(Im posting this in the forums since I can't post it like an article in the blog section.)
I remember the old days of gaming. That long gone era called 2008. Back when games were provided with their own custom installers, and were self-contained products that installed themselves separatedly on the computer you instaleld them. I like to call this era the "Installshield Era" of gaming. Back when game media only contained asset and binaries, and a registration window, when dialog box wizards ruled the gaming land, and when there weren't any remote validation hooks attached to executables. That is why, with increasing concern, I am watching nowadays the way our most amazing form of entertainment is rearranging itself, how market forces and anti-consumer tendencies are beggining to shape the new landscape of gaming, at the expense of the average gamer.
Big game releases nowadays are abandoning these old, anticuated components such as autorun main menus, install wizards, or dedicated servers, and have moved to the all encapsulating remote delivery methods of popular DRM schemes, such as Steam. By itself, Steam is convenient, fast if you have good internet connection, and easy to deploy. Many games were released in normal "retail" form, and were offered in Steam's store shortly after. Those instances however, are nowadays mostly the case with PC only releases from eastern european studios it seems. Steam's "next step" in gaming convenience is anything but that, and could mark the beggining of a new mandatory requirement for gaming in the future. More and more games are now announcing their complete deployment based around Valve's new Steamworks framework, touted as the "least intrusive" DRM scheme, "convenient" to gaemers and publishers alike, which takes care of formerly manual tasks like patching. They claim it isn't intrusive when compared to the likes of Securom or Tages. But I would like to point out that it is more than that. It's not only indeed intrusive, it's THE most intrusive DRM scheme to come along yet. The game is not at all installed or even located completely in your computer when you realize it. At least Securom installed itself after it let the installer copy YOUR game to YOUR hard drive. Steamworks' remote always-on cloud network remotely controls one of ITS game's installation, patching, running. When you start the game, you send a signal to the autenticathion servers situatied remotely from your location, and the order is sent back before you are able to game. You are asked for an authorization each time to play the games you paid a hefty premium to be allowed some few hours of playimte. It's the arcade coin-up model. We've gone back full circle, to the arcade machins of old times. It may as well place a coin slot in your computer. It's like trying the games you paid for thru a remote terminal. A service that, much like an arcade place, can close up in after hours, or at the discretion of their owners. The access to the games you are allowed to try remotely can be switched off at any moment without any explanation from the providers, and you are effectively out. Cloud based gaming, and software as a service don't look like a good idea afterall under these terms.
"Blah blah, who cares, I don't have to deal with DVDs anymore!" Maybe this is really making mountains out of molehills. Steam does have it's merits, which mostly come from giving smaller indie developers a storefront to showcase their creations without needing a traditional expensive distribution contract. Companies like Tripwire and 2d boy have been the most vocal about their praise for steam, with Tripwire saying they wouldn't be around without Steam. This piece is not an anti-steam call to arms, it's just an informational soundbyte, just to express concern about the trend Steamworks is creating, which isn't 100% in reality as advertised in the package. A steamworks game instantly becomes a steam exclusive game. That situation could become the beggining of a monopoly. Maybe this is a good time for competitors to shine.
Thanks for the reply, and trust me I appreciate the work you and your company do for digital dist. I would prefer more competition as it would, as we say in Australia, "keep the bastards honest". Though usually we refer that to politicians.
Can I also ask, have you taken a look at Desura? A recent release of a new DD client that not only dists games, but also mods as well? Developed by the same company behind ModDB and IndieDB. I think they have some good ideas (mod dist being one) that you could probably leverage some benefit from too. http://www.desura.com/
Desura does look interesting. Is it like Impulse being optional, or like Steam?
InternetNerd, your complaining about Impulse being required for patches? You already patch games over the internet, so what is wrong with requiring a specific service run by the developer in order to patch their games?
The kid's gaming computer is not connected to the internet (and won't be). That's the problem. Stand-alone patches are fine, service delivered patches are not.
Besides, I'm not complaining about Impulse being required for patches. I just find it slightly annoying that Impulse fanbois put the software on this enormous pedastal and accuse Steam of all these things, when Impulse actually traps you in almost every single way identically. As I said, the only difference between the two is Impulse client is not required to run a game.
Which is a huge difference if you actually read the SSA. Steam pretty much becomes the gate keeper and god of your games. Since the impulse client isn't required to run and install impulse holds no power over you playing your games. And you wanna throw out the term fanboi.. yet you ignore the fact that requiring a 3rd party client is A HUGE difference, seems to me your a steam fanboi.
I'm not a "impulse fanboi" I'm a "steam hater". I would prefer neither.. I like my games not attached to any 3rd party in any way. I like to install and activate a game and know my game will work forever after. But if given the choice between steam controlling my access to a game and impulse reactor running passively with a game I will always choose reactor over steamworks.
Now if there comes a time when impulse starts to block access to all my reactor based games because they caught me cheating in a game, paypal screwed me, someone hacked my account or any other reason they deem valid(don't even get me started on blizzard) then I'll hate it too.
EDIT: Looks like soon now that gamestop is buying impulse
Of course it is. So is yours. Do you think this is a discussion, or a government fact finding mission?
But like most people agree that the PC gives you a lot of freedom, the same happens with XBLIG.
The freedom on a PC and the "freedom to do what MS has said is allowed" on the Xbox are not even remotely comparable. It's a joke to try and compare them. On the PC I can put out anything that's legal where I live. On the Xbox, I can put out anything that Microsoft says I can.
If you can't tell the difference between those two things, then there really isn't anything else to discuss.
Of course there is a difference, but so minor it's irrelevant. You can put what nearly anything you can put in the PC on XBLIG. Hardware differences between both platforms are more of a limitation for creators that all the things you listed combined and multiplied by a thousand.
I would be nice if Steams competitors had something like this:
http://store.steampowered.com/stats/
it would be much easier to estimate marketshare, active users etc.
After Valve finished building up a monopoly on the PC, they are now heading after Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo in the console market.
GDC 2011: Valve To Make Steam More TV-Friendly
Half-Life and Portal house Valve Software said Monday that it plans on making its popular PC gaming digital distribution platform Steam more TV-friendly. An upcoming “big picture” mode for Steam will add features including controller support and navigation tailored for televisions in an effort to bring PC gaming outside of the office or den and into the living room. Steam currently has over 30 million accounts worldwide. “Our partners and customers have asked us to make Steam available in more places. With the introduction of Steam on the Mac, and soon in Portal 2 on the PS3, we've done just that," said Valve marketing VP Doug Lombardi. "With big picture mode, gaming opportunities for Steam partners and customers become possible via PCs and Macs on any TV or computer display in the house,” he added. Valve is meeting with partners and developers at this week’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco to discuss details of the new mode. The company has yet to publicly release details of the plan.
Full press release:
http://store.steampowered.com/news/5063/
Ah...consoles and steam. Now that is a bodacious relationship, like flies and dung.
But which are the flies and which are the dung? I see a controvery over which gets which role.
It has nothing to do with consoles. You are still using your PC/Mac/Notebook but with your television screen. Valve will optimize Steam (and i guess their games) for controller navigation to attract console gamers to Steam.
Doesnt seem that useful how many people have big screen hooked up to their computers. Would be more useful if this was on consoles, where people have their 52" screen layouts.
Valve announce Steam Guard
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/03/03/valve-announce-steam-guard/
Nice to see optional improvements in account security
also
“Biofeedback in Gameplay”
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/03/03/breaking-watch-portal-2-eye-tracking-now/
Such glove for 10 bucks could nicely improve difficulty of games
On these account security features, I'd like it if you could authorize 2 computers for them. I tend to play my games on 2 different computers, so most security features are worthless for me.
Steam Guard doesn't affect your ability to play games at all. It's only for authorizing one computer to make major account modifications. You can still log into your account on multiple computers and play games, but only 1 would be able to change passwords, email addy, payment info, etc.
It's worth noting that Steam Guard uses a hardware solution provided by some of Intel's newer chips, so most people still won't have access to it for quite a while until they upgrade.
Steams new features are good and wellintended I'm sure, but if someone were to lock his account to his CPU, what would happen if it broke..? I'm sure (or absolutely HOPE) that Valve has thought out something that works.
Gabe Newell wants users to hack his Steam account:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXkTMhp7QFI
I saw that, but I'm sure they set up a dummy account instead of risking his actual one
Nice challenge
Well I am more interested in that biometric glove, because IPT is very secure (unless you work for NSA)
I am pretty sure it's his real account, because gaben@valvesoftware.com was his email address since day one. And back in 2002/2003 Steam accounts were created with email addresses as names. But it wouldn't be a problem anyway. It's not like he couldn't just reset his account if something is going to happen.
I'm sure they thought out something that works for valve in that situation, like making the person have to buy their games again.
From Stem Guard FAQ:
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8232-WSGZ-8021
Q/ I need help! How do I contact Steam Support for assistance with account access once Steam Guard is enabled?
A/ Visit Steam Support and create your support account or login to your existing one if you've requested help from our support team in the past. Submit a question with "[Steam Guard]" in its Subject, categorized as "Account Questions" and then "Email Verification." If you have a retail CD Key or last four digits of your credit card as proof you're the account's rightful owner, please enter that too.
That KB article contain all answers about this tech.
And then in the fine print:
Kiss your account goodbye, sucka.
Looks like few more Steamworks tiles are confirmed
Dead Island http://store.steampowered.com/app/91310/
Anomaly: Warzone Earth http://store.steampowered.com/app/91200/?snr=1_4_4__105_1
IL2: Cliffs of Dovers http://il-2-sturmovik.ubi.com/cliffs-of-dovers/blog/uk/?p=1162
Wont Impulse become irrelevant if significant % of new games use Steamworks and Impulse refuse to sell them?
Why are you so worried?
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