from amiga to this. progression or regression?

I'm very disappointed, I have spent most of my day and a considerable amount of money. I am a consumer, of your product which I might add I love.

Summary of my day:

Buy boxed copy from Tesco tor 30quid

Buy dongle for 20 quid

Open my steam account, spend 90 minutes waiting for a steam platform update that I did'nt ask for

Start download of fm12

Current speed 9.5kbs

Off to bed having spent money and time that i can't ever get back

Thanks, I feel like a valued customer...

Please explain "Buy dongle for 20 quid "

I'm seriously entrigued.

I'm pretty tired of the rants against Steam. They're becoming pretty boring now.

However. I do think perhaps there should have been an offline way to register your game. I understand why SI and SEGA have gone along the Steam route as it does stop piracy (better than other methods), so I'm not sure whether making a call to registration call centre or wherever works as well - but I'd have thought if the serial number had been used elsewhere it couldn't be used again?!

Oh and dongles and notorious for being crap with connection speeds.

Accidental misinformation.

I didn't realise those with boxed copies would need to download the game to install it, I thought it would just need linking to a Steam account to play or some such. That's pretty poor. FM09's internet activation was practically instant, wasn't it?

You don't need to download the game. Mine installed off the DVD and then activated via Steam. Quick and painless.

I've really no idea how some people are managing to be downloading the game from Steam when they have an install DVD in their PC... but to put it bluntly, "they're doing it wrong!"

You don't need to download the game. Mine installed off the DVD and then activated via Steam. Quick and painless.

I've really no idea how some people are managing to be downloading the game from Steam when they have an install DVD in their PC... but to put it bluntly, "they're doing it wrong!"

And that's a problem, no, if either Steam doesn't recognise the user has the game already, or the user is confused into picking the wrong option?

And that's a problem, no, if either Steam doesn't recognise the user has the game already, or the user is confused into picking the wrong option?

I guess it depends on how easily confused people are...

I literally just stuck the DVD in the drive, it autoran the install program, and then prompted me for the code on the back of the manual. The only downloading Steam did was the Editor (cos I asked it to) and the patch.

You don't need to download the game. Mine installed off the DVD and then activated via Steam. Quick and painless.

I've really no idea how some people are managing to be downloading the game from Steam when they have an install DVD in their PC... but to put it bluntly, "they're doing it wrong!"

The default is to install via Steam, it seems. Looking an Neil's FAQs, you can cancel that and install from disk. I apologise for this mistake on my behalf.

Edit: Should say that I attempted to install last night thinking I could activate today, only to find out that I couldn't, so maybe that had something to do with it.

The default is to install via Steam, it seems. Looking an Neil's FAQs, you can cancel that and install from disk. I apologise for this mistake on my behalf.

Edit: Should say that I attempted to install last night thinking I could activate today, only to find out that I couldn't, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Very strange - as I mentioned in my previous post, I didn't make any concious choice to install via the DVD, aside from sticking the thing in my computer!

A lot of people have got it wrong so it isn't foolproof and tbh it should be, if people are installing from DVD they don't need to install from Steam so why confuse them with having that unnecessary option?

A lot of people have got it wrong so it isn't foolproof and tbh it should be, if people are installing from DVD they don't need to install from Steam so why confuse them with having that unnecessary option?

Finally!

You know Kriss, while you're seeing the light, God is real too!

You don't need to download the game. Mine installed off the DVD and then activated via Steam. Quick and painless.

I've really no idea how some people are managing to be downloading the game from Steam when they have an install DVD in their PC... but to put it bluntly, "they're doing it wrong!"

Well I bought the game on DVD this morning and after what I went through I'll be taking it back and demanding a refund. Whilst it says quite clearly on the box that you need to download steam to activate the game, what it doesn't tell you is that every time you start the game you have to be online to do so, regardless of whether you are actually playing an online game or not. I HATE online gaming, i mean it I loathe it with a passion. I turn off my modem when I am not online. If the default is to download from Steam then why have it as a default on a DVD? Sorry Sega but I won't be buying another of your stinking games until you sort this mess out. I understand why you want to avoid piracy but I have faithfully paid my money for games to play them offline, not be forced into tieing the game into some crap download system because you are too cheap to come up with your own. You can stick FM 2012 where the sun don't shine for all I care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I bought the game on DVD this morning and after what I went through I'll be taking it back and demanding a refund. Whilst it says quite clearly on the box that you need to download steam to activate the game, what it doesn't tell you is that every time you start the game you have to be online to do so, regardless of whether you are actually playing an online game or not. I HATE online gaming, i mean it I loathe it with a passion. I turn off my modem when I am not online. If the default is to download from Steam then why have it as a default on a DVD? Sorry Sega but I won't be buying another of your stinking games until you sort this mess out. I understand why you want to avoid piracy but I have faithfully paid my money for games to play them offline, not be forced into tieing the game into some crap download system because you are too cheap to come up with your own. You can stick FM 2012 where the sun don't shine for all I care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You don't need to be online everytime. Just set Steam into offline mode and you wont need to connect to the internet until a patch is needed to be downloaded.

Am I right in guessing that the opening posters problem could also be caused by the game downloading an update as well?

It seems in this case that he's waiting for the whole game to download, which isnt necessary (as already discussed) but even if you install from the disk isnt Steam going to download the update and install that before you can begin playing?

I'm pretty tired of the rants against Steam. They're becoming pretty boring now.

However. I do think perhaps there should have been an offline way to register your game. I understand why SI and SEGA have gone along the Steam route as it does stop piracy (better than other methods), so I'm not sure whether making a call to registration call centre or wherever works as well - but I'd have thought if the serial number had been used elsewhere it couldn't be used again?!

Oh and dongles and notorious for being crap with connection speeds.

You don't need to download the game. Mine installed off the DVD and then activated via Steam. Quick and painless.

I've really no idea how some people are managing to be downloading the game from Steam when they have an install DVD in their PC... but to put it bluntly, "they're doing it wrong!"

I put the dvd in, selected install and it took me to steam. I then selected activate a game put in the code and it started downloading. Where did I go wrong?

Can someone explain please.

What I don't like is being "tricked" into installing via steam, I have a MAC and on Lion by default the library where steam files are installed is hidden. As the game is now installed this way can I now insert the DVD and install again into the usual directories ?

I too have played the game since the Amiga days of CM1 and I have to ell you that FM12 is certainly not a regression. FM12 is way way ahead but tend to agree that Steam is bloody annoying when yuo don't really want it. Take a few deep breaths... load a new game and after an hour you'll forget steam and be back on track. Good luck!

Is it correct in thinking if I go and download and install the game elsewhere I can then come home. To my pc and log into steam and play the game without having to download it to my pc?

No, you can't do that.

Well I bought the game on DVD this morning and after what I went through I'll be taking it back and demanding a refund. Whilst it says quite clearly on the box that you need to download steam to activate the game, what it doesn't tell you is that every time you start the game you have to be online to do so, regardless of whether you are actually playing an online game or not. I HATE online gaming, i mean it I loathe it with a passion. I turn off my modem when I am not online. If the default is to download from Steam then why have it as a default on a DVD? Sorry Sega but I won't be buying another of your stinking games until you sort this mess out. I understand why you want to avoid piracy but I have faithfully paid my money for games to play them offline, not be forced into tieing the game into some crap download system because you are too cheap to come up with your own. You can stick FM 2012 where the sun don't shine for all I care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You only need to be online once, to activate the game after install. You can then go offline forever and simply play FM in offline mode if you so wish.

You only need to be online once, to activate the game after install. You can then go offline forever and simply play FM in offline mode if you so wish.

Thanks for the advice but way too late. I have taken the game back and gotten a refund. I should not have to change it in Steam to play offline. That should be its default option considering I bought the game on DVD. I am not a fan, generally speaking, of online gaming.

You only need to be online once, to activate the game after install. You can then go offline forever and simply play FM in offline mode if you so wish.

That is not true.

Holy crap you guys are gonna freak out when you get electricity. Make sure you unplug everything when you're not using them!!

omg, the amount of people who get worked up when they dont even understand how the steam platform works really is astounding!!! Its not that hard!

1) Buy boxed DVD

2)Put in drive and install

3) Open steam and activate

4) Go offline (if you wish)

5) Play!!!!!!

What I don't understand is why it wasn't possible to combine two methods of release. SEGA have said that the reason for using Steam is to combat pre-release piracy, not piracy itself.

So, on October 21st two things could happen. FM is released via Steam and the boxed version is sent to retailers. This would of course mean that those buying the boxed would get the game later, which is something I could live with, if it meant not having to use Steam. DVD in drive and play the game. Just like the good old days.

Holy crap you guys are gonna freak out when you get electricity. Make sure you unplug everything when you're not using them!!

Actually, this is something you ought to do - helps protect the environment

Wow, people must really hate change around here. Steam is amazing. It's not that hard to register an account and tie your game to it. Why would you want to go offline after installing fm12 anyway? It's nearly 2012 for christs sake - it's not like Steam eats up all your computer resources (either does fm in all honesty). Basically, learn how to use a computer.

Who cares if Steam is awesome?! It's 2012, so what?! Am I required to enjoy online gaming even if I don't care one bit about it, just because "it's the future"?

Those of us who aren't interested in online gaming shouldn't be forced to register and log in to an online gaming platform just because SEGA decided it was a profitable idea integrating their best-selling game with Steam.

Anti-piracy or not, there could have been another way to deal with the authentication... like "connect to Steam as guest, insert the code, validate it and forget about Steam's existence"

Wow, people must really hate change around here. Steam is amazing. It's not that hard to register an account and tie your game to it. Why would you want to go offline after installing fm12 anyway? It's nearly 2012 for christs sake - it's not like Steam eats up all your computer resources (either does fm in all honesty). Basically, learn how to use a computer.

also im amazed at all these people who say they are taking their game back to the shop for a refund, after they have activated it on steam most retailers here in England wont refund you on a pc game if the cellophane is off. so its intresting to see the amount of brits who claim to have taken the game back (yes i know New Roosterman is in Sydney but there's still alot of people from England claiming to take the game back) but surly people who are going to buy a game and know they need to activate using steam would have had a look to make sure they know how to put it in offline mode before buying the game.......

It's harder than "enter key and forget about it". That's the point...

No, it really isn't but if you are honestly baffled by that, why not just buy the game off Steam direct? It took me around 30 mins to download, install and start playing this game and I never had to leave my house or enter ANY serial keys.

at above: Agreed, I work for a UK gaming retailer and would never refund a PC game anymore. Thankfully in a few weeks we are getting rid of most boxed PC games and going digital download codes only.

Who cares if Steam is awesome?! It's 2012, so what?! Am I required to enjoy online gaming even if I don't care one bit about it, just because "it's the future"?

Those of us who aren't interested in online gaming shouldn't be forced to register and log in to an online gaming platform just because SEGA decided it was a profitable idea integrating their best-selling game with Steam.

Anti-piracy or not, there could have been another way to deal with the authentication... like "connect to Steam as guest, insert the code, validate it and forget about Steam's existence"

Since when has Steam meant online gaming? Just goes to show that people have no idea about Steam and it's basic function. It's DRM along with digital distribution added with various services like automated updates (which can be turned off) for games and graphic cards plus it has a good catalog of older games along with new games.

On the DRM side of things. Now the first weekend is behind after launch and there STILL isn't a cracked version of FM. SI must be pleased with that. It will get cracked eventually (maybe today even) but that's not the point and I'm sure SI will have Steam again next year because of this success against 'day 1 piracy'.

No, it really isn't but if you are honestly baffled by that, why not just buy the game off Steam direct? It took me around 30 mins to download, install and start playing this game and I never had to leave my house or enter ANY serial keys.

Oh yes it is - typing in a key takes less than a minute, while registering with Steam + binding the game to your account takes multiple steps. Not forgetting that Murphy's Law exists and therefore a user will run into a problem along the way. And knowing that if Steam was so awesome the user would likely have installed and registered with Steam beforehand anyway - but clearly, it's not as awesome to have a lot of users in this position.

at above: Agreed, I work for a UK gaming retailer and would never refund a PC game anymore.

This is illegal. UK Consumer Rights state that consumers should be able to refund products under specific conditions (and they are very geared towards protecting the consumer. Some argue not geared enough.)

also im amazed at all these people who say they are taking their game back to the shop for a refund, after they have activated it on steam most retailers here in England wont refund you on a pc game if the cellophane is off. so its intresting to see the amount of brits who claim to have taken the game back (yes i know New Roosterman is in Sydney but there's still alot of people from England claiming to take the game back) but surly people who are going to buy a game and know they need to activate using steam would have had a look to make sure they know how to put it in offline mode before buying the game.......

Let's not forget that a lot of users don't know this forum exists, or might not have been aware about the Steam requirement.

Actually, this is something you ought to do - helps protect the environment

Thats right, me unplugging my TV saves the planet, when Las Vegas uses its own Coal Power Station to light up everynight for 365 days a year.

Wow, people must really hate change around here. Steam is amazing. It's not that hard to register an account and tie your game to it. Why would you want to go offline after installing fm12 anyway? It's nearly 2012 for christs sake - it's not like Steam eats up all your computer resources (either does fm in all honesty). Basically, learn how to use a computer.

Last sentence is a bit patronising. I reckon I know a fair bit about computers, but still object to have to create a Steam account to play FM. I could also ask the opposite question, why would I want to stay online while playing a game? There is really no need.

Also, I believe many people have no objections to having to authenticate the game, be it via Steam or other means, but for me it's about installing software from a company that I do not trust.

Quite simply, I haven't bought the game this year, the first time in 10 years or so. My decision and one that I can live with.

Thats right, me unplugging my TV saves the planet, when Las Vegas uses its own Coal Power Station to light up everynight for 365 days a year.

Had my tongue firmly in my cheek with that one, but you sort of missed that

Had my tongue firmly in my cheek with that one, but you sort of missed that

Sorry, it just winds me up when idiots (not you) say to turn off your tap when cleaning your teeth, or when shaving. Turn off ALL plugs when not in use over night etc etc etc..

What I don't like is being "tricked" into installing via steam, I have a MAC and on Lion by default the library where steam files are installed is hidden. As the game is now installed this way can I now insert the DVD and install again into the usual directories ?

I also have a Mac with Lion installed and was annoyed that the library folder in my Users folder was hidden, but a quick search on the web, and I found a command to type into a Terminal window to unhide the Library folder.

To save you the trouble, the command is - chflags nohidden ~/Library

Well Im pretty happy with the game,

Bought the game from Tescos for £29.99,

put game in drive on Friday night, Game downloaded and installed including latest update (or patch) and started playing after half an hour. Cant see what the issue is to be honest

Cant see what the issue is to be honest

OP is living under a rock..

Dont hate on companies just because you choose not to follow the advances of society

OP is living under a rock..

Dont hate on companies just because you choose not to follow the advances of society

Really are some dummys getting spat out in here, all I have to say is man up and grow a set of balls, my god it aint rocket science just set up and account and off you go. Some people really do need to be spoon fed everything, no bodies making you but the game and all this "I will never buy another Sega game" do you really think they care, I certainly don't, just cant wait o get home to play it .

Really are some dummys getting spat out in here, all I have to say is man up and grow a set of balls, my god it aint rocket science just set up and account and off you go. Some people really do need to be spoon fed everything, no bodies making you but the game and all this "I will never buy another Sega game" do you really think they care, I certainly don't, just cant wait o get home to play it .

Of course we want to be spoon-fed. We're customers - we are entitled to be demanding. How else would the game improve?

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone installs any software on their PC without thinking about the consequences.

I would say its a sidewards step with a new look. These 800 features ive yet to see 10% of them.

But the game is still addictive as ever and am enjoying it, slight bug in the GK Pos, and a Match Confidence bug which the board were peev'd that i didnt get a draw in a LC game :confused: they scored in the 118th Minute..

@ x42bn6

So far in this thread nothing about the game itself has been discussed, so I dont see how anything regarding gamplay can be improved by it. Ummmm I dont perticulalry like to be spoonfed, well not since I sat in a high chair. I most certainly don't install "anything" to my own machine, I had steam to play other game I have so its no big deal, infact I dont see the problem with having it it doesnt affect my PCs performace so I dont knowwhat consiquences I should be looking for. It just seems like moaning for the sake of moaning to me, if someone decides not to buy or play the game EVER again sounds rediculus and is just doing themselves out of the experience of the game.

I had steam to play other game I have so its no big deal

Not everyone has. I don't think many people who already have Steam are complaining, but there are a number of complaints from those who don't have Steam to begin with.

It just seems like moaning for the sake of moaning to me

Consumer rights and the ability to choose are always worth fighting for.

Just because it doesn't affect you doesn't mean that it's "moaning".

if someone decides not to buy or play the game EVER again sounds rediculus and is just doing themselves out of the experience of the game.

If everyone just kept quiet and bent over for things like DRM, where would consumer rights go?

Those who complain against this decision are indirectly fighting for rights you deserve, too.

I will only buy software that will be enjoyable and any bad points about the software are outweighed by its enjoyability. The bad points include things like bugs and choice of DRM. In this case, the DRM choice and the lack of ability to choose the activation method outweigh its plus points. It could easily have been that the game was so bug-ridden that it outweighed the plus points. But all it is is that the game simply isn't good enough for me, taking everything, including DRM, into account.

I'm sure you'll appreciate this, as, like you said, you don't install "any" software onto your machine. There are some cases where you won't install a piece of software on your machine. There are cases where I won't, too. And one of those is Steam.

Does it bother me? FM10 is gathering dust at the moment for me, as it is nowhere near as immersive as FM08, which I've been playing for man months (i.e. in reality). I think I can do without this supposed gaming experience FM12 offers, especially since it has a big negative point for me. I can live with that.

@ x42bn6

So far in this thread nothing about the game itself has been discussed, so I dont see how anything regarding gamplay can be improved by it. Ummmm I dont perticulalry like to be spoonfed, well not since I sat in a high chair. I most certainly don't install "anything" to my own machine, I had steam to play other game I have so its no big deal, infact I dont see the problem with having it it doesnt affect my PCs performace so I dont knowwhat consiquences I should be looking for. It just seems like moaning for the sake of moaning to me, if someone decides not to buy or play the game EVER again sounds rediculus and is just doing themselves out of the experience of the game.

So, you don't just install "anything"... can you tell me what Steam is doing when it is in offline mode and using resources? See, all anybody says is that it is doing nothing, but a program doing "nothing" does not use resources, because it doesn't need them to do "nothing". Nobody seems willing or able to explain exactly what a program that is doing "nothing" is using resources for, I find this disturbing.

Then there is the fact that the list of programs that Steam is potentially incompatible with contains most of the most popular AV and security programs, programs that are designed to flag, halt and report any suspicious activity in your computing environment! We're even told to uninstall those programs if they cause a problem with Steam... say what? Come again?

This is acceptable to you is it? That you are told that a program that is obviously doing something (because it is using resources) is doing "nothing" and that that same program is incompatible with most major software that is designed to look for potentially harmful activity? I find your nonchalance about this as disturbing as anything else...

So, you don't just install "anything"... can you tell me what Steam is doing when it is in offline mode and using resources? See, all anybody says is that it is doing nothing, but a program doing "nothing" does not use resources, because it doesn't need them to do "nothing". Nobody seems willing or able to explain exactly what a program that is doing "nothing" is using resources for, I find this disturbing.

Then there is the fact that the list of programs that Steam is potentially incompatible with contains most of the most popular AV and security programs, programs that are designed to flag, halt and report any suspicious activity in your computing environment! We're even told to uninstall those programs if they cause a problem with Steam... say what? Come again?

This is acceptable to you is it? That you are told that a program that is obviously doing something (because it is using resources) is doing "nothing" and that that same program is incompatible with most major software that is designed to look for potentially harmful activity? I find your nonchalance about this as disturbing as anything else...

But that's not really the point. Steam is apparently good, because it's "not a problem". Well, in all honesty, that's not good enough. The Yahoo! toolbar is "not a problem". But I'm not going to install that any time soon...