I can see why people wouldn't be excited, but I don't get at all why people would be angry over it. Valve is still primarily a gaming company. They're just expanding their marketplace.

The Xbox Live Indie Games Marketplace sells more than just games and people tend to ignore what they don't want there. Don't see why Steam can't be the same way.

Stardock also makes productivity applications though.

Why the hell would anyone want to install software using steam? Do people not like having their software independently installed these days? It seems like we are moving towards an age where everything has to operate under the umbrella of another programme. I suppose I prefer CD keys myself.

Doesn't help that the steam client is a pretty broken bit of kit. The idea of steam infecting my editing pc... oh the horror, the horror!

If we ever reach a point where regular software started making steamworks mandatory I think I would have to sell my computers and go live in a hobbit hole somewhere. lol

Rob

*applause*

GLORIFIED SCREENSAVER

Edit:
Here's a thought - this might've been the real reason behind their recent "THOU SHALT NOT SUE US IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT" thing.

If they handle software sales in the same way they handle game sales - by that I mean they lock you out if you do something they don't like - you bet your ass they're going to get sued, and FAST.

I can't wait for the pop up notifications when I'm playing a game and I find out that my friend just opened AutoCAD.

Can you guys imagine GOG doing drm free software?

Bingo. The shortcomings of Steam, while tolerable to many gamers, are not something that many people are willing to put up with for their productivity software. If Valve wants to get into the business of selling professional software then they need to first restructure their service and organization into something closer to what professionals expect to be dealing with.

What if you're trying to do some work and Steam fails to open the software in offline mode?

Are you sure? I haven't had to turn any updates off for a long time, so I might be wrong. If what you say is right then yeah, it's a pretty stupid system.

Yes, and no. I agree that it's likely that the two are somehow linked. But Steam, according to them, have already stopped locking down entire accounts in suspected fraud cases.