Any game that uses steamworks is effectively DRM'ed as it will not launch without steam.

Even with DRM free games, Steam puts itself between you and the game. To launch without steam interfering needs a little actual PC knowledge.

What infurates me, is that Steam didn't used to be like this. It used to let me and the wife play different games at the same time.

For me Steam's DRM is a serious issue, that would effect me and my family daily.

Chaos Rings is a Square Enix property. Fortunately for me this is the only game from them with this style of check. I have all the DQ games on Android too, and none of them have any extensive DRM. They do phone home once in a while though.

I'll buy their games only in drm-free format.
Otherwise, I'll pass indefinitely.

What *exactly* stops you from doing it now?

Steam does and the SSA.


Cut and pasted from another thread

Steam will only let 1 game per account be played at anytime. have 100 game and one person is playing 1 of them the other 99 are locked out.

The only way around it is to use the main account in offline mode. Then the other person can play using SFS.

Which means 2 of the 100 games can be played (it actually allows you to both play the same game which runs counter to the idea of protecting the publishers license).

The problem here is there are 7 of us.

So the next solution is to forget SFS and for everyone to use the main account in offline mode.

Which is a little annoying and for me a constant reminder that VALVe's restriction is unfair and very daft. Its daft because instead of ensuring 1 license can only be used on 1 machine at a time, offline mode allows abuse of licenses.

For the first 5 years, this wasn't the case.

I used Steam online on both mine and wife's computer at the same time, with us both playing different games at the same time.

Not only that it was a permitted action according to their SSA.
Then after 5 years and pumping hundreds of pounds in to my account, they changed Steam and the SSA.

Even to this day under the SSA you're not allowed to let someone else use your account, though there is a caveat for VALVe to grant that permission. If you followed the SSA strictly you couldn't create an account for a minor and let them use it, or apply the family view (kiddie lock) onto the account of the 13+yo child and even let friends play with you on local multiplayer games such as rayman.

What stops you and your family from having multiple Steam accounts?

Nothing

So I have 100 games in account A

0 in B
0 in C
0 in D

A plays 1 game while online B,C and D can't play
or
B plays 1 of A's game shared, but gets booted of when A plays
or
B plays 1 of A's game shared, A plays a game in offline mode, But C and D can't play.

Or are you suggesting rebuying games I already own for different account even though no-one is playing that game?

That's just silly.

Not really.

I'm about 80% sure they should ,by law, clearly display the need for online activation and requirement to enter into a life long contract with a third party

The product is being mis-sold.

Hi.

I got the game today (finally !). It comes in a cardboard box which contains a DVD case with the DVD, a small artbook and the soundtrack. The DVD contains the Steam data so it only avoids you to download the whole game from the internet.

There are two codes:
- A Steam key
- A Square-Enix product code to register the game on your Square Enix account (which doesn't seem to be of any use)

Thank so much. I'm very tempted to get it now. Only a GOG release of the game would stop me.