6 ms·

Because the companies make a large amount of money on the platform. Look at Apple/Google/MS/Sony/Nintendo charging for access to the platform - either explicit

Because the companies make a large amount of money on the platform. Look at Apple/Google/MS/Sony/Nintendo charging for access to the platform - either explicitly for online play, by taking a cut of sales on the platform, or in the case of the console makers - both. As someone who prefers to play games alone, it's frustrating. The first five minutes after installing Steam is a constantly stream of "stfu and stop shoving game release/update/sale announcements in my face", "gtfo with the popup messages that a friend is playing a game", "wtf? why are you auto-logging me into the messenger", "no, I don't consent to you building a hardware inventory of my machine and using it for internal stats", and "jfc, please just leave me alone and let me play some games". It's almost enough to make me buy a shack in Montana and support the post office.

_trampeltier 6y ago
For me it's the reason, why I never started gaming again. I just wanna buy a game and play. I don't wanna have any spyware on my PC.
- phone8675309 6y ago
  GOG is good if the game you want to play is on there - if you don't install GOG Galaxy. You can download an executable installer from their website that is DRM free, can be installed offline, and you can keep a copy of forever.
  - fartcannon 6y ago
    GOG's weird position on Linux users quacks like a duck in my opinion. The quotes have a real Tim Sweeney vibe to them.
- reaperducer 6y ago
  It's also an argument for retro games. Plug in a cartridge and go from power on to playing the game in a matter of seconds, with no privacy invasion.
- crtasm 6y ago
  Subscribe to Humble Choice for a month and download all the drm-free games from their "Trove"!
  - MayeulC 6y ago
    Some time ago I worked on a tool [1] to do just that, unsure if it would still work. I also got lost between feature development and fixes in my git branches at the time, and never had time to finish this. Looks like upstream [2] became active again and merged some of my improvements, unsure if it works with the trove. I was also just made aware of this new project, dedicated to that issue [3]. I'd advise someone to start looking at the last one. I don't usually do this, but I don't think it is against the TOS, so here is my HB referral link [4] Here's also a 20% discount on the humble store for 30 days for one lucky person who isn't a subscriber [5] [1] https://github.com/MayeulC/hb-downloader/tree/next-next https://github.com/MayeulC/hb-downloader/tree/next-next [2] https://github.com/talonius/hb-downloader https://github.com/talonius/hb-downloader [3] https://gitlab.com/silver_rust/trove_downloader/ https://gitlab.com/silver_rust/trove_downloader/ [4] https://www.humblebundle.com/subscription?refc=Y9dywp https://www.humblebundle.com/subscription?refc=Y9dywp [5] https://www.humblebundle.com/subscription/activate-discount?gamekey=h7VDpsvpw7XyfKE7 https://www.humblebundle.com/subscription/activate-discount?...
- mlindner 6y ago
  At least on Mac, Steam doesn't stick around when you close it. I never understood the PC love for when you close apps have them simply stay resident around in the lower right taskbar. Opening is an active choice.
  - bogwog 6y ago
    Having to wait for Steam to open and log you in every time you want to launch a game sucks, plus keeping it open in the background lets you keep games up-to-date, lets you use the chatroom features, and some other stuff. The good thing about Steam, which makes it good software in my opinion, is that you can easily customize it and turn features off, and nothing really gets forced down your throat. It's almost like Valve feels they actually have to make an effort to keep you as a customer. Compare that to anything from the tech giants.
    - mlindner 6y ago
      > The good thing about Steam, which makes it good software in my opinion, is that you can easily customize it and turn features off, and nothing really gets forced down your throat. It's almost like Valve feels they actually have to make an effort to keep you as a customer. Compare that to anything from the tech giants. If there's a way to turn off most of the recent UI updates I'd love to know how.
      - phone8675309 6y ago
        Which UI updates are objectionable to you? Here's a dump of the changes I make on my system when installing Steam. It's not all of them, just the most generally useful. To keep Steam from starting when you log in, select "Steam" from the menu bar and then choose "Settings". Under "Interface", untick "Run Steam when my computer starts". While you're in here, uncheck "Notify me about additions or changes to my games, new releases, and upcoming releases" if you want Steam to not tell you about those. You can use "Set Taskbar Preferences" to select what options appear in the right click menu from the taskbar icon. I run Steam in Small Mode, which makes it look like the old, old version of Steam before they introduced the full screen library. To do this, go to "Steam"->"Settings" and bring up the "Interface" group. Set "Select which Steam window appears when the program starts, and when you double click the Notification Tray icon" to "Library". Click okay and then select "View"->"Small Mode" to show the classic small Steam interface. To the right of the search box at the top of the screen is a selector where you can toggle what is shown - I set this to "Installed" so only installed games are shown. See here[0] for an example. This UI will revert if you uninstall a game - just go to "View"->"Small Mode" to set it again. If you set it before closing Steam then the next time you open Steam it will start in this mode. To avoid being logged into the Friends system by default, open the "Friends" menu from the menu bar and choose "View Friends". Then click the cog in the upper right hand corner of the window that appears - this brings up the settings window. Set "Sign in to friends when Steam Client starts" to off. There are a bunch of notification settings in here - set them as you will. To make the Steam store not suck (bandwidth), go to the "Library" tab in "Steam"->"Settings" and set "Low Bandwidth Mode", "Low Performance Mode", and "Disable Community Content". To turn off Broadcasting, "Steam"->"Settings", "Broadcasting" group and set "Privacy setting" to "Broadcasting Disabled". You can tell Steam to create desktop shortcuts or Start menu shortcuts if you want to not have to open Steam manually to play a game. When installing a game, tick the "Create desktop shortcut" or "Create start menu shortcut" when installing and then you can start the game (and Steam with it) by double clicking that icon. There is no option to automatically quit Steam after a game exits (because of course there isn't - "wHy WoUlD aNyBoDy WaNt To ClOsE sTeAm" the fanboys go). For installed games, you can right click and choose "Create Desktop Shortcut" to get a desktop shortcut for your game. You can use the "steam://" URL generated anywhere Windows accepts URLs to launch steam games. Some people like auto-updates. Some people hate that they suck bandwidth, especially for single player games. Unfortunately, there is no option in not auto-update the game - you can chose "Always keep this game up to date", "Only update this game when I launch it", or "High Priority - Always auto-update this game before others" in the game properties. Setting this to "Only update this game when I launch it" will try to perform updates when you start a game - if you have this set and you have the downloads set to not download while in game, you should be able to force launch a game without updates and download will not start. Set up "Offline Mode" now. If Steam is down and you haven't used "Offline Mode" recently then you won't be able to play your games with Steam offline. Choose "Steam"->"Go Offline..." to run Steam in offline mode. This has the benefit of being disconnected from the Steam service, updates, friends, etc. [0] https://imgur.com/WOUpLkr https://imgur.com/WOUpLkr
- polytely 6y ago
  itch.io is a great place to get drm free (indie) games.
- aryik 6y ago
  This is why I love the Switch compared to all the other modern consoles. When I try to use a PS4 or an Xbox it feels like I'm fighting to be able to play - 10's of GB's of updates that take hours to "copy" after download, slow system updates, games that need to install for an hour after you put in the disc, etc. etc. The Switch is the first console I've used in years where it seems like the maker of the console actually wants me to play games.
  - cruano 6y ago
    Except when you go into the eshop and have to scroll down pages of shovelware to find anything decent
    - aryik 6y ago
      Fair enough. I haven’t had that experience yet because I’ve been working through the first party titles like Zelda and Mario.
arkanciscan 6y ago
I get all my games from Codex and Fitgirl. No multiplayer, but you don't want that anyway.
- phone8675309 6y ago
  Don't sell CODEX/PLAZA short - there are Steamworks and CreamAPI multiplayer fixes shipped sometimes, and sometimes Fitgirl will add them in with the repack. (Anybody reading this - there are publicly available NFO files and posts from Fitgirl that indicate what is included in a release/repack. I would never advocate violating copyright, and I certainly do not do so in a personal capacity.)
  - LukaCEnzo 6y ago
    If people are curious they can find more info on cs.rin.ru steam forums. Great resource.
strombofulous 6y ago
FYI, Valve publishes the hardware survey and updates it monthly https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/ https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/ The rest of your post stands, just thought you might be interested

_trampeltier 6y ago

For me it's the reason, why I never started gaming again. I just wanna buy a game and play. I don't wanna have any spyware on my PC.

phone8675309 6y ago
GOG is good if the game you want to play is on there - if you don't install GOG Galaxy. You can download an executable installer from their website that is DRM free, can be installed offline, and you can keep a copy of forever.
- fartcannon 6y ago
  GOG's weird position on Linux users quacks like a duck in my opinion. The quotes have a real Tim Sweeney vibe to them.
reaperducer 6y ago
It's also an argument for retro games. Plug in a cartridge and go from power on to playing the game in a matter of seconds, with no privacy invasion.
crtasm 6y ago
Subscribe to Humble Choice for a month and download all the drm-free games from their "Trove"!
- MayeulC 6y ago
  Some time ago I worked on a tool [1] to do just that, unsure if it would still work. I also got lost between feature development and fixes in my git branches at the time, and never had time to finish this. Looks like upstream [2] became active again and merged some of my improvements, unsure if it works with the trove. I was also just made aware of this new project, dedicated to that issue [3]. I'd advise someone to start looking at the last one. I don't usually do this, but I don't think it is against the TOS, so here is my HB referral link [4] Here's also a 20% discount on the humble store for 30 days for one lucky person who isn't a subscriber [5] [1] https://github.com/MayeulC/hb-downloader/tree/next-next https://github.com/MayeulC/hb-downloader/tree/next-next [2] https://github.com/talonius/hb-downloader https://github.com/talonius/hb-downloader [3] https://gitlab.com/silver_rust/trove_downloader/ https://gitlab.com/silver_rust/trove_downloader/ [4] https://www.humblebundle.com/subscription?refc=Y9dywp https://www.humblebundle.com/subscription?refc=Y9dywp [5] https://www.humblebundle.com/subscription/activate-discount?gamekey=h7VDpsvpw7XyfKE7 https://www.humblebundle.com/subscription/activate-discount?...
mlindner 6y ago
At least on Mac, Steam doesn't stick around when you close it. I never understood the PC love for when you close apps have them simply stay resident around in the lower right taskbar. Opening is an active choice.
- bogwog 6y ago
  Having to wait for Steam to open and log you in every time you want to launch a game sucks, plus keeping it open in the background lets you keep games up-to-date, lets you use the chatroom features, and some other stuff. The good thing about Steam, which makes it good software in my opinion, is that you can easily customize it and turn features off, and nothing really gets forced down your throat. It's almost like Valve feels they actually have to make an effort to keep you as a customer. Compare that to anything from the tech giants.
  - mlindner 6y ago
    > The good thing about Steam, which makes it good software in my opinion, is that you can easily customize it and turn features off, and nothing really gets forced down your throat. It's almost like Valve feels they actually have to make an effort to keep you as a customer. Compare that to anything from the tech giants. If there's a way to turn off most of the recent UI updates I'd love to know how.
    - phone8675309 6y ago
      Which UI updates are objectionable to you? Here's a dump of the changes I make on my system when installing Steam. It's not all of them, just the most generally useful. To keep Steam from starting when you log in, select "Steam" from the menu bar and then choose "Settings". Under "Interface", untick "Run Steam when my computer starts". While you're in here, uncheck "Notify me about additions or changes to my games, new releases, and upcoming releases" if you want Steam to not tell you about those. You can use "Set Taskbar Preferences" to select what options appear in the right click menu from the taskbar icon. I run Steam in Small Mode, which makes it look like the old, old version of Steam before they introduced the full screen library. To do this, go to "Steam"->"Settings" and bring up the "Interface" group. Set "Select which Steam window appears when the program starts, and when you double click the Notification Tray icon" to "Library". Click okay and then select "View"->"Small Mode" to show the classic small Steam interface. To the right of the search box at the top of the screen is a selector where you can toggle what is shown - I set this to "Installed" so only installed games are shown. See here[0] for an example. This UI will revert if you uninstall a game - just go to "View"->"Small Mode" to set it again. If you set it before closing Steam then the next time you open Steam it will start in this mode. To avoid being logged into the Friends system by default, open the "Friends" menu from the menu bar and choose "View Friends". Then click the cog in the upper right hand corner of the window that appears - this brings up the settings window. Set "Sign in to friends when Steam Client starts" to off. There are a bunch of notification settings in here - set them as you will. To make the Steam store not suck (bandwidth), go to the "Library" tab in "Steam"->"Settings" and set "Low Bandwidth Mode", "Low Performance Mode", and "Disable Community Content". To turn off Broadcasting, "Steam"->"Settings", "Broadcasting" group and set "Privacy setting" to "Broadcasting Disabled". You can tell Steam to create desktop shortcuts or Start menu shortcuts if you want to not have to open Steam manually to play a game. When installing a game, tick the "Create desktop shortcut" or "Create start menu shortcut" when installing and then you can start the game (and Steam with it) by double clicking that icon. There is no option to automatically quit Steam after a game exits (because of course there isn't - "wHy WoUlD aNyBoDy WaNt To ClOsE sTeAm" the fanboys go). For installed games, you can right click and choose "Create Desktop Shortcut" to get a desktop shortcut for your game. You can use the "steam://" URL generated anywhere Windows accepts URLs to launch steam games. Some people like auto-updates. Some people hate that they suck bandwidth, especially for single player games. Unfortunately, there is no option in not auto-update the game - you can chose "Always keep this game up to date", "Only update this game when I launch it", or "High Priority - Always auto-update this game before others" in the game properties. Setting this to "Only update this game when I launch it" will try to perform updates when you start a game - if you have this set and you have the downloads set to not download while in game, you should be able to force launch a game without updates and download will not start. Set up "Offline Mode" now. If Steam is down and you haven't used "Offline Mode" recently then you won't be able to play your games with Steam offline. Choose "Steam"->"Go Offline..." to run Steam in offline mode. This has the benefit of being disconnected from the Steam service, updates, friends, etc. [0] https://imgur.com/WOUpLkr https://imgur.com/WOUpLkr
polytely 6y ago
itch.io is a great place to get drm free (indie) games.
aryik 6y ago
This is why I love the Switch compared to all the other modern consoles. When I try to use a PS4 or an Xbox it feels like I'm fighting to be able to play - 10's of GB's of updates that take hours to "copy" after download, slow system updates, games that need to install for an hour after you put in the disc, etc. etc. The Switch is the first console I've used in years where it seems like the maker of the console actually wants me to play games.
- cruano 6y ago
  Except when you go into the eshop and have to scroll down pages of shovelware to find anything decent
  - aryik 6y ago
    Fair enough. I haven’t had that experience yet because I’ve been working through the first party titles like Zelda and Mario.

arkanciscan 6y ago

I get all my games from Codex and Fitgirl. No multiplayer, but you don't want that anyway.

phone8675309 6y ago
Don't sell CODEX/PLAZA short - there are Steamworks and CreamAPI multiplayer fixes shipped sometimes, and sometimes Fitgirl will add them in with the repack. (Anybody reading this - there are publicly available NFO files and posts from Fitgirl that indicate what is included in a release/repack. I would never advocate violating copyright, and I certainly do not do so in a personal capacity.)
- LukaCEnzo 6y ago
  If people are curious they can find more info on cs.rin.ru steam forums. Great resource.

strombofulous 6y ago

FYI, Valve publishes the hardware survey and updates it monthly https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/ https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/ The rest of your post stands, just thought you might be interested