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I think this is incorrect. I believe most Steam releases do require the Steam runtime to be present. Trying to open the game directly will "work", but that's be
by bscphil 4y ago
I think this is incorrect. I believe most Steam releases do require the Steam runtime to be present. Trying to open the game directly will "work", but that's because it's invoking the Steam runtime - just without showing the launcher.
Examples:
* Dead Cells has Steam DRM: https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Dead_Cells https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Dead_Cells
* Hollow Knight does not (will run without Steam if you copy just the game files): https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Hollow_Knight https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Hollow_Knight
- somat 4y agocan confirm, I was trying to set up my(is it really mine?) copy of obra dinn for my mother to play. and was unable to get it to run given the time I was willing to invest in it. I was vaguely surprised because I figured that obra dinn being a small single player indie title would not have any drm. and I don't think it does. I think just linking it to the steam dll(for steam integration) makes the check occur. I suspect the solution is a bogus steam dll. but did not find one in the couple of minutes I was looking. Note that you can copy a game to a friends computer then authorize them to play it, so good for valve, but I did not want to set my mother up with a steam account. so did not use this feature.
- easrng 4y agoI think https://gitlab.com/Mr_Goldberg/goldberg_emulator https://gitlab.com/Mr_Goldberg/goldberg_emulator is what you're looking for?
- Gigachad 4y agoValve provides a way to use Steam as DRM but it's entirely optimonal. There are many games on steam where you can just run them directly or copy them on to another computer and they run fine. So its just up to the game publisher to decide what DRM they want.
- mmis1000 4y agoI don't think it's even a requirement. Games can utilize steam apis to have a better integration with friend list / invites / drm purchasing...etc. But they are not required to. You can just upload a standalone executable without calling steam api at all, steam won't prevent you from doing so. Actually, most visual novel games is in this category. Copy the game file and run it at some other place will just work. Another example is original sound tracks sell as game dlcs. They are simply downloaded into game directory, nothing is protected.
- SXX 4y agoSteam dont require games to have any DRM. Developer might avoid Steamworks altogether and can also make it degrade gracefully: for instance disable online features if Steam API is not available. This is entirely up to developer to decide how they use Steam. PS: I am game developer.
- bscphil 4y agoRight, but OP said Steam "doesn't enforce DRM". Saying they don't require developers to implement it is different than saying they don't enforce it.
- stavros 4y agoDifferent how? If it's not required, then it's not enforced, no?
- thristian 4y agoGame developers are not required to implement Steam DRM to sell their games on the Steam store. If a game developer chooses to implement Steam DRM, Valve will enforce it.
- stavros 4y agoYes. What is the other meaning? DRM that doesn't enforce protection?
- bscphil 4y agoNot sure where the confusion lies here. If the developer wants Steam DRM, then Steam enforces it. It's not just the Steam API integration, if the game has Steam DRM and you try to start it without the Steam-specific files and your cached login present on the system, it won't work. I call that "enforcement", and most significant games on Steam use it.
- 4y ago