For Steam haters

[martok]

I'm surprised this hasn't been discussed here yet:


Civilization V to be paired with Steamworks

2K Games and Valve today announced an agreement to power all PC versions of the highly anticipated Sid Meier's Civilization V with many of Steamworks' features and offer a special Digital Deluxe Edition via Steam. Customers who pre-order the regular or Digital Deluxe editions of Sid Meier's Civilization V on Steam will be rewarded with a free map pack when the game launches in fall 2010.

Sid Meier's Civilization V players will enjoy the benefits of the Steamworks' features included in all PC versions, such as auto-updating, Steam Achievements, downloadable content, ability to access from any computer*, multiplayer matchmatching and more.

Sid Meier's Civilization V Digital Deluxe Edition will expand players' conquests with the new Babylonian civilization and their ruler, Nebuchadnezzar II (c. 630 - c. 561 B.C.). As King of Babylon, gamers will be able to expand their empire with advanced Babylonian Bowmen to rightfully earn the title of Nebuchadnezzar the Great. Sid Meier's Civilization V Digital Deluxe Edition will also include an in-depth "Behind the Scenes at Firaxis with Civilization V" video feature, as well as the game's epic soundtrack.

Gamers who pre-order any version of Sid Meier's Civilization V from Steam will receive the downloadable bonus content, Cradle of Civilization Map Pack: Mesopotamia for free when the game is available. The map pack will let players experience the traditional Western and Middle Eastern "Cradle of Civilization." The pack will include the Fertile Crescent with the Nile River valley to the west and extending east down the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys to the Persian Gulf. Leaders will be able to explore new terrain, cultures and conquests.

For those who can't wait for the immersive experience of Sid Meier's Civilization V, 2K Games is proud to offer a Steam-wide 75% off sale on all previous Civilization titles for a limited time beginning May 6, 2010.

Frak me....

[Terminus]

Learn to live with it. It's the future. Step up or off, your choice, but stop complaining.

[Peter Fisla]

Recently I bought complete Civ 4 including Colonization without any DRM...so I will be playing that for a long time - don't need Civ 5 for now.

[Bamilus]

I hate DRM as much as anyone else, but in over four years of using Steam I've yet to have any problems. This doesn't mean others don't have problems, I'm just glad I never have had bad experiences with Steam because it is a great program IMO.

If I'm reading it correctly, however, I think it is dumb if they are making it Steam-only. I know many people have a warranted aversion to Steam and it's a shame they don't give us Steam and non-Steam option (like most games).

[Rockhopper]

I actually liked Steam, before we moved out to the country in a house on an extensively wooded lot. 24k dialup puts quite the damper on purchasing games through Steam anymore.

However, I do travel on business several times a year, so that is the time I take my computer and the kids' computer and update things. [:D]

[martok]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

but stop complaining.

No, I don't think I will. I'll happily bitch about this sort of crap for as long as I have breath, thank you.

ORIGINAL: Bamilus

If I'm reading it correctly, however, I think it is dumb if they are making it Steam-only. I know many people have a warranted aversion to Steam and it's a shame they don't give us Steam and non-Steam option (like most games).

Exactly. It's that they've taken away the player/purchaser's right to choose (other than to simply not buy it, of course).

Also, it effectively prevents other digital download sites like Impulse and GamersGate from selling Civilization V (both of whom have specifically stated they won't sell games that incorporate Steam/Steamworks). So Valve essentially just got a monopoly on selling the digital version of Civ V.

[NefariousKoel]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Learn to live with it. It's the future. Step up or off, your choice, but stop complaining.

I'll continue to complain for the moment instead of bowing my head in defeat and toeing the company line. While Steam may not be as bad as Ubisoft's latest abortion of customer rights, I'm not going to raise the white flag just because Matrix' forum mierda told me to.

It helps get the point across that we're not buying this kind of crap they're selling. The only reason we'd have no choice is if everyone buckled like a belt - as you promote.

[Yogi the Great]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Learn to live with it. It's the future. Step up or off, your choice, but stop complaining.

The old it's the future argument. It may be, but that doesn't make it right. [:-]

Of course I'm just an old fart who likes things the way they should be instead of the way we are told we have to do it. So you can feel free discount anything I say.

[Greybriar]

Had Steam been an option instead of a requirement, I would have purchased Civ5. I guess there are just too many sheeple in the world to expect that to happen.

[V22 Osprey]

As much as I like Steam(I've never had any technical problems with it, plus I can connect with friends), this is really getting out of hand. I don't mind steam for Valve games, but I don't want EVERY game I own having Steam. Someone stop this madness! Steam sounds like some Evil plot to take over the world....and valve is sure doing a good job.[:(]

[NefariousKoel]

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

As much as I like Steam(I've never had any technical problems with it, plus I can connect with friends), this is really getting out of hand. I don't mind steam for Valve games, but I don't want EVERY game I own having Steam. Someone stop this madness! Steam sounds like some Evil plot to take over the world....and valve is sure doing a good job.[:(]

Even more so than the rest of the DRM software companies, Steam has quite an intra-company sales crew. It's the same thing you see on alarmist local evening news advertisements: "a new study finds that such and such can cause death for 1 in 5 children. Can yours be affected? Don't miss the 8 o'clock news to find out!". Instead, they're selling them software that'll prevent fictional "lost sales" and telling them they'll make more money if they give them money to use their software which has absolutely nothing to increase the value of the original software which is the reason for the customer's purchase. It actually devalues it for some. Set 'em up with fear and paranoia, knock 'em down with your magic cure. It's got scam written all over it.

These same companies then proceed to try and gift wrap a turd by telling you all the wonderful advantages of it. I'm always fond of hearing "unlimited installs" as one as if it's some great and wondrous benefit they've given us. The software runs in the background and updates? Yeah, I'm sure glad I got a load of updated advertising blown on my face with it. Just read some propaganda and you'll see a feeding tube with sh*t being forced through it. [:'(]

[JudgeDredd]

Wow. I think it's time to turn in and get the foil hats on! [:'(]

[D.Ilse]

never liked the Civ Games, too gamey for me vs something historical..same goes for age of empires.

but I like TW:Rome and TW:Medievel II..which are just as gamey unmodded..so I don't know why I hated Civ so much..I think my copy is a coaster now or somewhere.

[Yogi the Great]

ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel

These same companies then proceed to try and gift wrap a turd by telling you all the wonderful advantages of it.

Are we still talking steam or have we already moved on to politics?

[Joram]

Martok, I think you or someone said it best in the Wargamer thread.  It's about choice.  I'm disappointed not because I don't like Steam, but because I'm not given the choice.  I'll probably wait the few months to a year when they change their mind or the price drops.

[jackx]

Steam's a business, so why all the outrage about profit maximization? It's working exactly as intended, customers are meant to be screwed over for profit - no different from grocery shopping, really. Okay, maybe a bit different, you can hold up the grocery store if you get really bitter about letting them screw with you, whereas with Steam all you do is get to vent your anger online...

The only reason to be upset about Steam is when you need it, and that's a deliberate choice on your part, so I don't get the whole indignation about "having to use Steam"...  unless we're all suddenly so weak-willed that we absolutely depend on playing a certain, 100% non-essential for anything, game.

Getting kicked while you're down sucks, but is to be expected, as there's really no better time to do it, but in this case, it seems people are lying down voluntarily, and then complain about the kicks...

[sysrkm]

Hi folks,

Personally, it does not matter to me if games go to Steam or not. In some cases, Steam would be a GODSEND compared to how some game companies do their DC and DRM (E FRAKKING A are you listening to me, you greedy b@stards!) and not to mention names (E FRAKKING A!) but EA really hosed the Battlefield 2142 game that I really liked to play with my sons.

So, if Steam wants to stick their nose in EA's bidness and not make it annoying as heck to update and purchase new content, more power to them.

Oh, and Sid, when we gonna get that Alpha Centauri update, you frakking so and so....

soapboxmode=off

Rob

[joeblack1862]

ORIGINAL: Peter Fisla

Recently I bought complete Civ 4 including Colonization without any DRM...so I will be playing that for a long time - don't need Civ 5 for now.

You are really lucky. In the UK the same package (minus colonisation) called Civilisation Complete funnily enough, comes with Securom (retail or download). Hence no Civ for me.

How do I buy the US version? I love this game but will not put Securom back on the PC.

Oh, no CIV 5 for me. Not Steam DRM, just had an enlightening experience with my Steam account (see other thread).

[NefariousKoel]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Wow. I think it's time to turn in and get the foil hats on! [:'(]

I may be nutty as squirrel turds on the subject of increasingly draconian DRM, but I've had four separate instances of DRM-related headaches over the past decade that have increasingly turned me into a frothing, angry gamer. The digital rights issue needs to be pressed in the courts for more definitive and updated copyright issues in relation to customer's rights. When companies think they can write whatever the hell they want into an EULA and expect it to be law, they're completely wrong. Note the company that entered a clause about owning the customer's soul on the game they released April 1st as a joke. That's a good indicator of how ridiculous these schemes of refusing ownership to the purchaser really are.

I could give up and deal with it like many do, but I've been so pissed about it in the past that I'm not giving up the fight. Seeing people often post about their issues with what they originally thought was "no big deal" makes me think that the tide will turn on them eventually.

Here's to hoping all the DRM companies out there take a nosedive like Starfarce did.

[JudgeDredd]

My posts was obviously tongue in cheek...

I agree though. I would love all DRM to disappear. Unfortunately, I'm not strong willed enough to NOT buy that game I would love to play because it's got x,y or z DRM on it.

Hell, I even gave in and bought Black Shark with it's Starforce DRM...after the headaches that system caused me. I did say for some time after my problem with Starforce that I would never ever buy another Starforce enabled game. I stayed away from Black Shark for about 6 mnths before I finally caved after waiting, reading and hearing no-one was having problems with the Starforce version on it.

I'm just a game whore...can't help myself.