Is Steam any better at catching pirated games?

gorobei

Diamond Member
Jan 7, 2007
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Given that piracy is such the hot topic with PC gaming, should devs go the extra step of associating all user accounts with a verified email(i.e. ISP account vs online yahoo/hotmail account) or credit card(ala steam)? Right now most games only require a name and an e-mail, so users of pirated copies aren't really in much danger of someone tracing a yahoo account back to their real address.

But if that game name was linked to a verified e-mail name that had your real name, wouldn't that discourage bootleg users from setting up a game account?


Or are there still ways to spoof Steam accounts or WOW?


 

Auryg

Platinum Member
Dec 28, 2003
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I don't know about playing online, but I know Steam games get cracked just like any other for offline play.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
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I haven't got any word of anybody being able to play an online steam game, other than getting somebody's account info. One of the most pirate-proof systems I've seen.
 
Apr 17, 2005
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with certain games you have to register your cd key with steam and when you decide to sell the game, you can have the cd key reset. atleast i think thats how it works.
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: Auryg
I don't know about playing online, but I know Steam games get cracked just like any other for offline play.

You wouldn't be able to play online without a valid account, but all Steam games can be "backed up" [legitimately] and thus [illegitimately] 'cracked' and distributed.
 

Xavier434

Lifer
Oct 14, 2002
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Originally posted by: apoppin
Originally posted by: Auryg
I don't know about playing online, but I know Steam games get cracked just like any other for offline play.

You wouldn't be able to play online without a valid account, but all Steam games can be "backed up" [legitimately] and thus [illegitimately] 'cracked' and distributed.

Ya the simple answer for the OP is that steam really doesn't make pirating any easier or harder and even if you were to add some of the extra measures that are suggested I think you would find that it makes zero difference to the pirating world.
 

funks

Golden Member
Nov 9, 2000
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Originally posted by: gorobei
Given that piracy is such the hot topic with PC gaming, should devs go the extra step of associating all user accounts with a verified email(i.e. ISP account vs online yahoo/hotmail account) or credit card(ala steam)?

That's fine with me as long as they will allow you to relinquish the key-linking if you decide to sell the game.

 

Czar

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
28,510
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Steam is better because it makes it easier for people to buy games than it is to pirate them and it makes it easier to store purchased games than it is to store a store bought game.
 

oogabooga

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2003
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Originally posted by: Czar
Steam is better because it makes it easier for people to buy games than it is to pirate them and it makes it easier to store purchased games than it is to store a store bought game.

it's nice that they also make it easier to store store bought games as well.

I think that for the multiplayer it's pretty difficult to play without legitimately owning the game. Though I'm sure there are ways around it, you won't be playing on servers through steam.

A lot of the games (I want to play at least) seem multiplayer focused, I'm not sure what you'd do with a cracked copy of TF2 for example without cracked servers. While sure there are pirated servers off steam, steam makes it so easy to play that it's worth the game cost just to play through steam.
 

livingsacrifice

Senior member
Jul 16, 2001
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The thing I don't get about steam is that as long as you have the username and password you can grab your games from any computer and play them online. So I can have them on multiple computers and play them online. Which doesn't make any sense since most games block the ability to do that now. But ya I've seen them pirated, but only for online play.
 

Superrock

Senior member
Oct 28, 2000
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I really like the ability to play the game from anywhere without a cd/dvd, being able to install it from anywhere, and being able to backup my games from steam. My only grip is that it gets updated everyday so it takes me a while to just get it started.
 

DSF

Diamond Member
Oct 6, 2007
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Originally posted by: livingsacrifice
The thing I don't get about steam is that as long as you have the username and password you can grab your games from any computer and play them online. So I can have them on multiple computers and play them online. Which doesn't make any sense since most games block the ability to do that now. But ya I've seen them pirated, but only for online play.

But those computers that you have the game installed on can't play together if they're all using your steam logon.

I have found it useful though, since I can install my steam games on two computers, and if a friend comes over and we have the itch for CSS or TF2, he can log on to the other comp with his account info.