Steam doesn’t enforce anything. They provide a very weak opt-in DRM that they literally tell developers they should expect will by bypassed. There are plenty of actual DRM free games on Steam.
People use Steam instead of GoG because Steam works and provides a wide array of value adding features and GoG doesn’t.
Wouldn’t even matter anyway. If either service dies the games are gone unless you go through the hassle of manually backing up every single one - which you can do with the majority of games on Steam too.
And that’s a big “unless”. I actually do have a stored backup of my GOG library installers (of the ones where I don’t own a physical copy, anyway). GOG could disappear into think air tomorrow and I would lose zero access. Not so with Steam.
How could I possibly have it backwards? I manually backed up my installers. I don’t even know what you think “having it backwards” means. You think I’m misremembering downloading the installer files and backing them up? You think I did that on Steam and somehow forgot?
No, I don’t have it backwards, that’s how it works. There are terabytes of data on my backup drives to account for it.
You don’t manually download installer files that you run yourself when you pay and install via steam. That’s a big part of the appeal. It does all of that for you.
Have you guys never even tried any PC storefront that isn’t Steam? And if so, why are you arguing about easily verifable facts? Go check it out, see if it’s for you.
GOG does have a launcher, it’s called GOG Galaxy. It’s… fine to good, depending on what you want to do with it. That will download, install and patch games for you, just like Steam does.
The launcher is optional, though. If you don’t want to use it, you can download installer files from the GOG site or from the launcher itself. Those are yours to store as backups. This also allows you to snapshot earlier patches and do other goo preservation stuff if that’s your thing. Steam has none of those features.
You can either take my word for it or go check it out, but seriously, I’m not lying to you. Why is this an argument every time? Why are there fanboys for digital distribution services? None of this makes sense.
On Steam you can back up game files only in the tiny fraction of games that ship with no DRM. Cases where you have to break DRM to make a backup are not “making a backup”. If that’s your standard you may as well just download a cracked copy later.
On GOG you specifically get an option to download a stand-alone installer for every game in the service.
I must not, because I see zero difference between Steam and GoG in this regard other than the fact that Steam provides a bunch of side services that GoG does not. Otherwise they’re both just selling you a revokable license to play a game.
No. You do not own the contents of a vhs or cd or whatever your preferred media is with copyrighted material on it. You can only make copies for personal use because of a limited, singular license.
When people say “I own the game” these days they are generally saying there is no DRM or other factor preventing copying and distributing for whatever reason - whether it’s illegal or not is immaterial. They are also saying they can easily hand it off (I.e. letting people borrow or re-selling your own individual copy). Almost always this means an executable file not attached to a platform or any sort of online “check” or, of course, a hard copy. For some reason whenever steam comes up this stops being the case for folks.
When I “buy” a digital game on, say, xbox, i cannot easily transfer those contents. So most people distinguish it from hard copies which you can simply hand off to people or easily copy. If I talked about a game on my Xbox, the same way people talked about games on their steam account, they would say that I don’t have the game on Xbox yet they own it on Steam. This is why I talked about “colloquially” because people are actually not following technicalities, people pick and choose all the time how to apply the term “ownership.” It’s more about the ability to transfer the contents that it is about any legal aspect m.
This is why you hear people generally say “I buy hardcopies because I like to own my game.” Even though that is technically not the case.
Steam doesn’t enforce anything. They provide a very weak opt-in DRM that they literally tell developers they should expect will by bypassed. There are plenty of actual DRM free games on Steam.
People use Steam instead of GoG because Steam works and provides a wide array of value adding features and GoG doesn’t.
That doesn’t invalidate anything they said.
People prefer Steam to GoG because Steam is a massively better product than GoG. It’s not complicated.
If it’s actual ownership instead of availability, then according to GOG’s own EULA, you don’t own the games there either.
Wouldn’t even matter anyway. If either service dies the games are gone unless you go through the hassle of manually backing up every single one - which you can do with the majority of games on Steam too.
No, you can’t.
And that’s a big “unless”. I actually do have a stored backup of my GOG library installers (of the ones where I don’t own a physical copy, anyway). GOG could disappear into think air tomorrow and I would lose zero access. Not so with Steam.
Many steam games already have no DRM and ones that use Steam Launcher presence can be launched using a Steam Launcher emulator.
Ones you have to worry about are Denuvio games that aren’t cracked (you can keep track of them here).
You have it backwards I believe
How could I possibly have it backwards? I manually backed up my installers. I don’t even know what you think “having it backwards” means. You think I’m misremembering downloading the installer files and backing them up? You think I did that on Steam and somehow forgot?
No, I don’t have it backwards, that’s how it works. There are terabytes of data on my backup drives to account for it.
You don’t manually download installer files that you run yourself when you pay and install via steam. That’s a big part of the appeal. It does all of that for you.
I am losing my mind.
Have you guys never even tried any PC storefront that isn’t Steam? And if so, why are you arguing about easily verifable facts? Go check it out, see if it’s for you.
GOG does have a launcher, it’s called GOG Galaxy. It’s… fine to good, depending on what you want to do with it. That will download, install and patch games for you, just like Steam does.
The launcher is optional, though. If you don’t want to use it, you can download installer files from the GOG site or from the launcher itself. Those are yours to store as backups. This also allows you to snapshot earlier patches and do other goo preservation stuff if that’s your thing. Steam has none of those features.
You can either take my word for it or go check it out, but seriously, I’m not lying to you. Why is this an argument every time? Why are there fanboys for digital distribution services? None of this makes sense.
Yes you can. Just because you don’t make a backup of one over the other doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. lol
I don’t think people get what I’m saying.
On Steam you can back up game files only in the tiny fraction of games that ship with no DRM. Cases where you have to break DRM to make a backup are not “making a backup”. If that’s your standard you may as well just download a cracked copy later.
On GOG you specifically get an option to download a stand-alone installer for every game in the service.
Not the same.
That’s a technicality that has applied to all media formats for decades. You know what I am talking about colloquially.
I must not, because I see zero difference between Steam and GoG in this regard other than the fact that Steam provides a bunch of side services that GoG does not. Otherwise they’re both just selling you a revokable license to play a game.
Guess you don’t either.
It kinda sounds like you dont either, tho
No. You do not own the contents of a vhs or cd or whatever your preferred media is with copyrighted material on it. You can only make copies for personal use because of a limited, singular license.
When people say “I own the game” these days they are generally saying there is no DRM or other factor preventing copying and distributing for whatever reason - whether it’s illegal or not is immaterial. They are also saying they can easily hand it off (I.e. letting people borrow or re-selling your own individual copy). Almost always this means an executable file not attached to a platform or any sort of online “check” or, of course, a hard copy. For some reason whenever steam comes up this stops being the case for folks.
When I “buy” a digital game on, say, xbox, i cannot easily transfer those contents. So most people distinguish it from hard copies which you can simply hand off to people or easily copy. If I talked about a game on my Xbox, the same way people talked about games on their steam account, they would say that I don’t have the game on Xbox yet they own it on Steam. This is why I talked about “colloquially” because people are actually not following technicalities, people pick and choose all the time how to apply the term “ownership.” It’s more about the ability to transfer the contents that it is about any legal aspect m.
This is why you hear people generally say “I buy hardcopies because I like to own my game.” Even though that is technically not the case.
“I’m right and you’re wrong”. Colloquially, of course.
Thanks for helping to derail the conversation you weren’t a part of. Really appreciate it.