Poll regarding Steam users

[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".

[MadBlaster]

Originally Posted by zauii

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

It's a matter of degree. We all expose our IP address. At the same time all of us our using pseudonyms to converse on this forum. We each draw our own line on internet privacy.

[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!

[MadBlaster]

Originally Posted by Extreme_One

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!

Thanks for putting my mind at ease. I totally trust STEAM now.

[Blackdog_kt]

Originally Posted by Kikuchiyo

How can you agree with a direct contradiction? You can't both require Steam for online play AND have it be optional at the exact same time! The "Steam built-in multi-player browser" is what Steamworks is. It is the MP service that is causing all the contention of it's inclusion. You literally can't have it for MP while simultaneously not having it for MP.



We don't know for sure that both the DD version and the box version will use the TAGES DRM. I can't weight in on the BC issue as I didn't get a box copy. I just know that I had to make a Punk Buster account, and that xxxx is whack since it seems for many people (myself included) it occasionally decides my valid copy isn't.

I was under the impression that the Steam lobby is just a 3rd party server browser that lists available servers, much like Hypperlobby or Xfire is. Oleg Maddox also said himself that it will be possible to use external server browsers. Finally, there is another precedent/example: it works exactly this way with ArmA2 (both steam and non-steam versions can play on the same server) that's why i believe it can be optional. Since someone has already done it, i don't see why including Steam in the equation suddenly makes the multiplayer functions exclusive to Steam.

Steam version: log-in to steam, open the in-game lobby, choose server, join
non-steam version: run 3rd party server browser, select server, click join, game launches and connects

As for the DRM, the info from Ubi is just like it is for Steam, ie mandatory and vague with no mention of version: "the game will use Solidshield DRM and require a steam account". It's on the official Ubi page for the game, so unless we hear otherwise you're pretty much as screwed as the non-steamers are

[Kikuchiyo]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

a)I was under the impression that the Steam lobby is just a 3rd party server browser that lists available servers, much like Hypperlobby or Xfire is. Oleg Maddox also said himself that it will be possible to use external server browsers.

b) Finally, there is another precedent/example: it works exactly this way with ArmA2 (both steam and non-steam versions can play on the same server) that's why i believe it can be optional. Since someone has already done it, i don't see why including Steam in the equation suddenly makes the multiplayer functions exclusive to Steam.

c)Steam version: log-in to steam, open the in-game lobby, choose server, join
non-steam version: run 3rd party server browser, select server, click join, game launches and connects

d)As for the DRM, the info from Ubi is just like it is for Steam, ie mandatory and vague with no mention of version: "the game will use Solidshield DRM and require a steam account". It's on the official Ubi page for the game, so unless we hear otherwise you're pretty much as screwed as the non-steamers are

A) It's a 3rd party server borwser yes, but the reason you include Steamworks is for the purpose of having it in place of building your own server, and server browsing software.

B) That's not a precedent as ARMA 2 doesn't use Steamworks. You can buy it through STEAM like many multiplayer games, but unless they specifically use Steamworks they use their own MP platform.

C)If 1C Maddox does make it so you can choose to use another server browsing service that would be pretty neat.

D) That's the only thing about all this that stinks imo. TAGES has proven to be awful so many times, so I am going to hope against hope that some of the conclusions I've come to are correct.

[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...