3 ms·

Steam is kind of like the old iTunes of software (or the Kindle store). Sure, there's DRM, but it's not too bad -- actually, it's often more lenient than what

by amalcon 17y ago

Steam is kind of like the old iTunes of software (or the Kindle store). Sure, there's DRM, but it's not too bad -- actually, it's often more lenient than what you'd get in the plastic version of the same software. In exchange, you get all of your games backed up remotely for the life of the service with zero re-install headaches.

yason 17y ago
Keyphrase being for the life of the service. For people like me who have grown with computers and games things like original disks, standalone copies, and accessible abandonware is like the National Archives. I still play games from the 90's, even 80's, thanks to emulators. I don't want to buy something that won't run properly after 20 years which itself is about 15 years since any reasonable commercial interest.
- CaptainZapp 17y ago
  To each his own, I guess. While I started playing in the 80s and still have a rotting away C64 in the attic (the floppies are probably beyond rot) storing and archiving the media, to me, is just darn painful. So the fact that I have an implicit backup of all my games with nill re-install headache is the killer argument for Steam. I'm fully aware of the drawbacks (including the, alas remote, possibility of the service going down, but am willing to chance this for the convenience received. OTOH: Ubisoft just said hello to Sony (remember the rootkit fiasko, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_rootkit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_rootkit ) and a couple other companies on my eternal shitlist. Since it's eternal there's no escape and they won't see one mor Eurocent from me, no matter what. I also won't pirate anything Ubisoft for that matter.
  - uygtfgh 17y ago
    @I have an implicit backup of all my games Until Steam 2 comes out and they discontinue Steam 1 servers. Or the company gets bought by Fox/Disney/Sony etc and they disconnect the old cost base. Imagine if you had to repurchase all your DVDs/CDs everytime a singer/actor switches agent/label?

by amalcon 17y ago

yason 17y ago

Keyphrase being for the life of the service. For people like me who have grown with computers and games things like original disks, standalone copies, and accessible abandonware is like the National Archives. I still play games from the 90's, even 80's, thanks to emulators. I don't want to buy something that won't run properly after 20 years which itself is about 15 years since any reasonable commercial interest.

CaptainZapp 17y ago
To each his own, I guess. While I started playing in the 80s and still have a rotting away C64 in the attic (the floppies are probably beyond rot) storing and archiving the media, to me, is just darn painful. So the fact that I have an implicit backup of all my games with nill re-install headache is the killer argument for Steam. I'm fully aware of the drawbacks (including the, alas remote, possibility of the service going down, but am willing to chance this for the convenience received. OTOH: Ubisoft just said hello to Sony (remember the rootkit fiasko, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_rootkit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_rootkit ) and a couple other companies on my eternal shitlist. Since it's eternal there's no escape and they won't see one mor Eurocent from me, no matter what. I also won't pirate anything Ubisoft for that matter.
- uygtfgh 17y ago
  @I have an implicit backup of all my games Until Steam 2 comes out and they discontinue Steam 1 servers. Or the company gets bought by Fox/Disney/Sony etc and they disconnect the old cost base. Imagine if you had to repurchase all your DVDs/CDs everytime a singer/actor switches agent/label?