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GameStop has just removed Dawn of War II from their catalog. Why? Because you have to activate it through Steam, and GameStop doesn't want to lose customers to a better service, even though barely anyone buys PC games from them, anyway.
[url=]http://www.giantbomb.com/news/gamestop-playing-hardball-over-retail-steam-installs/845/[/url]
I like Gamestop better than Steam so......YAY.
Well, the linked article says that it's not confirmed. I'll still say it's pretty absurd of them if it is true.
Gamestop is selling Left 4 Dead, The Orange Box, Saints Row 2. These game also needed to be activated by Steam. So weird.
This doesn't make a bit of sense. Gamestop sells other games that need Steam activation. And they don't buy or sell used pc games either, so this shouldn't affect them at all.
It is pretty crappy though that 3rd parties are releasing games that need Steam. I've built quite a large collection of older pc games through flea markets and garage sales. A service like Steam is bad for people like me. Will I still be able to play HL2 15 years from now like I can Doom or Quake?
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mogamer: This doesn't make a bit of sense. Gamestop sells other games that need Steam activation. And they don't buy or sell used pc games either, so this shouldn't affect them at all.
It is pretty crappy though that 3rd parties are releasing games that need Steam. I've built quite a large collection of older pc games through flea markets and garage sales. A service like Steam is bad for people like me. Will I still be able to play HL2 15 years from now like I can Doom or Quake?

I remember reading something about Steam having some sort of unlock patch or whatever in case they ever get shut down. Sorry, but I don't remember the source. Still, making you activate these games every time is bad because nothing, even Steam, lasts forever in the gaming biz.
Yea, I've read this on the Steam forums. But as far as I'm concerned this will never happen. There is nothing legally in writing from Valve, just comments or forum posts. If it's not in some sort of legally binding form, Valve (or a successor) doesn't have to act on it.
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JudasIscariot: I like Gamestop better than Steam so......YAY.

BLASPHEMER!
Anyways, I think that this is total crap, since nobody would care because unless you're buying a console game, retail is so passe. Think about it. They give PC games little thought on the shelf. I saw Crysis on the bottom SHELF! It broke my heart. So you know what? I went on Amazon.
Screw you Gamestop, and I'm glad I live in a place where people actually CARE about PC games.
Does anybody actually buy PC games from GameStop anyway? Last time I was in one, the selection was pretty pitiful; maybe three or four shelves with a token handful of the most common games. I've found a better selection in stores like WalMart or Target.
That's a growing problem with PC games. It's getting tougher to find them in a brick and mortar store since most of them don't want to devote the shelf space to them. They'd rather use it for the console games and accessories.
I have to admit I don't see the reasoning behind Gamestop's decision on this one though. What difference does it make to them if you have to activate it through Steam? It's still a sale for them if someone buys the game.
...and what's the 'better service' they're talking about? ;)
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Coelocanth: That's a growing problem with PC games. It's getting tougher to find them in a brick and mortar store since most of them don't want to devote the shelf space to them. They'd rather use it for the console games and accessories.
I have to admit I don't see the reasoning behind Gamestop's decision on this one though. What difference does it make to them if you have to activate it through Steam? It's still a sale for them if someone buys the game.
...and what's the 'better service' they're talking about? ;)

I believe their logic is, "If we sell this game that needs to activated through Steam, then our customers will find out they can buy games directly from Steam and not from us." Frankly that is ludicrous, since pretty much any gamer that would buy one of the few PC games that GameStop still sells, already knows all about Steam, yet still shops at GameStop.
I suppose GameStop thinks they are hurting Steam with this. More than likely they will just lose sales when people look elsewhere for the game. It's not like someone who wants to buy the game isn't going to get it simply because it's not at GameStop.
I wonder if they are going to stop selling Saint's Row 2 for the PC as well....
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lotr-sam0711: I suppose GameStop thinks they are hurting Steam with this. More than likely they will just lose sales when people look elsewhere for the game. It's not like someone who wants to buy the game isn't going to get it simply because it's not at GameStop.

Yeah, the weird thing is every other brick-and-mortar store is carrying it, as well as places like Amazon. It seems like they're really shooting themselves in the foot with this one.
I buy PC games from Gamestop. Although it's only games they want to clean out. I've recently picked up Gothic 3, Penumbra: Black Plague, Mount & Blade, and just this morning Europa Universalis: Rome. All for $4.99 each! Can't beat those prices!
theres been no such prob in the uk apart form stores doing their upmost best to kill pc gaming this is why steam and gog and impulse is the way forward main point is you get to sell your titles forever (unless you take them down)