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[Enzo]

The title says it all. Let me explain my situation as best I understand it.

I recently purchased Batman : Arkham City on Steam. I download and launch it, Steam gives me a validation code and the launcher prompts me to enter it, I do. Game runs fine, a play for 2 hours and quit. The next day I open it again, no savefile. I google around and discover the game only saves if you're connected to Games for Windows Live. OK, fine. I (re?)download games for windows live, open it, sign in, launch Arkham City. It's still not saving. I go to the GFWL website, and it says I have no games, but there is an link to redeem codes. When I try to access this page, it says it is sending a code to an inactive E-mail address to verify because redeeming a game apparently entails "sensitive information". When I got Windows 8 I changed this contact information from the inactive E-mail that I used to register my hotmail account years ago to sending a text to my phone. My Windows Live account info says this information will be updated January 25th.

So my question is, is there any way to play the game I purchased before January 25th? Thanks. Microsoft gives me a headache.

[Catastrophic lolcats]

I tried making a Games for Windows account when I was trying to get Bioshock 2 working (wasn't worth it btw). I gave up and just found a hack to rip out all of that nonsense, not sure why you need additional DRM on top of Steam anyway.

[Girlinhat]

Windows has got to learn sooner or later...  They failed to replace Google with Bing, and they're failing to replace Steam with GFWL.  I'd hack it, mainly because GFWL is a form of always-online DRM.  If you don't log in, your game gets crippled down to 'demo version' by many standards, or just unplayable.  Steam is at least polite, "Aw, are you offline?  That's fine, I'll synch when I'm able to later "

[Enzo]

Yeah, I guess that's the best option here, thanks. I thought I would give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt that their "service" was, you know, functional. I don't even really give a shit about the DRM, honestly. I mean, I do on principal, but I would have just dealt with it if it would let me actually use the game I bought.

firstworldproblems.meme

[Wolfy]

Steam is polite in the "have a nice day" in a "lol go to hell" or "Drop dead" type of way.

At least i EXPECT this form Microsoft, but steam is only a step above them and that's saying something.

[Meta]

Can't you create an offline account for GFWL? I remember having no problem saving in Batman Arkham Asylum with such an account.

[woose1]

Steam is polite in the "have a nice day" in a "lol go to hell" or "Drop dead" type of way.

At least i EXPECT this form Microsoft, but steam is only a step above them and that's saying something.

I've never had any problems with steam whatsoever, and I own 150+ games on my account. Never had a single issue playing any of them, which I think is a pretty impressive track record. My only complaint with them was the lack of PC releases in a timely manner, which I think is more due to publishers and game developers rather than Valve.

So, would someone please explain to me in simple words so I can understand, what is with all the hate towards Steam?

EDIT: Wait, I think I know why. Is it because of their history with shafting european users with their conversion rates? Even then, it seems like a kind of minor thing; games are more expensive outside the US anyways, right? At least when I lived in Canada, it was like that.

[woose1]

Alright, definitely off topic here and I'm sort of hijacking this thread, but whatever. I feel this needs to be properly investigated.
http://forums.2kgames.com/showthread.php?93238-I-m-curious-why-people-hate-Steam

The REQUIREMENT to have Steam is what is ticking people off. Too many bad experiences with third party software.

Being offline and being prohibited from playing the game. Yes prohibited. If you didn't know you HAVE to tell Steam to go offline after game has downloaded, skip this step and go offline and you can NOT play the game. Steam has to phone home to tell them you are going offlline. If it can't phone home, you are screwed.

Then let us consider the 80% of the people in the US who don't have broadband access and bought a SINGLE player game, and have to go online.

Should we also mention that even if you bought the disk, if you don't find the instructions on the Steam forums, it will download the ENTIRE game.

Adware, if you have steam online it shows you an ad everytime you turn it on.
Why do I want to see an ad???

Steam is lousy DRM protection [then again has any DRM ever done anything exept #$#$ off legitimate customers.] The real purpose seems to be DLC. Ie. We expect are going to be sold stuff that in years past would have been part of the game. We know there are DLC's already available. Why isn't that in the game we bought? $$$$. I never cared about the fancy boxes or figures. But to have to pay for separate civilizations, I don't think so.

>Buying physical copies of games
>2012 2010
Discuss?

[freeformschooler]

That is still my one and only complaint about Steam. If you go offline/lose Internet without first explicitly telling it you're going offline and waiting for the offline mode reboot, you're locked out.

It's been that way for years and years, but I'm not sure if a recent update (the last 2-3) fixed it. Considering I have reliable Internet access, it's not in any way a hinderance, but I can see how it would be to others.

[Girlinhat]

I had this issue.  If I went offline (I had shoddy net) then Steam would be like "wait wtf, hold on" and then be like "Welp, I failed.  You wanna go into offline mode now bud?"  In fact many times I'd boot up my pc and not have net, so I'd choose steam to "Start in offline mode" and nothing would go wrong.

[10ebbor10]

That was an old bug. It has been fixed for more than half a year now. AFAIK

[miauw62]

My only problem with steam is that it has a hard time starting when my computer just started up. It'd usually stop responding and I'd have to end the process. But really, I don't mind anymore, and it's probably not something Valve can easily fix.

[foil]

I had this problem with Batman AC and ended up cracking it due to the bullshit.

You could just setup an offline acct for gfwl in the signup menu, little option not made obvious on the screen.

[Wolfy]

My problems with steam are huge, the biggest being is my internet goes out at least once a day

but the worst? I BUY a game form the store, physical copy and I NEED steam to play it? forget that.

Biggest is a problem, worst is level of "bad"

its like if I buy a car but I HAVE to be in a spcific city to drive it or else I cant

Sorry that might as well be renting a game

[WealthyRadish]

Yeah, my biggest problem with it is having all bought games locked to Steam. Makes me get a crack for many games I buy just to avoid it.