Use Steam & "ownership of your game will be stolen" & you will be "considered a criminal"

[Dr Bob]

[B]*If you leave a comment on any of his reviews or whatever, be sure to copy and paste it into this thread.*

[highlight][U]:siren:DON'T ASK FOR A TL;DR VERSION, YOU HAVE TO READ THE REVIEWS TO UNDERSTAND.:siren:[/U][/highlight][/B]

So there's this guy on Amazon UK who writes these reviews for a variety of products. He goes by the name "NeuroSplicer".

About NeuroSplicer: "I am a NeuroBiologist with a PhD in NeuroSciences. My research topics include memory and consciousness. A TWIN PEAKS fan (hence, the photo-legend) which I believe to be the greatest show ever aired. You can reach me at: [email][e-mail][/email]" - taken from his Amazon bio.

I don't know if any of you lot have read his reviews but they will really frustrate you - not just because of what he writes but also the [I]way[/I] he writes.

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1U21WPTNTACPU/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000RO0OKU#wasThisHelpful]Here's his review for The Orange Box, highlights include [B]describing Portal as "a short maze game" and Team Fortress 2 as a "multiplayer platform"[/B]:[/url]

[quote]THIS IS THE REVIEW Valve DOES NOT WANT YOU TO SEE, 12 Oct 2007

HL2 was one of the best games ever created - and I am not an easy customer (check out my other reviews, including the one on HL2, you will see what I mean).
Nevertheless, the whole STEAM disaster taught me the lesson TO NEVER, EVER again get suckered by a game whose publisher:
(a) considers me a criminal - although has pocketed my £25,
(b) wants me to ask for permission EVERY BLOODY time I want to play even a single player game,
(c) installs an auto-updating, commercial-reporting and in-contact-with-the-mothership utility that retains backdoor access to my computer,
(d) lets greed dissolve any shred of shame and envision a world where gamers will be charged by the hour to play games they have already bought, and
(e) does not concede to the proven fact every "security system" eventually gets cracked and every "OnLine activation requirement" eventually gets bypassed. So, utilizing an overly inconvenient security scheme only serves in penalizing the people who actually paid good money for their product - and manage to shoot their sales in the foot at the same time.

It may seem unbelievable, yet it is TRUE: "STEAM-secured" HL2 barely sold HALF the units that unprotected HL1 did! (Source: The Washington Post).
You would think some bright MBA (who could not tell the difference between a FPS game and an RPG) was sent home with no bonus? Guess again. Here come the Episodes!

After underselling HL2, VALVE then tried to catch up with short Episodes sold as...expansions. Well, a couple of hours of gameplay and some polished surfaces an expansion do not make. So, when Episode1 sales missed their projections by far, the geniuses accountants jettisoned the BLACK BOX release (which were to contain just the NEW games) and came up with this...ORANGE BOX idea.

This release contains, of course, Episode2 and - in order to sweeten the deal - the original HL2, Episode1 as well as [b][highlight]a short maze game and a multiplayer platform[/b][/highlight] (all based on the HL2 engine). I do remember Episode1 being so short that, even back then, I was sure it was just part of the expansion developed: these parts were eventually to be sold as separate...Episodes 1 & 2 (& maybe 3).
Now, let's see how good a deal the ORANGE BOX actually is. This is what it contains: HL2 (an excellent 2004 game not really showing its age), Episode1 (a very short expansion), Episode2 (the rest of the expansion, also short), PORTAL (a 2-hour FP maze runner) and the multiplayer game TEAM FORTRESS 2.
So, are the accountants actually doing us a favor when pricing all these games for £25? Not unless this is your first experience with HL2.
If you do not own either HL2 or Episode1, then, yes, this is a good deal. If, however, you already own HL2 and Episode1, I would suggest waiting for the individually sold components. When was the last time we paid £25 for another short expansion?

Now, since I do have to connect to a server in order to play a multiplayer game, it makes no difference to me whether that be STEAM or any other server. Validate away my genuine copy to your hearts content!
However, I REFUSE to ask permission every time I wish to play a Single Player or LAN game FOR A TITLE I HAVE ALREADY PAID AND BOUGHT!
I REFUSE to ever again submit to the whims of STEAM - only to fall victim to busy, unstable and fickle servers!

VALVE has to learn eventually that respect is a two-way street. The intrusiveness and inconvenience of STEAM created a huge debt with its original HL2 customers - and, since the market correction of the affect of STEAM failed to sink in, the ORANGE BOX will now inevitably pay that debt - with interest.
Episode2 may be a fine expansion and TEAM FORTRESS the new CS. Nevertheless, they are still STEAMed up by accountants posing as game designers. They fooled my once...

I am NOT going through that again!

PS:
WESTWOOD was once a mighty company riding the cutting edge of creativity (the COMMAND & CONQUER series was their innovative idea, starting with the classic DUNE that introduced the RTS genre). In 1997 they released an online RTS game named COMMAND & CONQUER: SOLE SURVIVOR. In 2003 (just 6 years later) WESTWOOD was bought by EA GAMES which (true to its mega-corporation mentality) pulled the plug on the existing servers. Whoever had bought SOLE SURVIVOR now had a piece of worthless reflective plastic.

What makes you think this cannot happen to VALVE?
(and what will the value of all these STEAMed games be then?) [/quote]

[B][url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/forum/cd/discussion.html/ref=cm_cd_ef_rt_tft_tp?ie=UTF8&cdForum=Fx2U0VMVLSCPRTZ&asin=B000RO0OKU&cdThread=Tx3JGXF98C4L4SG]Discuss this review on the official Amazon Customer Discussion board[/url][/B]

An extract from the thread:

[quote]As the author of the...Review you are discussing, first of all, I have to thank you all for taking the time to comment on it.

Most expressed opinions have merit (well, maybe except the one that claimed that since Windows can auto-update, we should give such backdoor access to every piece of software installed). By the way, after installing SP2, personally I have disabled the auto-updating feature of WinXP: I take care of my own security and I see no need to give such access to MICROSOFT. Let alone VALVE.
Now, to add insult to injury (to those who bought the Box and have to deal with STEAM), once again, there are tons of pirated copies of the HL2-OB floating the torrent sites. No honest or sane person would touch them with a pole - yet one has to ask: since it effectively failed (...again) to curb piracy, what did STEAM accomplish exactly?
Permit me to point out the core issue at hand.

As Mr J.E.GRAY has already mentioned above, the whole STEAM project (as with MICROSOFT's LIVE and BIOSHOCK mandatory auto-updating) are exploratory, yet determined steps in the direction of PAY-PER-PLAY: gaming distributors have wet dreams of the day they will be charging us BY THE MINUTE for games we will own NOT in any form or medium - but will have to log-on solely through the internet (sorry AMAZON: unless you don't get absorbed by some "Googlesque" mega-corporation, you will have no piece of this).
[B]
THAT is what the whole debate is all about.
In a true pyramid-scheme symmetry, they will try to make us entangle our own friends; they will sweeten the deal any way it takes; they will throw in any combo-offer imaginable; they will iron out most of STEAM connection problems. But they will KEEP US CONNECTED! And once they have us, they will NEVER let our computers break free and out of their sight.*[/B]

They see them as their cash-cows. And they have just started herding them in...

That is what I am expressing in my review as well. I guess people who had already bought the game did not appreciate reading about how bad their decision truly was... [/quote]
*This guy's a fucking joke.

It doesn't stop there. Make a comment on any of his reviews and he'll likely give you a lengthy reply:

[quote]About a month ago I found the ORANGE BOX for £5 at a Video store. It was indeed a new copy (and not pre-owned and worthless) and it was not priced wrongly: they wanted to get rid of their last copy. I could not resist the bargain and decided, what the hell, to give it a try.

If I were writing the review today the following are what I would add or correct.
On the positive side:
[B]- Yes, STEAM has improved in both availability, stability and reliability since my experience with HL2.
- Yes, it is very nice to be able to download for FREE a number of interesting Single-Player MODS (MINERVA:METASTASIS was awesome, LOST COAST was good but very short)
- I appreciated but could as easily live without the FREE Multiplayer MODs (AGE OF CHIVALRY, DIPRIP, INSURGENCY, MARE NOSTRUM and SYNERGY). When they are not overcrowded the servers are deserted - and multiplayers have never been my cup of tea.
- I like the special prices on choice games or MODs (I took advantage of a £2 deal on RED ORCHETSTRA:OstFront 41-45, just to add it to my collection) - but this also has a dark side to it (please read on).[/B]

[B]On the other hand, I was quickly...reminded why I hated STEAM so much:
- If STEAM detects your PC being OnLine there is no way to let you play in the OffLine mode - and pray that there are no updates available for any of your games, otherwise you will have to wait until everything (including STEAM and any pop-up advertisements) is up to date before you can play anything. And this can take hours even with a DSL connection.
- The only way STEAM will work is if it is given total and unrestricted FireWall exception. Admitted by VALVE, this is not a strictly one way stream and STEAM reports back to its mothership God knows what kind of information. It is like living with a camera following your every step: you do not have to be doing anything nefarious for such surveillance to get on your nerves!
- Free MODs and Multiplayers and cheap games are nice. However, do I have anything to show for my purchases? No. All I have is STEAM; literally. When VALVE goes Chapter11 (or, more likely, when it gets bought by another mega-publisher) I will be left with my unplayable ORANGE BOX DVDs and the...promise for the appropriate patch to be released. And probably my RED ORCHESTRA purchase will be money down the drain.[/B]

So yes, even today, I stick with the gist of my original review: if one finds a £5 bargain or has none of the previous HL2 installments, the ORANGE BOX is indeed a good deal. If however one has the original HL2 and EPISODE 1, the initial asking price of £25 was too much for a short expansion and some MultiPlayer MODs. But this, however, does not negate the adverse affects of STEAM.
STEAM has improved but has not ceased being a pain in the...derriere. Not only is it an unnecessary inconvenience but it also renders worthless any games purchased through it.
Having to keep the disk in the optical drive is a misdemeanor compared to this...I, for one, shall shed no tears if STEAM gets replaced tomorrow by a milder DRM scheme.[/quote]

It doesn't stop with Valve and Steam.

A lot of you like Dead Space, right?

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2R1UUSSUBBKIA/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0019840GW#wasThisHelpful]He doesn't (or at least the DRM gameplay feature of it):[/url]

[quote] DEAD ON REENTRY..., 21 Oct 2008

When EA keeps giving birth to such beautiful stillborn babies (killed by the decision to bundle another infamous SecuROM 7+/LIMITED ACTIVATIONS scheme), one can only ask: WHAT HAVE ITS EXECUTIVES BEEN SMOKING?!

MASS EFFECT can be found in clearance bins only months after its release; SPORE undersold miserably; EA's stock was hit hard because of these failures (way BEFORE the market dive) - and yet, no one seems to be awake at the helm.
By insisting on slipping in such problematic and hated DRM scheme in DEAD SPACE (and RED ALERT 3 in a week), EA proves in how little respect it holds its own customers. Of course, calling "pirates and petulant children" the 3,100 Amazon reviewers that rated with 1-star the, similarly plagued, SPORE should have been an early hint.

SecuROM 7+ has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH FIGHTING PIRACY. Proof: both MASS EFFECT and SPORE (as with BIOSHOCK last year) were pirated hours within (if not...before) their release - and if I can find this by simply Googling it, so can anyone.... I would bet dollars to donuts that EA is well aware of this - yet keeps bundling SecuROM 7+ although it severely hurts its sales! Ever wonder why?

SecuROM has always been more about data-mining and reporting back to its occasional mothership than...fighting piracy. That is why even FREE demos contain SecuROM. And that is why completely uninstalling a game plagued with SecuROM will NOT remove SecuROM - which will keep playing havoc with your system.

Lately, these security concerns have been accentuated as known Trojans seem to be exploiting SecuROM's backdoor access for their own purposes. In effect, installing a SecuROM-infected game in our computer will be placing your hardware and data at risk long after having uninstalled the game.

The game publishers that utilize SecuROM (such as EA) realize that they are not actually fighting piracy but use it as a pretext to bundle SecuROM with their product WITHOUT THE INFORMED CONSENT of their customers. A snooping-subroutine would require full disclosure whereas an "antipiracy" scheme can enjoy some more leeway.

Their near future plans (according to interviews given by their own executives) call for turning our computers into their proprietary consoles where we will be playing games for which we will be paying by the minute.
This nightmarish Pay-per-Play future apparently depends in them first consolidating their technological hold on as many computers as possible. After all, they see us as their cash-cows and they just started herding us in.

I, for one, REFUSE TO PAY FOR ANOTHER RENT-A-GAME.

Tell you what EA, you can keep your defective games and I will keep my hard-earned money. Let's see who has more to loose...[/quote]

By now you will have probably guessed that this guy [B]hates[/B] any form of DRM, be it Steam or SecuRom. He writes reviews mainly to complain about DRM used in them, as opposed to reviewing the actual game.

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2DGRF8BDIG475]A more recent review, of Metro 2033:[/url]

[quote]MURPHY's LAW ON RADIOACTIVE TOVARICHES, 23 Mar 2010

This is not a game to pick up to have mindless fun. Because everything that can go wrong eventually will. Unfortunately not just in the game.

The game is set in a postapocalyptic Russian cityscape where only the lucky(?) commuters in the famous Moscow underground survived the nuclear blasts - and are now tormented by the cruel conditions they have to face. The underground tunnels belong to surviving humans ranging to both ends of the moral spectrum and various mutant creatures, all trying to make the most of their life.

And life is harsh. Ammunition is so scarce it is used as currency. So you have to be very careful with your aim. Having to make every shot count may sound fun but the next time you get caught with an almost empty weapon between nasty mutants and bloodthirsty enemies you may long for a more generous game design.
The weapons are not many but they are well designed. Both the pre-war and the improvised ones offer more or less realistic mechanics and satisfying results.

Light and shadows play an important role and stealth is something you will be thinking quite a lot - especially if you are low on ammunition. The graphics of the environments are detailed and beautiful whereas the movements seem fluid and natural. The game designers aimed in increasing the immersion factor wherever they could (there is no HUD besides your cross-hairs, you have to hit T to take a look at your watch - very important when venturing into the irradiated cities); however, pop-up messages and stuttering take a big bite out of that.

METRO 2033 will inevitably be compared to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. I found that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is more of an RPG (hence its open sandbox nature) whereas METRO 2033 is more of a shooter with a predestined path to follow.

The PC I run this maxed out on was a year old system (WinXP SP3, P7 920 on MSI Eclipse with 3GB of RAM and an ASUS nVIDIA GTX260) and the game showed a proneness to stuttering, especially when enemies swarmed. I guess a future patch could take care of that but I would had preferred to receive a finished game and not one rough around its edges.

The retail version of METRO 2033 comes with Red Faction: Guerrilla as a bonus. It is not a bad game and, contrary to METRO 2033 it offers more fun than immersion.

Finally, even he retail version of the game will require to be tied to a STEAM account. Yes that means ownership of your game will be stolen back and you will be allowed to play with it but not actually keep it. Whether this is acceptable to you or not you can now make an informed decision.

TREAD WITH CAUTION. [/quote]

Comments he made on his Metro 2033 review:

[quote][B][highlight]I can understand that not all men can can be alpha-males. Some are content to just follow the herd wherever this might take them. And although there are instances when challenging the authority is done just for the heck of it, refusing to put up any resistance to abuse and willing to accept any arbitrary change in terms cannot be in your best interest either.
Show some backbone mates! Just because the publisher says so in the EULA (the one his legal department printed to suit HIS interests) does NOT make it is so.[/B][/highlight]

First of all, no EULA is above the law. Music and software publishers may have managed to muddle the waters on intellectual rights so let me use a clear example: books. Paying a fair price for a book does not give the intellectual rights to the...contents but it does make the copy I bought mine. I can resell it, gift it to a library, lent it to a friend, keep it forever or burn it. It is mine because I paid for it.
Now, try doing any of the above with a STEAMed game. Why is it not possible?

STEAM (and any other form of DRM that limits the number of activations and/or prevent the legal transfer of ownership of any one of our items) effectively steals back the ownership of the items we paid fair prices for and ALLOWS us to use them only for as long as they deem convenient or profitable or possible (whichever comes first).

And any agreement under duress is null and void to begin with - even more so when it is vague and unclear. The EULA is only available AFTER one opens the box and, thus, rendering the product worthless. In other words, agreement to the EULA is only reached under the threat of financial loss, that is, making the game you just bought worthless. If you do not agree with the EULA you can neither get a refund nor use the product you bought as intended.
Moreover, nowhere in the EULA (or the product description) does it state that "paying for this physical or digital product only gives you rental rights in return". No, for the price that games used to SELL now such DRM schemes want us to RENT our games.

So, J.KESTNER, nothing is free. Games autopatched and there were gaming communities long before STEAM. SteamWorks may be convenient in some ways but try not to take your eyes off the ball: they are selling you steam instead of a product that is your to keep. [/quote]

And this:

[quote]The question is, do you understand how STEAM works Dr. Bob?

Tying a game you paid full price for to an activation server (be it STEAM or any other) means that the copy you bought is no longer yours. You are simply allowed to play your game (for as long as the servers still work) but ownership of it has reverted to the publisher. You might think you are buying your copy (and judging by the price you are asked to pay, you sure should) but in effect you are renting it.
There is a simple litmus test: if you can resell the copy of a game activated on STEAM that game is still yours; if you cannot do that, it can only mean that the game is no longer yours to resell.

However, I find ιt curious you calling this review an...anti-STEAM one when the DRM/STEAM information takes up less than 15% of its content. Most gamers consider this essential information anyway, as it is not readily available in most product descriptions pages.

I wonder why you decided to post a comment with such a narrow focus. [/quote]

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R19QGWD4IEUO3Z/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00175SOS2#wasThisHelpful]Another recent review, this time of Bioshock 2:[/url]

[quote] FIFTEEN BOTTLES OF ADAM ON THE WALL..., 9 Feb 2010

(I think I am having a very strong instance of deja-vu...We have we been here before, haven't we?)

Now, I want to make it clear from the start that this is primarily a Warning Review, focusing on little or non advertised facts on BIOSHOCK 2. Nevertheless, my points on the game design and gameplay follow. But first things first:

FACT 1 (UNDISCLOSED):
The game requires Internet Connection to install and play because it HAS TO BE ACTIVATED. This is nowhere to be found in the Amazon product description so be warned, you will not be able to install and play this game on a PC that cannot access the internet. This is more serious than it seems (please read on).

FACT 2 (LITTLE ADVERTISED):
BIOSHOCK 2 requires you to setup an OnLine WindowsLIVE Account in order to save the game, claim achievements and auto-update. However, similarly to Fallout 3, it is also possible to create and use an OffLine WindowLIVE account. So, this is not a major worry - unless achievements is important for your enjoyment of course. In that case, you will have to be OnLine to play even a Single-Player session.

FACT 3 (UNDISCLOSED):
This game comes with an INSTALLATION LIMIT. Some would argue that a limit of fifteen installations is large enough for anyone. I, on the other hand, would argue that the length of the chain is of little importance, as long it stays attached to one's leg. Any limit on the number of installations makes BIOSHOCK 2 a rent-a-game. For good reason.

The ACTIVATION REQUIREMENT together with the LIMITED INSTALLATIONS mean that the copy of this game that you paid full price for, well,...never actually becomes yours. The possibility of you replaying the game in the future depends on both the survival of the publisher and its willingness to allow you to so some years down the road (both major uncertainties). And, no, I very much doubt that failing corporations will have the decency and the resources - not to mention the legal rights - to develop and release an Activation-Requirement-Removal patch. The usual practice is to pull the plug and disappear into the night.

The really insulting part is that all this is done for no reason whatsoever! If "more installations are available upon request" what is exactly their purpose in the first place? Why pay for the activation servers and the phone service to give out activations upon request for ever - when you could have had a game with no Activation Limits to begin with?
And the first person who tries to answer that by using the phrase "to fight-piracy", first get me a tissue because I am laughing to tears and, secondly, please simply google to find out how that fight is going.

Most game developers/publishers (from THQ and KALYPSO to UBISOFT and EA) have realized that asking your customers to jump through hoops only for the privilege of ...buying and using your product is not the way to earn neither their trust nor their hard-earned money. Especially during a recession.
So what they did was scale back on any intrusive, draconian and (possibly) illegal forms of DRM. All except 2K GAMES and some former soviet game developers that is. Protecting one's investment and labor is only fair. Insulting your customers and stealing back the product you just sold to them in not.

[B]Now, if anyone still cares: I tried the game on a friend's computer and it is ...not very good either. It is not even as good as the original Bioshock.[/B]

Apparently the graphics have been left to age on their own - and have done so ungracefully. Max out the details and see the...pixels upclose and personal staring back at you! (Before anyone asks: WinXP on INTEL i7 920, nVIDIA GTX260 and 3GB of RAM).
The water/dry-land transitions have been hastily slapped together (swirling bubbles but no changing level of water in my faceplate?).
The guns are slow, hold annoyingly little ammo and are either too powerful or too hard to aim. And that is not the worst part either.

The worst part is that playing Big Daddy is a cumbersome chore! You move like crusted molasses, jump (and land) like a pig that ate too many beans and have the faceplate almost constantly obscuring your view.
If venturing into the ocean floor impressed you, well, think again: you can be directed to walk around but you cannot shoot while outside Rapture.

All in all, a mediocre game that is definitely NOT worth its DRM trouble!

My advice: wait until the price matches the product. [/quote]

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RVRLLU4C679QM/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0026IBHII#wasThisHelpful]His Borderlands review:[/url]

[quote]A PIMPED OUT Fallout3-WANNABE THAT COULDN'T, 30 Oct 2009

There have been excellent FPS/TPS games with a comic-book aesthetic, XIII and Armed & Dangerous spring to mind. Unfortunately BORDERLANDS is not one of them. There have been excellent RPG/FPS hybrids, like Fallout 3 or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.. BORDERLANDS is not one of them either. And, this is not the real problem. The real problem with BORDERLANDS is that it does not even know what it is...trying to be!

The graphics are color-book cartoonish. They did stay inside the lines but they get no brownie points for the end result. Unique designs and creative explosions are nowhere to be found; instead, the environments look like they were designed with a cookie cutter. Loose focus for a moment and you might find yourself hallucinating of having entered a violent PIXAR cartoon - complete with a Wall-e lookalike. One without a real story that is.

For a game that pretends to be an RPG it makes no real difference what "class" you choose to be (the hunter, the siren, the soldier, or the berserker), the "special abilities" fail to offer distinctive flavors. Leveling up is just window-dressing, as the enemies not only they respawn but they seem to match your level. And, on top of that, the quests are really boring (I had not been so bored with an RPG ever since that pathetic sequel to a great game, Dungeon Siege II).

Speaking of DSII, remember how paying to have your weapons enchanted was useless because the items you could buy outright were far superior? Guess what, the quest rewards are far better than anything you can find. Sure, there are different weapons galore but quantity of weapons could never outweigh a couple of well-thought out weapons.

Finally, could someone please explain to me since when do CPUs need...drivers - and what is this stupidly packaged game doing installing an AMD DRIVER on my INTEL i7 PC? And it stays behind, one has to uninstall it after completely removing the game. Honestly!

Now, let's talk DRM. Again, 2K GAMES insists on special, custom-made versions of SecuROM. Using SecuROM as a disc-check is my red line. I can accept it as a barely palatable solution. BORDERLANDS is supposed to do only that but it clearly cannot shake its RootKit ...pedigree.
There have been reports from gamers who managed to buy the game before the official release date and could not activate the game before that. That's right BORDERLANDS requires OnLine ACTIVATION (one can install offline ONLY after downloading and installing a third party LICENSE driver). So much for a simple disc-check...

Bioshock was a good game ruined by its overzealous DRM scheme. In the end its publisher smelled the over-brewed coffee and had the Installation Limits (but not the Activation requirement) removed. At the time of its release BIOSHOCK was good but not good enough to be worth its trouble.

Well, BORDERLANDS is not even good. [/quote]

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2V1HXBM7K22J6/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B001KU7XMW#wasThisHelpful]Mirror's Edge:[/url]

[quote]RUN FAITH, RUN!, 14 Jan 2009

...run away from another game that will try to slip SecuROM 7xx into our computers under the excuse of DRM.

...run away from another game that will keep spying and reporting on everyone who ever plays it, even long after completely uninstalling it.

...run away from another premium-priced game that will expire on you after only some months, after a couple of installations.

...run away from another EA game designed with insatiable greed in the mind and no respect whatsoever for its gamers/customers.

...run away.

And, in the best spirit of parkour, do not look back. [/quote]

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R30AQ9S4U4FMHT/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B001EO74NW#wasThisHelpful]GTA IV (he gave it just 1 star because of the DRM, which isn't that intrusive):[/url]

[quote]GRAND THEFT. PERIOD., 4 Dec 2008

These days the Gaming Industry reminds me of Lemmings. No matter the obstacles and amount of reasoning there is simply nothing to be able to give them pause on their stampede over the cliff.

2K GAMES crack-opened the door of idiotic DRM schemes (with its custom-made SecuROM 7.+ coupled with Limited Installations which were enforced by an irremovable RootKit), only to be followed by EA, then UBISOFT and finally ROCKSTAR. Even after the customers' backlash over the SPORE fiasco that was heard around the world, the people in charge seem less competent every day. And that is no small feat: they were already considered totally incompetent to begin with.

To be fair, GTA4 does NOT limit the number of times one can install the game on the same computer (hence the extra rating star). On the other hand, it does introduce another bright idea, the..."Rockstar Social Club" (and that is ON TOP of the LIVE nuisance). I wonder what sunstroked executive named THAT baby while vacationing in Cuba!

Need for an ...ubercomputer to run properly? Check.
Intrusive DRM scheme? Check.
Unoptimized porting? Check.
Common crashes and instability? Check.
(The list is long. ROCKSTAR really dropped the ball on this one...)

My advice: wait for the major patches to be released (preferably for the DRM-removing patch as well) and the price to drop. Do not be surprised if it becomes clearance-bin fodder before the early Summer sales. [/quote]

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RZOBNOICQZ090/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0035LBM44#wasThisHelpful]Mass Effect 1, which he didn't even play (see bolded bit):[/url]

[quote]THE EFFECT OF MASSIVE GREED, 2 Mar 2010

OK, we have been down this road before...

UNDISPUTED FACT:
The PERPETUAL WEEKLY RE-ACTIVATIONS was nothing but a PR stunt. Supposedly, EA "listened to its customers and had them removed". First of all, even from a practical point, it would be impossible to achieve this just days before the game's release (disks already printed, sealed and shipped to the retailers). More importantly, RE-ACTIVATIONS have not been waived altogether: they are still required following every patch and update - including the automatic ones.
To a cynical eye this PR stunt was a feeble attempt in order to make their "limited installations" issue more palatable.

UNDISPUTED FACT:
MASS EFFECT has LIMITED INSTALLATIONS. In fact, it has been labeled "Rent-a-Game" since we only get 3 installations - more only on a case-per-case basis, decided by EA...customer services. Well, we can thank BIOSHOCK for introducing and opening THAT can of worms - but hasn't anyone at BIOWARE heard how hard BIOSHOCK's PC sales were hit by that disastrous decision? At what ridiculously lengths the 2K GAMES customer community office had to go to either suppress or spin reviews and blogs pointing out the obvious inconveniencing (not to mention security risks) of their own customers?
And, let me guess: exactly like BIOSHOCK, there will be an IRREMOVABLE FOLDERS placed in our systems' Root that will effectively revoke our Administrator rights to our own PCs!

In the end it boils down to this: who actually will be owning my copy? Are we to pay £35 only to...RENT this from its publisher - and be pestered with the worry of whether our system will crash and loose another install? And what makes this even harder to understand: will such extreme measures actually prevent piracy? Well, they did not work for BIOSHOCK, why should they start working now?

So, one has to ask: what is next in store for customers that make the mistake of buying such a product? Chinese water torture? The Iron Maiden? Orwellian rat-masks? Guantanamo?

NO THANKS! No game is worthy of such harassment!
[B]I canceled my PreOrder today. I would advise any serious PC gamer to do the same.[/B]

=================================================================================

UPDATE: I bought my copy of MASS EFFECT for a pittance, only some months following its release, when I found it in a clearance bin. That is the inevitable fate of DRM-ruined games. Keep in mind that this is a Limited Activation Rent-a-Game: if the price matches the product, I 'd say go for it.

After all, there are not many Space RPG/Shooters around![/quote]

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3QRCHM1L4TP5L/ref=cm_cr_pr_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B001RIYMIA&nodeID=#wasThisHelpful]Mass Effect 2:[/url]

[quote]AN EXPERIENCE JUST SHORT OF A HOLODECK!, 29 Jan 2010

Now THIS is what I call immersion!

In the past, Bioware has shown a tendency to surpass itself whenever developing a sequel (remember how much better Baldurs Gate II was compared to I - and the original Baldur's Gate was already excellent). Well, compared to this second installment, the original Mass Effect now seems like a typical space-RPG/Shooter.

Having played the original game will not only help you better insert yourself into Commander Shepard's boots (you can actually import your original character form the first game - choices and all) - but also appreciate the improvements more.

The story is darker and (without spoiling it) the choices harder to live with. Combat has been streamlined, with tactical decisions (using cover, taking the high ground) now being more important, without the game loosing its shooter character though.

Both the visuals and the sounds are exquisite. Not only are the graphics really impressive (and I am running WinXP so that is DirecX-9 mind you) and the sounds dramatic but the voice acting and dialogue integration should be taught in game-design seminars.

In this second installment there is no actual inventory to speak of (more on this later), loading times are shorter and better concealed (remember those endless elevator rides? Now forget about them), and accessing your special abilities menu has been simplified.
In a true BIOWARE tradition, the available companions all come with their own special abilities and personal stories to explore.

The selection of armor and guns has been reduced. There are about 15-20 guns to choose from and very limited loot. The guns I do not mind. Personally, I'd rather have a small number of well designed and fun to use guns at my disposal than a myriad of guns that in the end make no real difference (ahem...BORDERLANDS?).
Having said that, I missed the thrill of looting and upgrading my equipment (not to mention having a real inventory). I mean, that is a great part of the fun in any cRPG! I am not holding my breath but maybe one of the upcoming DLCs could take care of that?
And if I am to open the improvements-request file, how about speeding up those minigames in the next patch?

Finally, you also get a personal apartment aboard Normandy (an excellent idea introduced in FALLOUT-3) which you can equip with various ornaments and personal items (from fish for your aquarium to a...space-hamster - I call mine Boo).

As for the DRM scheme used, the game does contain SecuROM but (similar to DRAGON AGE and FALLOUT-3) it only uses a disk-check. MASS EFFECT 2 neither requires any online activation nor does it limit the numbers of its installations. It is not the best solution possible but it is a compromise I can live with. If you still find this objectionable, you can now make an informed decision.

All in all, I found MASS EFFECT II to be a beautiful RolePlaying Movie of a game, an immersive cinematic-action shooter with limited loot and more story than equipment choices. In other words, MASS EFFECT 2 may not be a pure cRPG or a cRPS experience (Dragon Age: Origins and Fallout 3 still rule those segments) but nevertheless it is an experience well worth its admission price.

Go for the light-sensors Boo! Go for the light-sensors!!
(no, I am not explaining that...)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! [/quote]

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3VNK45UHSU8Y5/ref=cm_cr_pr_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0036TFY3A&nodeID=#wasThisHelpful]A new review from him, this time of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City:[/url]

[quote]GTA IV: EPISODES FROM THE...BlueScreenOfDeath!, 4 May 2010
I have thousands of PC games and, over the years, I have had both good and bad experiences - and everything in between. I can now say that GTA4-EfLC has secured its place amongst the worst gaming experiences I ever had.

GTA III was excellent, the best of the series. GTA IV was not a bad game but, similar to the original BIOSHOCK, it was not worth its idiotic DRM scheme troubles. Hoping that ROCKSTAR had cleaned up its act I made the mistake in giving in to compulsion and buying this from STEAM, where it was on sale. Unfortunately, no matter how cheap one buys a worthless product, it is already too expensive.

I have a year old gaming system at home (i7 920 on a MSI Eclipse with 3GB of DDR3 RAM and a GTX260 nVidia, running WinXP SP3) on which I hardly had any problems running games, old and new alike. It took some hours to complete the download and installation of the about 16GB(!) required for this installment of GTA IV. Since I already had a WindowsLIVE and a Rockstar Social Club Accounts, I just logged in and waited for the game to start. But that was not in the cards. The draconian and convoluted DRM scheme made sure of that. The game kept crashing - over and over!

Writing to STEAM only got me a "we do not offer support to third-party products" reply. Cute. They just sell the stuff, why should they make sure it works as promised, right? And by writing to ROCKSTAR I received a cut&paste "hit the help fora and see what crawls out" response. No much, it turns out, when it comes to effective advice.

I tried cleaning my registry and temp folders as suggested by some fellow gamers to no avail: the game still crashed just past the initial character-slides/loading screens.
I tried updating all of my drivers, DirectX and Windows Frameworks and this piece of shiit still kept crashing.
I even tried uninstalling numerous programs that might conflict with the DRM, such as PowerISO (as SecuROM is known to be...nervous in its company) - and was rewarded by a BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! That sure brought back memories. I hadn't had one of those for years!

After deleting the local content I thought about having my credit card company cancel the transaction on the basis that the product I bought never worked. Instead, I decide to pay my bill - to help me remember.

Remember NEVER TO BUY ANOTHER ROCKSTAR PRODUCT AGAIN.[/quote]

New findings (thanks Humungous):
[QUOTE=Humungous Doom;21743801]Ooooh, listen to this whopper. I found it in the Top Reviewers Forum on Amazon:

Posted on 21 Mar 2010 07:35 GMT
Mark Twain says:

.....

Neurosplicer is a past master at plagiarising reviews himself. I first noticed him on Amazon when he copied a review of a pre-release version of "Stalker: Clear Skies". There was a feature on the pre-release version that was removed from the final sales version. Yet Neurosplicer's review criticised the game because of the feature. Despite the fact that the feature wasn't actually there. A similar thing happened more recently, on his review of Borderlands. I can only imagine how many other of his reviews are at best mere inventions and at worst, outright plagiarism. Frankly I am not that bothered about it, but I do find his double standards to be highly amusing. I appreciate that not everybody will be so amused, so do find myself biting my tongue a lot, believe it or not!

.....

NeuroSplicer says:
If there were even the slightest chance of me...plagiarizing a review don't you think that chunky/Mark would had reported it to Amazon every day of the week and twice on Sundays?

Different regions can receive different versions of any given game come, often with different features. TORCHLIGHT has been electronically released six months ago on STEAM, retail two months ago in the US and in a few weeks in will be released finally in the UK: do you think all these editions they will all be the same version? Hardly. Later patches and upgrades get incorporated in editions that are released later on in different regions.
STALKER: CLEAR SKIES came even with different types of DRM schemes (StarFORCE or TAGES) depending on where one bought his copy, why wouldn't it come with a previous patch of the game?

Looking at his review of Clear Skies, I think Mark Twain was referring to the mugging. Neurosplicer says its annoying because at various times you can get mugged. As far as I know, it was only once and was a scripted event; ie part of the story.

=== EDIT ===

Might help if I included the clear sky review. One other thing, he says artifacts are harder to get because they are scarcer. I would have thought the fact that they were invisible was the main reason for them being tough:

RADIOACTIVE BUGS & POTENTIAL S.t.a.r.F.O.R.C.E.!, 19 Sep 2008
By NeuroSplicer (Freeside, in geosynchronous orbit) - See all my reviews

This review is from: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky (PC DVD) (Video Game)
Having been a big fan of the original STALKER, I was very eager to get my hands on this prequel. After a few days with it I have to ask: could this game actually have been made in Chernobyl? Because it is infested by pretty serious radioactive bugs! But first things first.

Like its predecessor, STALKER:CS has amazing graphics and, yes, they are demanding. Barely making minimum requirements means barely enjoying the game visually. Having said that, I have to admire the work that went into the graphical design, from playful rays of light and shadows of moving branches to dilapidated buildings and endless skies, the game will grab you from the opening scene.

The gameplay does not veer off the original but there are more customization options, both regarding the weapons and your character. What one will notice early on is that STALKER:CS is a harder game. Not only are artifacts much scarcer (making it harder to save up for that precious suit - which will allow you to reach more precious artifacts...) but there are also instances when your character could be stripped of everything! Immersion is one thing, aggravation quite another.

Speaking of which, be prepared to experience not a few crashes and freezes. The game was either rushed and still in beta(!) or this is another form of Ukranian anti-piracy method: release the game unstable and then keep it dependent on downloadable patches. In any case, wait for the major patches to be released because saved games will usually not work with later patches.

On a final note, European customers may be amongst the unlucky ones: due to ongoing class-action suits in the US, STALKER-CS there features a more benign DRM scheme (TAGES) - but this may not be the case in Europe: with the exception of the US, the rest of the world (and depending on the region) may or may not get the much hated and hardware crippling... StarFORCE bundled with the game!

So, if you cannot get your hands on a US copy, keep your eyes peeled!
Thank God for anti-rad and class-action suits![/QUOTE]

Well, that's it.

I understand that he is entitled to his own opinion but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it.

So, do you think this guy is right about what he says?

Steam was different a few years ago but I cannot remember it being as bad as he described it.

Of course, Steam in 2007 cannot touch Steam in 2010.

He did mention, in a 2008 review, how Steam has improved a little but he still wouldn't use it willingly (bolded in second quote).

I don't think he even played Bioshock 2 (look at the bolded bit).

[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/tag/top%20reviewers/forum/ref=cm_cr_tr_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx2AH5S1CY4QEMR&cdThread=Tx2Y14990DRY4QA]NeuroSplicer suggesting that the negative vote should be removed for reviews:[/url]

[quote]NeuroSplicer says:
As I have proved again and again, the real motivation behind most Amazon Trolls is pure ENVY. That is the cardinal motive.
A bitter person takes notice of a certain reviewer (more or less at random) and concludes from his or her reviews that this man's life is much better lived than his miserable own. Better choices, more assertive decisions, solid self-confidence of opinions. So his envy flares up and then attempts to live the other man's life by stalking and than attacking his reviews and opinions.

I am no Spring-chicken when it comes to Amazon reviews. So, knowing very well that you meticulously read every review I post I decided to toy with you.
This last November I wrote and posted multiple negative reviews on Gillette blades (which I find a bad product to begin with), while, at the same time, strongly recommending shaving with badger brushes and safety razors.

To make you took the bait, I made sure to post this review to both the UK site ([url]http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R344TTSVBNEXMA/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00159JVL4#wasThisHelpful[/url]) and the US site ([url]http://www.amazon.com/review/R3R9J4VK2IXHVW/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000BUW8WM#wasThisHelpful[/url]) as usual.
Apparently I didn't even have to wiggle the worm: you swallowed it all, hook, line and sinker.

True to your nature, you read my reviews and, envious of the better way of shaving you realized I was used to, you rushed to buy and then promptly review your own copycat "decisions" only some weeks later
([url]http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R35EQU9KE2J7R/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B001EGN7KE#wasThisHelpful[/url]
and
[url]http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3NA0X1MXK8PME/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B001XPHA0E#wasThisHelpful[/url]).

Hence the valid question: "did you cut open your throat yet with the open-blade razors I made you buy?"

While playing the puppet-master is indeed fun (I couldn't stop laughing for a week!), once in a while try to live your own life chunky/mark.

Otherwise I shall have to come back with another DANCE PUPPET, DANCE prank.[/quote]

[CoolCorky]

This guy's either a troll or an idiot or both. Ignore him.

[wuzzimu]

The Mass Effect 2 review is decent.

[Clavus]

A man can bitch whatever he wants, but most people accept DRM as long as it's non-intrusive and doesn't degrade the quality of the product.

[Dr Bob]

[QUOTE=CoolCorky;21164393]This guy's either a troll or an idiot or both. Ignore him.[/QUOTE]

With so many reviews going beyond games (cameras and shit like that) I doubt someone would spend all this time trolling on Amazon.

[QUOTE=Clavus;21164420]A man can bitch whatever he wants, but most people accept DRM as long as it's non-intrusive and doesn't degrade the quality of the product.[/QUOTE]

Correct.

[CarlBooth]

He's mental.

[Socram]

He's making some points that are actually true (especially about older steam issues) but he's just blowing them all WAY out of proportion and exaggerating excessively.

[Arvuti]

Who would even call episode 1 and episode 2 expansions ? They are new episodic releases what continue the story of Gordon Freeman.

And seriously, most of the copy protection are not that bad.

He is kind of right about gta 4, but if you have a great computer then it is one of the best sandbox games ever (imo)

[quote]The PC I run this maxed out on was a year old system (WinXP SP3, P7 920 on MSI Eclipse with 3GB of RAM and an ASUS nVIDIA GTX260) and the game showed a proneness to stuttering, especially when enemies swarmed. I guess a future patch could take care of that but I would had preferred to receive a finished game and not one rough around its edges[/quote]

Jesus, if the game stutters then turn the settings down.

[B.A. Survivor]

Steam doesn't have pop-ups...

[Musicfreak59]

In other words, this guy is saying "I'm a 20-something year old living at college, changing into my fifth major and I have nothing better to do with my time. Also, I'm unsure whether or not I trust my friends because they hold different opinions than me."

[Emtu]

[QUOTE=B.A. Survivor;21165323]Steam doesn't have pop-ups...[/QUOTE]
Yes it does, after you close a game there's almost always a silly "update news" window coming up with riveting information about some new boring indie game that you're never going to buy. It's not really a big deal but it would be nice if those could be disabled.

[Dlaor]

[img]http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll243/davidispikachu/RageFace.png[/img]

[The mouse]

:bang:

[Marlamin]

Seems like one of those "exaggerating until the argument makes sense" people. Just ignore him.

[Dr Bob]

[QUOTE=M2k3;21165472]Yes it does, after you close a game there's almost always a silly "update news" window coming up with riveting information about some new boring indie game that you're never going to buy. It's not really a big deal but it would be nice if those could be disabled.[/QUOTE]

Look in options.

[Exp]

Lets do what we do best and spam this guy with e-mails.

And report the guy if you can.

[Fenriswolf]

This guy is just a troll looking for attention.

[Mvwill]

Anal retentive prick.

[QUOTE=Exp;21165618]Lets do what we do best and spam this guy with e-mails.

And report the guy if you can.[/QUOTE]

This isn't 4chan

[Hazard Fox]

[quote]"I am a NeuroBiologist with a PhD in NeuroSciences. My research topics include memory and consciousness.[/quote] What a fag, just saying. Like his profession makes him look any better, i think he's lying but whatever

[Benie]

[QUOTE=Clavus;21164420]A man can bitch whatever he wants, but most people accept DRM as long as it's non-intrusive and doesn't degrade the quality of the product.[/QUOTE]
This.

[Dr Bob]

[QUOTE=Hazard Fox;21167186]What a fag, just saying. Like his profession makes him look any better, i think he's lying but whatever[/QUOTE]

That's what I was thinking because it looks like he spends all his time reviewing stuff he bought on Amazon.

[Zuimzado]

For me, he is looking for attention. Why? Because, if he made "normal" reviews, he would probably be ignored- so he exaggerates and keeps complaining to get more attention.

And fuck him, Mirror's Edge is great.

[Agent_Wesker]

Any version of securom really does suck.

[smurfy]

Steam is the only DRM that I celebrate being used in a game.

[Fawkes]

Looks like he downloaded Steam from [url]www.steampowered.tk[/url]!

[editline]07:14PM[/editline]

Don't click that, It's a fake link, even I don't know what it is.

[PGunnii]

This game has drm/steam therefore the game itself is shit and cannot be played by anyone

[sam2d2]

"It may seem unbelievable, yet it is TRUE: "STEAM-secured" HL2 barely sold HALF the units that unprotected HL1 did!"

Yeah because a new game is going to sell as much as one thats been out for years instantly

[gsp1995]

What a dick. Seems more like a troll to me as well.

[Doomish]

Sure he's a troll but I've never wanted to punch someone in the face harder than I want to punch this man.

[JustExtreme]

ha this guy clearly knows what he is talking about