Steam spyware question

Dist

Dist

Dist

Soldato
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I was having a discussion with someone today and they mentioned that they refuse to use Steam because of all the spyware in it that monitors running apps, installed apps, system info etc... and sends it to valve in a way that doesn't indentify the user for privacy but the info is used for marketing.

Can anyone confirm what specifically Steam sends back to valve? I've tried searching online but most websites talk about Steam concerns back in 2003, when it was found that a steam cache had non-steam data in it, but valve said that was just the way FAT32 works, and isnt true under NTFS. So is there any info on what steam sends to valve right now, with the current version of steam?
 
I know Steam occasionally asks for system information and stuff like that in the odd questionarre.

I think that someone is just paranoid beyond all reason... unless of course Gabe Newell is actually a Sontaran and its all part of there master plan to get Steam installed with every new computer to transform the planet...................... anyway :p
 
It obviously knows every time you log on and what games you play. It asks you whether you want to fill in a Steam User Survey thing, which will automatically collect the computers specs and send them to Valve. However, I think that is anonymous. Apart from that, I don't know of anything.
 
Klo said:
It obviously knows every time you log on and what games you play. It asks you whether you want to fill in a Steam User Survey thing, which will automatically collect the computers specs and send them to Valve. However, I think that is anonymous. Apart from that, I don't know of anything.
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Yeah, the only time valve collect any information through steam is the obvious tracking of games you are playing through the client, and if you allow them to, anonymous system information, which they use to judge how the pc market takes new technologies to see if it worth developing for them, or if an older technology is no longer required so they can drop support.
 
I don't think Steam asks you about the hardware survey any more, it just does it, as it's now a monthly thing.

http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey

Each month, Steam collects data about what kinds of computer hardware our customers are using. The survey is incredibly helpful for us as game developers in that it ensures that we're making good decisions about what kinds of technology investments to make. Making these survey results public also allows people to compare their own current hardware setup to that of the community as a whole.
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Dist, your friend is a fool. So what if they send back data to Valve, it gives them a better idea of the average system spec and which games are played most.

Buy him a tinfoil hat for Christmas :)
 
I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that it collects pretty comprehensive stats on the games themselves though (the actual valve ones) so that it knows how how many people quit at a particular boss, or how many times they die in a particular level, that sort of thing.

Don't think they ever claimed it was personalised, they just used it to improve playability and get the difficulty curve right.

Regardless, steam = spyware is just ignorance.
 
bledd. said:
Buy him a tinfoil hat for Christmas :)
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:D

Sleepery said:
I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that it collects pretty comprehensive stats on the games themselves though (the actual valve ones) so that it knows how how many people quit at a particular boss, or how many times they die in a particular level, that sort of thing.

Don't think they ever claimed it was personalised, they just used it to improve playability and get the difficulty curve right.

Regardless, steam = spyware is just ignorance.
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I remember that. I think they used it on things like CS:S too to see where the most deaths took place. Along with things like playtime to completion and things like that. They'd plot them on graphs or show hotspots on a full map view. Not even close to being personalised.

Edit: Yeah thats the stuff Kenai. Sure i've seen it for CS:S too, or maybe i'm imagining things.
 
ep2 deathmaps were the coolest thing anyone ever did with stats for games :) I like the big red spot at the bottom of the cliff at start of game ;)
 
Hi Op

I am sure that most people acknowledge that Valve holds too big a foothold in the PC games market with Steam. Holding a virtual monopoly does give Gabe the potential to abuse this position at some point in the future.

But one has to question how much worse consolification would have got without Steams presence in the market - slugging it out to support PC Gaming. Also IMHO Steam also helps to combat piracy by offering it's publisher mega-deals.

But hey lets face it we could all my moaning about Direct2Drive or some other steam pile of s***. We should also be glad that a pearl rose to the top. :D

Also one must note the fact that Steam runs well under Wine in the GNU/Linux OS. How many other DRM solutions support Linux so easily (without no-DVD hacks, etc.)?? The fact that you can install your games on any number of PC's or OS's at once - also a plus.

Gabe the anti-christ?? Umm no I think you friend has got him mixed up with Steve B ;)

Bob
 
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