Is it useful? I note that it seems to have the first Knights of the Old Republic on it; my existing copy doesn’t work on the latest version of Windows. Does Steam address that problem with its electronic downloads?
Also: I have actually received a complaint that my personal PayPal donation button is too hard to find. Far be it from me to keep people from keeping me in geekstuff: it’s now on the sidebar, above the Attackwatch report button. And also below:
Older DOS-only games (see X-COM, e.g.) actually use a modified DOSBox implementation to run under Steam.
Plus they run insane specials ALL the time. And they have TONS of great indie games.
I pretty much ignore games that don’t have a Steam version these days, triply so if they’re Mac-friendly.
What Doug said – other than MMOs, if it’s not on Steam, I probably won’t get it. Sure, it’s DRM, but unless the publisher has forced them to go beyond the normal Steam DRM, it’s done properly. IE, it doesn’t get in the way at all, and if I switch computers, I just log back into Steam and re-download them.
Plus, if the game supports Steam Cloud, you never have to worry about losing your savegames again. It actually syncs them to the cloud, so I can keep my progress between my PS3 version of Portal 2 and my Mac and any random PC I decide to install it on.
Whee!
Just be aware that those insane deals will seem innocuous at the time, but they have a way of stacking up. I still have 3 completely new games that I haven’t played yet because they were “a good deal on Steam” (my wife is learning to loathe that phrase).
Jay++.
I also have a ton of unplayed insane-deal-games that I’ve paid for but not launched yet simply because I don’t have a viable Windows box at the moment and they won’t run under Crossover Games on my Mac.
Steam is absolutely worth it. They have a very good library and the prices are pretty comparable to a store purchase.
Just a warning; while Steam is awesome, you should always check the forums and other sources to see if a game will run on your system. Having Steam is no guarantee that a game will work for you.
I bought a game (only one and I’ll name it if you like) that will not run with Windows 7 even though I bought it through Steam. So, for older games, I’d still go with G.O.G. over Steam, especially if you’re worried about compatibility. In other words; do your research.
That being said, Steam has no problems with the myriad of modded games I play through them. My Fallout:New Vegas is modded to hell and back, as is my copy of Oblivion, and Steam has no issues running them at all.
I like Steam. It’s not perfect but it does a damn good job.