The game comes with a product key. If you just wish to play without Steam, you install the game as you normally would. If you want the Steamworks features though, you can register your key with Steam, and be marked as an owner of Skyrim.

From your lips to Bethesda's ears!

Which kinda defeats the point of the whole steam DRM thing.

This.

Besides, if the person really wants Steam, they can still enter in the product key on Steam to have it registered on it.

So basically, your solution is just to have a standard disk check.

As much as I'd love that, I doubt it's happening.

So what? It's not like Steamworks actually stops the pirates and it would give those of us who don't want Steam forced on us another option, so I'm all for it. It's never going to happen, but it would still be great if it did.

The fact that New Vegas, and other Steam games, still got cracked quickly also seems to, it seems to me that Steam really isn't a very effective method of DRM either.

Besides, I don't WANT Steam to be used as DRM. What any DRM should do is provide the maximum level of copy protection possible (Because that's sort of what it's for.) while causing the least inconvenience to the user possible, and the way I see it, Steam, as a means of copy protection, accomplishes neither goal.

In any case, most posts defending the use of Steamworks use the argument that Steam has some features which the poster likes, not that it's an effective form of DRM, so if one wants to appease both sides, the approach would be to not make Steam a requirement for box copies, but also release a Steam version, so those who want Steam can just get that, and those who don't want to don't have to use it.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that pirates are going to get around pretty much anything, "do-nothing" is not a viable approach for developers. Steam just happens to be the most widely-perceived "best user-friendly" option. Is it really? Dunno. If I had the choice, would I scrap any middleware between me and the game? Sure. But, it is as it is.

For those of you who don't want Steam, tell me. Is it any worse than most DRMs that function like malware and install onto your system without telling you, eating up resources constantly in the background, some of which still require online activation?

Would you rather have a DRM tell you it's going to install something (Steam), or force something upon you without telling you, this something being essentially malware (most other DRMs)?

Would you rather have a DRM that is easy to remove from your system (Steam), or something that requires a special tool to remove, or may not even have a special tool to remove it with (most other DRMs)?



In all actuality, I'd prefer no DRM at all, or a simple disk check, but since we know that's not going to happen, I'd say Steamworks is probably the most practical, user friendly, and least problematic choice.

Steam is one of the best things to happen to gaming. Yeah, it's an additional program you have to install and sign up for and so on(originally wasn't too excited about it myself), but you won't regret it when you get used to it's features and look at all the games they put on sale as well as all the indie games that wouldn't have made it without Steam's help. There are many older games on there you'd have a hard time finding outside of Steam too, for very reasonable prices.

Another thing Valve(owner of Steam) has done to commend is using some player mods(with permission of course) and paying them, supporting the people who improve their games.

Asking me to choose between Steamworks and other forms of DRM is kind of like asking me weather I want to freeze or burn to death. Steamworks isn't user friendly, at least for the people who don't want it. It forces you to install software you don't want, create an account you don't want, it's always running in the background eating up precious CPU cycles, and a retail game that requires Steam is a game I can't resell if I don't like it. Killing my right of first sale is an unforgivable sin in my book. Steamworks seems user friendly on the surface but in reality it's just as anti consumer as any other form of DRM.

Agreed, Steam works is evil incarnate as far as the second-hand market is concerned.

In order to combat piracy I predict we will see more extreme draconian DRM become the norm.

And I have absolutely no problem with that.

When has Steamworks been the only DRM that can be easily removed and doesn't install hidden programs? Your questions are irrelevant in relation to Steam.

I still say if you buy a retail copy you don't need steam, digit download should require.

If you buy a blu-ray disc, the studios and electronics manufacturers have the ability to do things like update the decryption keys and even remotely disable your blu-ray player if they ever determine you played a pirated disc on your player.

I cannot understand why anyone would believe a lack of DRM is some God-given right, especially for PC games, which are software applications. What % of all the apps installed on your PC are not using some form of DRM?

1. It's not always running in the background. You can have it start up only when you are playing the game.
2. It uses very little resources, none of which are CPU cycles. The most I've had Steam use on me is 20MB of RAM, which is less than my gadgets on my desktop.


Since it's inception. I'll tell you right now how easy it is to remove it COMPLETELY.

1. Go to Control Panel
2. Uninstall Programs
3. Click on Steam
4. Click Uninstall

With basically every other DRM, you have to get a special tool to remove it from your computer, if it even is available for that specific DRM. That means, that even if you uninstall the game, the DRM is still on your computer in the background using up resources.

Also, the program it installs isn't hidden, since it tells you it's going to be installing Steam, and Steam starts whenever you start that specific game.

My god, it's like you know nothing about DRM and are just bashing Steamworks because everyone else is doing it... :facepalm:

I admit, steam isn't very resource intensive and easy to get rid of, but I really wish I could designate more than one place for steam games to get installed.

Agreed. That's maybe the only slight negative I see to Steam. Something tells me they may be working on that though.

There are ways around it, but how to go about it is not for the novice user.

Some way of tricking Steam by playing with the folders?

Steam does a very good job at DRM. It's not the most effective copy protection, no, but it's effective as DRM. Consummate phrasing, folks!

Something like that, but it dwelves more into messing around with ADMIN abilities and such.

Steam has actually been the least user friendly of DRM I've used. And I owned Bioshock before the activation patch. I like the digital distribution deals it offers, but the rest of it is horrible.

Let me restate, You seem to think that Steamworks is the only DRM solution ever that is easy to uninstal and doesn't leave unwanted hidden programs on your HDD.

My god, it's like you know nothing of DRM and are just fan boiing Steamworks because, well I don't have a reason. There are other DRM solutions less intrusive, and don't even install anything. The simplest would be a disk check or a product key. :facepalm:

a Simple disk check and a call home randomly for 3 times for permanent verification? to stanch repeat CD keys and keygens. the call homes are indefinent until the 3 tallies are filled. if the call homes don't match your game doesnt work. of course CD holders should have no issue with this yeah? im not sure really.

That would be the best solution. I absolutely don't want to install Steam on my computer, and have had my fill of online authentication crap for single-player games.