STEAM Love it or hate it?

[DirtyDishSoap]

So i bought Alien Vs Predator for the PC not too long ago, as I open up my mail I noticed somethin horrible...It requires Steam and an internet connection (of which I don't have in Iraq) to install.
I want to know who steam sucked off to be even mentioned, let alone a requirment to use games. In my experience, the program has been slow, and it does little to help. IE - Organize my games. Pretty sure Desktop Shortcut was designed for that very fuckin reason.

Well anyways, for any of you PC gamers out there, do you want to keep this god awful thing on your PC and let it remain a requirment? Or would you rather see this thing just gone, never mentioned again.

-Edit I wrote this after gettin no sleep. It looks sloppy I bet but oh well, you get it.

[Army of GOD]

I remember I only used it once, to play Counter-Strike with some friends on PC, and I remember it really sucked.

[Woodruff]

So i pay Alien Vs Predator for the PC not too long ago, as I open up my mail I noticed somethin horrible...It requires Steam and an internet connection (of which I don't have in Iraq) to install.
I want to know who steam sucked off to be even mentioned, let alone a requirment to use games. In my experience, the program has been slow, and it does little to help. IE - Organize my games. Pretty sure Desktop Shortcut was designed for that very fuckin reason.
Well anyways, for any of you PC gamers out there, do you want to keep this god awful thing on your PC and let it remain a requirment? Or would you rather see this thing just gone, never mentioned again.

I've heard a lot of REALLY bad stories about it. I had it loaded for one of my games that I ended up uninstalling because I didn't like it (I don't remember which game it was even). I didn't have any problems with it, but I didn't have it on for long either. As I recall, I didn't really see the point of having it, either.

[DirtyDishSoap]

There is no point to having it, it's just there to spread their name or some such bullshit. It has improved, but nothing really to say it's amazing, it just doesn't have all the bugs it use to have, it's simply there and a waste of space...Literally.

Other stories I heard from steam is that it tends to crash alot of games or makes some games unplayable unless you got an internet connection (Like I said, I don't...And you shouldn't need it to enjoy a fuckin game)

[MeDeFe]

As a means of distribution for independent gamelabels it's not a crock completey full of shit. But the fact that you need an internet connection just to play the games you paid for, that you need an account and that you can only play your games as long as you have that account, that you lose your games if you lose your account and need to buy them again to play them... well, that is at least 10 crocks full of shit.

[jnd94]

Horrible. I bought Empire:Total War. Ignoring the fact that the game was probably the biggest flop in the history of ever, (horrible CTD's, freezing, rushed to the market too early) Steam hurt even more.

Downloading the necessary updates for steam to actually work took days. Every once in awhile an update would just pop up, and i couldn't play. My internet is only alright, so half the time I had had trouble playing. bad experience.

[thegreekdog]

Horrible. I bought Empire:Total War. Ignoring the fact that the game was probably the biggest flop in the history of ever, (horrible CTD's, freezing, rushed to the market too early) Steam hurt even more.

Downloading the necessary updates for steam to actually work took days. Every once in awhile an update would just pop up, and i couldn't play. My internet is only alright, so half the time I had had trouble playing. bad experience.

This one, same circumstances for me. I hate it. HATE! So, I took ETW off my computer (because it eats up the entire hard drive). I'm contemplating eliminating Steam as well.

[jnd94]

Horrible. I bought Empire:Total War. Ignoring the fact that the game was probably the biggest flop in the history of ever, (horrible CTD's, freezing, rushed to the market too early) Steam hurt even more.

Downloading the necessary updates for steam to actually work took days. Every once in awhile an update would just pop up, and i couldn't play. My internet is only alright, so half the time I had had trouble playing. bad experience.

This one, same circumstances for me. I hate it. HATE! So, I took ETW off my computer (because it eats up the entire hard drive). I'm contemplating eliminating Steam as well.

Yeah, that was another problem. E:TW is a huge game. Most computers can't run it well in the first place.

[safariguy5]

I had very limited interaction with it. Only used it to play CS on my friend's computer. I don't think it necessarily is a bad idea, it just needs a major overhaul. Something like BioWare's games with online downloadable content centralized on a site.

[DirtyDishSoap]

The thing that gets me is...Who allowed Steam? Why did they allow such bullshit to go on? I'm sure someone up there has noticed! I simple answer as of why would make me happy (Not really)

I've been a PC gamer for a good 3/4ths till around the time X-Box came around, and even then I didn't play on the fuckin thing that much. It's utter crap and I hope who ever thought this up dumps the idea, or is shot by Bill Gates.

[MeDeFe]

Know what's funny? Until very recently, STEAM distributed a cracked version of Max Payne 2. Apparently Rockstar games were too lazy to do it right and remove the CD check themselves, so they simply used a crack they downloaded from the internetsorz.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/196131/cracked_version_of_max_payne_2_distributed_on_steam.html/

[Maugena]

Seems like you guys don't know much about Steam at all.
There's a vast amount of things you can access through Steam now.
It's actually very convenient, in that sense.
It has been through a lot of change over the years...
And, not to mention, they're coming out with a new and improved version soon. -It's in beta.
Anywho, you can all hate on it if you want, I really don't care either way.

[Frigidus]

I've never had an issue with Steam. It used to be pretty buggy, but I can't seem to work up any vitriol over having to open it up to access games. I probably wouldn't like it as much as I do if I hadn't saved so much money through their weekend deals.

[Maugena]

I've never had an issue with Steam. It used to be pretty buggy, but I can't seem to work up any vitriol over having to open it up to access games. I probably wouldn't like it as much as I do if I hadn't saved so much money through their weekend deals.

Yeah. There is that.
$5 Torchlight, etc., etc., etc.
I suppose that's what made me like it better, tbh.

[DirtyDishSoap]

It's still bullshit that I have to go online just install a game. That's utter crap.

[Maugena]

It's still bullshit that I have to go online just install a game. That's utter crap.

From what I hear, Microsoft has commited worse crimes.

[Maugena]

But the fact that you need an internet connection just to play the games you paid for

Uh. Not 100% true. In fact, I don't think I have any games on Steam like that... but that might just be because I'm poor and don't have the newest stuff or a good enough computer to handle said stuff.
If it's an online multiplayer game, then yeah, but that should have been assumed from the get-go.

that you need an account and that you can only play your games as long as you have that account

You've lost your account?
It's free to have one, and, as far as I know, it will never expire.
I've never known anyone to lose an account either.
Of course, I have heard of people getting banned for blatantly using hacks on games like Counter-Strike and such, but I'd call that just desserts.

that you lose your games if you lose your account and need to buy them again to play them... well, that is at least 10 crocks full of shit.

Well, yeah, that would be really shitty, but... yet again... I haven't heard of this happening to anyone I know, nor would I believe that Steam doesn't have the ability to fix things for you. -As far as chances go, I'd be more worried about getting into a car crash.

[MeDeFe]

that you need an account and that you can only play your games as long as you have that account

You've lost your account?
It's free to have one, and, as far as I know, it will never expire.
I've never known anyone to lose an account either.
Of course, I have heard of people getting banned for blatantly using hacks on games like Counter-Strike and such, but I'd call that just desserts.

They bought the game, it's their game, they should be free to modify it any way they want, rules against hacks are reason not to let someone play, but it's not a reason for deleting an entire account along with any other games that might be associated with it.



And no, I haven't lost my steam account on account of me not having one on principle. If I buy a game, any game, I want to have access to it whenever, wherever, however. If I obtain a physical copy I want to be able to make a backup of it, if I obtain a digital copy I want to be able to burn it to a CD or copy it to a USB stick, I want to be able to install it any number of times without having to be connected to the internet, I want to be able to play it without having to be connected to the internet, I don't want some fucking rootkit trying to make sure the copy I bought legally is not pirated. Is that asking too much?

[safariguy5]

I can see your point MeDeFe. If I buy a CD or DVD, I should be able to copy it, but only if I don't try to make money off it. Private use is perfectly legal. Also, internet coverage and speed is different everywhere, whereas the processing power of your PC is pretty steady.

[natty dread]

"Steam:" I've never even heard of it, but judging from this thread it is something I would never even consider.