ByeBye SI - Enjoy your friendship with STEAM

Dear SI-Team,

it is quiet difficult to choose the right words, but I am ... lets say ... very angry. Since you released the second patch, I can't play FM anymore. It is probably not your fault, but your new best friends at STEAM did their best to break my nerves. I hate them to the bone. You guys are afraid that anybody could play a cracked version of your game? Well, I can't play a regular version of it. I don't give a damn anything on your great customer support. Why isn't it possible to produce anything that works without customer support?

Let me tell you my little story: I haven't played fm for a while, but found out that you released a second patch. So I opened my steam account - it didn't work, because it wasn't able to connect to the internet. So I uninstalled my antivir and switched off my firewall - it didnt change anything. I uninstalled steam and fm to make a fresh start. Afterwards I tried to install FM without Steam - and got some trouble message at the end of the process. So I uninstalled everything again.

Than I tried to install it again via Steam. It worked - almost. When i tried to start the game, a box opened (softanchor) and asked about my product key. So I put it in the box. After that Softanchor told me, it wasn't able to connect to the internet. So I visited the Fm-Forums and looked for troubleshooting. I thought i found it at: "If you still have activation issues ..." - but I was wrong again. After having done all of the steps, I tried to start the game again - and what happened? The softanchorbox was back again and asked me for my product key.

Believe it or not: Some of your customers are casual gamers. I am not interested (and haven't got the time) to solve all the IT-Problems your deal with Steam caused. You lost a customer. I loved your games, but I hate what you have done with FM09.

ByeBye

Drama Queen!

it's a game.

Just go back and play FM08, I am.

it's a game.

True, he's pretty upset for a 'casual gamer'!

you lost a lot of customers.

cfa.

101010

what does that 101010 thing mean?

what does that 101010 thing mean?

Your post must be a minimum of ten characters!

what does that 101010 thing mean?

Your post must be a minimum of ten characters!

That and its binary coding, which even though I studied it, I still don't understand it.

101010 is 42 in decimal.

Dear SI-Team,

it is quiet difficult to choose the right words, but I am ... lets say ... very angry. Since you released the second patch, I can't play FM anymore. It is probably not your fault, but your new best friends at STEAM did their best to break my nerves. I hate them to the bone. You guys are afraid that anybody could play a cracked version of your game? Well, I can't play a regular version of it. I don't give a damn anything on your great customer support. Why isn't it possible to produce anything that works without customer support?

Let me tell you my little story: I haven't played fm for a while, but found out that you released a second patch. So I opened my steam account - it didn't work, because it wasn't able to connect to the internet. So I uninstalled my antivir and switched off my firewall - it didnt change anything. I uninstalled steam and fm to make a fresh start. Afterwards I tried to install FM without Steam - and got some trouble message at the end of the process. So I uninstalled everything again.

Than I tried to install it again via Steam. It worked - almost. When i tried to start the game, a box opened (softanchor) and asked about my product key. So I put it in the box. After that Softanchor told me, it wasn't able to connect to the internet. So I visited the Fm-Forums and looked for troubleshooting. I thought i found it at: "If you still have activation issues ..." - but I was wrong again. After having done all of the steps, I tried to start the game again - and what happened? The softanchorbox was back again and asked me for my product key.

Believe it or not: Some of your customers are casual gamers. I am not interested (and haven't got the time) to solve all the IT-Problems your deal with Steam caused. You lost a customer. I loved your games, but I hate what you have done with FM09.

ByeBye

So don't use Steam then? Use one of the other methods to get the patch?

He has got a point, but next time buy a BOXED copy and you can activate it throught uniloc and download the patchs yourself like you normally would for FM 08. ITs not rocket science or binary code

So don't use Steam then? Use one of the other methods to get the patch?

If you installed the game with Steam the sticky specifically says don't use any other method to patch otherwise it will potentially break the game though :S

So don't use Steam then? Use one of the other methods to get the patch?

If he bought the game through steam, can only update through steam. You are a mod, you should know.

The original poster is not alone. I have a strong dislike of steam.

Last year I bought Worldwide Soccer Manager 2008 on-line, downloaded it and played without any problem.

So this year, I thought, great, I'll download 2009. But I had all kinds of problems and frustration with steam and the authorization. I felt like I had to jump through all kinds of hoops without any clear directions being found on the game web site. And I don't like having steam running every time I start my computer, regardless of whether I'm playing FM09 or not.

So I went and bought a box version. I installed with steam and it ran ok.

But in the end, I have a very strong dislike of steam. Worldwide Soccer Manager 2008 installation and play was excellent. For 2009 it was annoying and should hopefully change by 2010!

But I had all kinds of problems and frustration with steam and the authorization. I felt like I had to jump through all kinds of hoops without any clear directions being found on the game web site.

If you had trouble now, imagine 5-10 years from now if you get the itch to install FM 2009 on a new computer for a blast from the past, and you find little to no customer support for activation for this product anymore. You will have a disc you bought but find you cannot play it. You can't show your kids what FM was like before their time, and play with legends from the past.

Admittedly, it's what I believe and I don't know for a fact this product's activation won't be supported for ten years at least. But I doubt it very much and if I'm right, it's a bad policy for SI/SEGA to have.

I can see a phone ringing in an empty warehouse and no-one picking it up..... or the online service which activates the game no longer online. Lol.

If I'm wrong, I'll eat my words gladly. :-)

cfa.

Cat Fancier's Association?

If you had trouble now, imagine 5-10 years from now if you get the itch to install FM 2009 on a new computer for a blast from the past, and you find little to no customer support for activation for this product anymore. You will have a disc you bought but find you cannot play it.

I'll probably just download it from Steam, the way I do now when I want to play the Half Life game I bought 10 years ago, now.

If it weren't for steam, I wouldn't be able to play the game at all.

So don't use Steam then? Use one of the other methods to get the patch?

you should read his post first instead of jumping on the bandwagon and passing on meaningless comments.....he can't activate the game

If you had trouble now, imagine 5-10 years from now if you get the itch to install FM 2009 on a new computer for a blast from the past, and you find little to no customer support for activation for this product anymore. You will have a disc you bought but find you cannot play it. You can't show your kids what FM was like before their time, and play with legends from the past.

)

they have said that in 18 months it will b drm free or something like that

Will somebody please tell me why he's so mad at STEAM? STEAM works absolutely fine. It even worked for him. It's Soft Anchor which is the problem, and that has nothing to do with STEAM.

I love STEAM. Automatic updates ftw. You can keep your torrents and unreliable mirros.

This happened to me and I found the fix: Close steam and start it as an Administrator (if you're using Vista), or manually run the fm.exe from within the steam directory as an Administrator, and then it's magically able to reactivate the game.

The only thing you'll become after playing this game is a computer genius.

So don't use Steam then? Use one of the other methods to get the patch?

Wow...just, wow

they have said that in 18 months it will b drm free or something like that

Yes, they have. They said they were still working out the details (this was around the time of the release), but they did plan on releasing a tool to remove the DRM about 18 months after the release of the game (i.e. ~6 months into the release of the next game).

Will somebody please tell me why he's so mad at STEAM? STEAM works absolutely fine. It even worked for him. It's Soft Anchor which is the problem, and that has nothing to do with STEAM.

I love STEAM. Automatic updates ftw. You can keep your torrents and unreliable mirros.

I love Steam as well. Never had a problem with it. It's also never been a resource hog for me, although it has been for some people.

I think a lot of the negative feeling for steam is that when it launched, it was MASSIVELY unstable, and the problems were much worse than those with the FM09 launch. Add to that the fact that Steam was mandatory to play Half-Life 2, one of the most hotly-anticipated titles for PC gamers, and it left a bad taste in many people's mouths.

That said, you're also completely accurate in saying that the activation issues have nothing to do with Steam - Softanchor is completely unrelated.

Close the door on your way out OP.

If he bought the game through steam, can only update through steam. You are a mod, you should know.

I'm here to ensure people don't break the forum rules, not know everything about the technical facets of the game. That said, I was aware of this, but surely if you have a problem with Steam, you have an option not to buy through Steam; the OP seems to suggest that just because he's had a problem with Steam, SI shouldn't ever use them again, when surely the solution is that the OP shouldn't buy through Steam again, as many more people have successfully used Steam.

you should read his post first instead of jumping on the bandwagon and passing on meaningless comments.....he can't activate the game

I had read the OP and posted my thoughts on it. Do you have anything of note to say? No, I thought not.

Wow...just, wow

Sorry, did you have something to say, or were you just posting in here to boost your post count?

I see the forums have improved a lot in the week I was away

So don't use Steam then? Use one of the other methods to get the patch?

So try buying a copy of FM 2009 in germany, i am really ****ed, cause i could not download it via steam, cause they say i life in the wrong region...

SI do not have the rights at all in Germany, including selling it, afaik. "FM" in Germany is registered by EA.

So try buying a copy of FM 2009 in germany, i am really ****ed, cause i could not download it via steam, cause they say i life in the wrong region...

Is it not possible for you to buy it from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com or any other online store?

Is it not possible for you to buy it from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com or any other online store?

I didn't want to wait a couple of weeks til the game is delivered. It is at all not your fault, it is fu.... EA that doesn't want a better game to hit the market in germany.

Drama Queen!

I bet you'd be crying like a little girl if you had a situation where you bought the game and couldn't play it, people like you are pathetic.

I bet you'd be crying like a little girl if you had a situation where you bought the game and couldn't play it, people like you are pathetic.

but who would actually cry over a game? just keep trying and wait.

If you paid so much for a game that does not work, you would be ****ed as well. The OP has my sympathies.

So try buying a copy of FM 2009 in germany, i am really ****ed, cause i could not download it via steam, cause they say i life in the wrong region...

Is it not possible for you to buy it from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com or any other online store?

I didn't want to wait a couple of weeks til the game is delivered. It is at all not your fault, it is fu.... EA that doesn't want a better game to hit the market in germany.

Being from Germany I ordered via Amazon.co.uk this year as my job didn't lead me to the UK this time. Ordered on Saturday, delivered on Wednesday the week after. Total cost 34 quid I think, shipping included.

If you paid so much for a game that does not work, you would be ****ed as well. The OP has my sympathies.

Mine too, but just because he has had problems with Steam, doesn't mean SI should sever all ties with Steam - many, many people have had no problems at all.

I agree mate, this steam is *****.. should used Uniloc

If you paid so much for a game that does not work, you would be ****ed as well. The OP has my sympathies.

well i bought the game and installed it 3 weeks after it came out and some of my mates who have steam think it is good with its auto-updates. The thing is, the OP said the game does work just that he does not like it. re-read the post again. It is not SI's fault for 1 person hating Steam when everyone else likes it.

I appreciate that there are a number of frustrations in this thread, but I have to ask you all not to swear; and yes, starring words out does count as swearing.

Cheers.

If you don't like Steam, use Uniloc.

If you can't get it activated, contact Customer Services who will do it for you.

If you had trouble now, imagine 5-10 years from now if you get the itch to install FM 2009 on a new computer for a blast from the past, and you find little to no customer support for activation for this product anymore. You will have a disc you bought but find you cannot play it. You can't show your kids what FM was like before their time, and play with legends from the past.

Admittedly, it's what I believe and I don't know for a fact this product's activation won't be supported for ten years at least. But I doubt it very much and if I'm right, it's a bad policy for SI/SEGA to have.

I can see a phone ringing in an empty warehouse and no-one picking it up..... or the online service which activates the game no longer online. Lol.

If I'm wrong, I'll eat my words gladly. :-)

Actually, showing the kids that a piece of software does not work and then spending hours trying to sort it out is very representative of my first 1/2 day of the FM09 experience!

I am sorry the original poster has had problems but Steam has been flawless for me. I realize that that doesn't mean others won't have problems, but I think Steam is a pretty good distribution method and likely all PC gamers are going to have to embrace digital distribution in the future, and they do it better than most.

I am sorry the original poster has had problems but Steam has been flawless for me.

By contrast here is my story

I pre-purchased on Steam and when they released the game it downloaded and installed automatically. I click launch and it automatically downloaded and installed the first patch. Then it just launched , Steam automatically activated my game using the CD Key and off I went. Then the second patch was released, I don't launch the game via steam as a rule so I logged into Steam and clicked launch. Steam automatically downloaded and installed the second patch and off I went again.

Seemed a pretty painless excercise to me, everything SI told us Steam would do, they did

The problem you are having is nothing to do with steam, it is a problem with softanchor.

Steam is a great piece of software run by one of the best companies in the world. It makes is possible to play a game on any computer, anywhere in the world without having to have the disk with you. Occasionally the steam servers do go down temporarily which will mean that you will be unable to play the game however they always solve this quickly.

Anyhow, got sidetracked there. My point still stands, steam is great, softanchor is the problem