No, I just don't care that much. DRM has been accepted, that war is over, so I can either care so much about that I stop gaming or I can live with it until it actually effects me, which honestly it never has.

For all the complaints about DRM and real concerns I have never once been stopped from playing a game because of it or inconvenienced beyond extremely mild delays.

What problems? I have been using Steam for almost a decade now and have never had anywhere near enough annoyances with it to want to play a vastly inferior version of a game.

Yes, all those people who love Steam and had Steam revitalize their interest in PC gaming and demand Steamworks from developers and buy Skyrim at record-breaking pace are SO annoyed and SO inconvenienced. It's not that you are an outlier with different interests from the mainstream, no... it's that secretly everyone hates this stuff and publishers don't know it!

Seriously, people love Steam. The war is over. We can spout minority opinions on a niche forum all day long but nothing changes that. You're expecting people to stand up and protest something they like, as if "no more chocolate you chocolate selling bastards" would succeed.

I agree. It actually reminds me a little about the article in Forbes about the Hepler case. Though it deals with a different matter, some of the issues can be seem to be related -

"It would be easy to dismiss these protests as the plaints of a clan of passionate gamers who have lost their sense of proportion somewhere in their journey to Level 20 Magedom. Very easy indeed. However, the truth is that they are indeed staring down the barrel of their own changing status."

A bit strong for this issue, maybe, but still the gaming industry have changed quite a lot in the last 10 years. I have also stopped caring about DRM (unless it is to intrusive) a long time ago, and just enjoy playing my games.

I think we'll get more places such as GOG that go down the whole no DRM root but I think it's going to remain pretty niche. In truth it isn't really much of a selling point for most, certainly not for share holders that need to be pleased.

Of course people like steam. It might be DRM but that's tucked away, not immediately offensive unless you have internet troubles. But then if you have internet troubles your problem is going to be with most, if not all, PC gaming at this stage. After that Steam is nothing but convenient, social and with killer sales.

I think I must be one of the only people ever who likes DLC. I love the idea of being given extra characters etc. for a game.

Sure it's bloody weak when they could have just released with the game. But to continue building on a game months after its release is all good for me and I'll pay for those additions.

Yes, we lost the war. Because of impotent, greedy commanders and coward soldiers. Because "gaming" is not a high "hobby" for other people. And those people, gamers are not half the "man" as you think.

They don't know, understand what make a game great. What is a great game? Peh, most people doesn't even understand the "content" over "graphic". Do you know why there is not another Planescape Torment? Do you know why companies like Troika is non-exist in our time? It is just something entertainment for them. And a simple one. Like going to a lunapark. It must be shiny, easy, casual and entertaining. It is not some kind of "high", "respectable" thing for them. Plus in our world gaming is still a childish thing.

Those people won't play their games again 10 years later. Nor they will remember. Just pay, install and play. What matters when you can do this. DRM? Not owning the game? Not able to share your game? Yes, what can be greater than Steam for them.

We lost, because most of the gamers are young aged, stupid, ignorant and ego-driven people. What are you waiting from them?

We turn to old companies like Bethesda. What you see is Bethesda makes their game only and only for Steam! Then we turn our head to independent developers. We think they can back up us, maybe do the "From gamers to gamers" again but what we see is they make their games Steam only too!
You turn to GOG community and see that half of the community loves Steam and don't care about DRM! Even in community likes the old games, old school and DRM-free you can not find union and support. And you get "low-rated" to your posts and silenced in GOG Forums cause you don't think like everyone else. Very well...

It would be really miracle if we would win...

I strongly support jamyskis. Maybe i should quit too. Yet, i won't do without struggling first.

From today on i am to start a stand against this nonsense. We will declare a manifesto and open letter to companies and move from there. PM me if you want to join.

I won't pay much for mini DLCs. But actually who cares what I do? And I also don't care what others do. I enjoy playing my games or doing other stuff and nevertheless be able to avoid almost all DRM. I do not want to do anything else. I cannot do much else without changing which I don't want. I do not want to fight against DRM but I also don't want to pay money for it.

Why do people actually keep telling each other what they do? As if this would change anything.

Seriously, mate, you do need therapy.

It's a conflict of interest, nothing more nothing less. There has never been a "war" and it's strange to hear such a strong word used even by the ones who claim that all of this isn't really important. Everyone just looks out for themselves depending on their own preferences and hardly anyone is fighting or going on a crusade, it's just a bit of talking, maybe also arguing about what everyone (personally) likes or doesn't like.

The only ones who ever put a banner up are the likes of GOG, Indievania and Wolfire Games and they've only just started and are currently doing fine, so I wouldn't call them losers who tilt at windmills but smart people with a plan. And IMO they've done more to fight piracy than anyone else. Yes, it's a niche, and here's hoping it will grow, but even if it stays a niche, it's one I feel comfortable in, regardless of how many people try to convince me I'm on the "losing" side. Let them talk.

You all would have to put up with much worse DRM than Steam now if there had never been any outcry and resistance against the draconic measures some members of the industry came up with. And commercial mp3s would still have very strict DRM on them, if there had been no protesters. Now that would have been a defeat. But change is always possible if enough people care about it, even if it might only lead to compromises. It's stupid to give up your principles just because you're in the minority, and it's convenient for people who don't want change or don't care about it to claim that change is not possible.

But if everyone thought that way, we could just as well give up the concept of democracy, too, and submit ourselves to fate or supreme rulers. In democratic societies even minorities have weight and niches have their place, and I don't see any reason to discourage them from pursueing their interests unless they clash with yours and you're afraid that change is indeed possible and would be for the worse. But I don't think mosts supporters of DRM-free services actually want to see Steam collapse and take away from you what you enjoy, they just want alternatives and prevent monopoly positions (of which we already have enough on the internet).

Riddle me this:

If Steam is so great and beloved by all; why does it have to be forced on the consumer? Why can't it be optional?

I don't grant you the premise of the question.

I think you're right to a certain extent--at least about Steam. However, the fact that "DRM free!" has become a selling feature for some digital distribution sites shows that there's at least enough of an anti-DRM minority to be considered a niche market. And the more draconian DRM becomes, the more people are going to get fed up with it. I'm not sure that "the war is over" as much as the war hasn't even started yet.
How is it forced on the consumer? Nobody out a gun to my head and forced me to download the Steam client :P

You love Elder Scroll series. You heard the last game in the series Skyrim came out and your friends tell how fantastic it is. So you went out and bought the game. Surprise!

Also you heard that great indie Super Meat Boy. ..

So... your friends forced you to buy it? I guess if you easily succumb to peer pressure that might seem like you're 'forced', but you aren't though ...

I would be surprised if it was understood before i explained. Friends is irrelevant here. You love that game. Want to play. But it is Steam only. Alternatives? No. So, Steam is forced on you. Period.

Yes, if you have to absolutely buy that game, then Steam will have to be used. You do not however *have* to buy that game. Buy games you like from publishers that did not go with Steamworks.