For those who don't know I'm in South Africa, which happens to be very much mixed between first and third world. You can go from areas with 5 star hotels and anything you can get in the US or Europe to areas nearby which don't even have running water in houses. I'm pretty well off but sometimes I come up with other frustrations that most other furs probably don't even realise. So this is my little rant about the internet.
Internet in South Africa sucks (122nd out of 180 countries). I've at times had to struggle to explain to US furs that my internet is capped, that there is a maximum amount of data I can transfer per month. Last year I think it was either 5 or 8 gigs a month. Just think of that and how much data it takes just browsing everything, updating, playing on-line and, especially, downloading games. You'd run out in no time. That's one of the major reasons I'm very anti-Steam. Downloading a game might work in the US but when a game is a 5 gig download and that's all you get per month it's just not a realistic system.
This year my internet got upgraded to uncapped. Now I can download as much as I want, which is great. However then I run into problem 2, connection speed. This is very important for large downloads and gaming on-line (both of which I basically gave up on years ago). My connection speed for the last few years has been 0,37mbps. It would literally take me days if I had tried to download a game. That's supposed to increase this year to 1mbps, three times faster.
The fastest internet in SA is apparently 10mbps but the average speed is 3,4mbps. I'm definitely below average for here but globally it looks even more ridiculous. The global broadband average is 12,7mbps! The fastest speed in the country is below the global average.
I suppose I can't expect game companies to necessarily pay attention to a tiny market here but at least you can understand why I dislike things like Steam and what things are like elsewhere.
I'm not really sure why you dislike Steam. Yes, you have to download the games, but it's not Valve's fault, it's your ISP's fault that they limit you. I come from a shitty country in Europe that in some villages, people don't even have electricity. Nonetheless, some games can be bought from retail stores. They come with a DVD and you can install the game(s) directly from the DVDs. Then just activate them on Steam (of course, if they use Steamworks) and enjoy playing them in no time. I hope your bandwidth will be upgraded soon, 0,37 mbps is just inhumane...
I'm not really sure why you dislike Steam. Yes, you have to download the games, but it's not Valve's
That's just one of the reasons I dislike Steam. I suppose it all really boils down to their insistence on having internet. Even if you buy from retail you still have to use internet to verify it and probably then update it, which can be hundreds of megs again. If you don't have internet then you are pretty much screwed. Some games even require you to have a constant internet connection as you play. It's not hard to imagine a situation where someone might not have internet. Let's say someone is pressed for money so they can't afford internet. Basically they now aren't allowed to save up for a game because even if they bought it at retail they can't activate it. The worst part is that none of that internet use is necessary for the game to work. You should be able to buy it, install it and play it without ever needing the internet.
That's just one of the reasons I dislike Steam. I suppose it all really boils down to their insisten
Well, you're partially right about the "must have Internet" part, in my opinion. But this is also a security measure against cracks and piracy. The game has to connect to an activation server to confirm that everything is fine and in order. But now another thing comes to my mind: if someone can't afford internet, they wouldn't afford to buy videogames either...
Well, you're partially right about the "must have Internet" part, in my opinion. But this is also a
If it's a security measure then it sucks. I know all those games have been cracked and they are cracked days after going out. Not only does it fail at being a security measure but for some people, like me, it actively discourages against buying games. I almost bought Assassin's Creed 2. I was holding the box in the shop but it wanted a permanent internet connection during play. That is the reason I didn't buy it.
You could definitely afford a game even without internet. As I pointed out earlier an internet subscription means a constant monthly cost. You save up for a game and it's a once-off payment. A game costs the same as a couple months of internet. They can also get cheaper games second hand, on specials or as presents. When I was a kid I could save money to buy a game (and I used to) but I couldn't save money fast enough to keep paying an internet bill.
If it's a security measure then it sucks. I know all those games have been cracked and they are crac
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