Part three of Steam debate - split and archived.

[NUKLEAR-SLUG]

I hope the 30 plus percent of participants in this poll who said no way never, stick by their convictions. If Egosoft can sustain a 30% drop in sales we wont be missed. Personally I doubt they can take such a hit on their bottom line, as 30% is a significant number!

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

That's all well and nice but history has shown, repeatedly, that convictions crumble fairly quickly once the shiny is actually on the table.

[Kaiser Kraft]

Well you Sir do not know me and you wouldn't be the first person who misjudged me. Your lack of conviction is hardly applicable to anyone but yourself.

Not everyone is a spineless wretch. *

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

*<Once again, be as proud as you want but do NOT make general insults about the people you happen to disagree with. Alan Phipps, Moderator>

[Slashman]

Well you Sir do not know me and you wouldn't be the first person who misjudged me. Your lack of conviction is hardly applicable to anyone but yourself.

Not everyone is a spineless wretch. *

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

*<Once again, be as proud as you want but do NOT make general insults about the people you happen to disagree with. Alan Phipps, Moderator>

This has nothing to do with knowing you or judging you.

By the same token, you don't know me and have no idea about my convictions. That's the entire point. This is about being able to buy and play a game in the manner you want. And since you want Egosoft/Deepsilver to accomodate your needs/wants in this, I'm simply saying that sticking to something tangible that they can relate to is going to be loads more productive than a pointless moral crusade.

You're entirely free to ignore my advice and do what you want. I'd simply like you to have the common courtesy not to assume that my disagreement with you on a topic somehow equates to me lacking conviction or being spineless. You're suggesting I fight against something even if I don't think it needs fighting against. That's not having conviction...that's insanity.

If I thought Steam was the looming threat you did, I wouldn't own over 175 games on it. In the same manner that I don't buy Ubisoft games because of their crazy Online Services Platform system, if I think something shouldn't be supported I simply won't support it.

[Kaiser Kraft]

Well I shall not be taking your advice, for the simple reason that I believe that the best way to deal with a problem is to identify the root cause. Once the that has been established the method for dealing with it is generally straight forward.

Your comment suggested that you were willing to cave into something which is unacceptable just because it was available to you. That gives the impression that you do not stick to your conviction. It also implied that I would fold and accept the conditions, which I can assure you I will not!

If you read my post correctly you would have noticed that the 'Not everyone is a spineless wretch.' was contained in a separate paragraph, which within the rules of grammar indicates that it's a separate thought or concept. It was written as it was intended and that element was not directed at you, it was a generalisation (not everyone) and separate to indicate that fact.

English grammar seems to be redundant here, as your not alone in drawing the wrong conclusions, going by the moderators note.

Hey ho,

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

[TTD]

Don't get me started on Grammer.
i don't think they even teach it in school these days.

"Ain't got none" is used to indicate they they do not have any.
But it really is a short of "Have not got none"
If you have not got none,then you must have some,as double negatives are positives.!

[Kaiser Kraft]

Poor old grammar the youngsters just don't show her much respect these days.

PC thought control is the thing that gets my goat. Little Hitler's that run about telling people how they speak to or about everything. Surely adults are capable of looking after themselves. A teaspoon is a teaspoon, not a capacity challenged piece of cutlery.

I just noticed it's actually 40% with the activation only voters. 8)

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

[angrytigerp]

Poor old grammar the youngsters just don't show her much respect these days.

PC thought control is the thing that gets my goat. Little Hitler's that run about telling people how they speak to or about everything. Surely adults are capable of looking after themselves. A teaspoon is a teaspoon, not a capacity challenged piece of cutlery.

I just noticed it's actually 40% with the activation only voters.

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

It's amazing how you're so anti-Steam, yet in playing any video game made in the last 10 or 15 years you're subjecting yourself to the same licensing and undesired side effects (DRM installed on your computer, registry changes, etc.) that Steam has.

Also, I'm digging the implication that it's only children who think Steam is useful and/or satisfactory at worst, whereas properly-educated gentlemen (such as yourself, of course) know otherwise.

As ever, a person opposed to Steam on "ethical" grounds (compared to legitimate reasons, IE bad internet in your area) who is, in fact, a hypocrite. Hating Steam is the hip thing to do. Where were you 20 years ago when game companies started making you register your product? What a RIDICULOUS notion, right?

[Slashman]

Well I shall not be taking your advice, for the simple reason that I believe that the best way to deal with a problem is to identify the root cause. Once the that has been established the method for dealing with it is generally straight forward.

Well that's great...and more power to you. Good luck with that.

Your comment suggested that you were willing to cave into something which is unacceptable just because it was available to you. That gives the impression that you do not stick to your conviction. It also implied that I would fold and accept the conditions, which I can assure you I will not!

You seem to be the one with grammatical difficulties. I never had a conviction about Steam being a problem in the first place because I've never had an issue with using it. There was nothing for me to stick to.

If you read my post correctly you would have noticed that the 'Not everyone is a spineless wretch.' was contained in a separate paragraph, which within the rules of grammar indicates that it's a separate thought or concept. It was written as it was intended and that element was not directed at you, it was a generalisation (not everyone) and separate to indicate that fact.

One would have to wonder exactly who it was directed to. You were either inferring that people who were not 'sticking to their convictions' by joining in on your crusade were somehow spineless, or you made a statement that is completely unrelated to this topic for no reason other than to voice a random, disparate thought that popped into your head. That's slightly disturbing...

English grammar seems to be redundant here, as your not alone in drawing the wrong conclusions, going by the moderators note.

I think the moderator pretty much nailed it on this occasion.

[Jumee]

Poor old grammar the youngsters just don't show her much respect these days.

PC thought control is the thing that gets my goat. Little Hitler's that run about telling people how they speak to or about everything. Surely adults are capable of looking after themselves. A teaspoon is a teaspoon, not a capacity challenged piece of cutlery.

I just noticed it's actually 40% with the activation only voters.

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

so according to english grammar if I write a post with this structure:

[main point]

[general light insult]

It is totally not insulting, and is just a new thought/whatever since it is in a new paragraph? after all, saying: "not all are [insert insult here]" suggests that the others are in fact [again the same insult]

Oh, and "little Hitlers" are moderators just doing their job, its like police officers, or do you consider them to be "Hitlers" too?

And if people(adults or children) were capable of taking care of/looking after themselves we would not need things like: tech support/emergency services/etc

[Kaiser Kraft]

Poor old grammar the youngsters just don't show her much respect these days.

PC thought control is the thing that gets my goat. Little Hitler's that run about telling people how they speak to or about everything. Surely adults are capable of looking after themselves. A teaspoon is a teaspoon, not a capacity challenged piece of cutlery.

I just noticed it's actually 40% with the activation only voters. 8)

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

It's amazing how you're so anti-Steam, yet in playing any video game made in the last 10 or 15 years you're subjecting yourself to the same licensing and undesired side effects (DRM installed on your computer, registry changes, etc.) that Steam has.

Also, I'm digging the implication that it's only children who think Steam is useful and/or satisfactory at worst, whereas properly-educated gentlemen (such as yourself, of course) know otherwise.

As ever, a person opposed to Steam on "ethical" grounds (compared to legitimate reasons, IE bad internet in your area) who is, in fact, a hypocrite. Hating Steam is the hip thing to do. Where were you 20 years ago when game companies started making you register your product? What a RIDICULOUS notion, right?

I don't play any video games generally! These days the only game I play is the X series. There are no DRM services running on any of my machines unless it's a core function of the OS.

Hum registry changes - regedit, regmon and VB's blar blar blar.

DRM isn't an issue for me because if it's intrusive I wouldn't be using it period. Since when were ethics considered illegitimate? Registering with a third party, being forced to run an unnecessary application and invasion of privacy may not bother you, but that hardly makes it illegitimate or of no concern to others. In fact there is a healthy number who agree with me going by the poll.

The old method used by Egosoft was acceptable, and as has been mentioned in this thread it was removed about a year after release. Being forced to run a service and register with a third party is a totally different kettle of fish! The option to use the game without using the steam client removes the option of updates, which is a penalty applied to the user. It's a turd and I recognise it as such.

It's just a game and a waste of time in front of the computer, so I shall not be getting up set over it. I'm more than happy to support the product, but not under these terms. Egosoft/Deepturd have taken a business decision. I have aired my views. As a businessman I understand the value of client input. As a business I would expect Egosoft to be interested in client feedback, whether it be good or bad. Thirty to forty percent of the poll represents quite a healthy percentage, that would probably contribute to a negative value in their P&L.

I would imagine that age has little to do with peoples willingness to accept this policy. If that interests you maybe you should open a poll and quiz the 41 percent that voted against steam. Oh and it has nothing to do with being educated, it's more about being aware of the implications and consequences. Precautions the younger generations seem to have been taught to ignore it would seem.

I have played games since Elite back in 1985 and I never registered on line with any game, with the exception of my account here. I haven't played any X games for at least 6 months, so it's hardly going to be a shock to my system if I don't play the new releases. Oh and I had Reunion on its release and it was a good twelve months plus before I played it. I have waited for news of the DVD release of Prelude and would have ordered it today if it were not for steam. I'm not a game junky but I am a fan of the X series and space sims in general. Due to this policy I am unable to continue with the X games. It's hardly a big deal and it was fun while it lasted. If the policy changes in the future then I would pick up where I left off.

The point you and many others seem to fail to grasp is this...peoples willingness to accept corporations imposing steam membership on their client base has set a standard, which has a direct negative effect on others who rejected it and will continue to reject it. Our position didn't have a negative effect on the people adopting steam. DRM and the steam model isn't just about copyright protection. It's about your rights and privacy and game developers falling into a distribution monopoly. Step back and look at the big picture and then you might start to understand why people like me draw the line.

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

[Kaiser Kraft]

Well I shall not be taking your advice, for the simple reason that I believe that the best way to deal with a problem is to identify the root cause. Once the that has been established the method for dealing with it is generally straight forward.

Well that's great...and more power to you. Good luck with that.

It's dealt with already. :)

Your comment suggested that you were willing to cave into something which is unacceptable just because it was available to you. That gives the impression that you do not stick to your conviction. It also implied that I would fold and accept the conditions, which I can assure you I will not!

You seem to be the one with grammatical difficulties. I never had a conviction about Steam being a problem in the first place because I've never had an issue with using it. There was nothing for me to stick to.

Good for you enjoy. :)

If you read my post correctly you would have noticed that the 'Not everyone is a spineless wretch.' was contained in a separate paragraph, which within the rules of grammar indicates that it's a separate thought or concept. It was written as it was intended and that element was not directed at you, it was a generalisation (not everyone) and separate to indicate that fact.

One would have to wonder exactly who it was directed to. You were either inferring that people who were not 'sticking to their convictions' by joining in on your crusade were somehow spineless, or you made a statement that is completely unrelated to this topic for no reason other than to voice a random, disparate thought that popped into your head. That's slightly disturbing...

It was clearly separated from the previous paragraph. If it had been directed at you it would have been in the same paragraph. I have explained that to you once, either you failed to understand or you're accusing me of lying. Quite frankly I couldn't care less which it is.

I wasn't inferring. I was being specific, stating that not everyone would act in the way you had asserted in your claim. And yes I'm stating that people that indicated they wouldn't accept the steam policy and then acted as you stated are spineless and lack conviction. Which seems perfectly reasonable given the contradiction. It's hardly my crusade as I didn't open this thread, and four hundred and twenty nine people had voted against steam before me. I think it's safe to say that it's on topic.

English grammar seems to be redundant here, as your not alone in drawing the wrong conclusions, going by the moderators note.

I think the moderator pretty much nailed it on this occasion.

Is that a typo shouldn't one of those words begin with an 'f'. :wink:

I think I have explained myself plainly and I shall not be engaging with you any further, even if you do attempt to continue badgering me.

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

[Kaiser Kraft]

Poor old grammar the youngsters just don't show her much respect these days.

PC thought control is the thing that gets my goat. Little Hitler's that run about telling people how they speak to or about everything. Surely adults are capable of looking after themselves. A teaspoon is a teaspoon, not a capacity challenged piece of cutlery.

I just noticed it's actually 40% with the activation only voters. 8)

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

so according to english grammar if I write a post with this structure:

[main point]

[general light insult]

It is totally not insulting, and is just a new thought/whatever since it is in a new paragraph? after all, saying: "not all are [insert insult here]" suggests that the others are in fact [again the same insult] :P :)

Oh, and "little Hitlers" are moderators just doing their job, its like police officers, or do you consider them to be "Hitlers" too? :P

And if people(adults or children) were capable of taking care of/looking after themselves we would not need things like: tech support/emergency services/etc :P :)

Your heckling is lame, so forgive me if I fail entertained you. I'm sure you will do better next time. You could always try a course in the Trivium and Quadrivium to help up your game.

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

[angrytigerp]

Poor old grammar the youngsters just don't show her much respect these days.

PC thought control is the thing that gets my goat. Little Hitler's that run about telling people how they speak to or about everything. Surely adults are capable of looking after themselves. A teaspoon is a teaspoon, not a capacity challenged piece of cutlery.

I just noticed it's actually 40% with the activation only voters.

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

It's amazing how you're so anti-Steam, yet in playing any video game made in the last 10 or 15 years you're subjecting yourself to the same licensing and undesired side effects (DRM installed on your computer, registry changes, etc.) that Steam has.

Also, I'm digging the implication that it's only children who think Steam is useful and/or satisfactory at worst, whereas properly-educated gentlemen (such as yourself, of course) know otherwise.

As ever, a person opposed to Steam on "ethical" grounds (compared to legitimate reasons, IE bad internet in your area) who is, in fact, a hypocrite. Hating Steam is the hip thing to do. Where were you 20 years ago when game companies started making you register your product? What a RIDICULOUS notion, right?

The point you and many others seem to fail to grasp is this...peoples willingness to accept corporations imposing steam membership on their client base has set a standard, which has a direct negative effect on others who rejected it and will continue to reject it. Our position didn't have a negative effect on the people adopting steam. DRM and the steam model isn't just about copyright protection. It's about your rights and privacy and game developers falling into a distribution monopoly. Step back and look at the big picture and then you might start to understand why people like me draw the line.

Well, I'm glad to hear that (supposing you're being honest) you are one of the only (actually, THE only) people I've ever met whose rhetoric wasn't ruined by a counterexample of agreeing to some form of DRM in the past. That said, the EULA still is as bad as Steam -- you want to run an reductio ad absurdum regarding Steam and say that we should oppose it because it's a "rental service"? Then I'll take EULAs (that pretty much any non-indie game possesses) to their logical conclusion and say that every game ever released that has a EULA will suddenly have their publisher revoke user licenses, and you will have to agree never to play their game again. That's a very real possibility present in damned near every EULA, it's present in Steam, hell you've been playing X games so you've already agreed to such a license.

The point remains that, while you may not have played any games with Securom or other invasive DRM (except you admit in your lengthy response to me that you were fine with X3 having it for a while (¯\_(._.)_/¯ ), you still have played a game where the possibility existed that you could have your license revoked. I know, it sounds stupid, right? So do anti-Steam arguments to the same effect!

And I have no idea what kind of business you run where you sacrifice a multiplication of your customer base to keep appealing to a handful of good ol' boys... do you own a mom n' pop grocery store or something, and a Walmart moved in and stole all your business? I'm not sure why you fail to grasp the fact that you are a minority. Heck, even referring to that poll you cling so desperately to, you're a minority. And that's of the existing userbase (read: people going on Egosoft's forums). Now, not only does Egosoft maintain most of their existing customers, but now they broaden their advertisement and exposure tenfold. Sorry if it's a shock to you, mate, but video games are a business. The bottom line is far more important than "Mr. John Doe, that one customer who keeps writing us mean letters promising that he will never buy our product ever again."

Yeah, it's a harsh sentiment, but welcome to capitalism. You want a game made out of the love of making games, go play a flash game online. Reality is that progression continues onward, and shrouding opposition to progress in a facade of "LOL FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS PROUD MEMBER OF THE 30% ETC.ETC." is ridiculous. 99% all over again, talk big but don't do anything about it. Or, do something about it, then realize that your actions had little effect.

[NUKLEAR-SLUG]

Your heckling is lame, so forgive me if I fail entertained you.

One presumes that was an attempt at 'failed to entertain'? People in glass houses and all that... </teachermode>

Anyways, grammar education aside and back on topic, if you plan to stick to your guns then good for you, just don't count on that 30-40% being equally rock solid. As I said previously the internet has a long history of boycotts in a similar vein and it's established tradition by now that they really don't work out very well.

People like to moan and complain, they like to blow things out of proportion and they like to think they're making a stand. 'Sticking it to the man' if you will. But when it comes down to it and they actually have to stick to those convictions then they're just as good at quietly convincing themselves that maybe it's not so bad after all.

[angrytigerp]

Anyways, grammar education aside and back on topic, if you plan to stick to your guns then good for you, just don't count on that 30-40% being equally rock solid. As I said previously the internet has a long history of boycotts in a similar vein and it's established tradition by now that they really don't work out very well.

Definitely relevant.

[Jumee]

Anyways, grammar education aside and back on topic, if you plan to stick to your guns then good for you, just don't count on that 30-40% being equally rock solid. As I said previously the internet has a long history of boycotts in a similar vein and it's established tradition by now that they really don't work out very well.

Definitely relevant.

that is a funny pic, but honestly on the whole issue I dont understand why people must be fanatic about steam - you dont have to love, it you dont have to hate it, you either use it, or you dont, I dont know why there are so many attempts to turn the "steam issue" into some sort of a crusade

[angrytigerp]

Anyways, grammar education aside and back on topic, if you plan to stick to your guns then good for you, just don't count on that 30-40% being equally rock solid. As I said previously the internet has a long history of boycotts in a similar vein and it's established tradition by now that they really don't work out very well.

Definitely relevant.

that is a funny pic, but honestly on the whole issue I dont understand why people must be fanatic about steam - you dont have to love, it you dont have to hate it, you either use it, or you dont, I dont know why there are so many attempts to turn the "steam issue" into some sort of a crusade

Historical precedence, everyone loves to pretend that an issue on a personal level actually has a meaning beyond their own sphere of influence. It helps justify their position, if only in their own mind.

[Kaiser Kraft]

Poor old grammar the youngsters just don't show her much respect these days.

PC thought control is the thing that gets my goat. Little Hitler's that run about telling people how they speak to or about everything. Surely adults are capable of looking after themselves. A teaspoon is a teaspoon, not a capacity challenged piece of cutlery.

I just noticed it's actually 40% with the activation only voters. 8)

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

It's amazing how you're so anti-Steam, yet in playing any video game made in the last 10 or 15 years you're subjecting yourself to the same licensing and undesired side effects (DRM installed on your computer, registry changes, etc.) that Steam has.

Also, I'm digging the implication that it's only children who think Steam is useful and/or satisfactory at worst, whereas properly-educated gentlemen (such as yourself, of course) know otherwise.

As ever, a person opposed to Steam on "ethical" grounds (compared to legitimate reasons, IE bad internet in your area) who is, in fact, a hypocrite. Hating Steam is the hip thing to do. Where were you 20 years ago when game companies started making you register your product? What a RIDICULOUS notion, right?

The point you and many others seem to fail to grasp is this...peoples willingness to accept corporations imposing steam membership on their client base has set a standard, which has a direct negative effect on others who rejected it and will continue to reject it. Our position didn't have a negative effect on the people adopting steam. DRM and the steam model isn't just about copyright protection. It's about your rights and privacy and game developers falling into a distribution monopoly. Step back and look at the big picture and then you might start to understand why people like me draw the line.

Well, I'm glad to hear that (supposing you're being honest) you are one of the only (actually, THE only) people I've ever met whose rhetoric wasn't ruined by a counterexample of agreeing to some form of DRM in the past. That said, the EULA still is as bad as Steam -- you want to run an reductio ad absurdum regarding Steam and say that we should oppose it because it's a "rental service"? Then I'll take EULAs (that pretty much any non-indie game possesses) to their logical conclusion and say that every game ever released that has a EULA will suddenly have their publisher revoke user licenses, and you will have to agree never to play their game again. That's a very real possibility present in damned near every EULA, it's present in Steam, hell you've been playing X games so you've already agreed to such a license.

The point remains that, while you may not have played any games with Securom or other invasive DRM (except you admit in your lengthy response to me that you were fine with X3 having it for a while (¯\_(._.)_/¯ ), you still have played a game where the possibility existed that you could have your license revoked. I know, it sounds stupid, right? So do anti-Steam arguments to the same effect!

And I have no idea what kind of business you run where you sacrifice a multiplication of your customer base to keep appealing to a handful of good ol' boys... do you own a mom n' pop grocery store or something, and a Walmart moved in and stole all your business? I'm not sure why you fail to grasp the fact that you are a minority. Heck, even referring to that poll you cling so desperately to, you're a minority. And that's of the existing userbase (read: people going on Egosoft's forums). Now, not only does Egosoft maintain most of their existing customers, but now they broaden their advertisement and exposure tenfold. Sorry if it's a shock to you, mate, but video games are a business. The bottom line is far more important than "Mr. John Doe, that one customer who keeps writing us mean letters promising that he will never buy our product ever again."

Yeah, it's a harsh sentiment, but welcome to capitalism. You want a game made out of the love of making games, go play a flash game online. Reality is that progression continues onward, and shrouding opposition to progress in a facade of "LOL FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS PROUD MEMBER OF THE 30% ETC.ETC." is ridiculous. 99% all over again, talk big but don't do anything about it. Or, do something about it, then realize that your actions had little effect.

I'm not sure where you learnt maths and I'm guessing you're not in business. Thirty percent isn't a small percentage in business terms, especially if that business relies on a one trick pony.

Would that be the capitalist society which is teetering on the verge of economic implosion? Good luck with that!

If you have no concept of the implications that the steam business model has and the effect it has on your rights and privacy that's your look out. When you have finally frittered away your last remaining rights maybe you will look back fondly to the days when you could enjoy them.

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

[angrytigerp]

Poor old grammar the youngsters just don't show her much respect these days.

PC thought control is the thing that gets my goat. Little Hitler's that run about telling people how they speak to or about everything. Surely adults are capable of looking after themselves. A teaspoon is a teaspoon, not a capacity challenged piece of cutlery.

I just noticed it's actually 40% with the activation only voters.

A proud member of the 30 percent steam dessenters.

It's amazing how you're so anti-Steam, yet in playing any video game made in the last 10 or 15 years you're subjecting yourself to the same licensing and undesired side effects (DRM installed on your computer, registry changes, etc.) that Steam has.

Also, I'm digging the implication that it's only children who think Steam is useful and/or satisfactory at worst, whereas properly-educated gentlemen (such as yourself, of course) know otherwise.

As ever, a person opposed to Steam on "ethical" grounds (compared to legitimate reasons, IE bad internet in your area) who is, in fact, a hypocrite. Hating Steam is the hip thing to do. Where were you 20 years ago when game companies started making you register your product? What a RIDICULOUS notion, right?

The point you and many others seem to fail to grasp is this...peoples willingness to accept corporations imposing steam membership on their client base has set a standard, which has a direct negative effect on others who rejected it and will continue to reject it. Our position didn't have a negative effect on the people adopting steam. DRM and the steam model isn't just about copyright protection. It's about your rights and privacy and game developers falling into a distribution monopoly. Step back and look at the big picture and then you might start to understand why people like me draw the line.

Well, I'm glad to hear that (supposing you're being honest) you are one of the only (actually, THE only) people I've ever met whose rhetoric wasn't ruined by a counterexample of agreeing to some form of DRM in the past. That said, the EULA still is as bad as Steam -- you want to run an reductio ad absurdum regarding Steam and say that we should oppose it because it's a "rental service"? Then I'll take EULAs (that pretty much any non-indie game possesses) to their logical conclusion and say that every game ever released that has a EULA will suddenly have their publisher revoke user licenses, and you will have to agree never to play their game again. That's a very real possibility present in damned near every EULA, it's present in Steam, hell you've been playing X games so you've already agreed to such a license.

The point remains that, while you may not have played any games with Securom or other invasive DRM (except you admit in your lengthy response to me that you were fine with X3 having it for a while (¯\_(._.)_/¯ ), you still have played a game where the possibility existed that you could have your license revoked. I know, it sounds stupid, right? So do anti-Steam arguments to the same effect!

And I have no idea what kind of business you run where you sacrifice a multiplication of your customer base to keep appealing to a handful of good ol' boys... do you own a mom n' pop grocery store or something, and a Walmart moved in and stole all your business? I'm not sure why you fail to grasp the fact that you are a minority. Heck, even referring to that poll you cling so desperately to, you're a minority. And that's of the existing userbase (read: people going on Egosoft's forums). Now, not only does Egosoft maintain most of their existing customers, but now they broaden their advertisement and exposure tenfold. Sorry if it's a shock to you, mate, but video games are a business. The bottom line is far more important than "Mr. John Doe, that one customer who keeps writing us mean letters promising that he will never buy our product ever again."

Yeah, it's a harsh sentiment, but welcome to capitalism. You want a game made out of the love of making games, go play a flash game online. Reality is that progression continues onward, and shrouding opposition to progress in a facade of "LOL FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS PROUD MEMBER OF THE 30% ETC.ETC." is ridiculous. 99% all over again, talk big but don't do anything about it. Or, do something about it, then realize that your actions had little effect.

I'm not sure where you learnt maths and I'm guessing you're not in business. Thirty percent isn't a small percentage in business terms, especially if that business relies on a one trick pony.

Now what about the percentage gained from increased exposure? Would be curious to know how many people got the X-series thanks to the Steam Winter sale, probably a hell of a lot more than 30% of their current active userbase...

Gas stations used to have full service. That went bye-bye, they corporatized, some people didn't like it because of a perceived lessening of company interaction with customers, but it increased volume and income tremendously. I'm sure, given Egosoft's commitment to Steam, that something favorable showed up in their sales data since they first began distribution on it. Contrary to your belief, Egosoft and, uh, "Deepturd" (very mature) didn't choose to go with Steam just to make brick-and-mortar customers mad.

[Kaiser Kraft]

Your heckling is lame, so forgive me if I fail entertained you.

One presumes that was an attempt at 'failed to entertain'? People in glass houses and all that... </teachermode> :P

Then your presumption would be wrong. Try factoring in the tense. You see I didn't go on to entertain what was a pointless post. The error I made was in missing the 'to'. </teachermode>

Anyways, grammar education aside and back on topic, if you plan to stick to your guns then good for you, just don't count on that 30-40% being equally rock solid. As I said previously the internet has a long history of boycotts in a similar vein and it's established tradition by now that they really don't work out very well.

Grammar, logic and rhetoric are totally under valued and very much on topic. If people were armed with the knowledge of those three skills schemes like steam could never flourish.

There is no 'if' and I know better than to count on others who will not stick to their convictions. It will work out well enough for me as I shall have stood my ground. Unfortunately the weak will of others drags everyone down with them eventually. My days will be over before the real damage from these issues finally manifest them selves in all their oppressive glory. I guess it's worse to have had freedoms and lose them, than it is to never realise that you actually had them to lose.

People like to moan and complain, they like to blow things out of proportion and they like to think they're making a stand. 'Sticking it to the man' if you will. But when it comes down to it and they actually have to stick to those convictions then they're just as good at quietly convincing themselves that maybe it's not so bad after all.

Well that maybe the case for some people but there are still a few of us left who stick to their convictions. It's not a case of sticking it to the man it's a case of sticking up for yourself, which in turn encourages others to do the same. It's amazing how so many people have become so weak and subservient, is almost as if they enjoy living in servitude.