Valve's updated Steam Subscriber Agreement bars class action lawsuits [Joystiq]

[dao2]

But the difference is that once you migrate your account to the new console and redownload all of your content with the transfer cable you only need to connect to XBL once and then you can get offline and still play all of your games. I was wondering why something similiar couldn't happen with Steam games but it sounds like they need a constant connection to the Steam servers for complete access. Is this because all Steam games are saved on Steam's network and not on a person's hard drive?

They are saved on your HDD and you can access steam offline (so if you disconnected your computer before this update you could play most of your games in offline mode). But the point is you don't own licenses to "your" games, steam is pretty much renting them to you, if and if you don't like their new rental agreement you can basically fuck off. The whole premise of DRM is that you don't own jackshit, it's not the activations or the limited installs or the always online, those are systems in place to enforce it.

[JSoup]

You know, I'm continually surprised that Steam caught on at all. The gaming community at large has always been anti-DRM to the extreme. From my point of view it's:

A. I could pay Steam $5 for this game so I'll be allowed to play it so long as Steam is happy with me/doesn't suddenly implode.

OR

B. I could just pirate the damn thing and play it whenever I want, however I want.

Given how I feel about the world, I'm more prone to option B, but I've got a healthy Steam library in my back pocket. So I guess I'm just as much of a whore as the rest of the gaming world.

[dao2]

This has nothing to do with DRM.... just about class action rights. Steam has been DRM since day one, nobody liked it day one cause of that and also because it was a pos software. They massively improved the service (built it from ground up really), marginally improved the software (although it still blows) and DRM hasn't changed. The problem is people will protest a lot of things they don't like, but they're weak-willed and easy led. So in time they will accept anything, like Origin :P

[kupomogli]

Really? It popped up on the last update for me.

I just installed Left 4 Dead and it prompted me to accept the agreement then. I guess because I didn't play anything on it after the update is why.

[JSoup]

I've been playing Spiral Knights off and on for the last week and I've yet to have this agreement thing popup.

[dao2]

I had it pop up right when I tried to login, are you guys by chance running in offline mode?

[JSoup]

Huh. Finally got a pop up about accepting new terms of service.....for the November 2005 update.