Poll Update!

[naem]

Unless Steam costs money to pay per month it's really not comparable to MMORPGs. I don't see how it's any less susceptible to hacking than a normal game would be; people would just trade accounts/passwords instead of CDKeys (or however Steam identifies individual users).

[someguyonamission]

at the moment, only reason I'd use steam is if I'd save money. I mean if your going to be paying the same, wouldn't you rather have the extras that come with the box?

[MikeJ]

naem wrote..

Unless Steam costs money to pay per month it's really not comparable to MMORPGs. I don't see how it's any less susceptible to hacking than a normal game would be; people would just trade accounts/passwords instead of CDKeys (or however Steam identifies individual users).

I know that. That's what i said was attractive/intriguing about Steam not why I want to jump on the bandwagon this precise moment. As of right now it really isn't much different than playing the game straight out of the box, but down the road through future product development and technology enhancements i think steam is approaching a path for more secure content delivery outside of the MMORPG scene and is something to keep an open mind about and not just instantly reject it based on what you know about the beta and or how you have purchased your games in the past.



Edit: poll needs another option because neither choice is really appealing. Voted comedy option to see results.

[MeylokK]

WooFerPPK wrote..

1: always make back up CD's

2: You can read it off the Internet (or photocopy it if your that desperate)

3: Download it off the Internet then burn it onto a cd, or if you know someone that has it borrow it, or just buy it if you find it somewhere.



thats what i do.

you sir, have to much time on your hands, go and get a social life before i beat one into you

[Vassily]

steam is not at all tempting. I'm going to come right on out and say it, i like having a physical copy of the game so i can copy it for distribution. If I'm paying a hundred bucks for some software (the average price of new games in nz), then I damn well want everything I can get out of it.

In addendum, steam also relys on everyone having high speed net or unlimited and stable connections. Again, an expense I can't afford. I'm going to stick with my cardboard boxes ta. Or my TDK blank cd leaflets

[Julio Caesar]

Yeah, I can't see how anyone would make extra copies of there games and game manuals, thats WAY too obsesive.

[orphy]

rizzuh wrote..

On the flip side, what if you step on the CD and break it? Or the manual becomes tattered and useless? Or the game isn't even in production anymore and you can't find it in any stores?



Steam solves all of these problems.

That's why I put my CDs in a nice CD rack thing, and keep the CDs in their cases. With the exception that my bro fucked up my Vice City disc, I haven't had any problems.

I would still prefer a normal DVD/CD and box and manual, but I'll admit that one day my opinion will probably change as Steam becomes more and more widespread.

Yea, right now it's a new idea, so people will resist and stick with what their using now.

[thrasymachus]

MikeJ wrote..

The thing that attracts me to steam is security. It's a more controlled environment and less prone to piracy and hacking. Take popular MMORPGs like everquest and the like. There is virtually no cheating or piracy going on in these types of games, and they would be even more prone to hacks due to the fact that you can sell items and characters for real cash on ebay, and in CS you only cheat for a high score or fame in CAL.



Just something to keep in mind.

The reason that MMORPGs have little cheating is because they don't trust the client for anything. There is nothing that you can do to the client to give yourself an advantage (when the game is properly designed). No luck trying that with FPS games.

[kSaini]

Hypothetically speaking, because there is no box, no publisher, no stupid gamespy intrusions, i think the game would be cheaper to buy over steam rather than over the counter box sale at your local store. About the backup/tangible cd thing, ya, that is always nice to have but i'm sure they'll include some sort of backup feature for games that you buy via steam.



And to whoever made the comment about traffic on the download servers and such and not wishing to wait in line, i think they'd provide sufficient bandwidth so it never comes to that, sort of like the mercury/fileplanet subscriber thing.

[MikeJ]

thrasymachus wrote..

No luck trying that with FPS games.

MikeJ wrote..

future product development and technology enhancements i think steam is approaching a path for more secure content delivery outside of the MMORPG scene and is something to keep an open mind about and not just instantly reject it

Hey where can i get hacks for PlanetSide

[Seven`]

Don't you have to pay a monthly fee to play most MMORPGs? I personally believe thats the biggest factor in less / no cheating. People put up money to play monthly, rather than just once, so they don't want to have all that money go down the drain if they are caught and their accounts are deleted. Just my opinion though.

[MikeJ]

Planetside isn't really an MMORPG, i was in the beta. It's like a huge version of tribes. And besides that's really the whole point. What if your steam account got suspended or deleted for cheating? In half-life you go on google or whatever and pop in a new CD key and you're playing again in 30 seconds, but what if there was a better system with more secure accounts and as a result there would be more of an incentive to be careful with your account because you're no longer anonyms.



Step #1 would be to not keep the damn CD key stored in plain text in the registry. Every other program on kazaa is probably a HL cd key stealer.

[{Sose}]

Death to Sony.

[Eagle25]

Andeh wrote..

i will always buy my games physically. that will never change no matter how widespread steam becomes. i love my beloved boxes and manuals.

i, for one, get more enjoyment out of buying my games emotionally

[naem]

MikeJ wrote..

What if your steam account got suspended or deleted for cheating?

you use someone else's steam account :O~

MikeJ wrote..

In half-life you go on google or whatever and pop in a new CD key and you're playing again in 30 seconds

Good luck finding a working CDKey on Google.. and hoping that it's not banned by VAC... and that it's not in use by someone else who Googled it..

MikeJ wrote..

but what if there was a better system with more secure accounts and as a result there would be more of an incentive to be careful with your account because you're no longer anonyms.

How would one make it more secure? How would you propose that only Joe User can use the account he registered? With the more limitations you add to where and how Joe can log on the less inclined he will be to use Steam anyway.