Playing Steam games on VM

Forums › Gaming › Playing Steam games on VM - any gotchas?

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stevenz

2802 posts

Uber Geek

#659051 20-Jul-2012 13:17

pando: But this is the beauty of Steam, you can get around the regional pricing by having a US prepaid credit card and a VPN/transparent proxy OR by getting a North American friend to gift you said game.

That's assuming you have access to any of these things. The source of the screwing doesn't change the fact we're still being screwed.

I'll just continuing paying less for physical copies. Nothing in the sale appeals to me that I don't already have (mostly via other non-Steam bundles or old physical-item purchases).

@KnightNZ

casewindow

310 posts

Ultimate Geek

#659649 21-Jul-2012 18:42

Elpie:

I won't be buying any other games from Steam so won't run into problems with newer games needing to be on a VM. FWIW, I have no issue with online verification/activation of games - as long as I don't need to install some blasted client and don't have to put up with said client running continuously in the background or connecting to the internet thereafter. I really don't care how ethical or trustworthy the company may be, I just don't want them on my computer. I like to control what goes on and not have something else forced on me just so I can install a game.

I realise the world is going the Steam/Origin/whatever distribution route and that my stance makes me a dinosaur but, hey, its my right to be a stick-in-the-mud if I want to.

I've been using Steam since 2005 and honestly it is fine. Just tell it not to run at startup and it won't. It won't therefore use any resources. They're pretty sensible about the app. I waited a whole year after the release of Origin before I'd install it and it's been fine (again, I tell it not to run at startup). Ubisoft uplay is something I'm going to avoid though & as such I've avoided buying any Ubi games in the Steam sale that need it. They're still a way off being a reliable service.

Installing in a VM is just going to make your gaming experience less satisfying IMO.

neoprint

136 posts

Master Geek

#659718 21-Jul-2012 21:54

After reading all this steam hate I had to check a calender to make sure I hadn't been transported back to 2003

Elpie

1304 posts

Uber Geek

#659757 22-Jul-2012 00:25

casewindow:
Installing in a VM is just going to make your gaming experience less satisfying IMO.

So far, so good - no issues at all. It helps that the games are oldies though and are happiest on DirectX 9.

Distorter

220 posts

Master Geek

#661384 25-Jul-2012 00:00

Not all but most steam games can run without steam with a bit of tinkering, google is your friend. Remember YOU paid for the games :-)

Elpie

1304 posts

Uber Geek

#661392 25-Jul-2012 01:10

Distorter: Not all but most steam games can run without steam with a bit of tinkering, google is your friend. Remember YOU paid for the games :-)

Not exactly. I paid for the privilege of playing the games within the terms and conditions the publisher specified. I'm licensed to play them but I don't own them, or the right to breach the terms.

What people choose to do & whether they breach the terms is, of course, up to each person's conscience ;)

1080p

1332 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#661430 25-Jul-2012 08:10

What is wrong with having Steam installed? I don't even notice it is there.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Elpie

1304 posts

Uber Geek

#661747 25-Jul-2012 13:43

1080p: What is wrong with having Steam installed? I don't even notice it is there.

For me, there is nothing wrong with having Steam installed - I just don't want it. I've very happy for people who have no problems with it and who are willing to have it on their PC, but I'm not one of them.

Steam isn't a games studio or publisher, it's a store. It's also a store that adds its own terms & conditions, as well as software, to a product when all I want is the product. What's more, it makes buyers go back to the store and spend more money after they make their purchase (since bandwidth isn't free) just to be able to use what they purchased. Then, it makes them return to the store every once in awhile if the purchaser wants to keep using the product they bought the license to.

All I want is the game. No overlays, no 3rd party software running in the background, and no additional restrictions placed on the original developer's terms. And, because I don't want Steam on my PC, it doesn't matter to me how good Steam is, or how much other people like it. I don't and its not getting anywhere near my computer (unless sandboxed in a VM).

kama

30 posts

Geek

#661821 25-Jul-2012 15:41

How about putting steam/origin on a professional version of Windows? Done right, steam doesn't run until the chosen user logs in.

Elpie

1304 posts

Uber Geek

#661836 25-Jul-2012 15:55

kama: How about putting steam/origin on a professional version of Windows? Done right, steam doesn't run until the chosen user logs in.

Nope, uh uh, no way. I use the Ultimate version of Windows and although I can block access until I want it to access, I just don't want the Steam client on my PC - at all!

I bought a couple of games off Steam, which I am running just fine in a VM in offline mode, but I only bought them because I couldn't locate the CD versions anywhere. All but one are old games and none of the old games had DRM or an online activation requirement (Civilization 3 & 4). I only bought Civilization 5, which is a Steamworks game, because I already had to go the Steam route to get 3 & 4 now that those are no longer available in stores.

I won't, under any circumstances, be buying another game from Steam and hell will freeze over before I put Steam on my PC. My personal preference and I realise others have different opinions, and I respect that.

Daft

12 posts

Geek

#665866 2-Aug-2012 08:23

Seems a bit shady but in theory wouldn't it be possible to aquire a copy of the original .exe given that the supporting systems that drive the game are all there? A bit of a shady way to do it but it should work. Failing that, given that you did in fact purchase the game, I think that you can feel pretty safe if you should so decide to "make use of the vast resources the internet has to offer".

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