Comments on: The Steam Platform http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/ Comment and discussion on Valve Software's digital communications platform. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:13:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Tom Edwards http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-4483 Tom Edwards Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:50:46 +0000 http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-4483 <a href="https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1673-IDGK-4694">https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1673-IDGK-4694</a> Also, always use paragraphs! I've edited your comment to include some -- take note. :-) https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1673-IDGK-4694

Also, always use paragraphs! I’ve edited your comment to include some — take note. :-)

]]> By: Dave Scott http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-4478 Dave Scott Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:43:17 +0000 http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-4478 There is another concern that is flying under the radar. In my opinion, they Valve employs unfair business practices that hurt the consumer and other companies. When you purchase a computer game which requires a Steam account, before you can even play it, you must set up a Steam account and register the game. Problem is that it can never be unregistered or transferred. Just a few of the games are the Half Life series, Red Orchestra and Lost Planet. These games can never be resold but you see them being resold in such venues as Ebay and Amazon among other places. When a person purchases one of these games used, they get home and find that it is worthless. It is causing consumers to lose money and causes frustration. It causes companies to lose money as well. If Steam can put these kind of restrictions on their games, then they should also be responsible for putting clearly on their packages that “THIS GAME CANNOT BE RESOLD OR TRANSFERRED”. They are being real sneaky by only putting that an active Steam account is required in very small print and not a word about the purchaser not truly owning the game and that it cannot be resold or transferred. Something really needs to be done here. In short, every used game out there that requires a Steam account is a fraudulent sale. Most everyone does not know this and sell it anyway and the consumers do not know this when they purchase it. This is WORLDWIDE. It may have unforeseen by me other consequences to people and companies. We really need this packaging labeling or this can only get worse. Valve will not do this voluntarily because it could hurt their sales and they are trying very hard to get other game companies to use their software in the same way. Because of this fact, it has and could have even more far reaching implications. Copy protection is one thing, but this is an abuse of the system when a company sells you a computer games for up to $50.00 or higher and unknown to the consumer, they do not truly own it and cannot resell it. Consumers are being stung everyday. Steam must be forced to clearly label their packages as to this situation. There is another concern that is flying under the radar. In my opinion, they Valve employs unfair business practices that hurt the consumer and other companies. When you purchase a computer game which requires a Steam account, before you can even play it, you must set up a Steam account and register the game. Problem is that it can never be unregistered or transferred. Just a few of the games are the Half Life series, Red Orchestra and Lost Planet. These games can never be resold but you see them being resold in such venues as Ebay and Amazon among other places. When a person purchases one of these games used, they get home and find that it is worthless.

It is causing consumers to lose money and causes frustration. It causes companies to lose money as well.

If Steam can put these kind of restrictions on their games, then they should also be responsible for putting clearly on their packages that “THIS GAME CANNOT BE RESOLD OR TRANSFERRED”. They are being real sneaky by only putting that an active Steam account is required in very small print and not a word about the purchaser not truly owning the game and that it cannot be resold or transferred.

Something really needs to be done here. In short, every used game out there that requires a Steam account is a fraudulent sale. Most everyone does not know this and sell it anyway and the consumers do not know this when they purchase it. This is WORLDWIDE. It may have unforeseen by me other consequences to people and companies. We really need this packaging labeling or this can only get worse. Valve will not do this voluntarily because it could hurt their sales and they are trying very hard to get other game companies to use their software in the same way.

Because of this fact, it has and could have even more far reaching implications. Copy protection is one thing, but this is an abuse of the system when a company sells you a computer games for up to $50.00 or higher and unknown to the consumer, they do not truly own it and cannot resell it. Consumers are being stung everyday. Steam must be forced to clearly label their packages as to this situation.

]]> By: Valve Unveils Steamworks - Halflife2.net http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-4305 Valve Unveils Steamworks - Halflife2.net Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:32:05 +0000 http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-4305 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] SO CALLED IT! http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/ I really should be feeling unbearably smug right now, if I wasn't so [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> Kramer auto Pingback[...] SO CALLED IT! http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/ I really should be feeling unbearably smug right now, if I wasn’t so [...]

]]> By: Alex http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-4078 Alex Tue, 20 Nov 2007 23:34:09 +0000 http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-4078 Steam does not even provide a robust delivery method over dial-up for the mere STEAM CLIENT. So, while I have the physical and paid for DVDs of Orange Box, I cannot install one iota of the game I paid for because the roadblocking STEAM client won't even finish installing. Why Steam can't provide a full (working?) version of the client with the physical game DVDs is beyond me. Due to Their buggy protocol connections and thus so far impossible DRM verification (which can't take place until I download the full client, I have a fully bought and paid for Orange Box that remains 100% useless. Now that's some strong DRM. All this trouble to play offline single player games. I had F.E.A.R. installed within 20 minutes. No internet required for product validation. Go figure. Steam does not even provide a robust delivery method over dial-up for the mere STEAM CLIENT. So, while I have the physical and paid for DVDs of Orange Box, I cannot install one iota of the game I paid for because the roadblocking STEAM client won’t even finish installing. Why Steam can’t provide a full (working?) version of the client with the physical game DVDs is beyond me. Due to Their buggy protocol connections and thus so far impossible DRM verification (which can’t take place until I download the full client, I have a fully bought and paid for Orange Box that remains 100% useless. Now that’s some strong DRM. All this trouble to play offline single player games. I had F.E.A.R. installed within 20 minutes. No internet required for product validation. Go figure.

]]> By: Tom Edwards http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-3726 Tom Edwards Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:18:06 +0000 http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-3726 Make sure that "Don't save account credentials" isn't enabled, on page one of the Settings. Also remember that (unless this has been fixed) you need to exit Steam from the context menu as opposed to letting it close when Windows shuts down at least once for the correct data to be stored. Make sure that “Don’t save account credentials” isn’t enabled, on page one of the Settings. Also remember that (unless this has been fixed) you need to exit Steam from the context menu as opposed to letting it close when Windows shuts down at least once for the correct data to be stored.

]]> By: leo http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-3725 leo Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:12:49 +0000 http://steamreview.org/posts/steamplatform/#comment-3725 Big problem I have is travelling and using offline mode...on more than one occassion on the road, without internet connection or getting onto a wireless that is incompatable with STEAM (port forwarding does not good on most), I have had STEAM error on startup saying the client data is not stored on the computer and must connect online to be used. It has been sometimes 6 days before finding a good connection point. SUCKS. Big problem I have is travelling and using offline mode…on more than one occassion on the road, without internet connection or getting onto a wireless that is incompatable with STEAM (port forwarding does not good on most), I have had STEAM error on startup saying the client data is not stored on the computer and must connect online to be used. It has been sometimes 6 days before finding a good connection point. SUCKS.

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