Deleting digital games

[Niode]

You can easily backup your Steam collection. Just click the Steam button in the top left of your Library window and click Backup and Restore Games and the wizard takes you through it. Easy.

Anybody who has an issue with Steam's DRM is either fickle or dumb. What objectional DRM that is there is placed there by the publisher, and isn't Valve's fault, you would be subject to that DRM regardless of your point of sale. Steam's own DRM is practically non-existant. You can install the games on as many computers as you want and play them at any time. All you have to do is put your password in. Unless you're fucking rain man you're only going to be playing one game at a time, so where's the problem?

You have to verify your account by entering a password, eh? Yeah, fuck that. I don't want any restrictions whatsoever.

Also, what if that game is taken off Steam? How would I acquire it then? I like to buy old games, so will I be able to get a Steam game 20 years from now?

*edit*

That's because outside of emulators and roms, it's all restricted bullshit.

http://www.gog.com

What if gog shuts down and goes out of business today?

5 years later, I want to play games that used to be available through gog. What do I do?

If you're too dumb not to have a backup of your games that's your fault. Not the content provider's.

[MrPopo]

That's because outside of emulators and roms, it's all restricted bullshit.

http://www.gog.com

What if gog shuts down and goes out of business today?

5 years later, I want to play games that used to be available through gog. What do I do?

Save the installer? That's what I do. That's no different a question than "What if my Deus Ex CD breaks 5 years down the line?"

[Inazuma]

You guys didn't understand my question.

I have never bought from gog. What if gog goes out of business today, and then 5 years later I want to play some gog games. What would I need to do?

Having a digital download game service up and running today is all well and good. But what about the retro gamers of the future? I just bought some old Famicom games from ebay recently. I want to be able to do the same sort of thing 20 years from now with today's digital download games.

If gog truly has no DRM or restrictions, and is future proof, meaning even if a game is taken off the server or the entire gog service/company goes out of business, the games will still be available to acquire and play, then I will be happy.

[MrPopo]

The way GoG works is there's a stand alone installer that will fully set up the game on your system. There's no CD key or anything else associated with it, you just install like it was a self extracting zip (though it does more, like integration with the Windows Games menu). So if GoG were to go out of business you could rerun the installer that you saved onto storage somewhere. If GoG were to go out of business you can bet there will be massive batch torrents of all of their releases out there for your downloading pleasure (many of the private trackers today avoid it to support them).

[Inazuma]

The way GoG works is there's a stand alone installer that will fully set up the game on your system. There's no CD key or anything else associated with it, you just install like it was a self extracting zip (though it does more, like integration with the Windows Games menu). So if GoG were to go out of business you could rerun the installer that you saved onto storage somewhere. If GoG were to go out of business you can bet there will be massive batch torrents of all of their releases out there for your downloading pleasure (many of the private trackers today avoid it to support them).

Sounds like gold to me. I should check out GoG and see what kind of games they have.

[Niode]

You guys didn't understand my question.

I have never bought from gog. What if gog goes out of business today, and then 5 years later I want to play some gog games. What would I need to do?

Having a digital download game service up and running today is all well and good. But what about the retro gamers of the future? I just bought some old Famicom games from ebay recently. I want to be able to do the same sort of thing 20 years from now with today's digital download games.

If gog truly has no DRM or restrictions, and is future proof, meaning even if a game is taken off the server or the entire gog service/company goes out of business, the games will still be available to acquire and play, then I will be happy.

That is completely unrealistic. Fuck, why can't there be a service that reads my mind and then downloads the game into my brain and I play it by doing the actions with my own body. Until that is available I'm just never going to play games ever again.

Seriously... You're saying that you won't buy a game in 10 years because it won't be available... What? I boughted a game in the future that I play 5 years today that didn't even came out tomorrow.

[Inazuma]

You guys didn't understand my question.

I have never bought from gog. What if gog goes out of business today, and then 5 years later I want to play some gog games. What would I need to do?

Having a digital download game service up and running today is all well and good. But what about the retro gamers of the future? I just bought some old Famicom games from ebay recently. I want to be able to do the same sort of thing 20 years from now with today's digital download games.

If gog truly has no DRM or restrictions, and is future proof, meaning even if a game is taken off the server or the entire gog service/company goes out of business, the games will still be available to acquire and play, then I will be happy.

That is completely unrealistic. Fuck, why can't there be a service that reads my mind and then downloads the game into my brain and I play it by doing the actions with my own body. Until that is available I'm just never going to play games ever again.

Seriously... You're saying that you won't buy a game in 10 years because it won't be available... What? I boughted a game in the future that I play 5 years today that didn't even came out tomorrow.

Have you bought any retro games lately? If so, you are a hypocrite.

I don't like the idea of games only being available for a few years and then being gone forever. It's common for me to buy and play games that are 20 years old. Anyway, it seems like GoG doesn't have this problem, so they are fine by me. I hope more download services follow their example.

[irixith]

Digital downloads could be great if they had no DRM and easily allowed us to backup our own files. I think music mp3s from Amazon are like this, so that's awesome.

I still prefer physical media when it comes to video games. That's because outside of emulators and roms, it's all restricted bullshit. When it becomes completely wide open and I can backup my games and play them on any system, I will consider supporting it. Until then, I will make due with my flash carts and emulators whenever I want to play digital download games.

I have never purchased anything from itunes, Steam, PSN, XBOX Live, Virtual Console or WiiWare.

Thanks for the biggest laugh I've had all day!

You're saying the only reason you refuse to partake in the digital realm is because of DRM? Well now, you better quickly turf all your audio cds (which contain 'drm' to prevent copying), all your movie dvds (which contain 'drm' to prevent copying), all your blu-ray discs (which contain 'drm' to prevent copying), nearly all of your disc based pc games since about 2005 or so (which contain varying levels of 'drm' to prevent copying), most major nintendo ds carts since about mid-2009, early 2010 (which contain anti-piracy measures to prevent copying) .. am I making my point yet?

EVERYTHING has "DRM"! You'd better quickly dive into your fortified underground base with your tinfoil hat BEFORE IT GETS YOU!

======

(Thank goodness the scene provides us with fabulous no-cd cracks, patches, anti-piracy fixes, and all the tools we'd ever need to keep our content ours eh? Using the examples of stores you've never purchased from: iTunes, Steam, PSN, XBLA & WiiWare all have tools available to remove their restrictive DRM and keep the content easily transferable and playable.) To avoid DRM at this point, you'd pretty much have to give up every bit of electronics that you own before the NES era. Using "DRM" as a reason to avoid digital is quite frankly, hilarious. )

[Inazuma]

Digital downloads could be great if they had no DRM and easily allowed us to backup our own files. I think music mp3s from Amazon are like this, so that's awesome.

I still prefer physical media when it comes to video games. That's because outside of emulators and roms, it's all restricted bullshit. When it becomes completely wide open and I can backup my games and play them on any system, I will consider supporting it. Until then, I will make due with my flash carts and emulators whenever I want to play digital download games.

I have never purchased anything from itunes, Steam, PSN, XBOX Live, Virtual Console or WiiWare.

Thanks for the biggest laugh I've had all day!

You're saying the only reason you refuse to partake in the digital realm is because of DRM? Well now, you better quickly turf all your audio cds (which contain 'drm' to prevent copying), all your movie dvds (which contain 'drm' to prevent copying), all your blu-ray discs (which contain 'drm' to prevent copying), nearly all of your disc based pc games since about 2005 or so (which contain varying levels of 'drm' to prevent copying), most major nintendo ds carts since about mid-2009, early 2010 (which contain anti-piracy measures to prevent copying) .. am I making my point yet?

EVERYTHING has "DRM"! You'd better quickly dive into your fortified underground base with your tinfoil hat BEFORE IT GETS YOU!

======

(Thank goodness the scene provides us with fabulous no-cd cracks, patches, anti-piracy fixes, and all the tools we'd ever need to keep our content ours eh? Using the examples of stores you've never purchased from: iTunes, Steam, PSN, XBLA & WiiWare all have tools available to remove their restrictive DRM and keep the content easily transferable and playable.) To avoid DRM at this point, you'd pretty much have to give up every bit of electronics that you own before the NES era. Using "DRM" as a reason to avoid digital is quite frankly, hilarious. )

20 years from now, I want to play that Dr. Mario WiiWare title, however the WiiWare service has long been shutdown. What do I do?

Compare that situation to the following:

20 years from now, I want to play Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii, so I buy a used copy. Done.

[GSZX1337]

20 years from now, I want to play that Dr. Mario WiiWare title, however the WiiWare service has long been shutdown. What do I do?

Torrent it.
/discussion