SimonG: It wasn't better before, but we like to blend out the bad apples. Today there are just more games, more good and more bad.
karacho: i am not just talking bad games, i am talking dozens of methods pissing of customers, and those where invented over the course of the years
Well, they were inevetable with the advance of technology. Ten, maybe even five years ago, I would have agreed with you, but nowadays the technological advance has again alleviated much of those measures (online activation, e.g.). I completly ignored Steam until 2009, but nowadays I can't complain.
And the benefits, like Steam sales, are basically the "other side" of that coin. Without binding a game to one person, and therefore killing resale, you would never see an AAA game going for half its release price after less than two month. And, of course, not being able to resell your GOGs is essential for this site.
And, additionally, the indie market is bigger than ever before. Providing for those that have a more "refined" taste. (While my top two games of 2011 are Batman and DX, number three is probably SPAZ ;-) )
Edit: And, of course, as piracy was never easier, you can also avoid the industry altogether if you think they don't deserve your money.