4 ms·

One thing worth noting about Steam's DRM setup that I think a lot of people decide to ignore (for whatever reason) is that whether Steam DRM is enabled for a ga

One thing worth noting about Steam's DRM setup that I think a lot of people decide to ignore (for whatever reason) is that whether Steam DRM is enabled for a game or not is up to the publisher. There are a bunch of games that you can buy through Steam that don't have any DRM. They update just as all regular Steam games do and you can install them just the same as all other Steam games. A partial list can be found here, for example: http://www.gog.com/forum/general/list_of_drmfree_games_on_steam/page1 http://www.gog.com/forum/general/list_of_drmfree_games_on_st... GOG is unique of course in that it doesn't allow games to be sold with DRM on its storefront. But I do think it's a bit of a misnomer to say that DRM is the heart of Steam. That's just the thing that made publishers comfortable with Steam.

shmerl 13y ago
As discussed below, it still affects the transferability of those games. I.e. you need Steam to install those games anew, since they don't provide you with a standalone installer. Therefore even those games are DRMed.
- nitrogen 13y ago
  You don't necessarily have to install DRM-free software; you can often copy it into a directory of your choosing and run the binary. Steam also provides the ability to generate installable backups (though IIRC you do need to sign into an account that owns the game to restore a backup), and to run in offline mode.
  - shmerl 13y ago
    > You don't necessarily have to install DRM-free software; you can often copy it into a directory of your choosing and run the binary. If game is playable after simple copying with no installation - that can be really considered DRM free (given there are no other forms DRM in the game). But probably not all games from that list are copyable like that. > Steam also provides the ability to generate installable backups (though IIRC you do need to sign into an account that owns the game to restore a backup), and to run in offline mode. If your account is closed, or Steam is closed altogether - the game becomes nontransferable. Therefore since you have no clear option for completely independent backup, the game can't be called DRM free.
  - jimmaswell 13y ago
    You may also have to copy registry settings.
- DannoHung 13y ago
  I dunno, that's not a much stronger argument than saying that installation discs are DRM because if you lose them, you can't install something.
  - YokoZar 13y ago
    Was the original DRM copy-protection put onto CDs, or the fact that the game required that CD to be inserted to play?

shmerl 13y ago

As discussed below, it still affects the transferability of those games. I.e. you need Steam to install those games anew, since they don't provide you with a standalone installer. Therefore even those games are DRMed.

nitrogen 13y ago
You don't necessarily have to install DRM-free software; you can often copy it into a directory of your choosing and run the binary. Steam also provides the ability to generate installable backups (though IIRC you do need to sign into an account that owns the game to restore a backup), and to run in offline mode.
- shmerl 13y ago
  > You don't necessarily have to install DRM-free software; you can often copy it into a directory of your choosing and run the binary. If game is playable after simple copying with no installation - that can be really considered DRM free (given there are no other forms DRM in the game). But probably not all games from that list are copyable like that. > Steam also provides the ability to generate installable backups (though IIRC you do need to sign into an account that owns the game to restore a backup), and to run in offline mode. If your account is closed, or Steam is closed altogether - the game becomes nontransferable. Therefore since you have no clear option for completely independent backup, the game can't be called DRM free.
- jimmaswell 13y ago
  You may also have to copy registry settings.
DannoHung 13y ago
I dunno, that's not a much stronger argument than saying that installation discs are DRM because if you lose them, you can't install something.
- YokoZar 13y ago
  Was the original DRM copy-protection put onto CDs, or the fact that the game required that CD to be inserted to play?