Milkflavour

Thanks for your help guys, I'll be downloading this as soon as I get chance (and playing offline! ) Thanks for the info Pyro and thanks to Wraith for the interesting insight into the whole steam/drm thing. I guess I agree about the lack of incentive to innovate or provide value for money on console. A monopoly is never good for consumers. Interesting take on the Steam service. Your post is actually a petty decent advert for the system. I can't see how the service in and of itself is a bad thing or where the real hate comes from. Personally I really dislike the DRM thing but only because it severely limits my access to a wide range of games. I also don't like having choices made for me. However, the opportunities they provide for small, independent developers is great news for everyone. For steam because, as you say, many would be inclined to 'take a punt'on a game they might otherwise ignore, for developers because they have access to a wider audience and a cost effective way of producing and distributing the games they really want to make, and for the consumer because we're getting access to more innovative, original and interesting games, improved choice (beyond just the mainstream 'AAA' titles) and better value for money... I'll be interested to see too what impact the whole steam box thing has on the gaming market. On the surface of it it seems like it might be a good balance between the benefits of pc gaming and the convenience of a console. I guess it remains to be seen... in the meantime, I'll be enjoying xenonauts!

haha.. well, I didn't think it was a vendetta... Thanks for the clarification. I guess it's been a pretty good thing for smaller developers then. I tend to only game on console these days and the online/digital distribution is actually a terrible thing for mainstream console gaming (not so much for indie games) in my opinion. Apart from the fact that there is a significant market for used console games, most titles are actually considerably MORE expensive to download from the psn than to buy a physical copy. It worries me because there's been a fair bit of talk about an inevitable move to digital distribution and, unlike distribution for pc games where there is at least a number of sources to choose from and thus competition/incentive to provide good value/tempting offers, no such market exists on console, and distribution is soley through the diferent systems' online services. I fear this might well lead to inflated prices and a situation whereby gamers are forced to pay those inflated prices as the physical copy market is forced out of business. I guess that'll be the day where I fork out a good chunk of cash for a gaming pc, as console gaming will have pretty much run out of positives. It's already a bit behind in terms of hardware, lack of customisation/modding etc and I can only see digital distribution making things worse in that case.

Awesome, guess I'll have a browse through what they have to offer. Do they clearly state it on the product description?

So how's it come to this then? How come people have accepted this DRM/Always online stuff.. seems like a bit of a scam really. It means you're kind of tied in to a single retailer for your purchases unless you have a whole load of stuff installed on your computer... plus, there must be more than just me in the world without an Internet connection or who have limited access/pay for how much they use.. it seems like a bone move really...

Ahh... well, fair enough I suppose. I guess they have to try something. Though making a product people actually want to pay for/that works might be a good start for some too... Hmm.. it does mean that folks like me are kept out of a large section of the market because I don't have an Internet connection. It's not worth me buying a decent pc for gaming because I won't be able to play most of the games, not even ones I've bought from a shop it would seem... guess I'm stuck with console gaming...

Ahh.... Thanks man, Seems like humble or Desura is the way to go then... good news that... Still haven't got a scooby what DRM is... will have to look it up..

Seriously? So I can play it happily without? That surprises me, most games sold these days for pc require an Internet connection... It's what's put me off pc gaming to be honest.... Awesome news, I'll be downloading it asap then.... Thanks for your help and super prompt reply...

Hi, I registered here to ask a question. I have searched the forums and I can't find an answer posted. Sorry if this isn't the place to ask or if it's been addressed already but... I'm pretty much clueless regarding pc gaming these days. Haven't done it since the original x-com and fallout days so all this always online and DRM stuff is completely over my head... I'd love to order this game as it looks right up my street, however, I don't have an Internet connection at home. I can borrow someone's to download the game and get occasional updates but I wouldn't be able to play the game if it required me to have an online connection at startup or whatever. Does anyone know if it's possible for me to play this game or will ot be a case of (and not for the first time) no connection, no play? Thanks in advance...