A new topic to generate some discussion today is an ask the community section on why you think Steam itself is DRM?
First of all my opinion on the matter. I truly believe that Steam itself is not DRM any more than having to login to a website is which is what I like to call a "login wall" rather than having a plain download link for your games.
I am not alone in this argument either, it seems famed Linux porter Ryan Icculus Gordon also agrees:
Steamworks is not DRM, and does not require it, but way too many games do: "if !SteamAPI_Init() { exit(1); }"
— Ryan C. Gordon (@icculus) May 28, 2014
(Although, fwiw: if you have Steam running, even at the login screen with no net connection, SteamAPI_Init() will still succeed.)
Ryan C. Gordon (@icculus) May 28, 2014
If a developer doesn't do the above, Steam is simply a way to download games and keep them up to date and those games can be taken outside of Steam itself and ran without Steam. It's a developers choice on what they put in their games and that includes Steam's DRM options and that simple check pointed out by Ryan above.
For the people who do think it is DRM why do you feel that way? I would imagine it is because you need the Steam client itself, but once downloaded as mentioned above you can just move the games outside of Steam anyway, so how is that different than having to fire up a browser -> go to your favourite store -> login -> go to your library -> download -> then install/move it where you want? How is it that so different exactly that the Steam client itself suddenly becomes DRM?
I've never encountered anything as a result of using the Steam client that made me think it's getting in the way, but maybe that's just me.
It certainly would be good if developers could put up a notice to state their games run outside of Steam, that would help somewhat and there is nothing stopping them doing that.
So, I open up the floor to you readers to tell me why exactly you think the Steam client is DRM even with all of the above noted in your minds.
Before I went to Linux I bought all my games from GOG before I would go to Steam. Only time I went to Steam was to when something was on sale for 90%, even then I would still pick it up on GOG if I liked it and they had it. The Humble guys have a nice balance in which you can get your DRM free copy but use Steam as well.
I have a NAS setup with a backup copy of all my DRM free games. While I have no intention of pissing Valve off that doesn't mean something crazy doesn't happen and they revoke my account. We can't trust that Valve will be around forever, even if it looks like they will be.
**As noted if the game doesn't require Steam to run you can get your own backup copy but that requires the developer to program it that way. Not all Steam games are that way thus I generalize all games under the same assumptions.
tuxisagamer May 29, 2014
That being said even if it were DRM it is the only example I can think of that has consumer advantages over a completely DRM free product. Look at library sharing, steam play, and steam cloud.
The best that can be said of other DRM is that it doesn't get in the way.
There are several games that implement Steamworks, yet are released on the Humble Store before ever showing up in Steam. If you launch them with Steam running, you will earn achievements and trading cards, your time gets tracked, and so forth. If Steamworks was DRM, this type of thing would simply not be possible.
Quoting: AnonymousFollowing that logic, if I have to go to a store and buy a game on a disc, then the act of going to the store is DRM. If Steam is DRM, or a website is DRM, then there are no truly DRM-free games, are there?
That's my point though, people claiming the Steam client by itself is DRM to me is being pedantic.
Game Developers do it for the money, I prefer non-DRM but understand the reason some choose to include it and am fine with it.
Quoting: liamdaweI wasn't disagreeing. :)Quoting: AnonymousFollowing that logic, if I have to go to a store and buy a game on a disc, then the act of going to the store is DRM. If Steam is DRM, or a website is DRM, then there are no truly DRM-free games, are there?That's my point though, people claiming the Steam client by itself is DRM to me is being pedantic.
Quoting: AnonymousQuoting: liamdaweI wasn't disagreeing. :)Quoting: AnonymousFollowing that logic, if I have to go to a store and buy a game on a disc, then the act of going to the store is DRM. If Steam is DRM, or a website is DRM, then there are no truly DRM-free games, are there?That's my point though, people claiming the Steam client by itself is DRM to me is being pedantic.
Oh don't worry I know :D, was just backing up our point :)
A web browser (unless people start getting funny) has no interest in recording data on you. It is simply a client to view the data and is for HTML viewing. A STEAM client however, is for only one prupose: To control what you download. It is different from a web (or ftp) client in that it was only designed for that purposes. Even if the Steam client is open source, not everyone has time to review the source. For all a non-programmer, the client could have a few "mickies" slipped into the code (like backdoors are in MS Windows OS's for the NSA, especially Windows 8 if what I read in the tech news is correct). All of what we've know are possibilities are gradually getting exposed and it's worse than Orwell's 1984.
If an INDEPENDENT download client was used I might not be so untrusting, but let's get serious: If there is no difference between a web login and a download client, why not just do the web portal login like GOG and HumbleBundle? Because there IS a difference. Otherwise Steam would have allowed both according to the user's preference.
Why do so many companies want to get people to install apps on cell phones instead of just making a mobile friend site? Because Apps transmit more data, often without the user's knowledge. (sometime financial/private data) So I think the case is clear: The only reasons for Steam to have a client rather than a simple download, and the reason they don't just give the option for people who aren't comfortable, is because it IS a variation of DRM that is either active or leaves the option to be activated. That is why many companies who think they have the right to infect our computers with invasive DRM like Steam: They can slip us whatever we are blind enough to install. If we want our gaming to be safe and able to do what we want with our purchases, we have to send a clear message: Infecting our computers for their piece of mind is less profitable than playing straight with us and not infecting our computers with monitor/dial home/maleware. Unless we say "no" people will keep doing it. If they are serious about DRM free, they won't require us to download a special program that can potentially contain code that is DRM.
Quoting: EvolutionaryIf there is no difference between a web login and a download client, why not just do the web portal login like GOG and HumbleBundle? Because there IS a difference. Otherwise Steam would have allowed both according to the user's preference.The reason is Steam WANTS people to use Steamworks which IS their DRM service that gives gamers added extras. That is the reason Steam doesn't do it and I thought that was completely obvious?
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