Valve Takes on Piracy With Free, Pre-Packaged Game Publishing Tools

Heartless Gamer writes "Valve is rocking the boat in a big way, especially for PC gaming piracy. They have just announced the release of a complete collection of publisher tools, called Steamworks. They're making it available to developers and publishers completely free. Valve notes that beyond simply making the product available to consumers some of the tools can integrate copy protection, social networking services, or even server browsing features into a developing game."

Finally!

[PopeGumby]

social networking services

After all these years, my dreams of playing as a violent, gun-toting, car-stealing, cop-killing psycopath who uses MySpace to invite all his BFFs to his Sweet-16 party is coming true.

As a longtime XboxLive user, I'd prefer it if they were reducing the amount of social networking in games, rather than increasing it.

Finally!-GTA meets Myspace.

[Anonymous Coward]

"After all these years, my dreams of playing as a violent, gun-toting, car-stealing, cop-killing psycopath who uses MySpace to invite all his BFFs to his Sweet-16 party is coming true."

Oh I don't know. That actually would rock with GTA. Me and my hommies could come over and trash your place, steal your car, and date your sister.

Smart one

[obeythefist]

Because copy protection has never been broken before, making it free will mean that game copying will stop forever. Just like how DRM ceased all music and video copyright infringement.

Re:Valve and piracy

[Xinef Jyinaer]

By your logic I could sell you Space Invaders for an infinite amount of money since there is no ending. There is always a score left in which you can beat, unless you never stop playing (never die).

Re:Valve and piracy

[richy freeway]

You haven't even got to the cake! You've got a fair bit more gaming to do yet. The first 18 chambers are merely practice for the best bit.

Re:Valve and piracy

[DrunkenOaf]

I judge a game based on how long my initial play-through of the single-player game takes (if it's a single-player game, at any rate). I consider that to be a fair, relatively impartial standard.

So do you also judge movies by how long they are, and books by how many pages they have? It might be impartial, but it sure as hell doesn't make The Da Vinci Code better than, say, Of Mice And Men.

Re:Valve and piracy

[Some_Llama]

WHAAAAA?!?!