I seem to recall a few months back it being mentioned that 1C Publishing was wanting to implement Steam, and then in the Igromir videos Steam implementation was quite obvious. They didn't just drop this on us. It's at very least been hinted at for awhile now.

I don't honestly think this is a Ubisoft decision I think this was 1C Publishings decision. That would also make sense why just a few days ago Ilya could say with such confidence that it would be available globally on 3/25. I am starting to think that Ubisoft is ONLY handling boxed copies, and if that is the case I will give as much of my money to 1C Maddox as possible by buying the Steam version of the game.

Very few of them will actually not get it. Steam is fine, and eventually they will come to realise that. I've been through this before with recalcitrant gamers refusing to use it... until they did.

And Steam will ensure the game is seen by millions, without expensive advertising. Losing 6 sales on the banana forums but gaining several hundred thousand on Steam is a no-brainer.

I'm sorry to see anyone decide to miss out because they are afraid of what will be the standard way to buy games within the next 5 years, and the only way within 10, but if you don't like the future, you don't have to go there. Some people will never accept change. It's a pity.

Barking at Ubisoft (while not unreasonable in 99% of the cases ;) ) is wrong this time. 1C is the big proponent of STEAM and either Oleg or Ilya did drop hints a few weeks back that STEAM would be involved some way or another.

I'm somewhat ambivalent towards STEAM myself. I use it and never had issues, and quite frankly it made things a lot easier for me when I was seriously ill in 2008/2009 and only had a notebook to play with, but I also don't necessarily like having yet another software running in the background. I do not necessarily see advantages for CoD apart from the additional revenue for 1C, since I consider this "going online for playing offline" trend of late a major PITA of every honest customer.

Amen.

I purchased IL-2 on Steam and I launch it through Steam. Just like every other game I buy. I was a little worried that I wasn't going to be able to purchase CloD on Steam. I'm happy about the announcement. I recently purchased DCS A-10. It was the first game in a couple years that I didn't buy from the service. I really wish I could have gotten it on Steam. It would have made downloading and installing it much more convenient. I know most of the anti-steam crowd will just cover their ears and hum, but it really is the future. I'll be amazed if 5-10 years from now you'll still be able to buy physical copies of PC games and that's fine with me. I hope by then you will have joined us. IL-2 will probably be looking pretty old by then.

# of buyers because of Steam > # of boycotters.

But Breakfastmachine we are just kiddies buying the next big shiny thing! It's not like we over at SA have been playing IL-2 for years or anything. :smug:

@JG53Uther Inane gibberish assuming that someone who uses Steam is a kiddie that has no interest in flight sims beyond some toddler's attention span is asinine. Losing a few people that are unwilling to move forward while increasing 1C's profitability and opening it up to a market of 30 million user's day one is a fair trade. If you are going to mope and call foul because you can't face the future than it is your loss. Before you get offended remember you are the one that started the name calling here.

If you're required to have Steam to play offline then I'm not buying. What does it have to do with the game anyway? Why do I want to have a third party program running on my machine at all? The quiet acceptance of giving away your personal information to anyone who pays for it, which you agree to when you sign up to steam just beggars belief. Steam may be benign now but will it always be?

Yes it will, the growth has been beyond exponential and it allows developers to skip the whole physical distribution aspect. PC gaming = lower profit margins and for those looking for games more than a console port, higher output time. Look at movie rentals or music distribution, itunes, netflix.

Other services will come up and try to compete is my prediction, but steam is here to stay. What many are experiencing is a generational gap (i made it up). That moment where you begin to hate the way things have changed and liked it better before. "Today's music sucks, today's ADD console kids are spoiled, cartoons were better in the 80's etc etc.

In my limited experience with life, it's easier and more rewarding to accept technological change than it is to fight it.

It says CLEARLY that they do not give away your personal information. Quit being melodramatic.

VVVVV Urp sorry about that JG52Uther. Yeah there are some young people, but it's not fair to assume that all young people are weak willed. VVVVVV

Not sure if this is aimed at me because thats not my name but: I have steam,use steam (for RO and DH) but stand by my view that steam is full of kiddies whose attention span only lasts until the next game is released...
:)