While I generally agree with the whole 'long-term rental' definition, that won't stop me from buying games there at the right price (not just zero); one just has to keep out a watchful eye for specials. I may never going to be in love with Steam, but I tolerate it to a degree. There are quite a few really good games I would have missed out on otherwise. There are principles and then there's hurting yourself for no good reason. *shrug*

Thanks a lot. All my games are getting excited with this new game to keep them company in the backlog.

That's the point of seeing it as a rental.

If you see it as a rental then for the right price it becomes a very good deal, better than most rentals.

That said, I do prefer to support DRM free games so if a game is available on GOG (where I can be sure it is DRM free, unlike other retailers where I have to check individual games) it makes the price I am willing to buy it on Steam even lower as I would intend to buy it on GOG eventually and thus the Steam rental would have a definite end instead of an indefinite one.

Wow.. Dead Space, Plants vs Zombies, Battlefied 3 from EA Origin...

Red Orchestra 2, Arma, now Sniper Elite V2 from Steam..

That's certainly a great way to attract new customers, when will Uplay join the bandwagon? :I'm all for it.. ^^

I'd infinitely prefer it to be on GOG instead, but thanks for the heads up, I know someone who'll be real happy about this.

Sniper Elite V2 looks pretty awesome, I just fired it up at 2560x1600 with all the effects cranked. The Bullet-time style bullet shots with X-Ray vision are wicked awesome.

Steam? No fuck no, not even for free. I do not want any trojan horse on my PC, and Steam *is* a trojan horse full of digital shit.

What do you think steam does that qualifies it as a "Trojan horse"?

Hahaha. That was a mistake XD I'm helpless without spellcheck, Which doesn't tell me if I've used the wrong word (Humorous faceplam).

Let me fix this. I wrote own instead of own instead owe by mistake in my thanks. Sorry for the confusion :)

Don't worry... Everyone want a piece of me. I don't blame you, some people really think they own me. When in reality they can only have a little bit of my affection. :)
(I didn't even notice that at first ;p)

There's not much to own when it comes to Stooner, just a few worthless bones. :p

That's the thing. You can't own. (also, you're looking in the wrong parts, try lower...)

My cat thinks he own me. But actually, he may be right...

A rental implies that at some point I'll have to return the games that I have. So please inform me when I will be returning my games to Steam and if you please, have some facts to back it up.

It's a SURPRISE.

That's the beauty of it.

Ownership means I still own the product even if (among other things) the retailer runs out of business.

If Steam ever runs out of business there is no guarantee that I will be able to play my Steam games anymore. It's a possibility (them removing the DRM beforehand) but it is not a guarantee and as such there exists a scenario where I can be denied the enjoyment of a product I paid for even though I nominally would still "own"* it.

As long as such a scenario exists I cannot be said to own said product and thus the best it can be is a long term rental.

For a rental it's a good deal (at the right price) compared with returning it after a few days but a years long rental is still a rental.

You're of course free to view such an arrangement as ownership, just like I am free to view is as a rental, I just hope for your sake that Steam goes out of business after you die (hopefully of old age after a fulfilling life :)) or that they eventually drop DRM (like Apple did for music) before that.

BTW, the same goes for me as I have Steam games too.

* Technically we own licenses to it.