Unfortunately it’s not grounded in the reality of the situation. It’s not that they’re granting a “exclusive” to steam for the hell of it. My understanding is they’re using Steam APIs to handle various parts of the game.
Good part is Steam is free and other than some tales of woes (probably no more than have issues running games in the first place) many many many people seem to use it just fine.
[QUOTE=Chance.;227140]I prefer using steam then using games for windows live.[/QUOTE]I prefer eating food from McDonalds over rusty nails and razor blades. Comparing with the worst doesn’t make a good point. 
Whats that got to do with you saying Senethro is the only person that likes Steam?
That was sarcastic. Or do you understand all things written literally at all times?
I suggest reading up on what sarcasm is so you know how and when to use it… that was just terrible! In fact, dont use it ever again
On another note, Steam is awesome! \o/
I have no issue with Steam, never have. I can slightly understand why some people may not like it (even if it’s just unfounded paranoia)… what I don’t understand is pure pent up teenage angst rage from some people because people do like it. Oh I think i’ll get temp banned because someone likes a bit of software RRAAWWRRRR!!
Yeah I too think that the hate towards Steam is unwarranted these days. Sure, back in the day it might have been fairly unstable but it has since improved. I only had a problem with Steam once about a year or 2 ago. But a bit of time spent on Google found a fix.
It’s just that extremes should be avoided. I don’t mind the game having Steam support but making it a must to have a connection with Steam to play the singleplayer portion of the game or that sort of stuff makes it a little unfriendly.
define “unfounded paranoia”. it’s public news that valve bans thousands of accounts whenever they’re in the mood to do so. this means all your legally bought games are rendered useless by the touch of someone’s button.
my only contact with steam was when i bought half life 2. that’s where the annoyance started. you buy a game at the retail store and can’t play it because someone needs to press a button and unlock it. then i read on their forum that valve banned thousands of accounts (all legally bought games of those people were gone, not only hl2).
i don’t care if the bans are because of piracy or cheats or whatever, that’s too much power. i understand that a ban of one single game or a cd key is okay, but ALL the games you’ve ever bought is a whole different dimension.
you might say that some might deserve it. well, i agree. but i’m sure there’s people among them who don’t deserve it. and once they banned you by mistake it’s hard or nearly impossible to get your stuff back.
if people pirate cd keys or install the half life 2 leaked demo and such, then it’s a matter for the police. valve is NOT the police.
to me this is a matter of principle. steam sucks.
[QUOTE=Joe999;227247]it’s public news that valve bans thousands of accounts whenever they’re in the mood to do so.
[…]
then i read on their forum that valve banned thousands of accounts (all legally bought games of those people were gone, not only hl2).
[…]
to me this is a matter of principle. steam sucks.[/QUOTE]
To me it’s a matter of principle to check my sources and draw logical conclusions to the claims I read, especially when they’re as far-fetched as these ones. I understand if you have your beefs with how Valve operate Steam – it hasn’t been a bump-less ride, especially for the first few years – but spreading this kind of FUD is just ridiculous.
It seems like everyone on these forums who’ve used Steam haven’t got any problems, while those that haven’t used it tell tales of massive floods of unwarranted bans and other woes, without stating where they got their information from.
While it’s important that both sides get their voices heard, it seems to me that a lot of the criticism from the anti-Steam camp isn’t constructive and in some cases flat-out fabrications.
I base my opinion purely on personal experience and I don’t like steam, is that founded enough?
Yeah, what joe999 said about mass banning of accounts doesn’t happen. If you get anti-cheat banned then you only get banned from all games using the same engine. The games are separate. The only way to lose your account is to use a stolen credit card or trying to not pay Valve or something.
Don’t pirate games or cheat then, simple as, its rather good thing to keep them banned from all games on steam (or games on same engine or whatever happens), banning them from just the game they pirated or cheated on is letting them off lightly in my opinion, its a stronger deterrent to other potential pirates and cheaters also.
Although I’ve heard there isn’t much in the way of an appeal system which if true does need looking at, I wouldn’t know personally how it all works though 'cause I’ve never had to appeal a decision or know anyone else who has for that matter.
Erm, since when did Valve try to issue prison sentences to people?
If you don’t like Valve’s heavy handed approach then simply don’t use it, fact of the matter is that Brink will utilise Brink and that’s all there is pretty much to say, buy the console version or something if Steam bothers you so much…
[QUOTE=Voxie;227252]To me it’s a matter of principle to check my sources and draw logical conclusions to the claims I read, especially when they’re as far-fetched as these ones. I understand if you have your beefs with how Valve operate Steam – it hasn’t been a bump-less ride, especially for the first few years – but spreading this kind of FUD is just ridiculous.
It seems like everyone on these forums who’ve used Steam haven’t got any problems, while those that haven’t used it tell tales of massive floods of unwarranted bans and other woes, without stating where they got their information from.
While it’s important that both sides get their voices heard, it seems to me that a lot of the criticism from the anti-Steam camp isn’t constructive and in some cases flat-out fabrications.[/QUOTE]
what’s a FUD?
and what’s far fatched? if you want a source, google yourself. eg here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4041289.stm
why do you say that people who disagree with steam haven’t used it? where’s your source which you demand from other people? i used it and you know what it gave me? a bsod every time i closed hl2. did i get support from valve? no. i had to track the error down myself which was in the securom driver that installed itself on my sys every time i started the game and didn’t remove itself after that.
by the way as you mention it, i don’t see any constructive criticism in what you say, in fact your arguments (which aren’t arguments by the way) are taken out of thin air.
to go back to why the banning is unfair in my opinion. the industry likes to use comparisons, eg you don’t steal a game from the store, so why do you steal it from the internet? it’s easy to map that comparison to the other direction. if someone steals something from a store, the store owner doesn’t go and takes everything that the thief ever bought at that store. but that’s exactly what valve did. they’re not better than those who used the cd key from the web (for a game for which there was no demo). in fact valve are even worse than pirates. to use numbers: money loss of valve from those who used the cd key: 0! money loss of those who got all of their games rendered useless: pick a high number.
i don’t. it’s as easy as that
It seems that you dont read all the posts on these boards then…
People had and still have problem with steam, denying that is what seems far-fetched to me, anyway we can end this debate know as it is what it is, steam will be used anyway so not happy dont buy the game, an endless discussion about a decision that has already been made is pointless. Still, steam is a problem for many people on and out these forums, but apparently its not enuff ppl anyway, so I stopped to care.
On another point its cool I’ll have more time to do anything else than gaming 
Peace