Gabe Newell "DRM is dumb"

Your comparison with MSN doesn't work, MSN is free.

If i pay £15 for game A and £15 for game B my family aren't allowed to play game B if i'm playing game A??

No. Games, like ANY other software is to be installed on one machine only, and to be used by one person only. Steam has changed that from one machine one person to just one person, which is a great thing.
 
... like ANY other software is to be installed on one machine only, ...

Apart from the games that allow you to have installs on multiple machines of course.

... to be used by one person only.

Obviously you've got 3 copies of Office in case both of your parents want to use Word at some point then?
 
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Your comparison with MSN doesn't work, MSN is free.

If i pay £15 for game A and £15 for game B my family aren't allowed to play game B if i'm playing game A??

don't games have the same things as films on them ie no unauthorised loans, rentals etc.

But yeah she could just play in offline mode, you just can;t play 2 on-line games.
 
don't games have the same things as films on them ie no unauthorised loans, rentals etc.

But yeah she could just play in offline mode, you just can;t play 2 on-line games.

And if she wanted to play an online game (CS:S?) while i play a separate online game (TF2), she can't. Even though i've paid for both games.

Steam is just an efficent method of getting the maximum amount of cash out of us.
 
Shame steam is so antiquated then...
Oh, and why is DRM present in several Steam distributed games?

Personally I'd rather remove my genitals with a blunt strimmer than use Steam as my sole game purchasing platform.

But steam doesn't stop piracy, not in the slightest.
 
Shame steam is so antiquated then...
Oh, and why is DRM present in several Steam distributed games?

Personally I'd rather remove my genitals with a blunt strimmer than use Steam as my sole game purchasing platform.

But steam doesn't stop piracy, not in the slightest.

NO Valve games have DRM in them on Steam.

DRM is only in 3rd party games.
 
And if she wanted to play an online game (CS:S?) while i play a separate online game (TF2), she can't. Even though i've paid for both games.

Steam is just an efficent method of getting the maximum amount of cash out of us.

Why don't you just make her an account?
 
NO Valve games have DRM in them on Steam.

DRM is only in 3rd party games.

Did I say Valve games? No.

Although, I also hate systems - just like the one in Company of Heroes where if you have a net connection active it automatically tries to download the latest update. I JUST WANT TO PLAY OFFLINE - I DO NOT WANT NOR NEED THE NEW UPDATE!

I normally end up disconnecting the router temporailly while I start up games like that.
 
And if she wanted to play an online game (CS:S?) while i play a separate online game (TF2), she can't. Even though i've paid for both games.

Steam is just an efficent method of getting the maximum amount of cash out of us.


yes you paid for, she didn't. You realize you're not supposed to let anyone play your games as that's an unauthorized loan right?
 
yes you paid for, she didn't. You realize you're not supposed to let anyone play your games as that's an unauthorized loan right?

That's a new one on me, not heard of it before this thread. Does it only apply to games or all software?


edit, liking the xmas siggy :D
 
If i sit in the living room and play TF2 on my pc, my daughter can't play Portal in her room at the same time. Steam won't let the games be active at the same time.

Even though i've paid for two games.
i am pretty sure you can play one of the pc's in offline mode

as for online, you pay a liscence for yourself as mentioned above not your pc
 
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I know I keep going on about game prices but this important to me as I buy a lot of games. Before STEAM launched I was fairly excited about it as I thought it could potentially become the major games distributor and therefore reduce piracy resulting in the reduction of prices.

The reality has been something else and now I am glad that STEAM has not become the one and only or major distributor of games. This could have ended up as a monopoly allowing them to charge what they wanted which is something they already do for Europe.

So as games consumer I am keeping my fingers crossed that it does not become too dominant in the market.
 
I agree. Steam's prices are out of touch with other retailers. Being all in US dollars doesn't help. I wouldn't buy anything but Value's own games via it.
 
I was meaning on the same system. Say like you can do 4 player cod on the same xbox, are there no games on the pc where 2 users are on the same pc? Where does the law stand on that? Not being funny, just want to know.
 
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