Allen
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,839
Ohio USA
Quote
Steam will no longer work on Windows 7 and 8 systems starting from January 2024
Valve confirms their popular game distribution platform will no longer accept Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems starting from next year.
The storefront from Valve was first released in 2003 as a game launcher and automatic update tool for Valve games. However, the company quickly realized that the software could as easily support 3rd party publishers. This is how the most popular gaming platform started.
In 2018, Valve announced it would no longer support Windows XP and Windows Vista. The support for these systems was dropped in 2019. Today Valve announced it will no longer support Microsoft Windows 7 and 8 starting from January 1st, 2024
I'm a Steam fanboy. For example, I just bought a second copy of "Assassin's Creed Valhalla" (on sale) because it has been released on Steam.
Their move makes sense to me -- but, it will negatively affect a few of us.
As previously mentioned, valid W10Pro and W11Pro keys can be had for under $20. And, AMD 5000 series CPUs, Motherboards, and Memory play any game well and are cheap now - if a system update is required.
I'm not a Steam fanboy at all and would be happy if you could still buy games on CD or DVD today, not just a note in the box with the link to Steam!
I think it's actually just outrageous how customers are treated today. Steam still sells titles that only run on Windows XP really error-free and does not give a #%&*$# about how people should get these games to run on Windows 10.
There is not even a simple client that still runs on older systems and only allows downloading and launching them, without gratuitous rest of the client, so that I can at least use these old games on a retro system!
I'm curious when people will wake up, maybe when support for Windows 10 & 11 will also be discontinued in a few years and all the now new games in the library will also no longer run or even be downloadable.
All you invest today is money for nothing a few years from now!
But wait, yes we all know you never own the games, only the right to play them as long as the developer/producer or even Steam allows you to. What a BS! I would like to see how people would react if other things, such as a car, were the same. I bought the games and didn't rent them for a while.
From a business viewpoint it probably makes sense. The April 2023 Steam survey suggests that only 1.67 % still use Win7 and Win 8. But yeah, it's gonna suck for those that want to play older games.
I guess that's what GoG is good for, assuming the games you want to play are in their library.
Does this really mean you can play Skyrim without steam, even on Win7? Skyrim at GOG This is what it says: "DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play. " I bought the retail disk a long time ago and haven't played it yet mostly because I hate steam. Now I dislike them even more since they are dropping support for Win7. Could you imagine being halfway through the game and one day the Steam window pops up and says "Sorry Charlie! Get a New Computer." You look at the fine print of the agreement and sure enough, they reserve the right to change the requirements (from what was on the box) any time they want .
"There is nothing wrong with laziness. The old saying 'The early bird gets the worm', just goes to show you the worm should have stayed in bed. So, when I volunteered for WW II, I signed up to be a fighter pilot because it was a sittin' down job." -- Robert Heinlein
Okay, thanks a lot Chucky. I had to double check. It seemed to good to be true. It's on sale for $16.49.
"There is nothing wrong with laziness. The old saying 'The early bird gets the worm', just goes to show you the worm should have stayed in bed. So, when I volunteered for WW II, I signed up to be a fighter pilot because it was a sittin' down job." -- Robert Heinlein
Now I dislike them even more since they are dropping support for Win7. Could you imagine being halfway through the game and one day the Steam window pops up and says "Sorry Charlie! Get a New Computer."
From my past experience, it's not that Steam stops working on your (outdated) machine. It's that you won't be able to upgrade and run the newer version of Steam.
Allen
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,839
Ohio USA
FWIW:
Quote
Black Friday 2023 Early Sale: Lifetime Office 2021 Only $24.24, Windows 10 And Windows 11 Pro As Low As $6!
Godeal24 has already started their Black Friday Crazy SALE.Let you buy genuine Microsoft software at the lowest price, which can help you save up to 90% or more.
From my past experience, it's not that Steam stops working on your (outdated) machine. It's that you won't be able to upgrade and run the newer version of Steam.
Thanks ArgonV, that's a good question . I wonder what is your past experience? At first I thought you could probably still start offline (if you've already been online once and gone to offline mode) but I read something on the steam website that made me think it will stop working period. This seems stupid to me but that's what it sounded like without doubt. The way steam updates every time you start your computer or start something requiring steam they could easily update your steam program so it won't run on Win7. That's what they say will happen but you might be right. I hope so.
Thanks Allen for the Win10 activation deals. I've been noting your links for a while now and I'll give it a try if I have to. So far I haven't had to buy a key because it seems what I've been told, that Microsoft remembers the motherboard, is correct. I've picked up some used (but high powered for what I do) parts off Craigslist and if the motherboard has ever had Win10 installed on it it will activate automatically when built into a new computer if you have to connect it to the internet. I install Win10 from the downloaded media. I have a few Win10 machines and I've been using them for several years and I still don't like Win10. It's a PITA. It has major annoyances even when it's not connected to the internet. It's like someone else said here, that every new M$ OS goes downhill because everything is geared toward collecting your data which apparently is where all money is at.
It's the same with Android and Apple. They want to own you and they pretty much do. The whole "internet of things" I don't like. Your Nest thermostat had a secret microphone that was sending your conversations back to google. Your Rumba vacuum is sending the floor plan of your house to someone who is collecting and selling your data. I'm old and cranky. It's gone way beyond targeted advertising (read brainwashing). It's also behavior modification. If you read "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism" by Shoshana Zuboff you'll see where I"m coming from. They probably already have a smart toilet that could trigger a flood of ads that say you are deficient in vitamin B16. It's looking like I'm never going to accept the new normal where everyone is online all the time, even when you're asleep (wearables like a watch or your smart alarm clock). Not getting enough sleep Craigmire! GET NEW ZYCOTEX AND WAKE UP FEELING REFRESHED
Getting back to Steam, I can use it on Win10 if I have to but here's what I'm afraid will happen: My game computer in not connected to the internet because I don't like M$ always in my face with new features (read data collecting methods). I might be able to go along fine with steam in offline mode until one day I need to connect it to the internet for something and immediately Win10 starts updating with something I don't want and I have to spend days trying to figure out how to get rid of it (if possible).
Thanks
"There is nothing wrong with laziness. The old saying 'The early bird gets the worm', just goes to show you the worm should have stayed in bed. So, when I volunteered for WW II, I signed up to be a fighter pilot because it was a sittin' down job." -- Robert Heinlein