how many games have embraced Steam or similar authentication schemes so far?

[Takashi Shimura]

HL2 is one....

How many others?

 

[StardogChampion]

0.

Although I hear the makers of DN: Forever are liking the idea.

 

[Harryz]

vampire bloodlines... thats it as far as i know.

Huh? What?

 

[Hazar]

not many.

 

[Ames]

http://www.burningsea.com/

yarrr matey.

 

[Lucid]

I don't want any others using a Steam-like device.
I'm still just reluctantly accepting steam.
It's too much of a hassle for installing games.

HL2 took me like 2 hours just to start playing...I mean come on, It had to download the game content? What the **** was the point of the all of the discs then?!

 

[Cole]

HL2 took me like 2 hours just to start playing...I mean come on, It had to download the game content? What the **** was the point of the all of the discs then?!

It had to update the game... The point of the discs was to save you downloading over 5 gigs.

 

[Laivasse]

I don't want any others using a Steam-like device.
I'm still just reluctantly accepting steam.
It's too much of a hassle for installing games.

HL2 took me like 2 hours just to start playing...I mean come on, It had to download the game content? What the **** was the point of the all of the discs then?!

I hear you.

Steam was intended to:
1) Combat piracy.
2) Revolutionise game retail, so you can buy direct from Valve.
3) Combat cheating in multiplayer games somehow.

...maybe there were a few other goals, but whatever.

Let's see what it achieved:
1) Cracked non-Steam version of HL2 is easily attainable. I've heard that some people bought the retail version and then used the cracked one for convenience. I know a couple of people who heard about Steam and said "Bullshit!", decided not to buy HL2, and then downloaded a warez copy instead. On the other hand, I don't know anyone who thought "Hmm...Steam is a formidable enemy. I'm best off buying it officially..."
2) Nice idea, and downloading from Steam had a few advantages over the CD/DVD versions, esp. in terms of buggy installs and Securom protection. However, again a lot of people just prefer the idea of having packaging since it makes a purchase seem more tangible. Examine also the whole Aftermath situation - confusion all round. Will it be a Steam only release? Retail too? Fair dues to Valve for finding a way to get the money direct to their pockets, but it doesn't look to have been nearly so successful as to threaten off-the-shelf buying if they feel compelled to sell HL2:AM outside Steam.
3) I started my first game of CS optimistically, figuring Steam and this whole VAC thing must be good for something. A few weeks in and it appears that CS is just as infested with wallhackers as ever. Oh well.

The BIGGEST effect Steam has had is:
4) Tons of controversy and massive headaches for the average halfwit consumer.

I don't intend to rant at Steam for the sake of it, and I've never really let loose at Steam before....but it pisses me off to think that other developers might follow Valve's lead in this, when it's such an utterly awkward and pointless idea (not to mention offensive, to many).

 

[Nephtis]

Most Korean Games.

 

[Sparta]

Blizzard has a system somewhat similar to Steam. But without the headaches. It acts pretty much the same way though, downloads updates to your pc, installs them, etc.

 

[Qonfused]

Bah, Steam blows. I bought one game (actually two: HL2 and CSS) and because of SOMEONE out there who hacked my account earlier in the year, I couldn't play neither. God, one thing and two of my loves are shut down.

 

[Sparta]

Yeah but that would be the same if anyone else hacked your account for, say, World of Warcraft. So you can only blame the hacker there.

 

[15357]

Most Korean Games.

what? they do? i've never seen one.

 

[Jintor]

Well i did hear that RoE copied the hideous copy-protection scheme off HL2 - except they made it worse.