MaelRadecs
Best Damn ODST
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- Apr 26, 2016
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It's not exactly something everyone thinks about.
If you purchase a game on say Steam, you own it, right? It's in your library, you can access it, play it for years to come, etc. Internet goes down though, what then? Offline mode works for some titles, but if you want to install said game while having no internet, you're essentially screwed.
Why am I making this thread? It's purely informative. After some realizations both old and recent, I realized why I personally should be cautious about buying games that rely on DRM and why you should be too.
In truth, you don't actually own the games you buy on Steam, you just own an 'indefinite' license to play those games, which can be revoked at any time, for any reason without disclosure. See the Subscriber Agreement, "the Content and Services are licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Content and Services."
Remember going into your local shop and renting a physical copy of a game? That's basically what you're doing here with Steam, and this goes for every title on Steam, which typically require Steam to be running in order to be played.
While this does protect against piracy, corporations like Electronic Arts utilize third-party DRM which force an internet connection, or connection to servers.
Why is that bad?
When those DRM servers are no longer supported for said game, it gets delisted, unsupported, and you'll have no way of accessing the title you purchased without cracking the DRM. It actually encourages piracy, because there's many cases of games where this very thing has happened, rendering the legal copy of the game unplayable to the consumer.
Are these possibilities likely? It really doesn't matter, you should own the product you're purchasing.
In truth, DRM actually doesn't protect from piracy much at all, and only truly serves as a hindrance to honest consumers. Literally every single game recently released has been cracked and can be played without an internet connection. Battlefront II, Mass Effect, Halo, you name it.
While consumers have the extra hindrance of connecting to a bunch of third party DRM's, these games can be accessed easily by those who don't pay, and they can be installed offline if the installer is preserved.
•Every purchase on GOG is DRM free. You literally own your games, no strings attached.
•Offline installers are available for every purchase, so you can play the game you want with no internet connection, and even install it with no internet connection, provided the installer is available to you. All third-party client unrelated to the game is completely optional, it's the digital equivalent of owning a physical copy.
Steam is great for what it is, and I don't think it'll go anywhere anytime soon. This is more of a safety precaution if anything, and an informative guide on how you can truly own your games, rather than have the possibility of losing them all due to business failures among other things.
If you purchase a game on say Steam, you own it, right? It's in your library, you can access it, play it for years to come, etc. Internet goes down though, what then? Offline mode works for some titles, but if you want to install said game while having no internet, you're essentially screwed.
Why am I making this thread? It's purely informative. After some realizations both old and recent, I realized why I personally should be cautious about buying games that rely on DRM and why you should be too.
•You don't own games that use DRM (Digital Rights Management)
In truth, you don't actually own the games you buy on Steam, you just own an 'indefinite' license to play those games, which can be revoked at any time, for any reason without disclosure. See the Subscriber Agreement, "the Content and Services are licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Content and Services."
Remember going into your local shop and renting a physical copy of a game? That's basically what you're doing here with Steam, and this goes for every title on Steam, which typically require Steam to be running in order to be played.
•Why is DRM bad?
While this does protect against piracy, corporations like Electronic Arts utilize third-party DRM which force an internet connection, or connection to servers.
Why is that bad?
When those DRM servers are no longer supported for said game, it gets delisted, unsupported, and you'll have no way of accessing the title you purchased without cracking the DRM. It actually encourages piracy, because there's many cases of games where this very thing has happened, rendering the legal copy of the game unplayable to the consumer.
•How to know if you own a game
A game being DRM free on Steam still doesn't mean you own it. Can you install it offline? Can you play it without access to internet services or a third party client? If any of these answers are no, you're just renting the license to that game, able to be played until any of these single point of failures actually takes place.
Are these possibilities likely? It really doesn't matter, you should own the product you're purchasing.
•Piracy offers advantages that we (paying consumers) don't get
Pirated games are only possible because the DRM protecting them gets cracked, allowing people to play them regardless of an internet connection and even utilize an offline installer. Bullshit, right?
In truth, DRM actually doesn't protect from piracy much at all, and only truly serves as a hindrance to honest consumers. Literally every single game recently released has been cracked and can be played without an internet connection. Battlefront II, Mass Effect, Halo, you name it.
While consumers have the extra hindrance of connecting to a bunch of third party DRM's, these games can be accessed easily by those who don't pay, and they can be installed offline if the installer is preserved.
•How you can own your games
This isn't an advertisement for GOG (Good Old Games) but at the same time, I have to mention how pro-consumer these guys are, for the two reasons I'll list below.
•Every purchase on GOG is DRM free. You literally own your games, no strings attached.
•Offline installers are available for every purchase, so you can play the game you want with no internet connection, and even install it with no internet connection, provided the installer is available to you. All third-party client unrelated to the game is completely optional, it's the digital equivalent of owning a physical copy.
•Should you stop buying games on Steam?
Absolutely not. Steam is a reputable dealer and has many titles that GOG and other clients do not. I re-purchase titles that I really enjoyed on Steam on GOG, because those are titles I truly want to own, typically older games and small indie ones.
Steam is great for what it is, and I don't think it'll go anywhere anytime soon. This is more of a safety precaution if anything, and an informative guide on how you can truly own your games, rather than have the possibility of losing them all due to business failures among other things.
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