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Dustin2128
June 2nd, 2011, 07:54 PM
I have heard horrible talk on the interblag that Duke Nukem Forever is going to be steam exclusive for PC. If it's true, I guess I won't be buying it- I hate steam with a passion. Anyone know if it is?

forrestcupp
June 2nd, 2011, 08:01 PM
I thought it was supposed to be released in May.

LowSky
June 2nd, 2011, 08:04 PM
Steam is awesome, whats the issue? i can install any game I purchase with them onto any Windows PC I wish. No discs to lose to serial numbers to remember.

sydbat
June 2nd, 2011, 08:06 PM
And the vapourware saga continues...

Ctrl-Alt-F1
June 2nd, 2011, 08:09 PM
I agree, Steam is wonderful. You can't beat the deals that are sometimes offered either. I got King Arthur: The Role-Playing Wargame for $3 a couple months back and it was an epic game.

Also if the games run on Source, then they are available for Mac too, a single purchase is good for Mac & PC.

If a game works in wine, it'll probably work in wine whether you use the steam version or not.

Merk42
June 2nd, 2011, 08:17 PM
And the vapourware saga continues...
You not buying it (or worst case scenario NO ONE buying it) != vaporware

EDIT: I don't think it's Steam only http://www.gamestop.com/pc/games/duke-nukem-forever/84188

forrestcupp
June 2nd, 2011, 08:18 PM
I was right. It was originally (at least for this year) supposed to be released in North America on May 3rd, and it got postponed until June 14th. I'll believe it when I see it.

tx0105
June 2nd, 2011, 08:26 PM
I wouldn't be surprised if a good percent, if not the majority, of PC gaming purchases are now on Steam. The PC gaming section at stores (Best Buy, Walmart etc..) are getting smaller by the day. There's no reason to buy a box and worry about serial codes when you can just grab a game online with Steam, and half the time they offer insane deals you don't get in stores.

Dustin2128
June 2nd, 2011, 08:33 PM
I don't like it because it ties my game purchases to an online account. I prefer to just have the game standalone on my own disc and hard drive, DRM free.

Jackslaps
June 2nd, 2011, 08:39 PM
I don't like it because it ties my game purchases to an online account. I prefer to just have the game standalone on my own disc and hard drive, DRM free.

Only a handful of games are truly "DRM free." Many people, like myself, believe Steam is the least intrusive of them. Even with store-bought games you need to worry about serial codes and online activations, and in the most extreme cases (ex: Ubisoft), persistent online connectivity.

Dustin2128
June 2nd, 2011, 08:57 PM
Only a handful of games are truly "DRM free." Many people, like myself, believe Steam is the least intrusive of them. Even with store-bought games you need to worry about serial codes and online activations, and in the most extreme cases (ex: Ubisoft), persistent online connectivity.
I don't do any piracy but I usually buy DRM free or remove drm after market on principal. With steam... not as possible.

Aquix
June 2nd, 2011, 09:01 PM
Duke Nukem was postponed from may to june. ](*,)


Steam is great but after the whole sony, and amazon thing I would like to see valve offer a back-up solution if they ever go down.

Bandit
June 2nd, 2011, 09:15 PM
Ahh man.. Its not listed for Wii.. This sux...

Duke Nukem games have always been my favourites.

forrestcupp
June 2nd, 2011, 09:55 PM
I don't like it because it ties my game purchases to an online account. I prefer to just have the game standalone on my own disc and hard drive, DRM free.

I used to feel the same way until I lost my HL2 disc and had to reinstall it. I was pleasantly surprised that I could still install it from my Steam account. Before that, I didn't know that was possible. That changed my mind about Steam.

Dustin2128
June 2nd, 2011, 10:13 PM
I used to feel the same way until I lost my HL2 disc and had to reinstall it. I was pleasantly surprised that I could still install it from my Steam account. Before that, I didn't know that was possible. That changed my mind about Steam.
You have a point, but I still prefer keeping track of my own games. If I lose the disc, it's my problem. If some web server in the middle of nowhere goes down, and I can't play my games, I can't fix that or play my games (which is usually what I do when I can't fix something).

Linye
June 2nd, 2011, 10:25 PM
Demo comes out tomorrow for those in the first access club.

aaaantoine
June 2nd, 2011, 10:32 PM
I was right. It was originally (at least for this year) supposed to be released in North America on May 3rd, and it got postponed until June 14th. I'll believe it when I see it.

I understand your skepticism given the game's legacy, but it was reported just a day or two after the apocalypse that Duke Nukem Forever has gone gold (http://www.inquisitr.com/108500/duke-nukem-forever-gold/) (as in they sent it off to publish).

forrestcupp
June 3rd, 2011, 01:31 AM
You have a point, but I still prefer keeping track of my own games. If I lose the disc, it's my problem. If some web server in the middle of nowhere goes down, and I can't play my games, I can't fix that or play my games (which is usually what I do when I can't fix something).I guess the way I bought Half-Life 2 was the best way. I bought it on disc, and was still able to also download it from Steam. If you could do it that way, it would be the best of both worlds.

I wonder if you can backup your Steam downloads onto a DVD.


I understand your skepticism given the game's legacy, but it was reported just a day or two after the apocalypse that Duke Nukem Forever has gone gold (http://www.inquisitr.com/108500/duke-nukem-forever-gold/) (as in they sent it off to publish).
Yeah, I saw that too. I guess if that's true, it's finally going to happen. I'm sure there will be some problem with publishing that causes it to not come out for a few more months.

Dustin2128
June 3rd, 2011, 02:04 AM
Well, based on commercials, it looks like it will be an awesome game. In reality... I don't know. Will it be yet another generic shooter with the branding of the king on it as it looks? Or will it really carry the legacy of duke nukem?

8_Bit
June 3rd, 2011, 07:39 AM
Is Steam convenient? Hell yes!
Does that make it worth it? No.

I have several games on Steam but no longer purchase from them. Why?

This is why.
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/27540578

You are not "buying" a game when you purchase from Steam. You are paying for the *privilege* to play it for a certain amount of time. Valve can at any moment delete your account with ALL of your games, and they have a strict zero tolerance policy. Even if you truly did nothing wrong and it was a mistake on their part, they will not give you your account back, ever.

Just search on google for steam horror stories if you want to see some examples.

From time to time, a game goes on sale for a ridiculously low price, like $3. Those are the only times I buy from steam. Otherwise, it's just not worth it. I'm not going to pay full price for a game ($50) just to borrow it. In reality, Steam is ripping everyone off while making us think we are getting a good deal. We aren't. We used to pay $50 for a cold hard physical copy that was ours forever. Now we pay $50 to do what can only be called "borrowing." It's just not right.

Nyromith
June 3rd, 2011, 07:44 AM
If you buy a game from Steam, can you have an offline backup of the game installer?

And if you buy a game that doesn't have any online protection built-in, can you play it offline?

If one of those answers is no, Steam is an evil service. Maybe very convenient, but evil.

cespinal
June 3rd, 2011, 08:17 AM
I have heard horrible talk on the interblag that Duke Nukem Forever is going to be steam exclusive for PC. If it's true, I guess I won't be buying it- I hate steam with a passion. Anyone know if it is?

No... it is going out for other platforms. Check IGN.

and Steam is freaking awesome. Too bad it still not being ported to Linux

Legendary_Bibo
June 3rd, 2011, 09:14 AM
I like Steam, and I'm not really a big PC gamer so I like how it's the PC equivalent of the Xbox marketplace/Playstation Store and it's a great convenience.

t0p
June 3rd, 2011, 11:47 AM
Won't the schadenfreude be delicious if Duke Nukem Forever actually gets released and is really crap, like after all the high expectations it splatters onto our screens like a burning packet of dog faeces?

No? It must be just me then... :twisted:

Barrucadu
June 3rd, 2011, 12:04 PM
You are not "buying" a game when you purchase from Steam. You are paying for the *privilege* to play it

Isn't that the case for pretty much all software you have to pay for? Just like if you buy a Windows computer you don't buy the copy of Windows on it, you buy a license to use it, which Microsoft can revoke any time they like.

Ji Ruo
June 4th, 2011, 06:25 PM
Isn't that the case for pretty much all software you have to pay for? Just like if you buy a Windows computer you don't buy the copy of Windows on it, you buy a license to use it, which Microsoft can revoke any time they like.

You generally have more rights than that under the law in any given country. Even if the company tries to enforce this in their license agreement, at the end of the day the laws of the government/courts are what will determine what you and they can and cannot do. Very generally, if you have purchased something you do have a right to use it as long as your use can be regarded as fair.

And of course if they succeeded in withdrawing a product that people have paid for without legal repercussion, they would still have to deal with the negative publicity that this generated.

Ji Ruo
June 4th, 2011, 06:38 PM
If you buy a game from Steam, can you have an offline backup of the game installer?

yes, you can download it to any computer you use - I believe it's tied to your account so only people who have purchased the game can play it (or they have to play with your account).


And if you buy a game that doesn't have any online protection built-in, can you play it offline?

Generally this is the way it works, but I'm not sure if the restrictions Ubisoft have brought in lately are applied to sales through Steam as well. Most games seem to require online activation these days, but then you can play offline.

forrestcupp
June 4th, 2011, 06:53 PM
yes, you can download it to any computer you use - I believe it's tied to your account so only people who have purchased the game can play it (or they have to play with your account).
I think the question is can you back your downloaded game and installer up to a DVD in case you can't access your online account for some reason.

8_Bit
June 4th, 2011, 08:17 PM
To start a game, you must launch it from within the Steam client. And you have to have online access just to start the Steam client. *Then* you can start a game in offline mode. So you do still need the middleman just to play your game offline.

Quadunit404
June 4th, 2011, 09:26 PM
I wonder if you can backup your Steam downloads onto a DVD.

Yes, you can.

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/ss76/Quadunit404/Steambackup.png

See that "Backup game files" option? That backs up an entire game - mods and all - to a single DVD, and then you can run the game off of that DVD without needing Steam. Personally I don't ever feel the need to use this option, but it's there if you need to.

Dustin2128
June 4th, 2011, 09:41 PM
No... it is going out for other platforms. Check IGN.

and Steam is freaking awesome. Too bad it still not being ported to Linux
I know it's going to be released on PS3 and Xbox 360 in addition to windows. Guess which one it'll be made to work with best and which ones will be the ports? :(

Legendary_Bibo
June 5th, 2011, 12:13 AM
I know it's going to be released on PS3 and Xbox 360 in addition to windows. Guess which one it'll be made to work with best and which ones will be the ports? :(

I've noticed there's been a shift in how they port stuff. Now companies are starting on the PS3 and porting to the 360 and the differences between the two have lessened. It used to be from the 360 to the PS3, and the PS3 version got shafted.

Although Gearbox fits into the category of smart developers that don't port anything, but design in for both systems in parallel so that there's no difference.

Bethesda...they're a different story. They release buggy games for every system.

1111peoy
June 5th, 2011, 01:00 AM
I'm waiting for it :D PS3 !

Dustin2128
June 5th, 2011, 01:31 AM
I've noticed there's been a shift in how they port stuff. Now companies are starting on the PS3 and porting to the 360 and the differences between the two have lessened. It used to be from the 360 to the PS3, and the PS3 version got shafted.

Although Gearbox fits into the category of smart developers that don't port anything, but design in for both systems in parallel so that there's no difference.

Bethesda...they're a different story. They release buggy games for every system.
I'm talking about how they're developed for PS3 or Xbox 360 (xbox usually receives more dev time, still), developed for five and six year old hardware two generations behind modern day, and I have to put up with crappy DX9 engine ports and low resolution textures. Not to mention that console ports are usually DRM'd to hell. The only advantage to me is that Direct X 9 has been something like 90-95% reverse engineered by the good people at winehq.

Legendary_Bibo
June 5th, 2011, 06:08 AM
I'm talking about how they're developed for PS3 or Xbox 360 (xbox usually receives more dev time, still), developed for five and six year old hardware two generations behind modern day, and I have to put up with crappy DX9 engine ports and low resolution textures. Not to mention that console ports are usually DRM'd to hell. The only advantage to me is that Direct X 9 has been something like 90-95% reverse engineered by the good people at winehq.

Consoles are a bigger market. Also, it doesn't matter if the console versions have DRM. It's just a protection against pirates, they've never let you make copies or whatever. It's just how it is.

If I play a game that's meant for Windows, I'm going to play it on Windows. Making space on my Windows partition is less of a hassle then trying to get it to work under Wine.

Quadunit404
June 5th, 2011, 06:25 AM
Consoles are a bigger market. Also, it doesn't matter if the console versions have DRM. It's just a protection against pirates, they've never let you make copies or whatever. It's just how it is.

The only problem with DRM is that it always ends up screwing the paying customer over instead of its intended target. That is for another conversation, though.


If I play a game that's meant for Windows, I'm going to play it on Windows. Making space on my Windows partition is less of a hassle then trying to get it to work under Wine.

This.

Legendary_Bibo
June 5th, 2011, 06:40 AM
The only problem with DRM is that it always ends up screwing the paying customer over instead of its intended target. That is for another conversation, though.


On PC games, I'll agree with you on that on some games (freaking Ubisoft), but with a lot of Steam games it's not really a inconvenience if you said up an offline cache. On console games that issues still doesn't exist. There is an annoyance with buying used games with some hit games though nowadays. (Mass Effect 2, Battlefield Bad Company 2 I think).

Canis familiaris
June 5th, 2011, 07:19 AM
Steam is boss. The best thing just next to DRM-free.

forrestcupp
June 5th, 2011, 12:58 PM
Yes, you can.

See that "Backup game files" option? That backs up an entire game - mods and all - to a single DVD, and then you can run the game off of that DVD without needing Steam. Personally I don't ever feel the need to use this option, but it's there if you need to.

I haven't used Steam for a long time, but I was pretty sure that option was there. But could you actually reinstall the game from that backup if you needed to? I'm thinking of the hypothetical situation where my computer crashes, I have to reinstall everything, and for some reason I don't have broadband access. I want to still be able to install the program files for the game that I paid for.

CharlesA
June 5th, 2011, 02:30 PM
I haven't used Steam for a long time, but I was pretty sure that option was there. But could you actually reinstall the game from that backup if you needed to? I'm thinking of the hypothetical situation where my computer crashes, I have to reinstall everything, and for some reason I don't have broadband access. I want to still be able to install the program files for the game that I paid for.

You can start Steam in offline mode to play single player games iirc.

I think you can install a game in offline mode too, but I find it easier to just copy the whole steamapps folder if I want a backup.

As for DNF, it sounds interesting. I was thinking about getting it, but I'll wait until release to decide for sure. Thought the demo was pretty decent, but I've still got a load of games I have to finish.

Ji Ruo
June 5th, 2011, 11:41 PM
To start a game, you must launch it from within the Steam client. And you have to have online access just to start the Steam client. *Then* you can start a game in offline mode. So you do still need the middleman just to play your game offline.

I can play my steam games (not many - Fallout New Vegas & Half Life Orange Box) with no internet connection, no problem. I did require an internet connection for the first play though. Is it because I bought them on disk?