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[ACH1LL3US]

With the huge success of Steam and pretty much a wide acceptance as the future of PC gaming, is it possible to still play pc games without Steam?

If I wanted to play pc games without a dvd rom in the drive I can use a no-dvd image(right?), and I could play a single player game without logging into steam and having that run in the background.

I don't know much about Steam, if you use Steam do you need an internet connection to play all games?

 

[The Technomancer]

Steam is just the store/client for a huge number of games. But there are still tons of games that you can buy from other sources, or run off of DVDs. The only time you need Steam is if you bought it off Steam or its a Steamworks game. And the only one that I can think of the latter applying to is Civ V.

If you are playing Steam games though, you can play them offline.

 

[Tenks]

You can get physical copies of PC games off Goozex hella cheap


Though I have no idea why you wouldn't use Steam. Switching disks to play different games is sooooooo 2004.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Gabe Newell will be round shortly.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

It's possible, just not very smart. You'll save a shitload of money and hassle by using Steam.

And Steam can launch in offline mode if you don't have an internet connection available; you'll be able to play any offline games that way just fine.

 

[ACH1LL3US]

You can get physical copies of PC games off Goozex hella cheap


Though I have no idea why you wouldn't use Steam. Switching disks to play different games is sooooooo 2004.

Can't I use no-dvd's for the games?? So I don't have the dvd running in the drive? Last time I played pc games was in 2003, and you could do that back then :/

 

[SmokyDave]

No Steam = No Railworks DLC.

Why bother?

 

[Tenks]

Can't I use no-dvd's for the games?? So I don't have the dvd running in the drive? Last time I played pc games was in 2003, and you could do that back then :/

Yeah you can crack most of them to run without the DVD for most games. Though I am not sure about the legality to discuss that on GAF so I'm going to stop there.

 

[Enkidu]

Can't I use no-dvd's for the games?? So I don't have the dvd running in the drive? Last time I played pc games was in 2003, and you could do that back then :/

If the game requires steam you don't need the disc. For other games you can get a no-dvd as usual.

It's possible, just not very smart. You'll save a shitload of money and hassle by using Steam.

Speak for yourself, buying from steam can often be up to twice as expensive as buying a physical copy for me.

 

[ACH1LL3US]

If the game requires steam you don't need the disc. For other games you can get a no-dvd as usual.


Speak for yourself, buying from steam can often be up to twice as expensive as buying a physical copy for me.

Yea, I am finding that some of the pc games I want like Motogp 07, Need For speed most wanted are not available on steam.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

Can't I use no-dvd's for the games?? So I don't have the dvd running in the drive? Last time I played pc games was in 2003, and you could do that back then :/

I don't bother with this stuff as practically everything I purchase is digital to begin with, but I'm sure there's workarounds for this. But let's take a step back for a second.

and I could play a single player game without logging into steam and having that run in the background.

Why is Steam running in the background an issue? I know you asked about internet connection requirements, and there is an offline mode for that. But Steam must be running for any Steam games.

 

[(._.)]

It is possible. That is if you're wanting to game like a fossil.

 

[JADS]

If only steam matched the prices of the physical stores around here, I would have gone 100% PC digital by now.

 

[Wolves Evolve]

Gabe Newell will be round shortly.

(opens mouth)

(looks at bannable jokes policy)

(shuts mouth)

 

[dionysus]

With the huge success of Steam and pretty much a wide acceptance as the future of PC gaming, is it possible to still play pc games without Steam?

If I wanted to play pc games without a dvd rom in the drive I can use a no-dvd image(right?), and I could play a single player game without logging into steam and having that run in the background.

I don't know much about Steam, if you use Steam do you need an internet connection to play all games?

Of course, Steam is just a store, a drm system, and a chat client. It is great and the best right now but their are competitors like impulse, gamersgate, direct2drive, ea store, gamespy, etc etc as well as good old fashion disc installs. Browsing GAF one might think Steam has come to dominate PC gaming but that is not true at all. I personally buy games at the cheapest outlet, which means I have just as many games purchased from impulse, gamersgate, and d2d as I do from Steam.

 

[Hot Coldman]

(opens mouth)

(looks at bannable jokes policy)

(shuts mouth)

:lol

 

[Easy_D]

Steam? What's Steam? Never heard of it.

 

[Bisnic]

Well if someone is only into Blizzard games(i know some are) when it comes to PC gaming, they don't really need Steam.

 

[sflufan]

Of course, Steam is just a store, a drm system, and a chat client. It is great and the best right now but their are competitors like impulse, gamersgate, direct2drive, ea store, gamespy, etc etc as well as good old fashion disc installs. Browsing GAF one might think Steam has come to dominate PC gaming but that is not true at all. I personally buy games at the cheapest outlet, which means I have just as many games purchased from impulse, gamersgate, and d2d as I do from Steam.

Yes, but to be 100% Steam-free, he'll have to avoid all games that use Steamworks.

 

[venne]

I personally buy games at the cheapest outlet, which means I have just as many games purchased from impulse, gamersgate, and d2d as I do from Steam.

This.

If Steam is the cheapest, they get my money.

 

[ACH1LL3US]

There is places to buy physical pc games for less then steam.

So lets say you buy a single player game like Prince of Persia on steam. You go to play it but you first have to log into steam and steam will run in the background while playing a single player game.

Would steam constantly check on you while playing this game? Would this cause any stutter or issues with the game? Basically is steam running in the background worse then not running it in the background?

 

[ACH1LL3US]

Yes, but to be 100% Steam-free, he'll have to avoid all games that use Steamworks.

What games use steamworks? Does this mean you would have to have steam on your pc anyway?

 

[The Technomancer]

What games use steamworks? Does this mean you would have to have steam on your pc anyway?

So far the only games I know of that you can buy outside of Steam that require to you install Steam are Valve titles and Civ V.

 

[The Lamonster]

I pretty much only play Blizzard games on my PC, so yes it's possible.

 

[brain_stew]

There is places to buy physical pc games for less then steam.

So lets say you buy a single player game like Prince of Persia on steam. You go to play it but you first have to log into steam and steam will run in the background while playing a single player game.

Would steam constantly check on you while playing this game? Would this cause any stutter or issues with the game? Basically is steam running in the background worse then not running it in the background?

I've suddenly been transported to the 1990s haven't I?

No, Steam running in the background isn't going to make your games stutter. :lol

Your PC will usually be running more than 50 different processes in the background when you're playing a game anyway, Steam or no Steam.

 

[Tenks]

So far the only games I know of that you can buy outside of Steam that require to you install Steam are Valve titles and Civ V.

The Last Remnant is Steamworks as well

 

[Steve Youngblood]

So lets say you buy a single player game like Prince of Persia on steam. You go to play it but you first have to log into steam and steam will run in the background while playing a single player game.

Steam's hardware usage compared to that of a modern 3D game is going to be minuscule. If you're unhappy with the performance of your game, not running Steam will have negligible impact. Unsatisfactory performance would say much more about your hardware than it would about Steam being a resource hog, because it isn't.

As to the question about Steamworks, yes, you would need Steam regardless. For instance, if you want to play Civilization V or Fallout: New Vegas, you're going to have to run Steam no matter what, as the games activate through Steam even if you buy a physical copy or from a competitor's digital distribution service.

 

[brain_stew]

What games use steamworks? Does this mean you would have to have steam on your pc anyway?

Yes. There's over 200 Steamworks titles avaialble now and although they don't all require you to use it, most do. Some of the absolute biggest PC releases of the year including Civ 5, Football Manager 2011, Fallout: New Vegas, Mafia 2, COD: Black Ops and Napoleon Total War are Steamworks titles.

 

[Erasus]

What are you talking about? :lol

You can just go to a store and get a copy, why do people think PC gaming = STEAM??? (My guess is that most people are retarded)

 

[BobsRevenge]

I do about, like, half of my PC gaming outside of steam.

I'm running at something like:

30% Steam
10% Crysis
20% Minecraft
10% GOG
15% Impulse, D2D, or GamersGate
15% random older games

 

[brain_stew]

What are you talking about? :lol

You can just go to a store and get a copy, why do people think PC gaming = STEAM??? (My guess is that most people are retarded)

That's still going to require you to install and run Steam in many cases. Outside of Blizzard's releases, Civ 5 and COD: Black Ops are probably going to be the two biggest selling PC games of the year and Fallout: New Vegas won't be far behind and all 3 require Steam, as does the biggest selling PC franchise in the UK; Football Manager.

 

[cwmartin]

Is there a Steam fear cult running around or something?

 

[ACH1LL3US]

I've suddenly been transported to the 1990s haven't I?

No, Steam running in the background isn't going to make your games stutter. :lol

Your PC will usually be running more than 50 different processes in the background when you're playing a game anyway, Steam or no Steam.

Hahha Its true my friend... I am in a time bubble :/

So I guess it is possible to game without Steam IF you don't play the Valve titles or Civ 4.
There is times my pc may not have internet connection, so I was wondering if using steam would be a problem with no internet connection.

Is it possible to slim down what is running in the background on a Windows 7 64 bit OS?

 

[epmode]

Is there a Steam fear cult running around or something?

Yeah, but they haven't seen this thread yet.

Hahha Its true my friend... I am in a time bubble :/

So I guess it is possible to game without Steam IF you don't play the Valve titles or Civ 4.
There is times my pc may not have internet connection, so I was wondering if using steam would be a problem with no internet connection.

Is it possible to slim down what is running in the background on a Windows 7 64 bit OS?

Once you've installed a game through Steam and ran it once, you don't have to be online to run it in the future. Some people report that this is glitchy but I've never had a problem with it, myself.

Don't worry about Steam resource usage on a Win 7 64 bit machine. Run Steam in the background and check its memory usage. Barely anything.

 

[The Technomancer]

Is there a Steam fear cult running around or something?

Eh, its the DRM thing I suspect.
I respect that desire, even if I don't mind having everything tied to Steam.

 

[Sutanreyu]

Even if a game I own doesn't have Steam support, I add it to the Steam list anyway so that I may use the overlay to talk with my friends, look up quick info on the web using the built-in browser, etc. It's useful.

 

[ultron87]

Well there's always Blizzard games.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

Is it possible to slim down what is running in the background on a Windows 7 64 bit OS?

Well, you'll be able to specify that unnecessary applications don't start up, but again, I think you need to stop worrying about background processes. Trust me, some random process that's using a token amount of RAM and clock cycles is not going to hamper your gaming experience. And again, most people don't have problems running games in offline mode.

 

[erpg]

There is times my pc may not have internet connection, so I was wondering if using steam would be a problem with no internet connection.

Is it possible to slim down what is running in the background on a Windows 7 64 bit OS?

Steam has an offline mode.

And you can type services.msc to disable useless services and save minuscule amounts of your abundant RAM in Vitsa/7. In addition to just disabling programs from startup.

 

[PflargBlarg]

There is places to buy physical pc games for less then steam.

So lets say you buy a single player game like Prince of Persia on steam. You go to play it but you first have to log into steam and steam will run in the background while playing a single player game.

Would steam constantly check on you while playing this game? Would this cause any stutter or issues with the game? Basically is steam running in the background worse then not running it in the background?

You must be joking, do you worry about playing games with windows live messenger in the background? or your firewall? A PC is not a smartphone, it's meant to run many many things at the same time.

 

[dionysus]

Yes, but to be 100% Steam-free, he'll have to avoid all games that use Steamworks.

Very true, thank you for pointing out that nuance. But still, the existence of steamworks only games doesn't make PC gaming a close system controlled by steam. Steamworks is a great service and until someone offers something better (for free too right?) we will probably see more and more games adopting it for their multiplayer. But my main point is that Steam is not turning the PC into a close console environment like the OP seems to be asking.

 

[epmode]

I remember worrying about the resources thing back on my Pentium. Things have changed.

 

[brain_stew]

So I guess it is possible to game without Steam IF you don't play the Valve titles or Civ 5.

And more than 100 other titles (and growing), sure.

There is times my pc may not have internet connection, so I was wondering if using steam would be a problem with no internet connection.

Of course it won't, Steam has a fully functional offline mode, just be sure to save your login credentials and activate it on first run and you'll be fine.

Is it possible to slim down what is running in the background on a Windows 7 64 bit OS?

It is, but its not like its going to make much of a tangible difference. Windows 7 has fantastic memory/resource/multi threading management. Having background tasks running is no longer seen as a dirty thing in the PC gaming world. Our PCs have lot of spare CPU and memory resources even while gaming, your GPU is almost always going to be your bottleneck, these days.

 

[water_wendi]

Yes.

 

[sflufan]

What games use steamworks? Does this mean you would have to have steam on your pc anyway?

Fallout: New Vegas
Civilization V
CoD: Modern Warfare 2
CoD: Black Ops
Just Cause 2
Metro 2033
Darksiders
Saints Row 2
R.U.S.E.
Supreme Commander 2
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II - Retribution
Shank
Brink
Torchlight
Trine
Empire: Total War
Napoleon: Total War
Mafia II
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Rage

And about 100 others....

Yes, you will need to install Steam to play these.

 

[duckroll]

You can play PC games without Steam, sure. You cannot be a true PC gamer without Steam.

 

[itxaka]

I've suddenly been transported to the 1990s haven't I?

No, Steam running in the background isn't going to make your games stutter. :lol

Your PC will usually be running more than 50 different processes in the background when you're playing a game anyway, Steam or no Steam.

Yes it will. It has had a lot of leaking bugs in the past and it still sucks. I can run crysis with no problems almost at max but when steam starts it just freezes, hangs and takes 40 seconds to appear. Not mentioning, hung ups, not launching, or plain blocking your pc.

They need to make steam much more lighter, doesn't matter how much power do you have, it still bloated as fuck and it gets on my nerves every time I launch it.


Still I use it everyday, of course, steam is awesome, impulse is awesome, gamersgate is allrigth (Don't like their webpage). But gaming on PC is much more than Steam. Is CDRoms, is old games (GOG or physical), is buying directly from Publishers like EA or Eidos UK.

 

[WanderingWind]

You can also walk with no legs, but it's not really optimal.

 

[John]

dude, steam is just a store. sometimes they have the best prices, sometimes they don't.

 

[epmode]

They need to make steam much more lighter, doesn't matter how much power do you have, it still bloated as fuck and it gets on my nerves every time I launch it.

Steam running in the background (ie. with no open windows) only takes 10-20 megabytes on my Win 7 64 bit system. I guess I have a different definition of "bloated as fuck" since that seems pretty reasonable to me.