Removed it from my wishlist.

I've owned every Civilization title since the first. I won't be getting Civilization 5. I don't hate Steam (though I'm starting to) I just don't like my PC games starting to feel kludged together and that's what every Steamworks game feels like to me. Supreme Commander 2 anyone?

Still waiting for companies to force me to give blood samples each time I launch a game (while being online) to check for my identity as the true owner of a license for their game (that is nothing but a client as the game is actually in their servers, for which a pay a monthly fee to be able to enjoy my single player experience). All that while a security man from their company watches me frommy own room to make sure that I use a legitimate copy of the client (in addition to online checks), that no one else plays with my license (in addition to be forced to play with the webcam on so they can watch me)... e t c

Is a Developer who says "no, only our shop can sell our game" any different?

I just don't get it wintersong : i purchased world in conflict, company of heroes, might of magic 5 on steam and i can play all of them offline in single player.

Ok, i have been having more bug issues with steam than with impulse but apart from that, i am pretty ok with steam. I mean, if it was UbiSoft new drm system, it would be different but here, the only reason i may well not be buying the game would be because of their crappy combat system.

Umm... .... thats not for 'security' thats called an internet perv. One of my favourite kind of people.

Anyway, Im still buying it - Im willing to to fondeled by Valve I guess.

Hehe, at least you will have more freetime to mod EWoM.

..as for Civ5, I will only buy it, if EWoM won't be released in this year....I don't really care about Civ5 that much.

First-party can do that all they like.   They're not doing it to lock others out of the market.

a ) Third party can do what they want also

b ) They ARE doing it to lock others out of the market (or steamworks would be a seperate install ot tied to steam)

That's my Frogboy. Sticking to his principles NO MATTER WHAT.

If it weren't by abominations like Ubi's DRM scheme, Starforce or ultralimited activation limits, I'd consider Steamworks to be the worse thing ever. Even online validation for install is quite awful too but at least you only need internet once which makes those games usable for machines with some internet acccess (but like Steamworks, totally unusable for offline computers).

And if someone comes with the "things change, you must adapt"... I only use my right as consumer to buy or not to buy based on whatever I decide is important enough for me. Also, the emphasis on many single player games lately into adding multiplayer is just done for DRM purposes (in addition to any possible fun of the MP component... if well done) so go figure. imho.

What surprises me is Frogboy saying he won't buy it. I'm going to suppose that Steam wanted to compete heavily with EWoM/Impulse (in addition to locking others out of competence).

Why should that surprise you?  This was a decision made to attack his business.

If I was him, I'd be looking at lawyers potentially for a Sherman Act suit in the future.  (not necessarily doing it, but looking at it)

I'm sure you also still use a horse and buggy, refusing to buy a car (which they only created so they would have a larger market for crude oil anyway)

You consider a world where all PC games come from Steam to be progress? Interesting.

Steam is great. You people and ill-informed or just crazy.

Once you validate an installation of a game you no longer have to be online. Almost none of the games on Steam have any other sort of DRM (there are some exceptions. Luckily the Steam store clearly displays any additional DRM a game may have).

Hell you don't even need a CD or DVD to install the game, you can just download any Steam games right off of Valve's server. All game CD Keys, Manuals and other information are stored and organized in a logical manner.

Valve has also released a large update for Steam increasing performance and updating the GUI. Rather being just a system to prevent people from pirating games, Steam actually provides gamers with a service and number of helpful features.

Please explain how Impulse is so very different from Steam.

• Impulse requires you to be online and registered to receive game updates
• Impulse requires you to be online to install and validate an installation