Steam and DRM

[regomar]

I use both Steam and GOG and I'll say without reservation that I'd MUCH rather have this game on GOG. No DRM trumps everything. Steam can be convenient, but it's a slightly bloated platform and with over 300 games on Steam myself, I live in constant fear that they could disable my account and I'll lose everything. I've heard more than enough horror stories of things like Paypal issuing a charge-back to Steam of their own accord (Paypal, I find, is unreliable as a processor, their auto-fraud detectors will often mess with payments) and having the entire Steam account locked down. GOG is simple, easy to use, and once you download your game you can do whatever the hell you want with it, online or offline.

After installing a game in steam you can set the game into local mode so you don't need net connection. Or so I've come to understand. Never needed it myself.

Except that the 'Offline Mode' on Steam is notoriously buggy to the point where it doesn't work reliably on most people's machines. It randomly decides that it simply won't work. Oftentimes you have to physically unplug your ethernet cable to get it to go offline even if you have no Internet or else it will keep attempting to connect. People bring this up over and over and over and over again on the Steam forums and nothing has been done for YEARS because it is a low priority. I have 5 computers in my house (3 desktop, 2 laptop) which span the gammut from XP to Windows 7 installations, and I can get offline mode to work properly on a grand total of ONE of those machines, and I'm not a tech idiot, I have a degree in computer science and work in the field. It just refuses to work.

[Darklord]

I'll buy it from whichever source gives these guys the largest profit. So if it's available I'm guessing a direct purchase from this website.

Daniel.

[Dandy]

I think it's safe to say that LoG will not be Steam exclusive.

Excellent. I hate steam with a passion, and would not let it within 500 miles of my computer. It would break my heart not to be able to purchase this little gem, because it was Steam exclusive.

[Dandy]

I have ran avast on my brothers computer last night, and it found steam.exe and steamerrorreport.exe to be malware generators, threat, serious.

One of the reasons I wouldn't touch this service with a barge-pole.

[Mameluk]

Perhaps Valve should tell all those 25 million users that the software they are using is actually a virus.

[ozmiz]

I know a few people that will not use Steam, and until a year ago I was one of them. I finally started using it and now after a while I have even came to like it. As someone else stated, I got tired of hunting up disc (or finding my two pretty little girls using them to build "Crafts" with, doh!).

I don't mind steam but I still buy from outside of it too so either way I'm happy!

[Dandy]

I used them for a while until I needed to change my email address, they then told me that I would have to have provide proof of purchase before they would allow this. How the hell can I provide pop for the games that I bought through their stupid service? it's not like they send you a recite.
I really didn't know what they were blabbering about. Anyway I find it much easier and convenient getting my games elsewhere, such as Gamersgate. Gamersgate run a hassle and virus free service and in most cases are much cheaper than Steam.

[Alaric]

I used them for a while until I needed to change my email address, they then told me that I would have to have provide proof of purchase before they would allow this. How the hell can I provide pop for the games that I bought through their stupid service? it's not like they send you a recite.
I really didn't know what they were blabbering about. Anyway I find it much easier and convenient getting my games elsewhere, such as Gamersgate. Gamersgate run a hassle and virus free service and in most cases are much cheaper than Steam.

There are many ways you can provide proof of purchase for Steam Support. If you bought a game on Steam, you can always give them the credit card info for the card with which you bought it. Or if you used PayPal, you can supply that. Really, whatever way you paid, they'll accept that. So write in to support - support.steampowered.com - and they'll take care of you.

[omgitsbees]

I used them for a while until I needed to change my email address, they then told me that I would have to have provide proof of purchase before they would allow this. How the hell can I provide pop for the games that I bought through their stupid service? it's not like they send you a recite.
I really didn't know what they were blabbering about. Anyway I find it much easier and convenient getting my games elsewhere, such as Gamersgate. Gamersgate run a hassle and virus free service and in most cases are much cheaper than Steam.

Between this, and the accusation that Avast picked Steam up as malware, i'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you are full of ****, and just looking to get a rise out of people. Steam is pretty great, and has done a lot of positive things for making PC gaming popular again. Sorry you don't know how to use a computer, I guess.

[Dandy]

There are many ways you can provide proof of purchase for Steam Support. If you bought a game on Steam, you can always give them the credit card info for the card with which you bought it. Or if you used PayPal, you can supply that. Really, whatever way you paid, they'll accept that. So write in to support - support.steampowered.com - and they'll take care of you.

It doesn't really matter any more. I have no desire to use Steam ever again, they are to much like big brother for my liking. As someone has already mentioned, at a whim they could suspend your account and effectively take away yours entire software collection.
Were possible I buy from the developers themselves or Gamersgate, that way I have my collection neatly backed up, and can install uninstall as I please. I own my software, not Valve.
I am also looking at Good old games, from reports, they seem to run a good service, but from what I can see not to many modern games are on offer.