This seems to be lost on you. The entire industry is in "experimental mode" with ideas such as digital content delivery, attempting to improve anticheat and antipiracy systems, etc. This is what STEAM is. In my opinion Parallax, as someone who seems to think he has a grip on "the future of gaming", you should be the one to point this out. Whining about Steam, as if you have no clue AT ALL why Valve is using it, doesn't make me want to rush off to your site.
First off, I don't claim not have I ever claimed to know the future of gaming. I follow industry developments closely and have ideas, but that's it.
With regards to privacy, I understand your points, but my point is that Valve has no right no know how I use their games. I know this may seem like a nothing point to many, but it is true. You don't like spyware knowing what web sites you go to for marketing purposes do you? How is this any different? Also, if you buy games on Steam you have to provide Valve personal information while you don't have to with a retail game unless you send in the registration card (and who does that, really?) If you eventually have to buy everything through these methods, that could have other implications as well, though that's not a big deal with me either.
If almost anyone but Valve had tried this, there would have been an uproar. Yes, most people like developers and hate publishers, but do you know how many publishers are doing in-house development or buying up studios? If EA or Ubisoft did this, you'd all be screaming at them. But because Valve does this and they make Half-Life 2, people are willing to overlook many of Steam's concerns and call people like my paranoid. Like I said, if you can live with these concerns, then use Steam. But those concerns will grow greater and more significant the more people rely on these services and eventually, publishers will get their hands into them. I'm looking more into the future here. I also know that Valve is using Steam for many good, legitimate purposes and while I respect those, they are doing it primarily for business reasons and anyone who thinks otherwise is just naive. Gabe Newell is a former Microsoft executive and you don't become one of those without having a strong business sense.
Parallax Abstraction
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Founder of StateOfGaming.org
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