Will FM12 come through steam

Let me say this first...I hate steam

Starting on offline mode has rarely worked recently and as I am on the go on my laptop I'll have to play most of the time in offline mode (which just says unable to connect etc)

I probably need to change a few settings on steam apparently, but why should I when It's taken my time to download steam and the pay £40 for the game only for me to change things

It's not a rant at SI just steam and surely theirs better other ways of accessing the game

As has been the case forever, you can probably buy the disc.

But yeah, Steam has wound me up a few times. It can't start FM because it desperately wants to update Steam, and I don't have internet.

Why not buy it from a shop? You can do that.

Because I have a netbook, ignoring the 'its not really designed for netbooks' argument, surely theirs better ways for it to work

No. You either need the disc or Steam.

What better ways would you suggest?

Steam is prob one of if not the worlds biggest game clients, it makes good sense to have it available that way.

Let me say this first...I hate steam

Starting on offline mode has rarely worked recently and as I am on the go on my laptop I'll have to play most of the time in offline mode (which just says unable to connect etc)

I probably need to change a few settings on steam apparently, but why should I when It's taken my time to download steam and the pay £40 for the game only for me to change things

It's not a rant at SI just steam and surely theirs better other ways of accessing the game

Well I bought the game as a download through somewhere besides Steam, and got that "wonderful" Byteshield version ... there have been nothing but problems with that DRM protection since. Not sure if they will go that way again for FM12. If they do, then you can have it digitally and not through Steam.

What better ways would you suggest?

Steam is prob one of if not the worlds biggest game clients, it makes good sense to have it available that way.

Basically this. All my gaming purchases for the last 6 years have been made off Steam. I've bought 255 games on Steam and haven't had one problem. If you don't like Steam, don't get it off Steam. Simple as that.

But I have no other choice but getting off steam as my netbook doesn't have a CD drive. Either make sure Steam is working properly or don't use it all. I'd rather install the game straight onto my netbook and install updates like that

USB DVD drive?

Let me say this first...I hate steam

Hail, hail brother

I've used it on STEAM and never had a problem connecting on or offline. (No DVD drive either).

all that hate based on not being able to sort out an issue that its happing on your pc priceless 5* rating for no effort

Its probably coming to steam this year as well , since it sold so well

But I have no other choice but getting off steam as my netbook doesn't have a CD drive. Either make sure Steam is working properly or don't use it all. I'd rather install the game straight onto my netbook and install updates like that

Then buy an external CD drive for your note book, SI have no say over Steam or how it works.

It's too early to say what digital alternatives they might go for this year but they will attempt to cater for everybody.

No. You either need the disc or Steam.

Afaik FM has always been for sale digitally without steam.

Afaik FM has always been for sale digitally without steam.

Hasn't that always caused more problems though? I seem to remember that the non-Steam digital download for FM10 was even more problematic than Steam.

No idea, I played the steam version since it came out on steam. And I'm very happy with steam.

Let me say this first...I hate steam

Starting on offline mode has rarely worked recently and as I am on the go on my laptop I'll have to play most of the time in offline mode (which just says unable to connect etc)

I probably need to change a few settings on steam apparently, but why should I when It's taken my time to download steam and the pay £40 for the game only for me to change things

It's not a rant at SI just steam and surely theirs better other ways of accessing the game

Well without steam or other digital downloads you would be able to play anything on your netbook to begin with.

My brother has never had a prob with offline mode and steam, so im not sure whats issue your having with it.

And from what i understand other digital download sites sometimes use a type of DRM which can cause problems.

Honestly steam has helped PC gaming more than many can realize in the last few years, and i expect the usual disc and/or steam release for the next FM too.

An awful lot of games now require steam regardless of whether you've bought the game as a hard copy. I don't have steam, don't want it and no longer buy any games that tie themselves to it. In FM's case, I imagine it will be the same as the last two releases, EG: Hard copies do not require steam to activate but require the disk in the drive for DRM purposes. I'm perfectly happy with this set up and have been very happy for Sega to go down this road. However, If they tie themselves to steam via Steamworks, like Fallout NV, Deus Ex, Mafia 2, Civ 5 etc all did, I won't be buying it.

There will probably be other digital download options. I'm more annoyed that there isn't another DRM option (I use the disk, I don't like constantly having it in the drive and I really dislike Steam.

More pressingly though... how on Earth do you manage to play on a Netbook?

An awful lot of games now require steam regardless of whether you've bought the game as a hard copy. I don't have steam, don't want it and no longer buy any games that tie themselves to it. In FM's case, I imagine it will be the same as the last two releases, EG: Hard copies do not require steam to activate but require the disk in the drive for DRM purposes. I'm perfectly happy with this set up and have been very happy for Sega to go down this road. However, If they tie themselves to steam via Steamworks, like Fallout NV, Deus Ex, Mafia 2, Civ 5 etc all did, I won't be buying it.

If you dont mind, can i ask why? I've never understood the problem people have with steam.

If you dont mind, can i ask why? I've never understood the problem people have with steam.

No, I don't mind at all. it makes a refreshing change from people assuming I'm some sort of strange, angry communist (which happened on one website.)

I've never bought a game by Valve. I've never even played a game by Valve aside from about 15 minutes of the first Half Life. I have no intention of ever playing or buying a game by Valve. That's the current situation, and I am happy enough with that state of affairs.

Recently, though, every second game I've even thought about buying has been tied to Steamworks in some way, like all of those games I listed in my thread above. If I buy a game from a third party I absolutely resent a portion of that money going to Valve and rewarding me by forcing me to download a piece of third party software before I can run that game. I like it even less when you factor in that they can, by design or accident control my access to that game. I have no interest in Valve or their products and do not see why they should get a penny of my money.

I'm sure what Steam does, it does very well. I'm sure that for many people, it's the pinnacle of gaming. I've been shown lists of it's apparent benefits in the past and, without exception, there are none that matter to me. Buy cheap games online? I buy one or two games a year now, usually hardcore strategy titles from smaller indie publishers. Steam Achievements? Is there a cash alternative? Save to Steam? Never had any problems saving to my computer. No disk in the machine? This has never, ever, ever been a problem for me. Multiplayer stuff? Don't play on line. Buy and download games online? I already do this from several publishers and not one of them requires me to download another piece of software that the game will be tethered too.

Look, I'm not against Steam per se; I'm aware that for a huge amount of people Steam ticks all the boxes and that's cool for them. If I bought a Valve game, or a game direct from Steam I'd be happy enough to use their software - I have no problem with that. But when I buy a game out of shop or another website I really resent being told, for the reasons already outlined that I need to buy into Valve's growing monopoly before I can use what I've damn well paid for. It's none of their damn business and as long as publishers keep wanting to give my money to them I take my money elsewhere. Games don't mean that much to me anymore, my freedom of choice still does.

I buy one or two games a year now, usually hardcore strategy titles from smaller indie publishers.

One of the benifits you didn't mention: Steam has made indie games really popular and easy to find. It's really a blessing for indie publishers.

Without steam, games like World of Goo, Trine, Audio surf, ... would never have made it to the big public.

Btw, this is me convincing anyone to use steam, just completing the benifits .

One of the benifits you didn't mention: Steam has made indie games really popular and easy to find. It's really a blessing for indie publishers.

Without steam, games like World of Goo, Trine, Audio surf, ... would never have made it to the big public.

Btw, this is me convincing anyone to use steam, just completing the benifits .

Yes, that's true - aside from the fact that I wouldn't ever play any of those titles.....There are a number of smaller publishers who specialize in strategy and wargames that I buy from, but it would be the same deal - if they suddenly released a game and made it reliant on Steam to run I wouldn't buy it. I also question, considering the market make up for those games, whether a Steam tether would actually generate enough sales to make it worth it. I know Battlefront looked at it and were put off once they worked out how much extra cash they were likely make from new sales, lose from old customers and pay off Valve for their cut. It's not a blessing for every Indie publisher. It's mostly a blessing for Valve however you want to look at it. Good for them, they found their big, fat cash-cow. But I won't be drinking milk from their udder...

Err...I might have to rephrase that.

It's none of their damn business and as long as publishers keep wanting to give my money to them I take my money elsewhere. Games don't mean that much to me anymore, my freedom of choice still does.

Yeah, I had these principles too once. Then I realised that my freedom of choice became somewhat limited having run out of ways to 'take my money elsewhere'.

Funnily enough, never had an issue with Steam since Empire Total War forced me onto it prior to choosing to use it for FM and everything else.

Each to their own eh?

If I buy a game from a third party I absolutely resent a portion of that money going to Valve and rewarding me by forcing me to download a piece of third party software before I can run that game. I like it even less when you factor in that they can, by design or accident control my access to that game. I have no interest in Valve or their products and do not see why they should get a penny of my money.

You sort of strange, angry communist you......I'm with you.

Yeah, I had these principles too once. Then I realised that my freedom of choice became somewhat limited having run out of ways to 'take my money elsewhere'.

Funnily enough, never had an issue with Steam since Empire Total War forced me onto it prior to choosing to use it for FM and everything else.

Each to their own eh?

Yes, each to their own. I've never said anything else. Like I said above, if Steam does it for you, that's cool. I'm not against Steam existing, or people using it. I'm just against being forced to use it for the reasons I've already outlined.

I've got lots of things to spend my money on. It's a big world out there.

Let me say this first...I hate steam

Starting on offline mode has rarely worked recently and as I am on the go on my laptop I'll have to play most of the time in offline mode (which just says unable to connect etc)

I probably need to change a few settings on steam apparently, but why should I when It's taken my time to download steam and the pay £40 for the game only for me to change things

It's not a rant at SI just steam and surely theirs better other ways of accessing the game

The problem with Steam offline mode is that you have to restart in in offline mode while you're still online. If you do it like that, it should work later when you're actually offline.

The problem with Steam offline mode is that you have to restart in in offline mode while you're still online. If you do it like that, it should work later when you're actually offline.

I don't have that problem, I just restarted my Steam client in offline mode while actually being offline, so it works for me.

It's a bit slow admittedly on my netbook, but not that slow it's impossible to play. It is impossible to play while I'm away and not connected to the internet and it just says could could not connect to steam network

sighs

but it doesnt need to connect to the steam network if its offline, it sounds like it is trying to connect online, must admit i take my laptop everywhere on buses and stuff and never had any issues loading FM or any other steam game, strange.

No, I don't mind at all. it makes a refreshing change from people assuming I'm some sort of strange, angry communist (which happened on one website.)

I've never bought a game by Valve. I've never even played a game by Valve aside from about 15 minutes of the first Half Life. I have no intention of ever playing or buying a game by Valve. That's the current situation, and I am happy enough with that state of affairs.

Recently, though, every second game I've even thought about buying has been tied to Steamworks in some way, like all of those games I listed in my thread above. If I buy a game from a third party I absolutely resent a portion of that money going to Valve and rewarding me by forcing me to download a piece of third party software before I can run that game. I like it even less when you factor in that they can, by design or accident control my access to that game. I have no interest in Valve or their products and do not see why they should get a penny of my money.

I'm sure what Steam does, it does very well. I'm sure that for many people, it's the pinnacle of gaming. I've been shown lists of it's apparent benefits in the past and, without exception, there are none that matter to me. Buy cheap games online? I buy one or two games a year now, usually hardcore strategy titles from smaller indie publishers. Steam Achievements? Is there a cash alternative? Save to Steam? Never had any problems saving to my computer. No disk in the machine? This has never, ever, ever been a problem for me. Multiplayer stuff? Don't play on line. Buy and download games online? I already do this from several publishers and not one of them requires me to download another piece of software that the game will be tethered too.

Look, I'm not against Steam per se; I'm aware that for a huge amount of people Steam ticks all the boxes and that's cool for them. If I bought a Valve game, or a game direct from Steam I'd be happy enough to use their software - I have no problem with that. But when I buy a game out of shop or another website I really resent being told, for the reasons already outlined that I need to buy into Valve's growing monopoly before I can use what I've damn well paid for. It's none of their damn business and as long as publishers keep wanting to give my money to them I take my money elsewhere. Games don't mean that much to me anymore, my freedom of choice still does.

Thanks for the reply, i can see what your getting at, and i was wary when i first bought half life because of needing steam, but i do love the fact i can now still play Half Life 2 and Counter Strike despite the fact i lost the disks years ago. It def has its benefits for me anyway, lack or running cds being a big one as i play on a laptop and spinning disks heat the thing up a bit.

Each to their own tho, what works for me might not work for everyone else.

Must be just mine then tbh, annoying though to say the least

Buy the game from Gamers Gate. No need for Steam and you can update your game as you see fit. That's my experience with other games. Got FM on disc.

I don't like Steam for the same reasons I don't like Apple. Whatever I buy it's mine and I want to do whatever I want to do with it.