Steam should force games to disclose if they require an always online connection

[Charember]

Before you say something like "oh you're online 90% of the time anyways, who cares, shut up and move on", my counterpoint would be the Steam Deck. For example, if someone's taking a vacation in the countryside where there's no internet or poor internet, they can't play those games anymore until they get back to somewhere with better Wi-Fi. Having no SIM card trays means that the steam deck would require network tethering from a mobile phone to play those online games, which could have a data limit for the pre-paid cards often purchased by tourists. They'd have to choose between playing an online game and keeping their phones online. This leads to unnecessary frustration, people demanding refunds and wastes the support staff's time. Making companies disclose their always online requirements shifts the burden onto game publishers instead, and creates a better experience for customers.

[Nemiz]

I agree 100%

[Start_Running]

Can you give an example of such a game?

[Cathulhu]

The newer Hitman games for example.
Or Quantum Break.

[Charember]

Also Outriders, Elite Dangerous and the upcoming Godfall. Games that have single player modes but somehow require always-on DRM.

[Nx Machina]

Offline mode and you should already be aware of which of your games require online.

[Charember]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Offline mode and you should already be aware of which of your games require online.

Which the customer wouldn't know before purchasing. Which is the point of my post.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by Charember:

Which the customer wouldn't know before purchasing. Which is the point of my post.

Research a product before you buy by visiting Youtube or reading articles etc on websites about that game/s.

Secondly Valve will not force developers nor do they need to hold someone's hand who cannot help themself. We do after all live in the information age.

[76561198407601200]

Originally posted by Charember:

Also Outriders, Elite Dangerous and the upcoming Godfall. Games that have single player modes but somehow require always-on DRM.

If you look at the system requirements for all of those games listed, it does list broadband connection. That will apply for any game that requires internet connection to play.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by Charember:

Also Outriders, Elite Dangerous and the upcoming Godfall. Games that have single player modes but somehow require always-on DRM.

As i said in my previous post - research.

Elite Dangerous does not have an "offline" mode, it was canned before release and i have played Elite Dangerous since release.

The single player mode literally means you will not encounter other players in that mode while online.

https://www.pcgamesn.com/elite-dangerous/david-braben-explains-why-elite-dangerous-offline-mode-was-fired-into-the-sun

https://gamerant.com/elite-dangerous-offline-mode/

On the store page under features - mmo.


Other examples:

Vermintide 2 - online co-op.

Battlefield V - Online PVP, Online co-op.

[RiO]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Originally posted by Charember:

Which the customer wouldn't know before purchasing. Which is the point of my post.

Research a product before you buy by visiting Youtube or reading articles etc on websites about that game/s.

Can you honestly with a straight face state that you believe reviewers consistently make a talking point of that particular aspect and the presence or non-presence thereof? Or bring it up at all - let alone consistently?

You'd be better served asking actual owners of a license and copy of the game whether it runs offline or not. Which isn't always an option either. (In particular with the bane of modern triple-A gaming: pre-order offers.)

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Secondly Valve will not force developers nor do they need to hold someone's hand who cannot help themself. We do after all live in the information age.

They literally do require developers to make mention of the existence of third party license agreements; third party account registration requirements; and third party DRM. Likely because certain areas of the world actually have a legal demand to report that information to consumers. But Valve forces developers to adhere to it nonetheless. They only rely on Steam's user base to do the active policing and hit the Report button on the game's store page.

[Supafly]

Tend to find out when reading up on games. Even then it'd be nice to be included in a games store page.

[davidb11]

I thought always online would be kind of shown on the store page regardless.
Would make sense.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by RiO:

Can you honestly with a straight face state that you believe reviewers consistently make a talking point of that particular aspect and the presence or non-presence thereof? Or bring it up at all - let alone consistently?

I was referring to multiple sources, not a singular reviewer so what point are you trying to make?

Originally posted by RiO:

You'd be better served asking actual owners of a license and copy of the game whether it runs offline or not. Which isn't always an option either. (In particular with the bane of modern triple-A gaming: pre-order offers.)

Which would be people who also write well informed reviews and also make well informed Youtube videos. Again multiple sources.

As for your second point.

Originally posted by RiO:

They literally do require developers to make mention of the existence of third party license agreements; third party account registration requirements; and third party DRM. Likely because certain areas of the world actually have a legal demand to report that information to consumers. But Valve forces developers to adhere to it nonetheless. They only rely on Steam's user base to do the active policing and hit the Report button on the game's store page.

There is a VAST difference between "force" developers (the OP's stance) and the fact that information regarding online is already on the store page but you do so like to add extra unneeded context not relevant to the OP.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by RiO:

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Research a product before you buy by visiting Youtube or reading articles etc on websites about that game/s.

Can you honestly with a straight face state that you believe reviewers consistently make a talking point of that particular aspect and the presence or non-presence thereof? Or bring it up at all - let alone consistently?

Reviewers aren't the only source for research.
Research can also involve, you know, asking on the forums.
In fact I've personally found that to be one of the best sources of information.

Originally posted by RiO:

You'd be better served asking actual owners of a license and copy of the game whether it runs offline or not. Which isn't always an option either. (In particular with the bane of modern triple-A gaming: pre-order offers.)

Now here's the thing. WHat do you do if the information is not available and is important to you?
Sane people would just decline to purchase until the information is available.
There's also actually just asking the dev/pubs directly.

VAlve can't actually force. THey can make strong recommendations based on the legal requirements in certain regions. I.e if you don't disclose this we can't sell your product in X regions.

[Hanomaly]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Vermintide 2 - online co-op.

Battlefield V - Online PVP, Online co-op.


Working as intended.

Except Vermintide 2 is also marked as *Single Player*.
Which doesn't make one think you *have to be online* to play a single player game.

Alternative example Borderlands 3 is also marked Online Co-op, AND Single Player. And you can play Single Player *off line*. Obviously to play the Online Co-op you must be online... no one is saying that's not obvious.

However when a game also says "Single Player" it would be nice if there was an added flag that warned someone "This game has single player mode, but even in Single Player mode you must be online!"

You know?

Right now there is no way to tell the difference between these sorts of games in the Steam Store.