Poll regarding Steam users

[lwlooz]

Hello,

I don't know where the logical disconnect here is.
Especially considering Blackdog_kt makes such excellent posts explaining the situation.

Why are all the Steam fans / Valve fundamentalists / Valve employees so annoyed at people wanting to have a Steam-free version?

Would this stop you from using Steam? Not it would not.

Would you not like for Maddox to get additional sales from people that do not want Steam for whatever reason?

What personal disadvantage would you have if while you have a Steamworks-Version of CoD , someone else has a Steamworks-free version of it?

I simply can not understand why consumers would be against having more choice. It does not hurt you at all. It also does not hurt Maddox , for they would get additional sales.

As for the technical aspects. As pointed out , from the news we have Steamworks is not at all needed for the game. All it brings are unecessary social features as the DRM is covered by SolidShield.
Also Bohemia Interactive can for some reason ship Arma2 with Steam and without it. Do you think Maddox are not technically able to do so?

Can't we stop going in circles with people pointing that out only to have Steam-fans reply with "Old grandpas, steam saves PC gaming yo! Luddite nutjobs,I buy all my games on steam".
I have no problem with people using steam or steamworks , but that just doesn't make sense and people pointed out several times why making Steam optional has nothing to do with any of that.

This is not about being against STEAM , but for making STEAM optional

[Blackdog_kt]

Originally Posted by MadBlaster

Steam is lame spyware imo. I understand having to go through Steam to validate my DVD purchase. If that means I have to have an account with them to get the validation done, so be it. But beyond that initial validation, I do mind. I would much rather download the patches myself than put spyware on my machine. Having it do whatever it does in the background, or getting spammed with Valve e-mails everyday to buy more games...why would I want that???

Also, I am worried about the online gameplay experience under Steam. As it is now, I only like flying WoP server. They make good historical type missions, the server is moderated for following the rules and the players don't suck. And if I don't want to go through Hyperlobby for some reason, I can always just put in the IP address in the game directly and it connects. I guess we won't be able to do that anymore??? I have a bad feeling that playing online on Steam server will become a 128 player furball.

Anyway, I still waiting to find out technical stuff like Freetrack capability, how many cores it will run on so I know what chip to buy...etc. So, my CoD purchase is on hold for now until this stuff gets cleared up.

Well, you are certainly entitled to your opinion, but being overly aggressive usually detracts from our arguments. I too would like a non-steam version, but i don't think steam is lame spyware.

It's a delivery platform that has certain benefits for certain gaming genres and people with certain gaming habits, in return for the drawbacks of specific infringements on certain consumer rights and their EULA might even be illegal in certain countries, but i wouldn't go as far as calling it downright spyware.

What i'm trying to say here is, let's try to be calm and make a clear case of our point so that people who like it can keep using it and the rest of us can get an option to opt out of it in the near future

[Mick]

lwlooz and Blackdog you said it all, and what's more, calmly ...

I am OK to BUY the game

I am OK to activate it through SolidShields

I am NOT OK to install Steam on my rig, simply because i don't NEED it to fly offline ...

Steam has NOTHING to do on my puter ...

But I don't want anybody to be deprived of Steam if they like/need it ...

[MadBlaster]

I see no reason to call it something else (i.e. "distribution platform"). That is a marketing strategy by Steam to make it more acceptable to the gaming population they are trying to manipulate. Steam admits to collecting personal information, sending e-mails...etc. in their privacy policy that I link to below. That's spyware in my book. Opt in or out doesn't matter except to the gullible. They collect the information and use it to their monetary benefit. The basis of their business model. So let's all be good Steam boys and buy all our games through Steam. Let's tell our friends about Steam and convince them to buy games through Steam so they can tell their friends about Steam so Steam can make a lot of money for doing something you really don't need at all. And make sure to tell your friends that it is really dark ages to click on an executable to install a patch. "So 20th Century"! Wouldn't you rather have Steam take control of your computer and do that for you??? Lets all be Steam bots!!! We can all talk on the Steam forum so Steam social engineering team can track our responses and behaviour more effectively so Steam can sell even more games! And if there is something buggy with CoD, we won't give much support in the forum because we hope you will get tired of playing CoD soon and buy another game from Steam instead. The wonderful world of Steam.

http://www.valvesoftware.com/privacy.html

[Extreme_One]

Originally Posted by MadBlaster

... Steam admits to collecting personal information, sending e-mails...etc. in their privacy policy that I link to below. That's spyware in my book. .

Seems like comprehension isn't a strong point, either that or you didn't read it correctly.
I'll make it easier for you.

"Aggregate information" is information that describes the habits, usage patterns, and demographics of users as a group but does not describe or reveal the identity of any particular user.

"Individual information" is information about a user that is presented in a form distinguishable from information relating to other users but not in a form that personally identifies any user or enables the recipient to communicate directly with any user unless agreed to by the user in advance of such communication. This information may be used to improve Valve's products and online sites, for internal marketing studies, or simply to collect demographic information about Valve's users.

Valve may use customer contact information provided by users to send information about Valve, including news about product updates, contests, events, and other promotional materials, but only if the users agree to receive such communications.

Much the same as any other internet site you register for or many other pieces of software you already run on your PC.

[MadBlaster]

Originally Posted by Extreme_One

Seems like comprehension isn't a strong point, either that or you didn't read it correctly.
I'll make it easier for you.



Much the same as any other internet site you register for or many other pieces of software you already run on your PC.

I read it perfectly SteamBoy. You copy/pasting/formating what I already linked to is waste of server memory.

[zauii]

Originally Posted by MadBlaster

I read it perfectly SteamBoy. You copy/pasting/formating what I already linked to is waste of server memory.

Following your logic makes it impossible to use the internet without being "violated".

[Extreme_One]

Originally Posted by MadBlaster

I read it perfectly...

And yet you still decided to use the term "spyware" in conjunction with Steam.

You claim to have read it correctly but appear not have really understood it.

The privacy policy you're so afraid of is very much like any other privacy policy.


http://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/fullnotice.mspx

http://www.google.com/intl/en/privac...cy-policy.html

http://www.ubi.com/US/Info/Info.aspx...=PrivacyPolicy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/privacy/our-privacy-policy.shtml

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/info.php?do=privacy

All using very similar disclaimers about the data they collect about you.

Scary stuff. Big brother is watching!

[Fritz X]

@ MadBlaster:

Don't forget your tinfoil hat, for otherwise Valve will intrude into your cranial spheres with their Steam death-rays of doom. It's true!

And beware of google.com, for...

[whatnot]

Originally Posted by MadBlaster

I see no reason to call it something else (i.e. "distribution platform"). That is a marketing strategy by Steam to make it more acceptable to the gaming population they are trying to manipulate. Steam admits to collecting personal information, sending e-mails...etc. in their privacy policy that I link to below. That's spyware in my book. Opt in or out doesn't matter except to the gullible. They collect the information and use it to their monetary benefit. The basis of their business model. So let's all be good Steam boys and buy all our games through Steam. Let's tell our friends about Steam and convince them to buy games through Steam so they can tell their friends about Steam so Steam can make a lot of money for doing something you really don't need at all. And make sure to tell your friends that it is really dark ages to click on an executable to install a patch. "So 20th Century"! Wouldn't you rather have Steam take control of your computer and do that for you??? Lets all be Steam bots!!! We can all talk on the Steam forum so Steam social engineering team can track our responses and behaviour more effectively so Steam can sell even more games! And if there is something buggy with CoD, we won't give much support in the forum because we hope you will get tired of playing CoD soon and buy another game from Steam instead. The wonderful world of Steam.

http://www.valvesoftware.com/privacy.html

Is Valve really a company that is in the business to make money?! That's downright immoral for a wanting to make money like that! There they are, all over the internet, offering consumers a platform that enables online purchase of PC games and automatic upgrades. Outrageous!

And what really makes me sick is that they collect information! It's my information and I will never give it to anyone, especially companies! If I do they might be able to offer me products that I'm interested in!
That alone would have been enough to abandon ship but now hearing that those bastards have the nerve to send their customers an email! That's it, no CoD for me! I will never be their Steam Boy!

Viva la liberación!