email tag with the website, etc. Same deal with Avernum 2 which I bought online, great game but it would be an inconvenience to try to get it to run again on a new Windows install.

Again, not the end of the world or anything. But I like the simplicity of having the solid media that you can install and reinstall whenever you darn well want. I don't like some remote gatekeeper that may not even exist in 5 years, telling me whether I can use the software I shelled out for.

[dbt1949]

I don't like the idea of having to activate a program on line that is going to be used off line. I already have one program like that and the company has since gone our of business,which means I'm screwed if I have to delete the program.
As mch as I'd like to play HL2 I'm going to pass on it because of it.

[knob]

I like it so far. It has a few potential problems (Activation day being a mess, Valve going under, losing login information), but so far, I'm pleased.



Some of these things could easily happen with a non-steam boxed game. Sort of, anyways. What do you do when you lose your CD Key and/or CDs to play? You'd have to buy a whole new copy after hours of searching. A few emails and phone calls to fix a very extreme case of lost information doesn't seem half bad.

[bluefugue]

CD keys are a hassle too, I've had some incidents with them. Ideally they are printed on the jewelbox so it's not such a problem.

I'm just going mainly off my experiences with FLoops and Avernum 2. Buying & installing them was painless. Reinstalling months or years later, more of a drag. It's a necessary side effect of buying games online, don't want to see it come over to in-store purchases.

But then, the "in store" purchase for games as for music and movies, may soon be a thing of the past anyway.

Even with online purchases, I'd like a way for you to just get the file unlocked permanently once your credit card info clears. Maybe they send you a little patch and then you can back up the install file to your hard drive or a DVD or whatever, and you never have to deal with any muckymuck after that. I want the permanence, I don't want to deal with gatekeepers from impermanent game companies.

[godhugh]

Even with online purchases, I'd like a way for you to just get the file unlocked permanently once your credit card info clears. Maybe they send you a little patch and then you can back up the install file to your hard drive or a DVD or whatever, and you never have to deal with any muckymuck after that. I want the permanence, I don't want to deal with gatekeepers from impermanent game companies.

You can. There is a "Backup Files" option on Steam. Once you've activated the game (less then 24 hours!! woohoo!!) backup your files to CD/DVD and you can install it anywhere without going online to activate it again.

[Zekester]

I don't like the idea of having to activate a program on line that is going to be used off line. I already have one program like that and the company has since gone our of business,which means I'm screwed if I have to delete the program.
As mch as I'd like to play HL2 I'm going to pass on it because of it.

Agreed.

(except for the "have other program now" part)

[crumsteel]

I am worried about trading or selling the game. Will it even be possible? CS does not interest me much and I would get it for the single player only. Once done I would put it on my trade list more than likely.

[Blackhawk]

Some thoughts - first of all, on the 'no warez version yet' - we'll have to wait and see on that one. As of right now, the executable hasn't been released. The game, for all practical purposes, is still at Valve, and nobody has had the chance to try and crack it. Once Valve hits the unlock switch, then it will be interesting to see whether the protection holds up.

Anyway, on to Steam itself. It has some real pros - it has the potential to curtail piracy. A pain, yes, but less of a pain than publishers going the StarForce route and screwing up my PC. That is a big one.

The biggest one, though, is that it has the potential to yank the publisher out of the picture, or limit them to functioning as a marketing firm for those established devs that can fund a project or two of their own. If that works out, it could be a huge plus - no more publishers forcing content changes for a rating, no more altering gameplay to force it into a Wal-Mart recognized genre. No more sucking the profits from the developers.

There are some huge cons, though. Lots of the cons aren't specifically about Steam, but about Steam's precedent - what will happen if Steam works beautifully and numerous other publishers jump on that bandwagon?

Going online once is no big deal, no, except that four years ago when I moved to Indiana, my job was delayed, and I was stuck for nearly a year with no money and no internet connection. I kept entertained by playing all of my old titles again, patching them from my collection of PC Gamer disks. Had one of those titles been HL2, I couldn't have played it. If Steam catches on, and most of a person's titles were Steam-similar, their entire library could be rendered inoperative if they ever uninstalled or reformatted while in the situation I was in. At least WindowsXP has a telephone option.

Other people have mentioned it - what if the company goes out of business? I own games right now whose multiplayer is designed to only work with a specific service - Ubi.com, NovaWorld. I have older games whose services are now closed, and are thus unplayable online. Valve seems pretty dedicated, and I am sure that they would find a way to permanently unlock HL2 if they declared bankruptcy.

What about when you have five activation-only JoWood games and they declare bankruptcy? Will you feel as confident about them, given their support record? Atari isn't far behind - if Temple of Elemental Evil were activation only, what do you think the chances of an offline patch for that would be?

No, going online once isn't any big deal, but I'd hate to lose my connection for six months and find my game library unplayable, or have it rendered useless by a few bankruptcies.

Steam has some really good potential, but it also has some huge potential pitfalls - not so much from Valve, but from less ethical companies in the future.

In any case, I bet the next Steam game will have a big 'Playable on XX/XX/XXXX' sticker on the retail boxes!

[godhugh]

Going online once is no big deal, no, except that four years ago when I moved to Indiana, my job was delayed, and I was stuck for nearly a year with no money and no internet connection. I kept entertained by playing all of my old titles again, patching them from my collection of PC Gamer disks. Had one of those titles been HL2, I couldn't have played it. If Steam catches on, and most of a person's titles were Steam-similar, their entire library could be rendered inoperative if they ever uninstalled or reformatted while in the situation I was in. At least WindowsXP has a telephone option.

Yes, you could have played it. Like I said, once you've activated the game, back it all up to a CD/DVD using the "Backup Files" option. Tada, you can reinstall the game and play without activating again whenever you want.

[Blackhawk]

Manually backup 50+ games once the Steam model becomes popular? What about when some company pushes it a bit further and insists that the game connect on each run for confirmation? What about when Blizzard's (or whoever's) version of Steam doesn't have a 'backup files' or a way to let you back it up?

I'm not saying that HL2 will be a huge problem (if I thought it would, I wouldn't be considering staying until 3 tonight to get my Silver package activated ), but that the potential precedent set by Steam has some big, worrisome things that need to be worked out.

[Smoove_B]

Of course, there are some details that are going to need to be ironed out...but I think overall I'm really enjoying the Steam experience.

I was against it at first, but since I downloaded everything Friday night, it's been a painless experience.

What we're seeing between right now Valve and VU is the thrashing of a bratty child that isn't used to being cut out of the profits.

If the Steam model works, I would expect many other developers to move towards a similar model. No more dealing with Wal-Mart or limited shelf space in the B&M stores.

Without a cut to publishers, perhaps costs will decrease? Who knows. Regardless, it's good to be a part of it.

[Freezer-TPF-]

Question: If you buy HL2 via Steam, how much additional space on your HD do the install files take up? And do they stay on your HD even after you install the game? Seems like that would take up a ton of space.

[Smoove_B]

Question: If you buy HL2 via Steam, how much additional space on your HD do the install files take up? And do they stay on your HD even after you install the game? Seems like that would take up a ton of space.

I *think* HL2 and CS: Source have a 4GB footprint. The total footprint for my Steam Silver installation is around 8GB. That includes the entire back library of Valve. I can't remember everything off the top of my head, but there's like 10+ games in my "Now Playing" box.

I don't know if that 8GB space on my drive has been reserved for HL:Source and the other Source conversion that's pending.

[Vinda-Lou]

I'm wondering how many people will be driven to console gaming if Steam becomes the norm. Halo 2 was a huge release, had a couple of pirating problems, but still went on to make millions on opening day. Did anyone need to go and activate it? No, and same thing with GTA:SA - both Halo 2 and GTA were hugely profiled games that people bought and played instantly. Would people rather play games that easily, or go online and register? What if Valve has a nice ol' patch waiting to be installed when you register the game? 56k owners would possibly have to wait hours for a 50meg download! Not that it would happen, because companies never patch newly released off-line games that quickly...

Anyway, I'm not too bothered by Steam and will gladly register the game tomorrow. But when it becomes an invasion of privacy - even something as simple as filling out a damn survey, then I will not be a big supporter of Steam. Was it Blizzard who wound up taking personal information when registering a game? Let's just hope that it is all worth it - I cannot wait to buy the game and play it!

[Zaxxon]

Some thoughts - first of all, on the 'no warez version yet' - we'll have to wait and see on that one. As of right now, the executable hasn't been released. The game, for all practical purposes, is still at Valve, and nobody has had the chance to try and crack it. Once Valve hits the unlock switch, then it will be interesting to see whether the protection holds up.

Good point--I r smrt.

Anyway, on to Steam itself. It has some real pros - it has the potential to curtail piracy. A pain, yes, but less of a pain than publishers going the StarForce route and screwing up my PC. That is a big one.

Another big issue; I meant to point that out in my initial post, but it slipped my mind. Again, I r smrt.

Going online once is no big deal, no, except that four years ago when I moved to Indiana, my job was delayed, and I was stuck for nearly a year with no money and no internet connection. I kept entertained by playing all of my old titles again, patching them from my collection of PC Gamer disks. Had one of those titles been HL2, I couldn't have played it. If Steam catches on, and most of a person's titles were Steam-similar, their entire library could be rendered inoperative if they ever uninstalled or reformatted while in the situation I was in.

With respect, I think this is the most extreme of extreme cases, and isn't something Valve should be losing too much sleep over, if Steam turns out to massively reduce piracy and increase profits.

Steam has some really good potential, but it also has some huge potential pitfalls - not so much from Valve, but from less ethical companies in the future.

In any case, I bet the next Steam game will have a big 'Playable on XX/XX/XXXX' sticker on the retail boxes!

Very much inagreement on these comments.

[Blackhawk]

With respect, I think this is the most extreme of extreme cases, and isn't something Valve should be losing too much sleep over, if Steam turns out to massively reduce piracy and increase profits.

I agree - it is an extreme case, but it was something I had to live through. Because of that, the risk of it seems a bit more real to me, and figures prominently into my feelings about Steam and its future offspring. It is an opinion piece, not a technical overview, and the instability of my situation, even now, forces me to include it in my opinion.

[disarm]

Question: If you buy HL2 via Steam, how much additional space on your HD do the install files take up? And do they stay on your HD even after you install the game? Seems like that would take up a ton of space.

the 'install files' and the 'game files' are the same thing...you download the content in the same format from which it will be played. as far as i can tell, there isn't any installation or decompression process after the downloads. as for the amount of HD space, my Retail install of Steam, HL2, and CS:S is 4.34GB right now.

my opinion on Steam...i hadn't tried it out until last night, but i'm pleased with the service so far. i will agree that the success/failure of Steam can ultimately have a significant impact on the gaming industry, but it's not one i'm too worried about. if the service is successful, reduces piracy, and helps to put more money in the hands of developers rather than publishers, i'm all for it.

[Freezer-TPF-]

Question: If you buy HL2 via Steam, how much additional space on your HD do the install files take up? And do they stay on your HD even after you install the game? Seems like that would take up a ton of space.

I *think* HL2 and CS: Source have a 4GB footprint. The total footprint for my Steam Silver installation is around 8GB. That includes the entire back library of Valve. I can't remember everything off the top of my head, but there's like 10+ games in my "Now Playing" box.

I don't know if that 8GB space on my drive has been reserved for HL:Source and the other Source conversion that's pending.

Gah, that sounds like a lot. One reason I am planning to buy the retail box is that I don't want a bunch of install files sitting around on my HD taking up space after I install HL2. I have about 13G free on my gaming partition -- guess I better start cleaning stuff off just in case.

[Blackhawk]

I dunno. My Unreal Tournament 2004 installation is 7.63GB, Morrowind is 3GB, and Flight Simulator 2004 is close to 11GB. A 5GB install for two games (CS and HL2) doesn't seem like all that much.

[RunningMn9]

I was really against the idea of Steam in the beginning. It just seemed wrong.

But then I got an email from Smoove_B telling me that HL2 was already on his hard drive. And so I discovered that the free copy I sent away for from ATI could just as easily be downloaded. And so I registered Steam, and everything just seemed to work great.

*IF* Steam has a measurable affect on piracy, and *IF* Steam allows Valve to make mad profits on the game - then I approve of Steam as a vehicle in the future.

[ThirdDynasty]

Yes, you could have played it. Like I said, once you've activated the game, back it all up to a CD/DVD using the "Backup Files" option. Tada, you can reinstall the game and play without activating again whenever you want.

Are you sure about this? This would seem to defeat the anti-piracy arguments for steam. I would imagine that a copy of this backed-up version would be on every file sharing network within one hour of the games release.

[Zaxxon]

Yes, you could have played it. Like I said, once you've activated the game, back it all up to a CD/DVD using the "Backup Files" option. Tada, you can reinstall the game and play without activating again whenever you want.

Are you sure about this? This would seem to defeat the anti-piracy arguments for steam. I would imagine that a copy of this backed-up version would be on every file sharing network within one hour of the games release.

I'm pretty certain that this is incorrect. The situation is identical to purchasing the CD copy of the game--you have all the content, but still need to sign on to Steam to play. Backup backs up the content, not the account verification.

[Biyobi]

Remember that Steam cost Valve a goodly sum of money to develop. Smaller publishers aren't going to pony up the cash to develop their own version, they are going to sign their games up for distribution by Valve and Steam. Valve has set themselves up to be THE on-line publisher.

My experiences with Steam have been great so far. I get the occasional crash in CounterStrike, but that's probably a fault of the game rather than Steam.

[snoleopard]

I have no problem with Steam other than some of the concerns others here have noted. I do have a couple of questions though. I bought (at a B&M store) the deluxe game simply because I don't want 5 CD's, and the DVD was worth the xtra money to me, (plus nothing says geek like running around in a HL teeshirt.. ). When I install it, I really don't want the newer HL, or the CS either, I just want the HL2, and that's it. Will this be possible, or is it just going to automatically download everything? Another question, after I have played a game a few times, I don't leave it sitting on my hard drive, I delete it along with all files associated with it. When I want to play again, will I have to re-register with Steam, or will the DVD still work? Will I need to back up files before I uninstall it?

About the Tee, it only comes in XLarge, and I'm only 5'2" 100lbs. Thats going to look kinda funny, but I'll wear it anyway...

[Blackhawk]

Remember that Steam cost Valve a goodly sum of money to develop. Smaller publishers aren't going to pony up the cash to develop their own version, they are going to sign their games up for distribution by Valve and Steam. Valve has set themselves up to be THE on-line publisher.

Absolutely. If it works like Valve hopes it will, then all of the traditional publishers out there are going to see their business model in danger. I expect a rush for them to come up with their own versions of Steam before Valve takes the air out of their sails - and out of their sales.

[Smoove_B]

When you purchase the game at a B&M store, ALL you get is HL2 and CS:Source - at least, that's what I've been made to understand.

ONLY people that purcahse HL2 through Steam have the option to acquire the additional Valve titles.

[disarm]

When you purchase the game at a B&M store, ALL you get is HL2 and CS:Source - at least, that's what I've been made to understand.

that is correct...unless you count the little Codename: Gordon game (which is actually kinda fun)

[snoleopard]

This is the DVD version I ordered at GameStop, and it comes with all this stuff.

In addition to a limited edition DVD-ROM version of Half-Life 2, this Collector’s Edition also includes:
- Counter-Strike: Source – The next generation of the #1 online action game
- Half-Life: Source – Digitally remastered version of the original critically acclaimed PC game
- Free Limited Edition T-shirt – Offered in men’s size XL only
- Half-Life 2 Prima Book – Information on character backgrounds, the making of the game, and more than 100 pieces of artwork

Taken directly from the box I read, (they let me look at it today, but that's all... ) and gamestops site.

[Freezer-TPF-]

Hmm, I thought the CE included the strategy guide, but I guess it doesn't.

Ouch, they let you just look at the box -- that is cruel.

[JayG]

I read that the prima book is supposed to very disappointing when compared to the book that came with the Warcraft 3 special edition. In Europe we get the DVD version, and I assume that it comes in a DVD boc like every other game released here, so I don't have much interest in the collectors edition. I won't be buying it for a few weeks though, as it's a game I want to play on my new PC, so if enough people rave about Half Life source I might change my mind. I have no problem with a one off product activation, especially if it defeats piracy. Considering the amount of complaints of a lack of a multiplayer component to Vampire I assume that most PC gamers will have some form of Internet access. It only has to be done once. And after the mess Starforce made of my PC, this form of copy protection sounds pretty sweet to me. I just wonder what the cd protection will be like, and if I need to have the DVD in the drive.

[SuperHiro]

From what I understand, Half-Life: Source looks nearly identical to Half-life, only with the fancy new water. I think it's in the PC Gamer review issue.

[Ranulf]

What I'm curious to see is if the game requires the cd/dvd in the drive after authentication for the retail version.

[dangerballs]

Hmm, I thought the CE included the strategy guide, but I guess it doesn't.

Ouch, they let you just look at the box -- that is cruel.

The book is a sampler that includes part of the Official Strategy Guide and part of the Raising the Crowbar Behind the Scenes book.