Last night I lost my internet in a storm and much to my dismay I discovered I was not able to play the game I was currently playing because it required the internet running. I can live with and have accepted the fact that many games have keys that have to be activated when you install a game, but I was naively blindsided to discover the game checks every time you start it. Is this what all games do with keys and I just don't know it since I am always connected?

Ana

No just some of them. Some require you are connected only to install the game. Both are unacceptable because the "seller" is determining how you can access what you paid for.

I'm with you oldmariner.

Some folks ran into this a few years ago when they took laptops out into the boonies and then discovered their brand new games would not play because they had no internet connection.

What kind of games ae these? Are they games that are downloaded or come on CD/DVD or both? How can one know if a game needs the Internet to play?

I was referring to downloaded games. don't think they are doing that to boxed games.

Steam games are like that, whether they come in a box or not. You need to be attached to the Internet to install them, and in some cases download additional files without which the game won't run. After the initial activation, you have to find out where to disable the updating or whenever you start the game it will try to connect to the Internet to look for game updates.

Whenever you buy a game, check the requirements to see if "Internet connection" is among them.

I repeat wht I said on the other thred
This behavior is completly immoral and in my opinion asbad as players pirating

I would urge evrybody to vote with there cash which is maybe the only thng these companys really pay attention to

Howevr much we want these sort of games dont buy trhem|.

Thanks, oldmariner and Jenny100 for answering my questions! I do appreciate it.

Is it hafe life done by steam good game but you have to be on the internet .

I know that at least for Bioshock (a dark side game) as well as Two Worlds (another dark side game) you need to have internet access to activate your game. Apparently cd-keys are not enough anymore for some publishers in order to avoid some people from pirating games (not a recommendation, though).

Some games, however, seem to be set up to check for updates every week or every month or so. There should, however, be an option to turn the 'update checking for new content off' somewhere in the options menu, I think. I know that online games, like Myst Online etc. usually check for updates since there's new content added some times.

Personally, my take on this is that it should be mentioned on the box that the game requires internet activation to install, or to play the game.

And yes, we can vote with our dollars and refuse to buy such games. I just don't think it will matter much since I foresee a future in which every game (excluding indie games) will require internet activation to either install or play.

/Karsten

Some games like Evidence are just designed that way. Only found out needed to be on the internet when started playing but looked on the box and under specs had internet connection listed.

If enough gamers did exactly that Karsten - vote with their dollars - it WOULD make a difference! It's all about money & if enough people boycotted download games that infringe on normal purchaser rights, the publishers would have to rethink.

This download only option with 'permission' will continue and/or take off as long as the majority of gamers, despite their grievance, accept the situation & buy the games!!

Thanks Jenny I did not know that. I now know to avoid Stream.
Internet connection ok when and only when you are playing a game involving other players such as those massive online games. But an adventure game, I won't do it.

EDIT**** Karsten, what do you want to bet that method barely slows down the pirates? My guess that ploy won't work for long.

Chrissie

Here, here
ive been saying that all along
why dont we band togethr and just refuse to buy thse games
thay are not fair or moral just as we hate pirating

Pirates say they have to have the games but wont pay for them and we hate them they can do withoutt the games it wont hurt them
So can we do without those ugly games that shopuld be banned by law cos there reely ilegal in my opinion
Im sure that if everybdy stopped buying them the conpanys woud soon stop behaiving that way and charge a few dolars less because there less expensive without boxes and print manuels
But alow everybody to burn them on there own disks and use them just like ordinary games ^^^^^^^^^ why not?

It's Steam, not Stream. And shortly after it came out "Steam Emulators" were developed, which can fool the game into thinking it's connected via Steam.