Steam: can I play two games at once?

[Snarpy]

I have my desktop and my laptop, and I want to know if I can play two different games, one on each, at the same time.

My g/f has been playing Civ 5, and I'd like to be able to play Shogun: Total War at the same time. I'm going to load Civ 5 onto my laptop so she can play it, and then I'd play Shogun on my desktop... but apparently you can only log one computer onto Steam at a time?

This is stupid. I paid for both games, I should be able to play more than one at the same time. Any ideas?

 

[UberNeuman]

No.

 

[DarkForceRising]

If one or both of you aren't playing multiplayer, sure. Log her in, install Civ 5, put Steam into offline mode. Then log into Shogun on your desktop as usual.

 

[Dumac]

Copy what the above user says.

Unfortunately, it cannot be done while both users are online. One of the limitations of steam...

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

That's why you should put every game you own on a separate steam account.

 

[jlee]

That's why you should put every game you own on a separate steam account.

AyashiKaibutsu-Civ5
AyashiKaibutsu-Shogun

Seems it would get old after a while..

 

[AstroManLuca]

That's why you should put every game you own on a separate steam account.

Lol nice suggestion, I know you're probably joking but wow that would be so much work to have to log out and log in with a different account every time you want to play a different game... all those login criteria to remember... D:

Offline mode seems like it would work well enough.

The really annoying thing is games like Batman AA that want to log me into GFWL whenever I start them and kick my wife out of Netflix on my Xbox, or vice versa.

 

[Obsoleet]

I can see how this could be a problem, but I'd invest in another Steam account for your gf.
I'd do the offline thing until Civ5 goes on a Steam sale, then put it on an account for her.

If they'd let us gift games we already own to someone (once per title to avoid 'abusing' the system), it'd solve a lot of problems. Namely that you'd have to buy another copy of Civ5.

 

[Snarpy]

Cool, thanks guys.

For the life of me, I don't understand why they can't let Steam run on more than one computer, and just have it so that you can't sign into the same game on both computers. Seems pretty simple to me.

I can fully see myself just getting Shogun:TW and signing up a new account for it... but won't Steam remember my PC?

 

[zerocool84]

Cool, thanks guys.

For the life of me, I don't understand why they can't let Steam run on more than one computer, and just have it so that you can't sign into the same game on both computers. Seems pretty simple to me.

I can fully see myself just getting Shogun:TW and signing up a new account for it... but won't Steam remember my PC?

because then you'd easily be able to share games with friends/family

 

[Clinkster]

Cool, thanks guys.

For the life of me, I don't understand why they can't let Steam run on more than one computer, and just have it so that you can't sign into the same game on both computers. Seems pretty simple to me.

I can fully see myself just getting Shogun:TW and signing up a new account for it... but won't Steam remember my PC?

Because it'd lead to a drop in sales? Also the whole account redundancy deal.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

I have my desktop and my laptop, and I want to know if I can play two different games, one on each, at the same time.

No, you want to know if you can play one game while someone else plays another game at the same time. Let's not mischaracterize what you're trying to achieve - it becomes obvious why this isn't possible when you phrase the problem correctly.

 

[Fox5]

Offline mode is your only option, but it will work. Start steam on one computer, put it into offline mode.

 

[Lonyo]

No, you want to know if you can play one game while someone else plays another game at the same time. Let's not mischaracterize what you're trying to achieve - it becomes obvious why this isn't possible when you phrase the problem correctly.

It's not possible because Steam is annoying and crap DRM and has a totally different license concept to any which people have experienced from games prior to Steam.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Right now I hate Steam so much that I cannot even express it adequately. I have been unable to log on to Steam for two days. I just keep getting an error that says I cannot connect to the network. And Steam technical service has not replied to my e-mail either. I already posted a thread about this, but if anyone new sees it here, please help!!!

Anyway, in regards to the OP, you can play in offline mode, but this is what I hate about offline mode: you have to log in to switch to offline mode. A catch 22 if I ever saw one. If you are having connectivity issues, this does not help at all. I have found however, that on my comp at least, I can play a game that is downloaded by going to the game local files directly and clicking on the launch icon of the game without ever logging in to steam.

And I think you should be able to log on to the same account and play 2 different games on separate computers. If you buy a DVD of a game, you can unsually install it on more than one comp and play on either one. So, I love the Steam sales, but right now, I am totally fed up with the problems and lack of support.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

Right now I hate Steam so much that I cannot even express it adequately. I have been unable to log on to Steam for two days. I just keep getting an error that says I cannot connect to the network. And Steam technical service has not replied to my e-mail either. I already posted a thread about this, but if anyone new sees it here, please help!!!

Anyway, in regards to the OP, you can play in offline mode, but this is what I hate about offline mode: you have to log in to switch to offline mode. A catch 22 if I ever saw one. If you are having connectivity issues, this does not help at all. I have found however, that on my comp at least, I can play a game that is downloaded by going to the game local files directly and clicking on the launch icon of the game without ever logging in to steam.

And I think you should be able to log on to the same account and play 2 different games on separate computers. If you buy a DVD of a game, you can unsually install it on more than one comp and play on either one. So, I love the Steam sales, but right now, I am totally fed up with the problems and lack of support.

I'd skip waiting for email & call customer support instead.

They also created it this way, because per their rules, Steam account is not to be shared with another person, whether or not living in same household and stuff.

 

[Raider1284]

For the life of me, I don't understand why they can't let Steam run on more than one computer, and just have it so that you can't sign into the same game on both computers. Seems pretty simple to me.

I really hope you were joking here.. You cant understand why steam wont let you buy games and then give all of your family and friends your account information so that everyone you know can play the games that you bought all at the same time?!

Just think about for a bit

 

[SMOGZINN]

I really hope you were joking here.. You cant understand why steam wont let you buy games and then give all of your family and friends your account information so that everyone you know can play the games that you bought all at the same time?!

Just think about for a bit

I've thought about it, and I still don't see a problem. I have a license to run 1 instance of the game. As long as I only have 1 instance of the game running all is legal.
Don't you think it is going a little overboard for steam to tell me WHO can use my 1 instance of the game?

 

[Lonyo]

I've thought about it, and I still don't see a problem. I have a license to run 1 instance of the game. As long as I only have 1 instance of the game running all is legal.
Don't you think it is going a little overboard for steam to tell me WHO can use my 1 instance of the game?

You might think it's overboard, but the millions of people who WANT to lock their games to Steam think it's a small price to pay for the convenience.
Sucks for them IMO.

If you compare to a Battlenet account (Blizzard), where you might have a copy of Starcraft 2 and a copy of World of Warcraft.
You can use both at the same time from one account as you please. Same concept (two games which require online authentication, both tied to one account), but you can play either as you want.

Like I said earlier, Steam changes the concept of the license. You aren't buying a license to play a game when you buy through Steam, you are attaching a license for a game to a single-user account which only lets you access one license at a time, even if no such restrictions would apply under any other circumstances.

You have both the original game license, which is typically going to be much more liberal, and if it's not more liberal in its 'legal' wording, can be used more freely, and then the Steam license which takes away a good proportion of the rights the game license would otherwise give you.
And people like to pay MORE to have those rights taken away.

Or you make one account per game, and then Steam becomes insanely annoying as a form of DRM because you have to continually log in and out of Steam accounts when you want to play a different game.

Or you just DON'T BUY STEAM GAMES.

 

[SMOGZINN]

You might think it's overboard, but the millions of people who WANT to lock their games to Steam think it's a small price to pay for the convenience.
Sucks for them IMO.

You are talking about a completely different question then my post was addressing. I wasn’t talking about what steam currently does, I was talking about what can or should be done.

I agree with you, the licensing schemes that game companies are coming up with and implementing currently are ridiculous and need to be changed. I spent years as an asset manager of software licensing for a major corporation and even I’m not sure what you are purchasing with a game license anymore. You don’t even seem to have the right to play the game anymore, only the right to be allowed at the company’s sole discretion to maybe play the game, how and when they see fit, revocable at any time for any reason. This is not a sane contract. It gives you nothing you didn’t already have. The company could have decided to allow you to play their game at any time with out needing you to sign a contract, so what are you getting for your money?

 

[Obsoleet]

Meh, I only buy Steam games. Without Steam, I would have abandoned the PC platform for the 360. Moving to a laptop/tablet (work/browsing) + console setup. Not to mention, the Steam sales are some of the better deals out there. I'm not into pirating games (anymore) as I've gotten older (just buy them and be done with it).

 

[tigersty1e]

if only 1 game is played single player disconnect that computer from the internet.

in steam make sure to go offline.

 

[Powermoloch]

Steam is alright, it's growing on me. as long the games cost 5 bucks and thats about it. M one beef about it is you can't share (but that's what steam is for...1 per user lol !). Anyways, just have 1 computer log on, get on the updates and make it go offline mode w/ no internet connect. Then you're good to go!

Or buy your GF another steam account and be done w/ it.

 

[Raider1284]

I've thought about it, and I still don't see a problem. I have a license to run 1 instance of the game.

Exactly, YOU have a license to run the game, not your aunt, or your uncle, or your girlfriend.

 

[Dumac]

Anyway, in regards to the OP, you can play in offline mode, but this is what I hate about offline mode: you have to log in to switch to offline mode. A catch 22 if I ever saw one. If you are having connectivity issues, this does not help at all.

Not true in my experience. I have no internet a lot, and I can launch stem in offline and play games just fine.

I sign onto steam regularly though, so I don't know if this is some kind of last-logged-in time requirement that you have to meet.