Valve kills DRM with update to Steamworks

Customers hate DRM so much, the gaming companies have reacted... by renaming it.

Valve's "Custom Executable Generation" still requires you be logged into Steam to activate it, just as Steam games always did. Microsoft's much-vaunted not-DRM "anti-piracy" proposals in Games for Windows require the game be encrypted, and run only with an internet activation.

Sorry, but how are either of these not DRM? They both still have exactly the same reliance on authorisation from a third party before you can play the game.

If your internet is gubbered, their servers are down or busy, or the companies go bust (or otherwise decide not to support the service any more), you're out of luck. See every story about DRM music shops closing over the last few years, and think back how many games publishers from ten years ago are still in business in the same form.

The policies the servers use to decide whether or not to permit you to play are looser under the new regimes; they may be less annoying in practice. But they still suffer from the same basic problem that is DRM, whatever acronym you think up as a replacement.

I'll continue to not "buy" games where all I am buying is the ability to ask their vendors permission to play.

And the games will continue to show up on the torrent sites, as they always have.

"If your internet is gubbered, their servers are down or busy, or the companies go bust (or otherwise decide not to support the service any more), you're out of luck."

Uh, you're on 2 of the 3. Steam requires initial activation and no internet connection after that. You can complain about the one time you actually have to contact the server but I think the auto-updates, unlimited DLs, and social networking features make up for that.

As for the company going bust, we all just have to take valves word that they will unlock the games when steam shuts down as the promise.

"CEG ensures a unique key is created every time a user installs a game, ultimately allowing its installation across a plethora of PCs without install limits or the need for root kits."

That is still DRM albeit a in rather anaemic and friendly form. The DRM is tied to your User ID authentication which is portable, but it is still *tied* to something. You can't go around installing it on your cousin's computer and expecting his Steam account to run the game for free.

I appreciate what they are doing and approve wholeheartedly, but calling it something other than DRM is misleading at least and an outright lie at worst.

If I buy a game that has to be linked to my steam account, I can't install the game on my other PC at home and play against my brother on the LAN. Because I can't be signed in on both PC's and the game is tied to a Steam account.

So my conclusion is that this is still DRM, and still inteferes with gaming, and causes problems for legitimate customers, and makes piracy more compelling, just to circumvent these issue's.

While you are correct, it is DRM. The example you gave is in violation of the license agreement for pretty much any software. If you want to play the game simultaneously on two different machines, shouldn't you buy two copies of the game? You can install it on both PCs. You just can't play them both at the same time.

Your example is like saying I own a book but I think both me and my cousin should have the right to read it at the same time because I bought it. So I'm going to make a copy of it. That doesn't seem like fair use to me.

Steam doesn't encroach on my rights of fair use IMO so I feel it is an acceptable form of DRM.

SecurROM on the other hand does things like install rootkits on your machine. That's completely unacceptable.

"Steam requires initial activation and no internet connection after that."

Incorrect. Steam require re-authentication every month or so (it appears to also be tied to the number of application launches, but I haven't bothered investigating it in a whole lot of detail). If you don't allow Steam to phone home every so often, the games will eventually transition (always at the most annoying time possible) to "update required" and no longer launch.

Also: "Steam doesn't encroach on my rights of fair use IMO" - you don't regard the ability to transfer ownership to someone else "fair use"?

Those that think several people (relatives or not) should be a ble to play at the same time from 1 legal copy of a game are the exact reason that DRM was created in the first place. Use your frik'n brains jerks.

There are games on Steam that won't work at all in offline mode.

Personally I thought the Server matching was the weakest part of Left4Dead - almost spoilt a brilliant game.

I HATE REGISTERING ANYTHING , that includes games, software , even forums ,(register to comment...pffft,NOT. So Thank God for the INQ) I just got internet back after having no access for 3 years. I also bought zero games since SecuROM ,DRM and online activation crap started . I used to spend hundreds of dollars a year on games before all this junk of DRM and online activation! (again still luv the INQ and Charlie D!)

As much as I like Steam, and don't mind Steam's flavour of DRM, Valve is not "killing DRM" with this. They ARE the DRM!

I fffffffing hate the lobby system for L4D. It makes me more angry than Charlie using a Nvidia card.

I also HATE the lobby system in L4D. Lemme choose where I go! And I don't want to depend on Friends to play with my friends!

I am astonished as how popular valve is
you dont even own a disk, once you buy their games they can do to you anything they want

and that is the reason piracy is worse than ever

"includes the lobby system from Left 4 Dead, which is great" Valve currently have a major issue with joining games on L4D and many Dedicated Server Admins, the lifeblood of this community, which helped raise CounterStrike & TFC to such lofty heights, are closing their servers down.

"unless you like to be able to pick your server from a list of available options" In fact this can still be done with a very simple well advertised menu option.

If I was a developer considering using STEAM to distribute content I would have to be dragged screaming and crying
before I would use the lobby option.

Don't take my word for it - take a look at the many forums out there, including STEAM's own.

I have a lot of respect for The InQ. but, sorry Sylvie, this is just lazy journalism.