Like it or not, Steam and other digital distributors are the only reason PC games are even holding on. Digital distribution of games is not the problem; increasingly intrusive DRM and nickle-and-dimeing DLC is. Look at Good Old Games for an example of an excellent online distribution system. I seriously doubt you could connect Steam to increased DRM and DLC; they are all simply emergent business behaviors from the proliferation of the Internet.
It's funny that you mention WoW when it's arguably one of the most heavily restricted and repeatable games in existence.
It's funny that you mention WoW when it's arguably one of the most heavily restricted and repeatable games in existence.
I mention WoW because it is a game which needs to be online, its the whole point of the game after all. So they can put as much online protection around it as they want, as it is justified.
As for Steam, you still need to authenticate every Steam game online, whether purchased via Steam itself or bought out a shop, the first time it is played. Yes after this you can play in offline mode, assuming it doesn't cock up, but you still need to be online at some point to play an offline solo game.
Now everyone back then said - that's fine, it's Steam, they wont go offline etc - yet we have already seen popular games bring down online authentication systems at launch. And we just watched the entire PSN network be brought offline for a month, one of the biggest online gaming networks in history. What do I do when i go to a shop, buy a game, not even a valve game, only to be told that I have to log into Steam, but Steam is down as it was just hacked? It'll never happen? Please
Remember "Steam's availability is not guaranteed and Valve is under no legal obligation to release an update disabling the authentication system in the event that Steam becomes permanently unavailable"
If they would remove this I'd sing Steams praises. Until they do, it's DRM.
E3 - Microsoft (aka the worst E3 session i've ever seen/read about)
- 07/06/2011 02:38:03 PM
778 Views
Pretty underwhelming...
- 07/06/2011 02:43:12 PM
507 Views
Now Sony and MS have gone i have one question - where is RE6 and GTAV?
- 07/06/2011 03:00:32 PM
524 Views
Kinect will get them the Wii market, which is money. I'm not surprised
- 07/06/2011 03:01:16 PM
512 Views
Yeah,that's a load of 
for me
- 07/06/2011 09:53:25 PM
613 Views
for me
- 07/06/2011 09:53:25 PM
613 Views
Yup. You are preaching to the choir
- 07/06/2011 10:43:03 PM
504 Views
Very few of those have anything to do with Steam, which you both recklessly conflate with DRM.
- 07/06/2011 11:59:20 PM
490 Views
Here we go again
- 08/06/2011 12:16:41 AM
651 Views
Not that I *want* it, but the PC version of ME3 should receive the option via headset. Just 'cause. *NM*
- 08/06/2011 02:49:45 PM
240 Views
If you hated it, you will enjoy the animated gif that it inspired:
- 09/06/2011 02:28:38 PM
657 Views