5 ms·

But after that, for reasons that Sega does not make explicit, they will be "delisted and unavailable." I really don't understand this move. The hard work is pu

by keyle 2y ago

But after that, for reasons that Sega does not make explicit, they will be "delisted and unavailable." I really don't understand this move. The hard work is putting the games on Steam and making sure they work. Assets, testing, integration. Why take them away? Anyway I'll never use Steam to buy a game anymore anyway, because you're only really buying a license to rent a game.

chupchap 2y ago
> Anyway I'll never use Steam to buy a game anymore anyway, because you're only really buying a license to rent a game. Hasn't that always been the case for all games purchase for a while now?
- lxgr 2y ago
  I believe GOG still sells a lot of things DRM free.
  - jakebasile 2y ago
    They are DRM free, but you are still only buying a license to the game which can likely be revoked under the terms of that agreement.
    - favorited 2y ago
      But GOG offers offline executable installers, so from a practical perspective even if your license was revoked, they'd have no way of preventing you from playing the game (assuming that you had downloaded the installer, of course). The even joked about it after Steam added the checkout banner: https://x.com/GOGcom/status/1844752098145038435 https://x.com/GOGcom/status/1844752098145038435
    - alpaca128 2y ago
      The license doesn't matter if you can have the DRM-free installer on your harddrive forever. They sold it to me (and called it a "purchase"), I downloaded it, who cares about the license, it's mine now.
    - keyle 2y ago
      Offline installer that doesn't ring home.
  - dvngnt_ 2y ago
    so does steam. it depends on the publisher
    - lxgr 2y ago
      But is there a way to actually back up an installer (or the installed game) in a way that lets you run it on a different computer after, say, your Steam account has been closed for whatever reason? On macOS an app bundle is usually self-contained, so if there is no DRM backups are simple enough; for Windows, it's usually not that easy, I believe.
      - opan 2y ago
        For some games the executable just works outside of Steam, you can copy the whole directory from steamapps to elsewhere. I recall Starbound being like this during beta, good for last-minute local multiplayer at a LAN party. Those games aside, I think goldberg steam emulator is used for ripping/cracking/sharing games. I don't wanna say too much as I don't know the process well, but I think sometimes you remove or replace a certain steam file and that's the main thing needed. This doesn't get you past extra layers of DRM like Denuvo, of course. I recommend not buying any such games. You can follow a Steam curator that checks games for Denuvo and then it will display if they have it (or used to and removed it, like Soulcalibur VI) on the store page if you're logged in. https://store.steampowered.com/curator/26095454-Denuvo-Games/ https://store.steampowered.com/curator/26095454-Denuvo-Games...
  - aquova 2y ago
    Everything on GoG is guaranteed to be DRM-free (see occasional scandal when something sneaks through that has it)
- genewitch 2y ago
  no all, but any that make you sign a EULA before you can start the game, yes.
- keyle 2y ago
  That was my point yes.
margalabargala 2y ago
> Anyway I'll never use Steam to buy a game anymore anyway, because you're only really buying a license to rent a game. I wonder if you misinterpreted the article? The games are not being taken away from people who purchased them. They will simply no longer be offered for sale. I know the DRM exists, but to the extent that you trust the word of Steam and Gabe Newell, they have said they will release a patch undoing all Steam DRM if Steam ever goes out of business.
- vikingerik 2y ago
  It's easy for them to have that intention, but then the realities of operating from bankruptcy court or receivership or being assimilated by Microsoft or Sony could be much different. I choose to only buy stuff for like $8 and under where I can expect to get my money's worth of gameplay in a short time frame and so not have to worry about any long term sunsetting. That's a reasonable middle ground between fully trusting the platform or fully abhorring it.
- somat 2y ago
  Honestly I doubt that, and not because I distrust steam and gabe newell, in my books steam is one of the good guys, in an industry filled with nickle and dime rent seeking, steam provides a reliable, unobtrusive service. Personally I think their margin is grossly high. And I too hate how many of my games are locked up depending on the benevolence of a corporation. But steam has thus far proved to be a very useful service, mainly by not fucking up. I just don't think it could happen because when your business is going down in flames, the last thing on your mind is giving away the keys to the kingdom. The normal death spiral is. The business is unable to make a profit anymore and will have to be closed down. however it still has a reputation. somebody will buy the business with the expectation they will be able to make the changes needed to make a profit. these changes are vile, trying to extract any money they can from the corpse. it then gets sold to the next sucker. who repeats the whole repugnant farce. It is almost never a clean death.
- amiga386 2y ago
  If the developer offers the game on itch.io, buy it from there. If the developer offers the game on GOG, buy it from there. Otherwise, check if there's currently a crack for the steamworks version of the game. If so, buy it on Steam. Don't actually download or use the crack; just check it exists before buying. Otherwise, don't buy the game.

by keyle 2y ago

chupchap 2y ago

> Anyway I'll never use Steam to buy a game anymore anyway, because you're only really buying a license to rent a game. Hasn't that always been the case for all games purchase for a while now?

lxgr 2y ago
I believe GOG still sells a lot of things DRM free.
- jakebasile 2y ago
  They are DRM free, but you are still only buying a license to the game which can likely be revoked under the terms of that agreement.
  - favorited 2y ago
    But GOG offers offline executable installers, so from a practical perspective even if your license was revoked, they'd have no way of preventing you from playing the game (assuming that you had downloaded the installer, of course). The even joked about it after Steam added the checkout banner: https://x.com/GOGcom/status/1844752098145038435 https://x.com/GOGcom/status/1844752098145038435
  - alpaca128 2y ago
    The license doesn't matter if you can have the DRM-free installer on your harddrive forever. They sold it to me (and called it a "purchase"), I downloaded it, who cares about the license, it's mine now.
  - keyle 2y ago
    Offline installer that doesn't ring home.
- dvngnt_ 2y ago
  so does steam. it depends on the publisher
  - lxgr 2y ago
    But is there a way to actually back up an installer (or the installed game) in a way that lets you run it on a different computer after, say, your Steam account has been closed for whatever reason? On macOS an app bundle is usually self-contained, so if there is no DRM backups are simple enough; for Windows, it's usually not that easy, I believe.
    - opan 2y ago
      For some games the executable just works outside of Steam, you can copy the whole directory from steamapps to elsewhere. I recall Starbound being like this during beta, good for last-minute local multiplayer at a LAN party. Those games aside, I think goldberg steam emulator is used for ripping/cracking/sharing games. I don't wanna say too much as I don't know the process well, but I think sometimes you remove or replace a certain steam file and that's the main thing needed. This doesn't get you past extra layers of DRM like Denuvo, of course. I recommend not buying any such games. You can follow a Steam curator that checks games for Denuvo and then it will display if they have it (or used to and removed it, like Soulcalibur VI) on the store page if you're logged in. https://store.steampowered.com/curator/26095454-Denuvo-Games/ https://store.steampowered.com/curator/26095454-Denuvo-Games...
- aquova 2y ago
  Everything on GoG is guaranteed to be DRM-free (see occasional scandal when something sneaks through that has it)
genewitch 2y ago
no all, but any that make you sign a EULA before you can start the game, yes.
keyle 2y ago
That was my point yes.

margalabargala 2y ago

> Anyway I'll never use Steam to buy a game anymore anyway, because you're only really buying a license to rent a game. I wonder if you misinterpreted the article? The games are not being taken away from people who purchased them. They will simply no longer be offered for sale. I know the DRM exists, but to the extent that you trust the word of Steam and Gabe Newell, they have said they will release a patch undoing all Steam DRM if Steam ever goes out of business.

vikingerik 2y ago
It's easy for them to have that intention, but then the realities of operating from bankruptcy court or receivership or being assimilated by Microsoft or Sony could be much different. I choose to only buy stuff for like $8 and under where I can expect to get my money's worth of gameplay in a short time frame and so not have to worry about any long term sunsetting. That's a reasonable middle ground between fully trusting the platform or fully abhorring it.
somat 2y ago
Honestly I doubt that, and not because I distrust steam and gabe newell, in my books steam is one of the good guys, in an industry filled with nickle and dime rent seeking, steam provides a reliable, unobtrusive service. Personally I think their margin is grossly high. And I too hate how many of my games are locked up depending on the benevolence of a corporation. But steam has thus far proved to be a very useful service, mainly by not fucking up. I just don't think it could happen because when your business is going down in flames, the last thing on your mind is giving away the keys to the kingdom. The normal death spiral is. The business is unable to make a profit anymore and will have to be closed down. however it still has a reputation. somebody will buy the business with the expectation they will be able to make the changes needed to make a profit. these changes are vile, trying to extract any money they can from the corpse. it then gets sold to the next sucker. who repeats the whole repugnant farce. It is almost never a clean death.
amiga386 2y ago
If the developer offers the game on itch.io, buy it from there. If the developer offers the game on GOG, buy it from there. Otherwise, check if there's currently a crack for the steamworks version of the game. If so, buy it on Steam. Don't actually download or use the crack; just check it exists before buying. Otherwise, don't buy the game.