Also this is completely false.

Awesome news re: steam - Preordering! 

@Bionicman, archiving may not be used in your corner of the world but for those of us who have limited downloads per month the archive function is essential!

You dont need internet connection to play games via Steam.

Also if developer/publisher choose to, even Steamworks game can be without any DRM and can be run without need to have Steam running at the same time - for example Crusader Kings 2 - made by Paradox and release yesterday.

Archiving is nice. I tried it to restore Sins after a format. Completely useless chunk-blowing system. Meanwhile all steam wants to do after re-install, is re-add required packages like Direct X and Visual C.

Mandatory updates? They can be disabled on a per-game basis for your convenience. 

As has been mentioned later, internet connectivity and even the steam running requirement is entirely up to the developer.

Every game in history will be, and has always been, pirated. That's just the reality of the situation. Consider the fact that steam has managed to revitalize the gaming industry on PC because they make it easy to be a legitimate consumer, coupled with the fact that download speeds are blazing fast.

Even if it takes you ten-twenty hours to download a title, it's still faster than ordering a physical copy of the internet. With my internet speed, and the lack of retail outlets that sell games in my area, it's actually faster for me to download through steam than it is to get a physical disc, by any method.

If Steam truly is a DRM platform, as you claim, then pray tell why games like Assassins Creed have publisher DRM up the ass, on top of steam?

My problem with Steam is the required internet connection to play games each time I start.  Offline mode does not work well or at all most of the time.  The other issue is that I had a problem with my account and it was locked out.  I had just purchased Skyrim and was very interested in playing the game I just purchased now.  Guess what?  No access to account means I get to play no game.  So like any other reasonable human I created another account so I can play what I paid for.  Later I asked if Steam can join the 2 accounts after it took them 3 days to clear up and they told me to just take a long walk of a short cliff.

Steam will never get another dime of my money (or the publishers that use them exclusively) until they make themselves more flexible!

And while we are opinions here, I grudgingly still purchase games on Impulse/GameStop because they are a lot more flexible and easier than Steam!  At least when I open that client it defaults to my games instead of a sales page and I can launch and installed game without having to LOGIN every time!

Yeah - some funny comments in that thread given the current situation. I personally have no major issues with Steam and welcomed being able to get Rebellion on it and ditching GameStop Impulse altogether. So far the only differences I've noticed in using Steamworks vs. Impulse are the steam achievements (nice but nothing I care about all that much) and the ability to invite friends with ease into your game. I haven't noticed anything else beyond what ICO had prior with Trinity. Maybe full release will add more MP features than the beta has currently? It might be asking too much to expect an actual automatch/elo ladder system but most RTS using steamworks (or most RTS with MP period) have one. The limitations would be whether there are enough MP players to warrant it and finding a way to streamline the various options (game speeds, game modes (1v1, 2v2, 5v5, etc), pirates on/off, victory conditions, etc.) in such a way that you can meet enough players in a search for a match. I thought the whole point in incorporating steamworks for MP was to add features like that but maybe automatch is just not viable for this game.

Yes, setting options are good ways to configure things, but what is wrong with me wanting a different client that I prefer to use?  In my opinion noone has done it better than how GOG does it.  I am not against clients, just want to have a choice.  If StarDock changes their mind I will be happy to provide my financial support.