[mdlug] Steam (was: Suggestions for games for an elderlyparent?)

[Robert Adkins]

> 
> > From: Aaron Kulkis
> 
> > But then he would be dependant upon Valve's financial stability -- 
> > Steam requires a game to "phone home" to the Steam server before it 
> > runs with full capabilities -- which is even WORSE than regular 
> > pay-ware.
> 
>  Actually, no - you have to "phone home" the first time, and 
> it checks for updates after that... unless you select 
> "offline mode", in which case it runs just fine after that 
> without ever phoning home again, but you get no further 
> bugfixes or updates until you take it 'online' again.
> 
>  Valve has also pledged to release the keys necessary to run 
> Steam games if they ever go out of business, or desupport a 
> product. Given their general history, they seem more likely 
> to hew to that pledge than nearly any company I can think of.
> 
>  And, finally, Valve's doing well enough that I don't foresee 
> them going out of business for at *bare minimum* two more 
> years, and probably another decade at least.
> 
>  Sure, Steam is DRM. However, it's DRM that doesn't assume 
> the customer is a pirate until proven otherwise. I find the 
> tradeoffs acceptable *for a game*. For more critical software 
> it'd be unacceptable.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
>  Ray Ingles                                  (313) 227-2317
> 

  Whereas I find the DRM of Steam or any product to be wrong, period. I
don't buy their products because of the phoning home thing. I'd rather buy a
game once and be able to install it on as many PCs as I own, or choose to
own going into the future. I want to hold onto my right to be able to
uninstall that software and then sell it to another gamer second hand.

  Steam, as far as I know, gets specifically in the way of that.

  Which is why I won't spend my money with them. If enough people felt as I
do, then Steam wouldn't exist in the marketplace. However, it appears that
isn't the case. At least for now.
	
	-Rob