this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2024
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[–] [email protected] 172 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (6 children)

New bypass just dropped: not buying a single-player game that makes you create and log into a third-party service exclusively because that service wants money in the form of your data/wants to enforce DRM.

Edit: the 'Steam tho' comments below are true and Steam's DRM does suck (I use GOG when I can), but they miss the point I'm making, which is that if you're buying a game through Steam, you already have the account set up to comply with the DRM. That's just inherent to the steps of purchasing the game on Steam. Whereas for something like a Sony account here, you don't necessarily have that, and unlike Steam for instance that at least has the value proposition of cloud saves, you're getting fuck-all in return here. Additionally, this account is used for likely only one or two games, just introducing a needless logistical hurdle for account management. Think of how many dozens of essentially burner accounts you would have if every game publisher put this bullshit in.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 6 months ago (1 children)

This is why I pirated the game!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

See! You didn't have to! Still makes you a hero in my book, but you didn't have to!

[–] [email protected] 33 points 6 months ago

It's okay, disability discount is available for everyone with a peg leg, eyepatch, or hook hand.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Sounds good to me. It's annoying that connecting to a store and a social media platform has become so normalized. I just want to play a game.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

That's what I thought back in 2007. Now I kinda like the convenience. If they added an option to download the games, like GOG, it'd be perfect.

Steam DRM is a joke anyways and not all games on steam have it, so it wouldn't be that much of a stretch for them to get rid of it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

How does the social media portion of steam affect you if you don’t participate?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

It's bloat, unnecessary junk that's part of their ecosystem. Instead of having specialized apps, you have one app that does everything; and of course every other brand has to have their own, even fucking musk wants it for twitter.

This creates two problems, first it strains your hardware for no reason, second it creates dozens of walled gardens that don't interoperate, if you want to chat with your steam friends, you need to go on steam, if you want to play your games, you need to open the right launcher; this is the same shit apple is getting prosecuted for by the EU right now.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

GoG is just as well. Epic, Ubishit, EA.

Take a look at all of them and take the best choice for yourself. No monopoly, here. Steam isn't paying EA and Ubisoft to suck. They'd suck if Valve existed or not.

Steam isn't the only choice for a gamer any more than a cheap Civic is the only choice for a poor college freshman.

He could do a lot worse.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I mean, we definitely do have a steam monopoly on desktop, they might not be abusing their position much, as of yet anyways, but it's a monopoly all the same. They captured the desktop playerbase in their little ecosystem and now people are stuck because of their game catalog, achievements, friend list...

What we really need is a standardization of these systems and interoperability between platforms so that they're forced to actually compete instead of being miles ahead just by virtue of being there first.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

For managing a library of videogames on the desktop, including integration with all available stores and local installs, there is Playnite for Windows and Lutris for Linux.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Were they first? I can remember the battle.net launcher way before I ever heard of Steam.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Steam is DRM too, just so you know

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago (5 children)

Every time... No, Steam is not DRM. I mean, technically it is, but if you consider Steam DRM you must also consider every other game store DRM.

Usually when we talk about Drams we're talking about things that try to prevent copyright infringement, steam does not do that. It does offers an API which games can implement which has a naive form of DRM, but games are not forced to use it, and a lot of games don't. More often than not you can simply copy the game folder from steam to another computer without steam and run the game there, therefore no DRM.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

you're wrong. steam absolutely is DRM and works exactly as such. but it's not mandatory, and there are games that opt to not use steam DRM. so there are many DRM-free games on Steam, more than a thousand at this point, but also many times more that can't be launched without Steam.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 months ago (1 children)

so there are many DRM-free games on Steam, more than a thousand at this point, but also many times more that can't be launched without Steam.

Steam is pretty lenient with their offline mode tbh. What I don't like is when I launch a game from Steam library and it prompts for login to some other launcher.

As a publisher, what is the data that Sony can get from forcing the PS account that they can't get from Steam? I assume Steam provides all the relevant data to the publishers already?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (8 children)

as with almost every such case, they want you in their ecosystem. some benefits here and there, some in game extras, maybe some discounts, and you're hopefully now invested in their service, which means you're more likely to consider their games over others, since you might now consider the extra benefits you get from playing their games ... stuff like that.

I'm not saying steam isn't more costumer friendly than most other DRM; in just saying that claiming it isn't one or that you can play any steam game without Steam is flat out wrong.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 months ago (2 children)

There's a HUGE difference between a platform having optional DRM and a platform being DRM. Also it's not opt-out, it's opt-in, so by default games don't have it, if they do it's because someone on the game studio decided to add it, Valve does not force it or even encourage it, they just have it available.

It's very unfair to say "Steam is DRM", and a more accurate description is what I used "Steam has optional DRM".

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I do. I don't understand why people get up in a tiff about one DRM when they advocate for another.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago (4 children)

Because if you consider Steam to be DRM by the same token you also consider itch and GoG and any way of buying games DRM, which makes the term almost meaningless since companies should be allowed to charge for their products.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (2 children)

No, Steam is not DRM. I mean, technically it is

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

tbh the steam drm is not that bad you dont have to be always online but what do i hate is i have to leave the steam client open which might tank the fps a little

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I know even better. You just have to go to the gym and ask one girl for a free copy.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

Which carries a spoon and looks French

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (7 children)

Why is logging in to third party accounts the end of the world?

I play on PC too, and while it's somewhat obnoxious dealing with Ubisoft or EA, and I also have a Playstation account, I don't understand the big ordeal with just signing in to their stupid thing. Play the game until you've had enough, then be done.

You need to sign in to Steam, or Epic, or Gog or whatever. You probably sign in to emails and other accounts. Tons of things have your data whether you like it or not. The outrage all the time on this kind of thing feels really misplaced and overblown.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I hear what you're saying, but think about it this way, should I have to log into my dvd player to watch a movie? There wouldn't be any added experience. What about 10 years down the line when Sony decides to shut off PSN? Will they take the time to remove the requirement or will they do what they've done in the past and just drop support?

Forcing people to be online and log into shit is just an unnecessary hassle so that they can keep making money off their paying customers. From what I can tell, this does nothing for us. If we just "get over it" then companies will continue to be exploitive. Expressing frustration, especially as a customer is important.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago

Same sort of argument for more government surveillance. "I have nothing to hide". Yeah, you have nothing to hide from the government, but what about your crazy ex? Overbearing parent? Because all it takes is one hack and now your information is available to anyone who'll pay, maybe even for free at some point.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Sure. All valid and I agree and understand. My issue is that they do it anyways. Hardly ever do these companies change course after the backlash. They're going to keep ramming this garbage down our throats. Being enraged all the time about this, among so many other things, gets old.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

Then go away and live your life. Let the people who are angry and energized yell at companies to try and get better conditions for consumers.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 6 months ago (4 children)

Because it serves no purpose.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Your line is fucked, you're bored, can't play the game.

5 years down, you want to play it again, but there's no server anymore.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 months ago

Well you sign in into those other services like email or steam because you need an account to use those services.

But a single player game released on steam does not need it. Steam provides its own DRM that publishers/developers can use if that's what they want to achieve with an account.

Case in point the mod this post is about, the game doesn't need an account yet Sony is trying to force it.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago

Among the other things, needing an internet connection to play offline games can prevent some people from playing. Not everybody has a stable internet connection. When I had crappy rural internet I'd download a bunch of games and play when the internet was down. I wouldn't be able to play this game in that situation.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

100% agree, other than the ratio of countries that can legitimately create a PSN account (and/or buy the game).

Otherwise, seems just like the Games For Windows live stuff that people didn't love but certainly didn't care this much about.

E.g. Fallout 3, pre-goty.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

It's a case of voting with your wallet for most people. There are degrees of DRM that people are willing to put up with; where some people would rather go for DRM-free games on GOG, others are happy with one launcher like Steam and some others will accept each game launching its own launcher from within a meta launcher/store front.

To be honest it's a matter of personal preference and I try to be in the 2nd group but I don't mind what other people do. Again, personally, I dislike the idea of being apathetically brow beaten into signing up for dozens of services for the convenience of companies which provide no utility to me. Sometimes these launchers actively harm the experience by disabling steam launch options or bricking the game completely if you don't live in the right country.

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