I'm surprised no one has started writing an online verification system like Steam. This would consist of some server code to put on your own site, and some Blitz code to contact the server. It could be totally invisible to the end user, or it could have an interface like Steam. I'd use it.
Blitz Steam?
Miscellaneous Forums/General Discussion/Blitz Steam? http://www.codersworkshop.com/viewshowcase.php?id=439
Don't think it's quite what you're after, but it's a start.
Don't think it's quite what you're after, but it's a start.
And it'd suck IMO.
Cool that it was programmed, but it'd suck.
I mean, IM so against all these systems. I'd not use one of them for any of my games because its NOT fun having to prove you didnt hack the game before you play it. its not fun having to download it ETC.
Steam is another prevention method. A method to prevent me buying games :)
I got the Toca 3 demo the other day. Great fun, but it broke a ton of @#!* on my computer and i ended up no my laptop for the evening!
Okay, I'm babbling on.
Cool that it was programmed, but it'd suck.
I mean, IM so against all these systems. I'd not use one of them for any of my games because its NOT fun having to prove you didnt hack the game before you play it. its not fun having to download it ETC.
Steam is another prevention method. A method to prevent me buying games :)
I got the Toca 3 demo the other day. Great fun, but it broke a ton of @#!* on my computer and i ended up no my laptop for the evening!
Okay, I'm babbling on.
I forsee a problem with any attempt to make a Blitz Steam.
No lock in.
People do not download steam to buy games, they get it to play Halflife/CS online, or it comes bundled with HL2.
Lets not kid ourselfs here. Steam is a copy protection / multiplayer client with a "oh, you can also buy these games from us" shop on the side, not the other way round. The first two lock in people to the third, think of it as a captive market at a cinema. You come for the movie, not the overpriced popcorn and coke.
If I had the captive market that HL commands (and sucessfully eploits to the full), I would not be willing to give that market away so freely as to create a Blitz Steam. Nope, if you want access to a captive market your going to have to pay.
Add to that the fact that no blitz game is anywhere near popular enought to command a captive market.
Hence. No Steam Blitz.
No lock in.
People do not download steam to buy games, they get it to play Halflife/CS online, or it comes bundled with HL2.
Lets not kid ourselfs here. Steam is a copy protection / multiplayer client with a "oh, you can also buy these games from us" shop on the side, not the other way round. The first two lock in people to the third, think of it as a captive market at a cinema. You come for the movie, not the overpriced popcorn and coke.
If I had the captive market that HL commands (and sucessfully eploits to the full), I would not be willing to give that market away so freely as to create a Blitz Steam. Nope, if you want access to a captive market your going to have to pay.
Add to that the fact that no blitz game is anywhere near popular enought to command a captive market.
Hence. No Steam Blitz.
Actualy I favoured buying hl2 from steam. It meant I could have instant delivery on release date (I was waiting for the minute it became available and playing with 15 minutes). IT was cheaper to buy the game; and also meant I didnt have to get off my ass ;).
But that doesn't really relate to blitz, unless it were a RealArcade clone.
But that doesn't really relate to blitz, unless it were a RealArcade clone.
I use steam for Counter-Strike source.
If I had need to go to the moon to get, I would be in an astronaut school as we speak.
It WAS a monumental pain in the butsky to install, the downloading was a nightmare to wait through..........but then I got to the game. And steam no longer gets a moments consideration.
Steam, what´s that? Oh you mean the thing it says on the menu while I am firing up CSS....
If I had need to go to the moon to get, I would be in an astronaut school as we speak.
It WAS a monumental pain in the butsky to install, the downloading was a nightmare to wait through..........but then I got to the game. And steam no longer gets a moments consideration.
Steam, what´s that? Oh you mean the thing it says on the menu while I am firing up CSS....
I'd say DO IT.
Funny. I'd rather buy games online (through Steam or whatever) and not have to worry about losing CDs if I need to reinstall, swapping CDs out of the drive, etc.
But that's just me.
But that's just me.
Are you prepared to keep a verification server running for
6 years just so someone reinstalling your product can
verify the product. Thats what I hate about steam. You can't play the game without having to verify it.
6 years just so someone reinstalling your product can
verify the product. Thats what I hate about steam. You can't play the game without having to verify it.
Funny. I'd rather buy games online (through Steam or whatever) and not have to worry about losing CDs if I need to reinstall, swapping CDs out of the drive, etc.
Rather than having to worry about forgetting your username/passwords, or having to resort to picking something 'easy' that others can abuse in your name?
And considering the number of (fairly sizable!) game studios that have gone out of business over the last couple of years, there is a real chance that this magical online installation server won't exist in a couple of years either, while your 'inconvenient' CD would have continue to work just fine.
A lot of people knock the whole steam thing, but I myself see more benifits then losses for it, as a developer and a player.
The biggest concern most people have is "when publisher X goes out of buisness then game Y wont be playable.". Now, if i was such a publisher of a steam client, I would ensure that I have a patch stored away someplace that would disable the need for the steam like client. So all people who bought the title could continue to play it long after my company exists!. This patch would only be released should the company goes belly up. No one would lose anything.
The biggest concern most people have is "when publisher X goes out of buisness then game Y wont be playable.". Now, if i was such a publisher of a steam client, I would ensure that I have a patch stored away someplace that would disable the need for the steam like client. So all people who bought the title could continue to play it long after my company exists!. This patch would only be released should the company goes belly up. No one would lose anything.
This patch would only be released should the company goes belly up. No one would lose anything.
Which is great in theory, except many companies mistakenly think they are invincible, so won't feel the immediate need for such a thing. The 'powers that be' in a larger company tend to be even more in denial about their potential fallability...
Not to mention that they may even be against creating such a patch in principal, to ensure that it won't leak to the general public while the company exists, potentially damaging their revenue stream.
A company can go from doing great to being bankrupt in a *very* short time should a major investor decide to pull out at the wrong time.
It certainly wouldn't be the first time that employees for a company show up for work on monday morning to find out that the company no longer exists. sure, in a perfect world there will always be a contingency plan to ensure that the customers don't get screwed over after the company goes down, but in reality I'm afraid you can't count on that...
Steam is not a bad idea, although I think the hit games today are mostly way too large£¬don't wanna download a game that cost GBs and need online activation.
From what I understand the crackers have already cracked steam.
What I wonder is why is illegal for a developer to remotely
disable a product if it is found to be pirated. If you have
a product downloading updates from your site 5 times or
more from different domains what is the problem with
sending a cripling update or verification. at least an
annoying popup in a game that tells you the product is not
legit.
What I wonder is why is illegal for a developer to remotely
disable a product if it is found to be pirated. If you have
a product downloading updates from your site 5 times or
more from different domains what is the problem with
sending a cripling update or verification. at least an
annoying popup in a game that tells you the product is not
legit.
What I wonder is why is illegal for a developer to remotely
disable a product if it is found to be pirated.
Er, because it's stolen property? disable a product if it is found to be pirated.