Steam sux.  In the 12 hours it takes to download one of their games I could have walked to the store and back 5 times.  And I live in Houston!

craptastic downloads there.  Speeds around 340 bps.  Seriously?  I have downloaded other games from EA and MMO through the vendors in 1/3 the time it takes to get a game from Steam.

I absolutely love steam personally, i always get fast download speeds, and have never had any problems with them, every game runs perfectly and i dont notice steam affecting performance at all.

The only arguement you could really have against steam is the DRM.. If steam dies I think you lose all your stuff.

So the day Steam dies, i quit gaming. :)

Yep steam sucks, it sucks big time.  Currently I am unable to play Shogun 2: Total war because every time I try to connect with steam I get an error since some random patch.

Steam is a big steaming pile.  If I buy a hard copy of a game, I expect to be able to run it without having to use some crappy 3rd party program.

I've said it before and I will say it again.

For 1:  Use Direct2drive   ---  You can purchase games online and download them from there with ZERO third party requirement  (Unless you download Shogun, or Civ 5, which REQUIRES steam, bullspit).

For 2: I don't need a program to allow me to network with friends, isn't that what social networking sites are for?  Nothing like getting spam invites from random people on steam  (I still have no idea how people are finding me and why they want me to be their friend.)

For 3:  Steam just plain sucks.  And I wouldn't use it if I didn't have to, but for some reason some games like to use malware (steam in my opinion).  I guess it isn't INTENDED to screw up my computer, but it sure does a good job of making a mess of things.

For 4:  If I don't want to patch my game I shouldn't have to.  With steam, you cannot play the game until you patch it.  Also with steam, it makes getting modifications for games a LOT more difficult, if that is even possible sometimes with certain games.

For 5:  Steam still sucks.

Edit: As far as disabling updates, I suppose I just haven't read the steam "guide" yet.  I can pause updates, but if I cancel, and attempt to launch a game, it says,,, "Game will launch after download".  Either way, I dislike steam very very very much.

Love Steam.  Just bought another game, downloaded it at 2.5mb/s.  The download speeds were absolutely horrible during the summer sale though.  I have got a pretty decent connection, but during the summer sale I was only getting 200 kb/s if not worse most of the time.  I really think Valve should better prepare of those huge sales, especially since TF2 is free now.  I did read that they are working on an update or updating some hardware or something that will hopefully improve download speed during the sales.

Originally posted by Worstluck

Love Steam.  Just bought another game, downloaded it at 2.5mb/s.  The download speeds were absolutely horrible during the summer sale though.  I have got a pretty decent connection, but during the summer sale I was only getting 200 kb/s if not worse most of the time.  I really think Valve should better prepare of those huge sales, especially since TF2 is free now.  I did read that they are working on an update or updating some hardware or something that will hopefully improve download speed during the sales.

During holiday sales i just change my steam to connect to some god forsaken country that for some reason still has internet, and that always works. :p

Whenever I buy any game I check if its on steam 1st. If not I go boxed.

Originally posted by EndDream

Whenever I buy any game I check if its on steam 1st. If not I go boxed.

Steam is my primary source for games now..  at one time i would have bought the Boxed version to have a physical copy.. but.. games work better if you don't have to keep accessing a dvd every few minutes..  and unlike dvd's which can be damaged, scratched, or otherwise corrupted.. steam installs are always available..  theres even a rumour that Microsoft will be selling an XBOX360 version that doesnt have a dvd drive at some point in the future.. at a much reduced cost..  i think the figure was under $99 .. given how easy/fast downloading even a 20 gb game is.. i can see that being a viable option.. and popular.. i dont even like xbox's but i'd consider buying one at that price ... but..  as retailers increasingly stock fewer and fewer PC games, and the online ones give more options on how they 'deliver' their games.. its inevitable.. that having games on DVD etc..  becomes a thing of the past.. much like the floppy drive.. 

80 games and counting on my steam. The sales a lone are worth the purchase for me. Usually when a pack goes on sale for 80% off thats when I close in on the deal. Or if the price is the cheapest on steam. It doesn't act slow for me, or bog down anything. I think it's a good way to organize games and purchase them without the need for all of the boxes cluttering the house, or cds getting lost, or keys getting lost. It's quite nice.

never had a problem with steam, infact they even gave me a refund on a game that didnt run well for me. was totally amazed by it.

Some of this crying is actually uncalled for.

You say steam games can't be modded? How did I get all those Dragon age, Oblivion, etc mods on those games then? You do it the same way you do it without steam with one exception... the main game is within the steam folder. That's it! It took me a moment to figure it out aswell when I first started using steam. Difference is I looked up the answer..... <--- not an excuse to hate steam. It's your inability to look, read and follow directions

Your download speed sucks through steam? Depends on your connection, location, and how many others are trying to download the same game (summer sales). I can say my connection speed sucks by default even if all the factors are in my favor. I'm running off DSL (only thing i can get out here). Even then when I reformated I hadn't done a back up of my games and had 6 large games downloading at once and they were all done at varying times throughout half the day. I just played another game, watched a movie or went out and did something while waiting.  Most of you are on Cable connections, if my DSL can do it wtf are you complaining about?

The only issue I've had with steam is on mid-night releases. I had a game I went to the mid-night release for only to find out I had to wait until it opened up on the steam client some 6 or 8 hrs later. I was livid! lol

Other than that I've had no issues with steam personally. It does not bog my computer down, been able to play all the game I've DLed, mod all of them possible, No need to have shelf after shelf of all my games, I actually like the auto-updates 'option', great deals and I've actually made afew new friends through steam while playing.

To each their own though.

Originally posted by astoria

I will probably not buy your game if you release it on steam. That is all. I am so livid right now. I have appended 'ing pile of crap' to the desktop short cut.

 

/rant

I will probably not buy your game if you DONT release it through steam.

Like having everything in all one place, dont like things spread out... do you do that with music library, have it spread across 7+ diff lauching apps? ;)

Originally posted by NovaKayne

Steam sux.  In the 12 hours it takes to download one of their games I could have walked to the store and back 5 times.  And I live in Houston!

 

craptastic downloads there.  Speeds around 340 bps.  Seriously?  I have downloaded other games from EA and MMO through the vendors in 1/3 the time it takes to get a game from Steam.

I get my full broadband speed 50mb, 6.3MB/s. Uk though

Originally posted by Castillle

Mai main steam twubble comes from nu being able to use my credit card from a different country. Ai had to go to tech support and they fixeded the issue for me but it was still kinda twubblesome...

 

(>.<)

Seriously?

Where is Elmer Fudd when you need him?

I boycot steam its EVIL and will never buy game thats only playble through gameportals like steam or soon origin-EA or ubisoft password system.

Example bought dragon age:orgin special edition with stone prison bloodarmor and some other DLC included and not long ago i format my pc and reinstalled DAO and now i cant play my characters anymore that used the DLC thats why i never will give any money to companys when i dont have total control over my games if i have internet or not i should always play game how and when i want end of discussion.

Ill prolly in next few years cant even buy any game anymore becouse of this development about games must be permantly connect to internet solo or not and you must register even tho i have the legit box with key-number.

My hope is for the eastern europe countrys who still releasing games with no DRM needed.

I bought games retail sinds '97 legit in shops and im punished for it:(

Originally posted by Groovydutch

I boycot steam its EVIL and will never buy game thats only playble through gameportals like steam or soon origin-EA or ubisoft password system.

Example bought dragon age:orgin special edition with stone prison bloodarmor and some other DLC included and not long ago i format my pc and reinstalled DAO and now i cant play my characters anymore that used the DLC thats why i never will give any money to companys when i dont have total control over my games if i have internet or not i should always play game how and when i want end of discussion.

Ill prolly in next few years cant even buy any game anymore becouse of this development about games must be permantly connect to internet solo or not and you must register even tho i have the legit box with key-number.

My hope is for the eastern europe countrys who still releasing games with no DRM needed.

I bought games retail sinds '97 legit in shops and im punished for it:(

I never had an issue when I reinstalled my OS and had to redownload my games with DLC so not sure why it effected you.

As for steam it is great I always check steam 1st and as for the sales god I hate the sales I spend stupid amounts on them.

Originally posted by Psylacus

You know you can set steam to not update your games (its in the games options under update preferences.)

Oh yes, I knew that one.  Tried it out and Steam still updates.  I looked around on the 'net and the problem's been there for ages.

Like I said before, some Steam games got workarounds to play mods on a title, some don't.

Making PC games more unfriendly for mods, with some of them tricky as it is to get right?  Giving no control to me as the consumer as to what version of a game to play?  Two huge No-No's for me.

I love steam as well. I hear what others are saying about their personal problems with it but none of these are an issue for me, and the pros of what it offers are more then worth it, not to mention it's pricing is often excellent.

I find it has no impact at all on my system's perfermance.

If nothing else I think it's more then valid for the shelf space it gives indie game developers that wouldnt get a look in to the mass market otherwise. I think thats vey valuable and I love supporting them (there is some great games out there that are worth a look).

Theres a 'I hate Steam' FB page? er..ok lol. You people need to find something positive to do with your energy because that aint it. If you 'hate' it there is a simple solution... don't use it. Simples.

Originally posted by Zunaah

Some of this crying is actually uncalled for.

You say steam games can't be modded? How did I get all those Dragon age, Oblivion, etc mods on those games then? You do it the same way you do it without steam with one exception... the main game is within the steam folder. That's it! It took me a moment to figure it out aswell when I first started using steam. Difference is I looked up the answer..... <--- not an excuse to hate steam. It's your inability to look, read and follow directions

If you are referring to an earlier post of mine, I take it you never did well in reading comprehension in school.

I never said you can't mod Steam titles.  I said that there's problems with some of them getting to work due to Steam.  Some got workarounds, some don't.

And don't forget that Steam has this nasty tendency to force an update / return a game to vanilla, regardless if you put in the preferences NOT to do such a thing.

Some mods can be tricky to get them working right, and having a 4th party (Steam) making things more difficult isn't my cup of tea.

Originally posted by Castillle

Mai main steam twubble comes from nu being able to use my credit card from a different country. Ai had to go to tech support and they fixeded the issue for me but it was still kinda twubblesome...

 

(>.<)

If you can't purchase a title on steam while travelling with your own original account (that one has had long before even travelling), then WTF is the purpose of Steam?  What purpose does it serve me if you can't do the main function it was meant for, purchasing titles via the "service" they provide?

These days if it's not on steam, I avoid buying it. Only exception are MMOs.

I gave Steam a shot, and it isn't worth it for me.  I don't mind paying a little more for piece of mind.

My reasons, bad drm deals, Steam specific bugs, and Ad Spam.  Voluntary Ad ware that does more for the publishers then the consumers.

I bet some of the same people who like steam are the same people who pirated the crap out of others hard work in the past creating a need that spawned it.  Just another reason to hate pirates.