The rumors, are they true?

[Nyromith]

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]

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]

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]

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...

[Barrucadu]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

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.