While Steam, Valve Software’s online store, has typically been a haven for Digital Right Management – or DRM – free titles, recent events have forced the company to take a different stand on their policies.
While similar moves by UbiSoft have been largely decried by gamers world-wide, Valve Software sees the merit in maintaining a tighter hold over their products. This update, set to be released with the service’s next patch, will introduce Valve-Net, the program that will regulate users and ensure that only registered members with legitimate copies will have access to the network.
Valve-Net works just like UbiSoft’s service where an internet connection must be constantly maintained in order to play your games. While the move is sure to make the developer unpopular, Valve’s head of Steam Community Management, Ryan Hayworth, assures fans that this change is for the best.
“We just want to make sure that only paying customers our games. We’re not a fan of piracy, and Gabe [Newell, CEO of Valve Software] agrees that only the most stringent of protection methods will ensure the success of PC gaming. We currently have no plans for a refund for anyone who is unhappy with Valve-Net, and we thank our faithful player-base for their patience.”
What do you guys think about this sudden reversal from Valve? Will this change your perception of the company? Will you continue to use Steam? Will we ever see Episode Three?! Let us know!
Source: CVG
While I understand that mobile PC gaming isn’t what most people are doing, for those of us who do have gaming laptops, this is a pain. This type of DRM would make sense if WiFi/Mobile Broadband were that pervasive (and CHEAP). But it’s not. More often than not (unless you’re in a large city or the city has one of those metropolitan WiFi networks), you’re not going have a connection.
If I pay for a game, especially if it’s single player, why shouldn’t I be able to play it anywhere I want? In a time where mobility seems to be the goal, this kind of DRM seems rather backward since it ties a user to certain locales only.
I honestly don’t have a problem with DRMs in the gaming world. But at least make DRMs so that they don’t inconvenience players.
ahhh, your not getting me second time around 🙂
Curse you Mitch!
dislike dislike dislike dislike, but as long as it is done well and does not affect me and the majority of people I am good with it. The option for not even a partial refund is annoying.
Are you sure this isn’t just one, big April Fools joke?
Are you kidding?! Check that source, yo. It’s legit.
“This some kinda sick JOKE!?”
– Nick, L4D2
Well actually I don’t quite mind. I’m not a pirate, and I’m all for ensuring that the honorable payers play the game instead of the cowardly pirates. I just hope Valve-Net isn’t TOO Nazi. Don’t damage the smoothness of the game, and I’ll gladly accept this improved security.
As a laptop gamer I have my concerns since unstable or non-existent wi-fi is a fact of life I’m on the move.
This could put a serious damper on lap-top gaming.
As much as this could be a saving grace, it will be a real bother come that day when my internet randomly dies out and I’ve nothing to play DX. Thank god for Hard Copies. And, we’ll see Episode Three by about the time that Netflix and Gamefly combine to creat NetFly, and becomes a monopoly over everything Audio-Visual (iTunes will be thrown in eventually, to creat iNetFly.) Yes, this is what three dudes come up with when their Spring Break fails them.
Let’s the Valve lovers defend this!
wow just wow, my trust in all of you has fallen 2 points, on my 100 point trust scale. I feel like a dummy.
ALMOST, JUST ALMOST got fooled again
And this is why I only have 4 charism and you guys have a total of 60. ;3
Ha, this post was awesome. I’m surprised at how many people bit considering the date that it was posted. And the source.