It functions as a replacement for DRM. It gathers data on the user, verifies that you own the game, and is pretty invasive... but at least you know that when you install it. And you get pretty good deals on games, so it's a better trade off than letting other companies put funky DRM on your comp, like Sony and Microsoft.

Valve also doesn't have another interest other than making sure you own the game, while Sony and Microsoft want to know more about your comp specs and stuff, for their own ends. Plus, you get unlimited DLs of a product, while other DRMs restrict you to like 2-3.

 

Steam is a form of DRM, true, but unlike most other companies, I trust Valve with it. That and it's completely up-front about what it does, and adds value to the user as well (free updates, achievements, portability of games, discounts every once in a while).

 

How? Motion control? Peripherals?

Sure lets forget about the scores of peripherals and motion based controls that have come out over the years and just give Nintendo the credit for that shit.



Somebody has an idea and they create it, somebody copies and improves it, over and over again. That's progress. If nobody did this, Benz & Cie. would be the only car company.

Was the Wii Remote a step forward in motion based peripherals? Absolutely. But at the same time it's stuck on a system that is lacking in practically every way compared to the 360 and PS3.

Sony just took the basic idea of the Wiimote, improved it slightly and moved it to a superior system where it can be used for current and future hardcore titles like Socom (in addition to fluff and shovelware that are guaranteed to follow.)

As for Microsoft's Kinect, it's a rip off of the Sony Eyetoy, but at the end of the day it's far more advanced and versatile... which is pretty much the only thing people give a shit about.

 

Shame Microsoft wasted their time exclusively showing how it can be used in casual games.