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Steam Versions Batman:AA/AC & Bioshock 2 Adding Achievements, Removing GFWL/Securom?

Maxwood

Oh rock of ages, do not crumble, love is breathing still. Oh lady moon shine down, a little people magic if you will.
I just verified the integrity of the game's cache and GFWL is still there. As soon as I launched the game immediately started installing the Minerva's Den patch, which is par for the course as the Steam version is out of date and has been for over a year now.

Go to your game's main directory and see if there's not a file titled "xlive.dll". If it's there then there's still GFWL integrated into the game.
Third time I booted up the game GFWL was magicly there. :(
Ah, well.

Maybe I forgot to save, or it has to do with GFWL missing, but I had no savegames. And it started crashing while checking for DLC. After allowing steam to backup saves to the cloud it works, though. :/
 
How many times can you install Arkham Asylum and City?

I think it's five. I had no idea what Securom was until a year or so ago. I had already used up two installations of City before I found out. There are tools out there to revoke the system, but if you reformat without using the tool, you are fucked. Pure insanity that that garbage even exists.
 

M*A*S*H

Member
Wasn't that the entire point of Retribution, though?

Different campaigns. But, yes it would be odd. Can't see why else you'd update it though.

Relic is now owned by Sega and they have already retroactively made CoH 1 Steamworks.

Who owns the 40k franchise rights now?

Well slitherine does have a 40k licence, but no one's saying whether or not it's exclusive. It would seem fairly daft not to have relic make a dow3 though. Time will tell.
 

ArjanN

Member
Soon you'll run out of options I'm afraid.

This made me go and look at wikipedia and I was kind of surprised there are only 73 games with GFWL

This includes several 'doubles' as well, like Batman AA and Batman AA GOTY edition, Bioshock 2 and the russian version of Bioshock 2 etc.

Also, a couple of those games have dropped GFWL already like Gotham City Imposters and Toy Soldiers.

Dawn of War 2 is a daily today. If they tore out GFWL, today would be a good day to do it.

The latest version, Retribution, already has steamworks instead of GFWL.
 

Grief.exe

Member
This made me go and look at wikipedia and I was kind of surprised there are only 73 games with GFWL

This includes several 'doubles' as well, like Batman AA and Batman AA GOTY edition, Bioshock 2 and the russian version of Bioshock 2 etc.

Also, a couple of those games have dropped GFWL already like Gotham City Imposters and Toy Soldiers.

Still sad that Microsoft had to taint an entire decade of gaming.

Some serious classics like Dark Souls are going to be forever tainted, and potentially unplayable at one point because of their DRM.
 

Bluth54

Member
GTA has



Dont get hasty. My bet is AO will drop GFWL for Steamworks, I remember seeing some evidence for this but I am in a car right now.
Yeah the Green Man Gaming page for Arkham Origins shows that the game requires Steam, so it's pretty likely it's Steamworks.


My guess is GFWL is about to be flushed down the toilet, and the developers want these games to continue working as they should (probably still make some nice money for them, especially during sales).

Does make me wonder if my theory is true what will happen to games that don't get patched to remove GFWL .....

I kinda wonder what will happen to Fallout 3, that's a pretty big game that uses GfWL and I'm sure still sells a decent number of copies during sales.
 

Big_Al

Unconfirmed Member
You can actually patch out GFWL from Fallout 3 right now.

Last time I installed Fallout 3 and checked it didn't even load GFWL up and you could start a game, save etc without using it at all. If you press the HOME button it appears but it never once prompted me to use it.
 
I wonder, what are the chances of Steam having a "no more GFWL!" sale with all the former GFWL games once (if) GFWL finally bites the dust?
 

Grief.exe

Member
None of the games I'm keeping a close eye on were updated today

Batman: AA/AC
Bioshock 2
DayZ
KOFXIII

The latter 2 aren't related to this thread though.
 

Darkangel

Member
I'm in the complete minority here, but I'll actually miss GFWL.

I enjoyed the xbox-shared achievements and never really had any issues with it.

I never used it for multiplayer or DLC though...
 

Bulk_Rate

Member
Thanks for bringing this to my attention OP! I may actually finish Batman: AA if this comes to pass. Good stuff, potentially.

I gave up on GFWL when it failed to register my achievement for finishing Dark Souls.
 

Poona

Member
I hope it's optional. As much hate as GFWL gets, I never really had problems with it and I like being able to add to my existing gamerscore.

Yeah, I have no problems with it, and find it a cool bonus (did have to download the latest client from the Xbox site though as the one installed with arkham city was old and wouldn't work on windows 8 for me). Don't want them to remove it if can be an option.

Definitely remove securom though! Had no idea what it was about, but have had a few problems with my computer and got up to reinstalling arkham city the other day and it said I can only do it 3 more times. What? What happens when I get new computers or possibly have to format again? I can't play the game anymore? Stupid! Now that needs to be gotten rid of.
 

Sentenza

Member
I enjoyed the xbox-shared achievements and never really had any issues with it.
Yes, you did, you're just unaware of it.
Every time a game didn't receive even the minimum amount of post-release support or every time a patch took months to fix minor issues in a GFWL-tied game, there are good chances you have Microsoft and their policies on the service to thank.

P.S. every single time someone mentions his gamerscore or GFWL achievements as something to care about I feel the urge to kick a puppy.
 

Grief.exe

Member
I love getting achievements
but it fucks over everyone else
Ya but achievements

I love achievements, but I really could care less if it means I can reliably play my games in the future. GFWL is hardly reliable right now.
 

Syntax

Member
Install enhanced Steam or check out PC gaming wiki's big list of DRM before purchase.

How up-to-date is Enhanced Steam? I usually just check the PCGamingWIki or SteamDB but after looking at Enhanced Steam's site and reading online about it, I'm curious to give it a try.

Would I have to log in for it to be worthwhile or could I just load it into a browser and have access to the 3RD Party DRM feature?
 
So are they removing Securom?

I bought Batman without realizing it had Securom and never installed it. That's how much I hate atrocious DRM. Such a waste of money. I'll never play the game.
 

Grief.exe

Member
How up-to-date is Enhanced Steam? I usually just check the PCGamingWIki or SteamDB but after looking at Enhanced Steam's site and reading online about it, I'm curious to give it a try.

Would I have to log in for it to be worthwhile or could I just load it into a browser and have access to the 3RD Party DRM feature?

He seems to update it almost daily, also a GAFFer as well.

So are they removing Securom?

I bought Batman without realizing it had Securom and never installed it. That's how much I hate atrocious DRM. Such a waste of money. I'll never play the game.

Just speculation on my part.
 

v0rtikal

Member
well, Ultra Street Fighter IV is listed as "Steam", no more GFWL logo. Also, this will be offered as DLC so I think it's safe to say that gfwl is going down sooner than later.
 

Grief.exe

Member
well, Ultra Street Fighter IV is listed as "Steam", no more GFWL logo. Also, this will be offered as DLC so I think it's safe to say that gfwl is going down sooner than later.

That is because Capcom dropped GFWL from their newer titles though.

Most likely due to slow sales on GFWL titles.
 

hlhbk

Member
So are they removing Securom?

I bought Batman without realizing it had Securom and never installed it. That's how much I hate atrocious DRM. Such a waste of money. I'll never play the game.

Man you are missing out. DRM should not be a reason to miss out on that amazing game.
 

Grief.exe

Member
Man you are missing out. DRM should not be a reason to miss out on that amazing game.

I can wait, there are plenty of excellent games on PC that don't screw the consumer over by adding in DRM.

When they remove DRM, then they can have my money.
 

Grief.exe

Member
Almost every non-indie game does screw the consumer over by adding in DRM.

The vast majority of games released on PC actually have no DRM associated with them at all.

Publishers are starting to realize that riddling a game with DRM actually vastly reduces the sales numbers for a particular title, and has no effect on the piracy rate whatsoever.
If you look at games released in 2013, very few have GFWL, Securom, Tages, etc. In fact, the number is approaching zero.

It is arguable that Steam could be construed as DRM. I personally would say that it is just a download client and not DRM. The Steam client can be taken offline indefinitely and it will have no effect on your ability to play your games.
 

szaromir

Banned
The vast majority of games released on PC actually have no DRM associated with them at all.

Publishers are starting to realize that riddling a game with DRM actually vastly reduces the sales numbers for a particular title, and has no effect on the piracy rate whatsoever.
If you look at games released in 2013, very few have GFWL, Securom, Tages, etc. In fact, the number is approaching zero.

It is arguable that Steam could be construed as DRM. I personally would say that it is just a download client and not DRM. The Steam client can be taken offline indefinitely and it will have no effect on your ability to play your games.
If a game requires an online activation, it uses DRM. If a game requires a third party client to run, it uses DRM. No two ways around it. So yeah, most non-indie games have a DRM scheme added in.
 

Eusis

Member
It is arguable that Steam could be construed as DRM. I personally would say that it is just a download client and not DRM. The Steam client can be taken offline indefinitely and it will have no effect on your ability to play your games.
Actually I could argue that it's more literally DRM than the other methods: Digital Rights Management. You buy a game, you have it under an account, and so Steam is a system of managing who owns what. The fact it doesn't take it significantly further is why it's so much more appealing than those methods that basically just go "fuck you" to some extent.
 

JakeD

Member
i played through both batmans on ps3. every sale i am tempted to double dip and get them on steam. only thing holding me back is the sketchy DRM. i really hope this happens.
 
My guess is GFWL is about to be flushed down the toilet, and the developers want these games to continue working as they should (probably still make some nice money for them, especially during sales).

Does make me wonder if my theory is true what will happen to games that don't get patched to remove GFWL .....

RE5 needs to remove it.
 
Steam fucked up my other games folder for some reason and after changing it now my Batman AA is FUCKED (strangely City is alright).

Hopefully this shit is finished soon.
 

Nabs

Member
Minerva's Den is creeping closer. Yesterday we got a retail sub for both Bioshock 2 and MD. Today it got added as Bioshock 2 DLC in the registry.

I'm excited to see what happens.
 
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