I never said anything about the reason you hadn't downloaded. I just pointed out that they locked you out of downloads you had paid for (for whatever reason you hadn't downloaded them yet).
And they will again, for real, and for good, when they eventually go out of business. You should know this and make sure you download the things you buy promptly and back them up. You know this, so if you're too lazy to do it, then how is that anybody else's fault?
Jump back 10, maybe 15 years and I'm sure you'd be saying something similar about Blockbuster and what a great business model they have. Technology changes rapidly and the bottom could fall out of Steam's business model tomorrow taking Valve with it and leaving nothing that anybody in their right mind would want to pick up.
I'd also add that Steam's own client is very root kit like. It buries itself deep inside your OS, working around your AV software in the supposed interest of preventing cheating. See here.
Needing the original disk is completely in the control of the end-user. Maybe you just need to organize your shit better. I still have all the original disks and I know where they are. Changes in OS or hardware that might make a game incompatible are not within the publishers control. With Steam however, the publisher has control and can pull the plug whenever they want for whatever reason they want.
I'd rather not have any CD checks, but at least the publisher can't pull the plug on you. Unlike when you have to rely on the continued existence of some external web server.
I can't accurately cast my mind back that far, but I know other Microprose games had similar things (I remember Pirates! would ask you about the Spanish treasure fleet - but it didn't kick you out if you got it wrong, it just crippled you at the start, and it only asked when starting a new game).
And there is such a thing as encouraging bad practice by publishers. I've played every Civ game up to now, but I can get on with my life without Civ V.
Doesn't hinder you until you need to reinstall it and Steam doesn't exist anymore. People are still playing the first Civilization; luckily the down defunct Microprose didn't have DRM servers back then.
If you don't backup your downloads, then you are an idiot and you are missing the point of the service being DRM free. GOG.com won't exist for ever so it's up to you to backup the executables that you download and keep them somewhere safe. When GOG.com goes away you will still be able to install the software you paid for using those executables as many times as you want on as many computers as you want. This is in contrast to Steam where you'd be shit out of luck.
But the nice part is that they didn't lock you out of anything, unless you had purchased something previously, didn't have it installed, didn't download the installer and wanted to install it over the last couple of days. If it had been Steam you would have been permanently out of luck.
Bare in mind that in all likelihood they would have taken the site down anyway during the transition to their new site, so you would have been inconvenienced anyway. The only shitty part is the unannounced part (and the pretending like they'd gone for good).
Well, that and the fact that in this era of virtualization it should really be necessary to take the entire site down to upgrade it, but they are small and maybe don't have the staff.
I had noticed the last couple of downloads I got from them I had to try several times before I could successfully download them, so I suspect their hardware was struggling as it was.
Yeah, you keep on believing kid. Nowhere have they made a legally-binding commitment to do anything of the sort and, IIRC, their TOS pretty much say they can withdraw their service at any time and have no obligation to give you a damn thing.
And don't think they haven't done it before. When they dropped Win 95/98 support in their client, it forced all users of Win 95/98 to upgrade to XP if they wanted to continue playing the games they already had. Not because those games didn't work in 95/98, but because they could load the client in order to launch the games in the first place.
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I never said anything about the reason you hadn't downloaded. I just pointed out that they locked you out of downloads you had paid for (for whatever reason you hadn't downloaded them yet).
And they will again, for real, and for good, when they eventually go out of business. You should know this and make sure you download the things you buy promptly and back them up. You know this, so if you're too lazy to do it, then how is that anybody else's fault?
It's different because Steam won't be there to authorize your installation of Civ V. Hardware changes over time aren't DRM and are beside the point.
Also, you might try e-bay for that 3.5" floppy drive.
Yes. It will.
Jump back 10, maybe 15 years and I'm sure you'd be saying something similar about Blockbuster and what a great business model they have. Technology changes rapidly and the bottom could fall out of Steam's business model tomorrow taking Valve with it and leaving nothing that anybody in their right mind would want to pick up.
And I'll say exactly what I said before, you have to authenticate when you install it. You can't do that if Steam servers don't exist.
Sorry, didn't know you had exclusive inside information on the true value of Steam, not just now, but in the future when Valve go out of business.
I'd also add that Steam's own client is very root kit like. It buries itself deep inside your OS, working around your AV software in the supposed interest of preventing cheating. See here.
Needing the original disk is completely in the control of the end-user. Maybe you just need to organize your shit better. I still have all the original disks and I know where they are. Changes in OS or hardware that might make a game incompatible are not within the publishers control. With Steam however, the publisher has control and can pull the plug whenever they want for whatever reason they want.
I'd rather not have any CD checks, but at least the publisher can't pull the plug on you. Unlike when you have to rely on the continued existence of some external web server.
Slightly off-topic, but I first played Civilization on my non-HD equipped Atari ST. It's one of a few games I repurchased after getting my first PC.
I can't accurately cast my mind back that far, but I know other Microprose games had similar things (I remember Pirates! would ask you about the Spanish treasure fleet - but it didn't kick you out if you got it wrong, it just crippled you at the start, and it only asked when starting a new game).
Ok, you keep living in your fantasy world where companies don't suddenly go out-of-business. You should start a career on Wall Street.
And there is such a thing as encouraging bad practice by publishers. I've played every Civ game up to now, but I can get on with my life without Civ V.
And when Steam does out-of-business and I can't reinstall?
Doesn't hinder you until you need to reinstall it and Steam doesn't exist anymore. People are still playing the first Civilization; luckily the down defunct Microprose didn't have DRM servers back then.
No mention of the Steam DRM? Seems like an important piece of information for those of us that don't like to have to ask permission to play our games.
If you don't backup your downloads, then you are an idiot and you are missing the point of the service being DRM free. GOG.com won't exist for ever so it's up to you to backup the executables that you download and keep them somewhere safe. When GOG.com goes away you will still be able to install the software you paid for using those executables as many times as you want on as many computers as you want. This is in contrast to Steam where you'd be shit out of luck.
No, Steam will just go out of business and that will be that.
I can't stay mad at you!
Here's hoping for a massive sale to make up for all the hurt feelings.
But the nice part is that they didn't lock you out of anything, unless you had purchased something previously, didn't have it installed, didn't download the installer and wanted to install it over the last couple of days. If it had been Steam you would have been permanently out of luck.
Bare in mind that in all likelihood they would have taken the site down anyway during the transition to their new site, so you would have been inconvenienced anyway. The only shitty part is the unannounced part (and the pretending like they'd gone for good).
Well, that and the fact that in this era of virtualization it should really be necessary to take the entire site down to upgrade it, but they are small and maybe don't have the staff.
I had noticed the last couple of downloads I got from them I had to try several times before I could successfully download them, so I suspect their hardware was struggling as it was.
If you think nothing well change, especially in a high tech field like this, then I have some Blockbuster stock I can sell you.
Stick with your wishful thinking then. I'll remain skeptical. It doesn't change the fact that one day Steam will not exist.
Having 25 million active users say nothing about whether or not they are making a profit.
2012 will be the year of the Linux tablet! You heard it here first!
Yeah, you keep on believing kid. Nowhere have they made a legally-binding commitment to do anything of the sort and, IIRC, their TOS pretty much say they can withdraw their service at any time and have no obligation to give you a damn thing.
And don't think they haven't done it before. When they dropped Win 95/98 support in their client, it forced all users of Win 95/98 to upgrade to XP if they wanted to continue playing the games they already had. Not because those games didn't work in 95/98, but because they could load the client in order to launch the games in the first place.