4 ms·

> 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 al

> 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    But GOG offers offline executable installers, so from a practical perspective even if your license was revoked, they'd have no way of preventing you from playing the game (assuming that you had downloaded the installer, of course).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.

> 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.