Steam does it again

[Schu]

I was over at the Steam forums about to post some info on my new clan mod, when I saw this thread

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2221388

Well as you can tell Steam fucked up big time, and screwed people out of a game that they sold them, by forcing automatic up-dates to the always on position and not letting people shut it off. For older games like Bloodlines that could sound a death-knell by not letting those people patch their game so that it will work.

Now Steam may or may not fix this, but something tells me that this is going to be the norm for them, if not now, then in the future. So any of you who have the steam version of VtMB and are using the TPG you might want to copy your working version of the folder and burn it to a disk, a USB drive or some form of back-up drive.

By the way, I didnt even bother starting the thread, I'll wait and see what Steam does first.

[Tessera]

It is very easy for True Patch users to run VTMB completely independently from Steam. It will not require any fancy registry edits, or anything else of that nature. If you know how to copy/paste properly in Windows, then this is a real no-brainer:


(1) First, locate your Bloodlines installation within your Steam folders. You need to find the folder which contains the file named "vampire.exe"

(2) Next, highlight the entire contents of that folder (all of its files and sub-folders) and then copy them... either by using the "Edit ---> Copy" command, or else by simply pressing <Ctrl-C> on your keyboard.

(3) Then, create an entirely new folder on your hard drive... it doesn't matter where, so long as it is FAR away from Steam. EX: create a new folder named "C:\VTMB" if you want to move Bloodlines to your "C:" drive. It can be anywhere on your computer... just so long as it is not located anywhere within your Steam folders.

(4) Next, paste all of those files and sub-folders that you copied from step #2 into your newly created VTMB folder. This will effectively create a new, duplicate copy of the entire Bloodlines game on your hard drive.

(5) Now install the True Patch Gold Edition (and its most recent hotfix) into your newly created copy of Bloodlines. Just follow the instructions included within the TPG.

(6) After you have patched your new copy of Bloodlines, locate the file named "vampire.exe" in its root folder and then copy it.

(7) Lastly, right-click on any blank area of your Windows desktop and select "Paste shortcut" from the pop-up menu that appears.


That new shortcut will enable you to launch (and play) your new copy of Bloodlines as a 100% stand-alone game, which is completely independent of Steam. In other words... no more Steam whatsoever. Your new copy of VTMB won't even know that Steam exists... once it has been moved and then patched with the TPG.

Easy peasy. And the greedy, degenerate assholes at Valve/Steam can go blow goats if they don't like it.  

[Cylnar]

Steam does it again. And in other news, the sky is blue and water is wet.

These greedy corporate assholes just don't give a fuck about their customers - after all, they already have their money.

Please, anyone who has the Steam version of VTMB (or any Steam game, for that matter) should follow the instructions in Tessera's post above mine.

[BloodyKidney]

Wow that fucking sucks. Thanks again Tess for talking me out of getting the game through Steam. I almost bought it a while back to throw it on my Steam account so I could play it when I had my gaming computer fixed. This Steam fuck up is going to keep me off of Steam completly.

[Ratcatcher]

What do you mean Steam does it again?
To "do it again" implies that they had stopped, which they haven't.
So its just business as usual for them.

[Schu]

What do you mean Steam does it again?
To "do it again" implies that they had stopped, which they haven't.
So its just business as usual for them.

Too true, but that was the best title I could think of at the time.

I just wanted to give everybody a heads up before they started to play if they have the Steam version.

My favorite comment in that thread is "just switch to off-line mode and everything will work fine", well I hate to burst his bubble,
but that will only work for 30 days then Steam forces you to log in so it can update itself and all of your games.

[perez007usa]

Steam,,,, steam,,,,I'm so steamed about it. Tess's system is a whole lot better, when I did  it, It still whats steam sometime or another. but I will try it.

 This is the Duke Nukem game

[Alaern]

Let me join the line of people thankful to Tessera. Forcing decisions down the collective throat of common users really blows. Might make me reconsider my position on buying stuff instead of pirating it.
Oh, and all the rants on copyright bullshit I have pent up inside me... ARGH. I hate it. Another sphere of life where common sense and even general principles of law were bent to make way for corporate assholes. "Exclusive rights on distribution in a region" - that's a bloody definition of monopoly if I ever seen one, yet it's considered fair, just and proper. Not to mention that with digital distribution they're selling product, copies of which have negligible production costs. Fuckers.

[Tessera]

Let me join the line of people thankful to Tessera. Forcing decisions down the collective throat of common users really blows. Might make me reconsider my position on buying stuff instead of pirating it.

Maybe this will help you to get it all into perspective...

I've been ranting against corporate greed and forced consumerism for years and years. On this web site, you can find angry posts of mine going all the way back to 2006, in which I was saying pretty much the same things about the software industry that I'm saying today. Mainly, that they've become greedy, dictatorial monopolies and that they're guilty of forcing sloppy, half-baked products upon the public... and getting paid WAY too much in return for those sloppy products.

Now fast-forward to the here and now. Around the world, there is a growing anti-corporate movement taking place. It started with the Occupy Wall Street movement here in New York and now, it's slowly spreading and growing... all over the western world.

So if you share our desire to see an end to corporate domination, then please consider this:

In my view, software piracy is an effective, non-violent way to protest against the arrogance and the unbridled greed of the computer software industry. The very best way to punish greedy people is to take their money away. And since our lawmakers are -clearly- not going to do -anything- to put a stop to corporations run wild, then it falls to We The People to take an active stance and start fighting back against these assholes directly.

This is why the legalities of software piracy no longer concern me. I don't care what the law says anymore... because those laws were clearly written by and for the wealthy, to protect their own greedy interests. Meanwhile, the rest of us get exploited... year after year after year... whilst software publishers go merrily on, sucking up their competition and the flooding the market with unimaginative, sloppily coded, overpriced and largely mediocre products.    

There are people who will read this and say something like "Well if you hate it so much, then just don't buy it." But in my view, that kind of wimpy, passive stance is not good enough... not in a world where the giant publishers have ensured that they will continue to dominate the market -- without any fear of serious competition. Hence my earlier references to forced consumerism and monopolization. Well in a situation like that... which is in fact what the situation really is today... saying "Just don't buy it if you don't like it" is no longer a sufficient response. A harsher punishment is needed at this point... and as I said earlier, the best way to punish greedy people is to steal their cherished money right back from them.

That's my take on it, anyway. Your own mileage may vary.

PS -- every single one of my comments in this post could be applied equally to the music and motion picture industries, too. All of those fuckers need to be smashed.

[Alaern]

There are people who will read this and say something like "Well if you hate it so much, then just don't buy it." But in my view, that kind of wimpy, passive stance is not good enough... ...A harsher punishment is needed at this point... and as I said earlier, the best way to punish greedy people is to steal their cherished money right back from them.

But you're not stealing anything. Pirate copies don't cost ANYTHING to game publisher, and they don't lose anything just because you've played a game on your PC. Corporations actually benefit from piracy: internet service providers and blanc DVD manufacturers sell the means to pirate stuff, and the rest, well, it goes like this:
Once D3 is out, you'll definitely play it.  Even if you play a pirated copy, there's a fat chance you'll like it and want to play with others. Sure, you can join pirated server, - but same as WoW illegal servers, you might wonder "what am I missing out?" So there's still a chance you'll buy a legal copy, and then, if you like it, there's a chance you'll go back to your pirate server and tell your fellas how much better it is in the big sandbox, with all the other kids. And some may follow.

Even if all the "chances" and "ifs" will lead to purchase of legal product just by 1% of total users of pirated software - it's still pure, costless profit. Also, users of pirated copies will still chat about game and discuss it on forums, increasing total hype and attracting additional interest of people.
So what is piracy? Free advertisement.

Even more so with music - if you like some singer or band, you'll want to visit their concert. Can't pirate those -> cash.

[Tessera]

Pirate copies don't cost ANYTHING to game publisher, and they don't lose anything just because you've played a game on your PC.

They don't..? Then why do DRM schemes (like Steam) exist..?

Currently, it has been estimated that somewhere around 100 million people worldwide regularly engage in software piracy. That number has been increasing every day, too.

If we multiply 100 million times $50... which is the average price of a new video game these days... it totals up to a whopping $5,000,000,000 in lost revenues for the software industry.

That's FIVE BILLION DOLLARS annually in lost revenues. (!!!)

So you're saying that they don't care about that kind of money..? Then they must be insane.

Piracy is an extremely effective way to combat corporate greed within the software industry. EXTREMELY effective.

[Alaern]

Pirate copies don't cost ANYTHING to game publisher, and they don't lose anything just because you've played a game on your PC.

They don't..? Then why do DRM schemes (like Steam) exist..?

Currently, it has been estimated that somewhere around 100 million people worldwide regularly engage in software piracy. That number has been increasing every day, too.

If we multiply 100 million times $50... which is the average price of a new video game these days... it totals up to a whopping $5,000,000,000 in lost revenues for the software industry.

You miscalculate. If they don't sell you the game, they lose that 50$ of potential profit regardless of you playing this game's pirated copy or not playing it at all. Pirates are deadbeats in their eyes - they'll never pay, so you might as well write them off as you write off 5+ billions of people who will NEVER play your game because they don't have a platform or they don't care about games (and that's 250 000 000 000 dollars of lost profit - piracy pales in comparison).
BUT!
If you're playing the game, regardless of your ownage of it,  you're still in the loop. You might be back. You might buy sequel, you might buy promo-materials, you might go to the movie, and you'll definitely add to hype by discussing the game.

So why do DRM schemes exist, you ask?
1) There are impatient people who just can't wait for crack or integration of all niceties into pirated version - they're obvious reason for DRM to come into existence, but they don't actually matter all that much.
2) Corporations can't outright state that "Piracy is beneficial" - that'll lead some of their faithful buyers to piratism, therefore, some form of DRM has to exist to keep appearances.
3) CEOs aren't geniuses, as you have stated on multiple occasions. They're greedy, they believe that squeezing buyers with DRM is beneficial for sales numbers, and generally, they don't know what the fuck are they doing. Compare 2 products by Ubisoft - Assassin's Creed 2, which required user to be online all the time, and recent Heroes VI that have no "classic" DRM whatsoever (but have online-only features like dynasty weapons).

Piracy is an extremely effective way to combat corporate greed within the software industry. EXTREMELY effective.

No. Silent treatment - that's the effective way.
Old saying states that "there's no such thing as bad publicity". Whether you hate Tokyo Hotel or like Tokyo Hotel - you're talking about Tokyo Hotel and you're thinking about Tokyo Hotel. Same can be applied to piracy.

[Tessera]

It's not really a matter of miscalculating. I was simply pulling some numbers out of a hat, in order to illustrate my point. I have no idea what the actual facts and figures are, regarding piracy and the loss of revenues that it portends... but they are sure to be substantial figures.

The bottom line is this: if someone wants a game... but decides to pirate it instead of paying for it... then that person represents lost revenue. And if millions of other people are doing the same thing, then those people represent A LOT of lost revenue for the software industry.

Incidentally, the stereotype that you employed is inaccurate. Software pirates are not "deadbeats." That may or may not have been true at one time, but piracy has become so widespread that it needs to be re-evaluated within our minds. Online piracy has become so widespread, in fact, that it could almost be referred to as being mainstream in its scope.

In my opinion, the reason for this surge in the amount of software piracy during the past few years has been due to a growing feeling of anger and disgust amongst the public towards software publishers. People are tired of paying a premium price for mediocre titles which are, more often than not, released in a buggy and downright unfinished state. Who the hell wants to pay full price for half a product..? But since there is no way to bargain with the intractable software publishers, the only alternative is to simply bypass them altogether and download a copy from some place like The Pirate Bay. Which costs nothing, of course... and in turn means that the publishers will not receive a single penny from that person.

So from that point of view, it is perfectly accurate to refer to piracy as representing lost revenue. If numerous people pirate a new release, instead of buying it, then that release simply doesn't hit the sales figures that the publisher was counting upon. Which in turn makes their investors very unhappy. Which in turn means that ultimately, those investors might pull out... and that is what will smash the software industry some day.

You have been raised to believe that you are powerless to affect change, hence your skepticism about all of this. "Who are we, to think that little people like us could possibly do anything to hurt these commercial giants..?"

But I happen to feel quite differently. I feel that if more and more of us punish the software industry via online piracy, then it will most certainly bring them to their knees one day. Piracy has already caused so much financial harm to the music and motion picture industries, that the same thing will almost certainly come to pass for the software industry, too.

We shall see who turns out to be correct. I'm betting that it's me... but I've been wrong before and I could very well be wrong about this, too. But I don't think so.

[Cat]

Another reason to pirate is that you can can't really buy games used anymore on the pc when it comes to newer titles, scene their all tied to steam.

[Alaern]

Incidentally, the stereotype that you employed is inaccurate. Software pirates are not "deadbeats."

Phrasing was "Pirates are deadbeats in their eyes - they'll never pay". Actual financial status of pirates doesn't actually matter.

People are tired of paying a premium price for mediocre titles which are, more often than not, released in a buggy and downright unfinished state. Who the hell wants to pay full price for half a product..?

Therefore we agree that what really affects the sales is: quality of the game, reputation of developer+publisher and amount of advertisement (you can't buy it if you don't know of its existence). DRM could be accounted as "self-eliminating" in most cases: some people won't buy the game because they're repulsed by it, some will buy because they can't stomach pirated version.

You have been raised to believe that you are powerless to affect change, hence your skepticism about all of this. "Who are we, to think that little people like us could possibly do anything to hurt these commercial giants..?"

Please, I merely prefer to think a few steps ahead and look at larger picture.
Why do you believe that you pirating game somehow hurts publishers more than not playing it at all? To rephrase VTM, "Whether you play it, matters not: it's if you bought it". If you didn't buy it - their sales charts will be the same whether you play it pirately or not at all.
But.
If you play it, you talk about it. If you say something good, or even something bad - people will be inclined to look at it and see if it's good, or if it's so spectacularly bad as you describe it. Even number of downloads will be an attraction due to "herd instinct". If even one of them will buy the game or action figure or a movie ticket afterwards - it's a positive hit on corporate sales charts. Brought about by your. pirated. copy.

You need to understand what you're rebelling against. If it's copyright law and even certain DRM measures - go ahead, pirating software hits the right spot. But if it's corporations themselves that you're against - you have to employ different methods. They actually need the hype of controversy and scandals, the public awareness of their product.


EDIT:

Piracy has already caused so much financial harm to the music and motion picture industries, that the same thing will almost certainly come to pass for the software industry, too.

Much financial harm? I dunno, I don't see members of RIAA or pop-musicians lining up for free soup on the streets. Nor do I see lack of unimaginative, shitty, repetitive Hollywood blockbusters. They say that great harm is done, they persecute - but like I said before, it's less because of actual damage, and more for sake of appearances and their insatiable greed: if they could ignore an opportunity to squeeze another thousand dollars - they wouldn't be the very same corps we know and hate, would they?

[Tessera]

Please, I merely prefer to think a few steps ahead and look at larger picture.

Don't you think that I'm doing that, too..? Or do you think that I just like to blow a bunch of pro-Marxist crappola out of my ass for dramatic effect..?

I've lived in this warped society for more than 40 years. I've seen this kind of talk come and go for my entire life. And I know, from real experience, where it is ultimately going to lead.

The fact remains that online piracy is very effective in HURTING... directly HURTING... the industry which is being pirated. If you don't believe that, then get over to Google and start looking up stories about online piracy and the music business. Or, online piracy versus the motion picture industry.

Or, just ask yourself why the motion picture industry has spent all kinds of money trying to forcibly shut down The Pirate Bay (they have thus far failed in every attempt). If the industry wasn't being hurt by this stuff, then they sure as hell wouldn't spend hundreds of thousands of dollars (literally) trying to shut down a pirate web site in Sweden.

Why does DRM exist..? Why are there games being released which require you to connect to an online server (such as Steam) before you can play..? The answer is because the publishers of those games are trying very hard to prevent anyone from pirating those games. Which in turn is a clear indication that software piracy does indeed HURT THEM. Otherwise, they wouldn't bother.

Much financial harm? I dunno, I don't see members of RIAA or pop-musicians lining up for free soup on the streets.

Then you haven't done your homework. Go research it and see for yourself.

You can start with this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/mar/28/global-recorded-music-sales-fall

The actual facts are on my side here.

[Alaern]

The actual facts are on my side here.

Oh god. In one topic, you blame the press for being subjective corporate lapdogs, in this topic, you say that investors will pull out if companies start losing profits, you call corporations liars and cheaters who grab millions on tax rebates and "support business" programs... yet you cite the very same corporate lapdogs on loss report and believe it to be true.
Even if they had losses, even if they were hard - piracy is a very useful scapegoat in this case. What's easier to tell your investors: that you're an impotent burned out moron who can't rock like you used to, or that piracy's to blame for loss of profits?

I've lived in this warped society for more than 40 years. I've seen this kind of talk come and go for my entire life. And I know, from real experience, where it is ultimately going to lead.

And what's your miracle solution? Shoot every suit? Then what? In Russia we've done that twice, you know.

Why does DRM exist..?

I gave you three reasons. Now could you give me at least one reason why you think that you playing a pirated game hurts industry more than you not playing (and not buying) the game at all?

[Tessera]

Oh god. In one topic, you blame the press for being subjective corporate lapdogs

Aren't they..?

...in this topic, you say that investors will pull out if companies start losing profits

Am I wrong about that..? Who do you know who happily invests their capital in a failing business that is showing steadily decreasing profits..? Mentally unhinged masochists..?

...you call corporations liars and cheaters who grab millions on tax rebates and "support business" programs...

No, I cited them as being greed-driven criminals -- who buy out the competiton, play the market as if it were a casino and then, when they fuck up and go broke, they blackmail our Congress into handing them trillions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer money. Feel free to tell me which part of that statement is incorrect. I'm all ears.

...yet you cite the very same corporate lapdogs on loss report and believe it to be true.

I did nothing of the kind. I didn't cite anyone... I simply asserted that online piracy directly detracts from their profit margins. And I said why. I'm still waiting for you to refute what I said in an intelligent manner... by providing examples which support your assertions.

Even if they had losses, even if they were hard - piracy is a very useful scapegoat in this case. What's easier to tell your investors: that you're an impotent burned out moron who can't rock like you used to, or that piracy's to blame for loss of profits?

Investors don't care WHY you are losing money... they simply care that you are losing money, period. No sane person continues to invest in a failing enterprise... regardless of the explanations being given. Either it makes money -- or it doesn't. And if it's showing a steady loss, then it's a bad investment. This is not rocket science.

And what's your miracle solution? Shoot every suit? Then what? In Russia we've done that twice, you know.

First of all, it isn't incumbent upon me to devise miracle solutions for a system which has become so bloated with greed and diseased that it is practically beyond repair. Nor have I told anyone to run out and start shooting at limousines. What I -have- said is that the people with the power are absolutely going to do whatever they can to maintain that power. And I also said that they've essentially purchased our democracy and then tailored it in such a way that it serves them the most, and the rest of us hardly at all. So in a situation like that, the people have only one recourse: to do whatever it takes to tear that system down and hopefully, replace it with something else which is much more equitable. I have plenty of ideas of what that new system might be, sure. But if I start listing all of those ideas here, it will quickly turn into a thesis that I doubt you or anyone else will bother to actually read.

Now could you give me at least one reason why you think that you playing a pirated game hurts industry more than you not playing (and not buying) the game at all?

Yes I can... and I already have. It's because pirating a game is quite different from simply not buying it.

If you don't buy it, then the industry might deduce that it's because their products need to be changed. Or maybe, that they need to dumb down their products even more than they already have, in order to give those products "more accessibility" and "wider appeal." Or, they may simply peddle their half-baked garbage in another market... Asia, for example.

Pirating, on the other hand, sends a very different and much more ominous message to the industry and their investors. It tells them, in no uncertain terms, that the people are angry and they are actively doing whatever they can to TAKE YOUR MONEY AWAY. That's indicative of a far more far more frightening and dangerous trend, so far as the software publishers are concerned. And it also scares the crap out of their investors. Why..? Because it means that NO MATTER HOW you package and market your products, they will still be pirated. Meaning: no profits at all. Meaning: YOU'RE FUCKED, because the people are now hostile and actively fighting against you and your livelihood.

Psychology plays a big part in all of this. It's not all about ledger sheets. But when it comes to the issue of piracy, it involves both aspects. And all of it is BAD for the industry and GOOD for the people. That is why the industry is going crazy trying to put an end to piracy and thus far, they are failing miserably in those efforts.

And I for one am delighted to see it.