Wirehead Studios

So let's say you're short on cash, and you're looking to play a bunch of id's classics for cheap... but not pirate-that-crap cheap.

How about $215 worth of games for $70?

Now how about for half of that?

Now's as good a time as ever to go grab that id Super Pack (http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=sub&SubId=440), then. It's 50% off this weekend, and I assume the sale ends Monday morning. That's honestly one hell of a steal, if Steam and digital distribution are your thing.

Alternatively, if you just want one or two of the games that are in the pack, those are also 50% off. Groovy.

I'd much rather pirate the stuff. Not only are most of those games so old that they're barely worth more than a few dollars, but Steam is horrid. I have to be running the Steam client, let it spy on my computer and use up system resources, and never have any actual possession of the games I own. I can't play any of the games on my home LAN because running them on multiple systems simultaneously is illegal. Etc, etc, etc...

:P

I just dislike steam that's about it..i dont want some framework just beeing able to play my game(s)

Hmmm...nah.

Already have all those in non-Steam form.  :doom_thumb:

Wait, don't games bought through Steam work without it? (Yeah, I know Valve games don't, but I thought that the rest did).

Considering the price id themselves sell those games for on their own site, Steam's prices are actually quite good (and made even better with the weekend deal).

As for Steam.. it's not bad. I just question what would happen if Valve randomly closed down, taking Steam with it. How would I play the games I bought?

You wouldn't play them--you couldn't. That's one of many problems with the system. The best you could hope for in that situation would be for Valve to release a patch that strips Steam from the games, and I seriously doubt they'd do such if they were on their way under.

I'm still working on acquiring the ones in that pack that I don't have (and that I care about). I'm not a Steam user, and doubt I ever will be unless I purchase a disc copy of a Valve game that requires the service to run.

And that possibility is always there, ~Va^^pyrA~. Roxor Games, on its way out of the dance simulation game business, released an update for the game In The Groove 2 that allows players to play their own songs on an arcade cabinet, something that is both counter-intuitive to how those games usually work and (in most cases) highly illegal.

Software companies do odd things on their way out, sometimes.

There are hacks for steam dependent games.  If steam did shut down, then everyone would hack their steam games to run "standalone" and the servers would change to standalone.  Then someone would probably make some method of scanning for servers (if it isn't built into the game).

I disagree that "everyone" would hack their Steam games.  What about the vast majority of people who either don't know how to hack or apply a hack?  What about the console users?  Users should not have to hack their own legally purchased software for it to work.  That's akin to expecting someone to have to rebuild their car's engine to drive it because the auto maker folded.  How many people actually have the technical know-how and tools to do it?

The problem with Steam and any other company-controlled scheme is that it hurts the consumer and infringes on their rights to use what they've already paid for.  This is why I take serious issue with Microsoft's product activation scheme.  You're presumed guilty until you prove your legitimacy.  There are far too many users who, due to Microsoft's bungling, have had legitimate product keys denied.  There are also instances of legitimate keys being blacklisted because someone's key generator turned up that number and Microsoft decides it's a pirate key.  Who gets hurt?  Not the pirate, because they can just generate or acquire a new key or otherwise hack the software.  The legitimate paying user gets hurt, whereas the pirate is not stopped at all.  Prior to these aggressive anti-piracy schemes, only the company took a hit.  Legitimate users were completely unaffected by the piracy as far as their ability to use their software was concerned.  The argument can be made that by hurting the company financially the user is hurt in the long term, but I disagree with the argument that piracy is as serious a problem as it is made out to be.  Would the pirates ever have paid for it?  How can you count that as a lost sale when you'd never have made the sale in the first place?  Now if you're talking about counterfeit distribution, that's another matter, but why does the user have to be punished for a criminal's behavior?  That's exactly what's happening.  There should be legal protections for the consumer in place to prevent intrusive anti-piracy schemes that can render a product inoperative.  Unfortunately governments tend to side with the businesses on this sort of thing.  I think we all know why.

Well, I agree, they shouldn't have to.  That is why I boycotted EA.  Google "motor city online".  The game was apparently self-sustaining according to EA, but that meant little profit.  So they shut it down, don't release the server software, don't make it an offline game, don't release the source code for server or client so someone else could write it.  Tons of people are left with a game they can't play, offered a free month of Ultima online (related to racing, how?), and left with nothing but memories of, as most of the players who were subscribed to the game at the time of closing would agree, the best racing game.  Maybe it was a blessing, since EA was already in the process of doing what it always does with games -- ruining them -- adding in things that changed the game, made it less unique, tried to appeal to a different demographic.

As far as technical skills, I figured someone might comment on that.  From what I've seen, when people want to play something they'll search for it on google.  Also, if steam died, the "underground" would "surface".  You'd also have more pissed off people, some being excellent programmers, making simple ways (it's not hard as it is) to "hack" the game (I can imagine it being as simple as selecting the game and path of the gcfs and leaving your pc to chug away).  Obviously, yes, some people are in over their head even at that level or don't know how to use google, but I think a large portion of a game's playerbase would make it over and survive.




I completely agree.  Ethics do not apply to most "good" (as in profitable) organizations within capitalism.  They see another opportunity to make money and will not let it slip by.  They will bring lawsuits, instate ridiculous "anti-piracy" measures, and so on, so they can make more money off of legitimate users -- all done under the veil of "we must protect our property".

Capitalism, just as any other form of human created/controlled government, set of statutes, organizations, regulations, institutions -- however you want to put it, is showing that it doesn't work.  History repeats itself, and the more something starts to "not work" the more the general populace becomes aware that it isn't working.  I don't think we are at the "event horizon" (used metaphorically in this case) of what will almost certainly happen, but it's getting there.  People are people, they always have been, and they always will be.  They always say the same things, "that'll never happen", "it might not be perfect, but I'm content", or even worse, "everything is perfect" (blind patriotism, regardless of which country).  People said the same things before, and let their governments take full control, government goes too far, people rebel, war, rebuild.  The same cycle repeats, over and over.

The only thing I say to people is, in the past, the governments have not had weapons which could easily annihilate entire cities, areas of "terrorism" (not just the US is guilty of generalizing terrorism and giving the definition of that word over to the government and not to the people) and anti-government activities.  It's inevitable, not because we are forced into it, but because humans do not change.  The majority of people are just sheep, and as long as they have what they need, they won't care or think about what a government is up to.  If they see other people, a minority, trying to attack a government's motives and actions, they (the majority) can easily be persuaded into thinking whatever the government wants.  Sheep.

And as the level of corporate influence continues to rise in first world countries (not to say that it isn't happening in third world ones), all of a sudden the first world citizens will become moved to action, not because they saw third world suffering, but because their content little existence started to be imposed on by a controlling government.  The US is a mess -- congress attaches whatever act or bill they want onto whatever other act or bill they want or make a special revision the night before.  I thought the level of surveillance was bad in the US, but I've had some people from the UK tell me it's even worse there.  But corporations don't stop at the borders of countries, they just use a countries laws to extend as much power as fast as possible -- that's relative.

So, I'm apathetic.  I don't care, I know it's coming, and I don't bother reading about it or watching TV to hear and see it.  It is inevitable which means no one can do anything about it.  We can be angry, but it isn't worth it in my opinion.  We might stave it off for a bit, but in the larger perspective it is meaningless.

Links please. I'd be especially interested in getting Team Fortress 2 up and running on my LAN. I refuse to purchase a second copy of the game in order to play with my family on my home network. That' be like buying a second copy of Mario Kart to do multiplayer on my Wii!

Just a side note, before anyone post anything warez/cracks whatever aint allowed on these forums so find another way to give links ;)

I actually wrote a tutorial for it in the members section of another forum.  I could link you to a guide, but to avoid linking to a site which I believe contains download links, I'll just pm you it.

I'd advise no further public discussion regarding how to hack or crack Steam or any of its games, and links to said hacks or cracks are a definite no-no.  If it's questionable, it goes in a PM, period.  We don't regulate those, and what's discussed privately in a PM can't be snatched up in a search engine and used as legal fodder against Wirehead or our host, or any forum members for that matter.  That keeps everyone out of hot water.  It's as much for the members' protection as it is ours.  Our only rule concerning the PM system is that no member uses it to harass or intimidate other users.  Otherwise, use it to discuss anything you like that may or may not be inappropriate on the public boards - food, porn, quantum mechanics, bestial sex fantasies, how much of an ass you think Phoenix is behind is back, etc.  :slippy_thumb:

What about how poorly proofed some of Phoenix's posts are? :P

He was writing in a southern accent (UK -- as I think dropping H's is or was common in southern accents, correct me if I'm wrong though :slippy_thumb: ).

Well can't be a typo cuz i think i've never seen pho make that :)

I've made over 6,400 posts.  I'm entitled to that typo.  :P

You're almost up to 6,500 too!

Well i`ve just added the ID superpack to Steam and i was a little dissapointed in the doom,doom2 and final doom games, DOSBOX!!, wth, surley they could of got doom95 to work, (i know it does work i just tried it).