Quoting: ShmerlIt's just that some keep claiming that Steam isn't DRM. Arguments that explain how it is DRM were brought many times, so I'm not sure why this topic comes up every so often, but I guess some define DRM only in limited way, that's why they can think that Steam itself isn't one.

*Sigh*

Technically-speaking, Steam isn't DRM... It is an "ecosystem" and just like the Apple iStore or Google Play Store, you're effectively locked-in to that ecosystem indefinitely.

Admittedly, Valve Software have made some aspects of that ecosystem more appealing than they otherwise would be - such as the "buy it once, play it on any supported operating system" thing... But at the end of the day, you're still forced into Valve Software's ecosystem.

Yes GOG.com - my preferred game store (these days, I only buy from Steam if the game is not available through or not likely to come to GOG.com) - offers its games without any form of DRM... And that's important - but so is the advantage of not being locked into a proprietary ecosystem, in fact they're probably just as important as each other.

You can choose to lock yourself into GOG.com's ecosystem of course, with "Galaxy" or whatever they call it... But for the time being, this is optional and as far as we know, not likely to change in the foreseeable future.

In other words, the people arguing GOG.com over Steam above have a very valid point, but they have the terminology completely wrong...

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: Mountain ManI haven't played this game in a long time. Did they ever address the performance issues?

???

It's always run fine on my Asus X556UV Vivobook (2.5GHz, quad-core i7 6500U; 20GB 2133MHz RAM; 2GB NVIDIA GeForce 920MX) under both Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (what I used to use) and Pop!_OS 17.10 (what I use now)... I can't remember the specs on my old lappy (with a low-end AMD Radeon graphics card - can't remember the model), but it ran reasonably well on that too... I've had the game since not long after (the Linux) Launch Day.

Did others have issues with the performance of this game?

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: CaenthI don't think we'll Cities: Skylines on GOG, ever. The Steam Workshop is too much part of the game. This game without the Workshop will be a shell of a game.

There'd have to be a way, because Cities: Skylines is on other (non-PC) platforms, such as the Sony PlayStation 4/PlayStation 4 Pro... And as we all know, the PlayStation 4/PlayStation 4 Pro is mostly a souped-up PC running a FreeBSD-based operating system.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Now that they're (Paradox Interactive) finally selling their games on GOG.com ("Surviving Mars" has been on there since Launch Day), I'm waiting for them to make this available through GOG.com... I have this game on Steam (with no DLC), but I plan to re-purchase it and al its DLC once it's available through GOG.com, ideally all at the same time.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Oh heck yes!

I buy most of my Linux games via GOG.com these days (mostly because of the no-DRM thing), so it's great to see this game coming to GOG.com for Linux-based operating systems... Hopefully I can pick this up soon, because Surviving Mars is pretty high on my list of games I want to play.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Finally!

Well, it couldn't come at a better time - I haven't bought it for my PlayStation 4 Pro yet (mostly because I just haven't got around to it), and I obviously couldn't buy it for PC (I single-boot)... So it looks like I might finally get the chance to play Rise of the Tomb Raider.

The first (reboot) game was fantastic, so hopefully this is just as good...

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: Guest

Quoting: Cyba.Cowboygaming is the primary business of Valve Software, and will likely be for the foreseeable future.

There was me thinking selling hats is their biggest earner






:D

Well they did sell a lot of hats, so you never know... ;)

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: lucifertdarkFirst Microsoft started working with Canonical to get parts of Ubuntu running inside Windows, now they're looking to buy Valve?

*Facepalm*

It is a rumour, and one that many of us think holds very little truth... At the time of writing, Microsoft are NOT buying Valve Software.

Quoting: lucifertdarkWindows is obviously on borrowed time & they know it, what better way to secure their future than by taking over a competing OS & incorporating it into Windows?

Are you talking about SteamOS, or Ubuntu?

If you're referring to SteamOS, then it accounts for probably 1% of Valve Software's business - gaming is the primary business of Valve Software, and will likely be for the foreseeable future.

On the other hand, if you're referring to the Ubuntu thing, it's basically just the (Ubuntu-based) development tools being able to run under a Windows-based operating system (in "layman's terms" ), not the operating system itself (in the sense of how you use Ubuntu on your own computer)... There's a really BIG difference and the current "Ubuntu running under Windows-based operating systems" is in no way the first step to "incorporating it into Windows".

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: BlackBloodRumHow many people would stop using Linux once Microsoft removes Steam from it?

I don't think there's too many people that use Linux-based operating systems because of gaming... With the exception of Steam Machines and SteamOS users, people will just switch to other stores - GOG.com being the most obvious example, but there are a couple of others out there and some developers will sell to customers directly (i.e. via their own websites).

In other words, I'm pretty sure few - if any - people would stop using Linux-based operating systems, in the unlikely event Microsoft were to buy Valve Software...

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: Shmerl

Quoting: GustyGhostYes unfortunately if you're looking for AAA titles or popular multiplayer titles for Linux, Steam is currently the only game in town. Too many big studios are afraid of DRM-free. I only keep Steam around today for the few titles that my (unenlightened) friends want me to play with them.

I don't mind skipping them if they are "afraid". They should respect their users and not insult them with DRM. IMHO this situation today is more about lock-in problem than DRM itself. As you point out, multiplayer games tend to be locked into Steam because of their match making and etc.

It's like when Apple and others started offering DRM-free music... The "experts" were saying it was the end of the music industry - but we now know it made virtually no difference to piracy levels and some sources even claim the (piracy) numbers went down slightly.

The moral of the story is, if you are too "scared" to sell your games DRM-free on sites like GOG.com, there's plenty of other developers out there that are more than willing to take my money whilst offering DRM-free games...

View this comment - View article - View full comments