List of games which require Online activation (eg Steam)

**Richard** · March 13, 2009, 06:19 AM

After reading the ongoing Empire:TW kerfuffle (cool word), I decided to build a little list. So, does anyone have any to add? Post 'em here for reference. So far:

- Mass Effect
- Spore
- Red Alert 3

Steam activated:

- Empire: Total War
- Dawn of War 2
- Fear 2
- Football manager 2009
- Half-Life 2, Portal (Valve games)
- Red Orchestra (Valve game)
- Left 4 Dead (Valve game)

Frankly I find third-party developers jumping on the Steam activation bandwagon alarming and want to know if there are any more out there. I hope ETW is the first and last, but who knows =(

**Gangwe** · March 13, 2009, 06:57 AM

Command and Conquer Red Alert 3
Spore

Generally, it's safe to assume anything out of Electronic Arts will be sold with a pair of shackles and a jailer.

**Cmdr_Sdxo** · March 13, 2009, 07:01 AM

^^ Dawn of War 2
And that horrid Windows Live system as well

:

**Stalins Ghost** · March 13, 2009, 09:25 AM

FEAR 2, DOW II are both Steam activated.

Interestingly, you now can activate your copy of Unreal Tournament 3 on Steam if you want, and I believe it's the only legit way to get the new content - which is free. I'm certain that Epic will be having all their PC games from now activated only on Steam.

I have to say, I feel it's a step in the right direction. I'd like it if it were possible (once downloaded) to play your games minus having Steam running ala' Impulse, but it's better than most other distribution platforms out there.

**Richard** · March 13, 2009, 10:37 AM

Bloody hell, it's like every new game out this year requires Steam...I hate any kind of big-brother type control like that where the power isn't 100% in my hands =(

**Stalins Ghost** · March 13, 2009, 03:44 PM

I don't really see Steam as a big brother type system - and believe me, I'm a Libertarian.

You have far more control over your games than say, a TV channel, and you're not force fed 23 hours of bollocks for 1 of good stuff. The only real control factor is if Valve shut-up shop. In which event they'll release .exes.

I do wish the games could be opened sans Steam mind, as is the case with Impulse - not that I ever run my PC without having Steam running since I handle a lot of my online communication for the Reticule via it, but it would be nice if I do ever need to.

**Larry Blackmon's Codpiece** · March 13, 2009, 04:31 PM

It's a licensing issue, the main problem is that games nowadays aren't owned but are licensed i.e. you're paying for the right to use it and not the actual game per se.

**Stalins Ghost** · March 14, 2009, 08:47 AM

Errr, games have always been a licensed product.

Fact is, software has always been a tightly controlled licensing cluster-

- I have family who develop quantity surveying software which a few years back required a bloody dongle to work in the name of license control. They've changed that now, but considering you're talking software which can be worth up to (I believe, at least my Dad sold one premium copy for it) £749, you can see why software developers feel so strongly about their products. And I think they're entirely right to - I'm so damned sick of pirates thinking it's okay to take advantage of hundreds of man-hours for free.

Games, thanks to their mainstream appeal have made licenses somewhat more lightly controlled. Steam is a logical middle ground in my opinion.

**VOP2288** · March 14, 2009, 12:10 PM

I really wish they would stop with this Steam activation nonsense...I wouldn't care for 5 months out of the year but for the other 7 I'm in school...and my school network will not allow you to connect to Steam...thus if you have any games on Steam or buy a game that needs Steam to activate you're pretty much screwed...

**SonOfCrusader76** · March 14, 2009, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by VOP2288

I really wish they would stop with this Steam activation nonsense...I wouldn't care for 5 months out of the year but for the other 7 I'm in school...and my school network will not allow you to connect to Steam...thus if you have any games on Steam or buy a game that needs Steam to activate you're pretty much screwed...

Well, you've got those idiots who hacked Half Life 2 before it was ready to thank for all of this.

**Richard** · March 14, 2009, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by SonOfCrusader76

Well, you've got those idiots who hacked Half Life 2 before it was ready to thank for all of this.

That has nothing to do with why any of these third-party games have started requiring Steam activation this year.

Originally Posted by Stalins Ghost

I'm so damned sick of pirates thinking it's okay to take advantage of hundreds of man-hours for free.

It doesn't make a difference though. A quick look at any p2p site will tell you that. That's one of my main gripes in fact; it doesn't actually curb piracy, but still inconveniences us. (Not everyone, but a good percentage)

**Stalins Ghost** · March 15, 2009, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Richard

It doesn't make a difference though. A quick look at any p2p site will tell you that. That's one of my main gripes in fact; it doesn't actually curb piracy, but still inconveniences us. (Not everyone, but a good percentage)

Meh, guess I'm jaded because I've yet to have a single issue with Steam in nearly 5 years, I don't think it's an inconvenience. If anything, pirates are missing out when they pirate a Steam game. The extra features and ease of functionality you get with Steam are brilliant.

**sander454** · March 15, 2009, 10:01 AM

You can add Football Manager 2009. I think it's safe to say that all new Sega games will be required to activation on Steam

**REQUIEM** · March 15, 2009, 06:06 AM

Red Orchestra

**vizi** · March 15, 2009, 02:19 PM

Steam is fine. Only problem I ever had with Steam was the day Half-Life 2 came out. Steam was so backlogged that I couldn't connect to get the game activated for 4 hours.