An Open Letter to Valve About Ads

[CSN NewsBot]

The owner of .brain, d3ltr33, has passed along word of an open letter about Steam that was sent to Valve's Doug Lombardi. The letter centers around the inclusion of in-game advertising within Counter-Strike and Valve's "little regard for end-users." This is the letter that prompted the interview with Gabe Newell.

Who can assure us that in the future end-user licenses won’t be changed again? That a game that was accessible for free after a one time payment will start asking us a subscription? That in the future Steam won’t start to ask to trade off our privacy to continue to play games we bought?



Will people who bought the game before a certain date, under different EULAs and without any clue of what would happen in the future, be able to opt out from the new user policies?

The problem with some of these questions is that, if the EULA changes, it is required that a new prompt be provided that requests that the end user re-agree to the updated EULA. It has happened before in Steam's life, it may very well happen again. If you don't agree to the changes, that Valve or any other company, are entitled to make then you do not agree to play the game.

[LeRaldo]

EULA's mean nothing.

[omgomgz]

Pretty sure it's a binding contract.

[ZEROarmy]

I don't mind the ads on the walls if they are placed well but I CAN'T STAND THE SCOREBOARD ADS. It follows you where ever you go. Is is unbelievability obnoxious. I expected this kinda of in-your-face advertising form EA, not Valve.

[Fragalishus]

If you're still playing 1.6 you have no room to complain.



If you're still running a server you have no room to complain.



If all the server operators in the entire world simply shut their servers off and switched their community to a game that isn't owned by Valve they just might actually get something accomplished.



But Valve knows there's enough morons who "don't mind the ads" so they know they can just keep taking a huge dump right in their mouth and they'll just say "yummy yummy give me more plz!!".



Boycotts only work if everyone, you know, actually stops buying their shit. Cut the revenue stream out and they just might take notice. But I stress might. As long as they keep making money from the ads there's absolutely no reason for them to stop. "Community outrage" usually means jack-shit when it comes to the bottom line. And the only way to stop that revenue stream is to stop hosting servers, and stop playing the games giving them player minutes.



As a game developer I love them to death. As a business entity I despise them with my entire being. Won't be seeing another dime from me until they wise up.

[Thortok2000]

A friend asked me to come play 1.6 with him. I figured hey, why not.



We played de_dust. This was my first time actually seeing the ads in-game, myself.



45 seconds later, 1.6 was off my computer.

[meowmeow]

Fragalishus should like, be the spokesperson for CSN.

[icemanz-alb]

I haven't bought anything from them since the November of '04.

[FightingChance]

Well said Fragalishus.



It's interesting how there's no recourse for EULAs. Your only option is to not agree, which prevents you from using the software, which really bites when you just want to play the game.

[omgomgz]

Edited by [user="381418"] @ [time="1179729576"]

Thortok2000 wrote..

A friend asked me to come play 1.6 with him. I figured hey, why not.



We played de_dust. This was my first time actually seeing the ads in-game, myself.



45 seconds later, 1.6 was off my computer.

Wait a minute, so Valve just lost a player who just played today after months of not playing? Good God.. it's worse than I thought!

Fragalishus wrote..

If all the server operators in the entire world simply shut their servers off and switched their community to a game that isn't owned by Valve they just might actually get something accomplished.

The only problem is there needs to be someone to make that game.. and Valve practically runs the PC game market. Your other option is to dance like a fairy in World Of Warcraft.

But Valve knows there's enough morons who "don't mind the ads" so they know they can just keep taking a huge dump right in their mouth and they'll just say "yummy yummy give me more plz!!".

Don't you mean, there are enough morons who complain about the ads, yet still play the game?

Boycotts only work if everyone, you know, actually stops buying their shit. Cut the revenue stream out and they just might take notice. But I stress might. As long as they keep making money from the ads there's absolutely no reason for them to stop. "Community outrage" usually means jack-shit when it comes to the bottom line. And the only way to stop that revenue stream is to stop hosting servers, and stop playing the games giving them player minutes.

Boycotts work if the people who talk the talk (roughly 90% of the community) actually walk the walk (roughly 1% of that 90%). And like I said, what game should we play? There aren't many GOOD options at all.

[Fragalishus]

Well for non-source'rs you could at least play DoD. Yeah it's still Valve but no revenue stream for them if the CS player base drops.



For Source check out moddb.com. Playing a Source mod isn't the same as playing a Valve game. Dystopia's a kick ass mod, and already has a lot of the features TF2 is going to have like medic healing and stealth.



http://dystopia-game.com

[ma_cherie]

how about not whining about something that really doesn't affect the game at all... doesn't make you lag... doesn't block anything from your view other than texture thats in 100 different spots on each map... just let a company be a company and quit whining.

[m4elite]

It DOES actually make people lag, and it lags your POV as soon as you spawn when it reloads the map on every new round.

[ma_cherie]

then my friend... you suffer from shitty computer syndrome and i feel bad for you

[entRo]

What if we're just tired of being assaulted with advertising everywhere we go? Maybe if they were giving us the games for free, we could put up with some minor ads.



But Valve is just shitting all over us and telling us they didn't do it. They're content to take as much money as their fat fingers can grab, and then turn around and talk about the consumer as if they give a shit.



I hope they are notoriously recognized as incredibly greedy as EA is.