Civ5 coming with Steam enforcement and DRM - will you buy it?

[Dachs]

I like Steam. Never had any problems with it since I put it on for HL2 almost six years ago. Reduces transport costs for game acquisition too, always a big plus as far as I'm concerned

 

[Maniacal]

Steam also eliminates piracy. Yes, eliminates for anyone that wants to use multiplayer.

You can pirate Civ 4 and log RIGHT IN to stupid Gamespy, because it has no protection, how daft is that?

It does not eliminate piracy, NOTHING does.

I like steam, but I didn't expect Civ5 to use it.

 

[Chalks]

Anyone who thought that Civ 5 wasn't going to use some form of modern DRM is insane.

So, given that, Steam is pretty much the highest quality and least intrusive DRM system on the market at the moment.

I would be interested to hear what some of the descenters would suggest they use as an alternative, if they're interested in actually having a conversation in between their jibbering.

 

[Maniacal]

Well besides always trying to sell you more games
But at the very least, its advertising stuff that I am interested in unlike the other 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of advertisements which I ruthlessly block.

 

[Chalks]

Well besides always trying to sell you more games
But at the very least, its advertising stuff that I am interested in unlike the other 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of advertisements which I ruthlessly block.

With this preorder of Civ V my Steam games list hit 105 games.

Just... so... convenient...

 

[joasoze]

Anyone who thought that Civ 5 wasn't going to use some form of modern DRM is insane.

So, given that, Steam is pretty much the highest quality and least intrusive DRM system on the market at the moment.

I would be interested to hear what some of the descenters would suggest they use as an alternative, if they're interested in actually having a conversation in between their jibbering.

You are missing the point. Why Steam only??? Why do I need to install Steam? Are you saying that there is no DRM that would allow me to buy a game off Impulse?

 

[joasoze]

Actually I am so sad now. Its like I have lost a friend.. CIV IV is the BEST game ever... and I will most likely drop CIV V... I have been gaming forever (I am 38 years old), and the PC gaming industry has been going downhill for a while..
Only bright spots lately are Kings Bounty and Elemental (not released yet).

 

[Toni1]

Anyone who thought that Civ 5 wasn't going to use some form of modern DRM is insane.

So, given that, Steam is pretty much the highest quality and least intrusive DRM system on the market at the moment.

I disagree but decide not to take a bite and write leghty tirade about what I feel is bad about Steam and it's DRM as that would require you to reply in kind and we'd have nice little flamewar.

I would be interested to hear what some of the descenters would suggest they use as an alternative, if they're interested in actually having a conversation in between their jibbering.

Well they could sell Civ5 in all DD services and let them use the system they want and have in place. Impulse would use Goo, GamersGate would use their system and so fort and voila, everyone (well at least consumers, I don't know about greedy corporate excecutives ) would be happy.

 

[Chalks]

You are missing the point. Why Steam only??? Why do I need to install Steam? Are you saying that there is no DRM that would allow me to buy a game off Impulse?

You can still buy a boxed copy of the game. Why is where you buy the game from the most important thing to you?

If they do sell the steamworks powered Civ 5 from "Impulse" (I don't know what this is, but I assume it is a digital distribution site) - how will your life be improved?

I am missing your point because I'm not sure what it is.

 

[Lars_Domus]

I would be interested to hear what some of the descenters would suggest they use as an alternative, if they're interested in actually having a conversation in between their jibbering.

Nothing. I suggest they use nothing at all.

 

[Chalks]

I disagree but decide not to take a bite and write leghty tirade about what I feel is bad about Steam and it's DRM as that would require you to reply in kind and we'd have nice little flamewar.

Well they could sell Civ5 in all DD services and let them use the system they want and have in place. Impulse would use Goo, GamersGate would use their system and so fort and voila, everyone (well at least consumers, I don't know about greedy corporate excecutives ) would be happy.

Same question to you: why does the digital distribution platform matter?

You buy the game at a retail outlet or you get it from a particular digital distribution site.

This is the internet, you can't claim that one website is more convenient for you or something.

Nothing. I suggest they use nothing at all.

Anyone who thought that Civ 5 wasn't going to use some form of modern DRM is insane.

Howdy. How's the moon taste where you're from?

 

[Toni1]

You can still buy a boxed copy of the game. Why is where you buy the game from the most important thing to you?

If they do sell the steamworks powered Civ 5 from "Impulse" (I don't know what this is, but I assume it is a digital distribution site) - how will your life be improved?

I am missing your point because I'm not sure what it is.

You're missing the point. Most of us would like to use our prefered DD service (most of us dont wan't to have more than one client if any (some don't have client programs at all) in our computers) and not have to deal with steam at all.

Think of it this way: what if every developer/publisher that offers their games in steam would require you to install their DRM solution, game client and register to their community in addition to steamworks. Would you be happy? It's pretty simple: most of us want to buy the game from our prefered service (there are gazillion out there) and only have to deal with their client/community etc.

 

[Megajames75]

After playing some TF2, I saw that Civ V would be Steampowered, for me this is great.

Firstly, and obviously, tens of millions of other people just got informed about a great game, and will receive information about it, providing a great sales boost. However, this is only the start of it, the great Steam integration will allow me to see when my friends are playing an visa-versa, which means it is much easier to start multiplayer, and advertises how great Civ is to my friends.

I can also enjoy a seamless autoupdate, (unless I disable it for mods), no hunting on the internet for the file, then installing, then deleting file and other such old fashioned tasks.

Being Steampowered means I can buy a disk copy, and get a box, paper manual, and all the normal things, but also have the security of knowing I can always redownload the game from Steam. A huge advantage for me, I have had many discs, and thus games, lost and damaged.

Steam of course won't remove piracy, but it is one of the better systems to protect games. As for resources, I have Steam running all the time anyway to talk to friends and to launch all my games, both Steam and non-steam. Steam is also a program from a company I trust, VALVe are not a publicly owned company, and very rarely seems to be profit driven, Steam does collect data about your hardware with your permission, and publishes this online so they, and other game developers can see what the avg gamer has in his rig, I think this is a great idea.

Anyone who has any issues with it should check if they are truly valid, as the only possible one I can see is if your PC cannot go online once to validate the game.

 

[Lars_Domus]

Howdy. How's the moon taste where you're from?

This question seems to have little relevance to the quotes that preceded it. Please elaborate or clarify.

 

[Chalks]

You're missing the point. Most of us would like to use our prefered DD service (most of us dont wan't to have more than one client if any (some don't have client programs at all) in our computers) and not have to deal with steam at all.

Think of it this way: what if every developer/publisher that offers their games in steam would require you to install their DRM solution, game client and register to their community in addition to steamworks. Would you be happy? It's pretty simple: most of us want to buy the game from our prefered service (there are gazillion out there) and only have to deal with their client/community etc.

I agree, but steam is the largest digital distribution platform out there. The idea that in order to avoid a situation in which there are lots of small distributors cluttering up a system, publishers should be avoiding going with the market leaders makes little sense.

I've never found a game that I wanted to acquire digitally that was not available on Steam. It was either unavailable for digital download or it was on Steam. It is the only platform I have on my system and I have never encountered a situation where I have needed another.

You're pushing in the wrong direction if you are saying that a unified distribution method is best.

 

[Chalks]

This question seems to have little relevance to the quotes that preceded it. Please elaborate or clarify.

Firaxis aren't a $5 independent game studio, they're going to have DRM, so assuming you're not simply saying "I want something that is never going to happen", I was asking what the alternative DRM platform would be.

But you seem to be living in some reality where this was not my question and all new mainstream games are not linked to online DRM.

So I was just trying to find out some other interesting things about your personal reality.

 

[Toni1]

This is the internet, you can't claim that one website is more convenient for you or something.

You can't be seriously asking that or are you? There are huge differences in most websites providing same service. Some are utter crap and some are briliant and there are plenty of others in between. Most of them are different from one another in some way or form.

Same applies to DD services. Some have restrictive DRM, some have none. Some require client to download and play, some don't. Some have great customer support, some ban you for asking it. Some require constant internet connection/some only if you want to download something. Some do not allow you to make backup's some allow you to download the whole game installer and you never have to download again unless you lose your backup for some reason. List can go ad nauseum and there are plenty of things in between each extreme. Then there comes the customers, each with their individual likes, dislikes and opinions.

Why don't you use some other DD service beside steam? The answer probably is that you like steam condradicting what you just said above (sorry if I mistook you for Steam fanboy ).

 

[Lars_Domus]

Firaxis aren't a $5 independent game studio, they're going to have DRM, so assuming you're not simply saying "I want something that is never going to happen", I was asking what the alternative DRM platform would be.

But you seem to be living in some reality where this was not my question and all new mainstream games are not linked to online DRM.

You put out an open question as to what alternative to Steam people would suggest, and so I suggested the one I would most prefer. I never indicated that I thought it was an alternative that was likely to be used, nor that I had ever thought Civ V would forgo DRM.

So I was just trying to find out some other interesting things about your personal reality.

Whether or not we live in separate realities, or if reality can, indeed, be universal, is a core question that philosophers have been debating for ages, and it would be off the topic for this thread. Even if your hypothesis that I have a personal reality (that would, by matter of definition, be separate from yours) I highly doubt I would be able to describe it to you, as the terms I used would possibly carry completely different meanings in your reality.

Spoiler :

(Translation: Just stop it with the ad hominems already!)

 

[Chalks]

You can't be seriously asking that or are you? There are huge differences in most websites providing same service. Some are utter crap and some are briliant and there are plenty of others in between. Most of them are different from one another in some way or form.

But since steam is a very high quality one, saying "some are bad" doesn't really justify why you care about it being steam.

Why don't you use some other DD service beside steam?

Because I have steam sitting there in my system tray and I agree with you when you say having multiple distribution platforms on the same system is redundant and irritating.

I've never encountered anything that is not distributed via Steam. If I did, then I'd have to consider having more than one distribution system installed... but I've not. So why would I use another?

You put out an open question as to what alternative to Steam people would suggest, and so I suggested the one I would most prefer. I never indicated that I thought it was an alternative that was likely to be used, nor that I had ever thought Civ V would forgo DRM.

Some might say that ignoring the first two thirds of a post can cause you to miss the context.

 

[Dale]

I'll still buy it.

I'd say Steam is required for the "Community Hub". That's my guess.