For RAGE, we’ll be using Steamworks for activation. You’ll simply need to be online once (per PC you’re using) to activate the game. Once the game is activated via Steamworks, you can take Steam into offline mode.

I can confirm that Skyrim will be using Steamworks. We'll have more details soon.

What is Steam and SteamWorks?
Steam is a Digital Distribution (DD) and Digital Rights Management (DRM) platform used to distribute, update and play games online. Its main purpose is to allow players to buy games online and download them directly to their PCs with the Steam client, but it's also used by games distributed on physical media, such as DVD discs. Games that use Steamworks, which includes Steam-activated physical DVD discs, are activated online using the Steam client, and can't be launched without the Steam client running alongside the game. Thus the Steam client is required for both physical DVD and digital installations; it will be installed automatically for DVD installations from the disc, and there is no difference in the resulting install whether Skyrim is purchased online through Steam or on physical DVD. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_%28software%29 for more information.

Do I need Steam to run Skyrim on PC?
Yes. Skyrim is strictly tied to Steam for both physical retail DVD discs and online digital-only purchases. To play Skyrim, you launch the Steam client and then launch Skyrim from the Steam library, leaving the Steam client running in the background. Directly launching the Skyrim executable found in the Steam folder will also launch the Steam client, as Steam is hooked into the Skyrim executable.

Can I just run Skyrim without Steam running in the background?
No. The Steam client must be running to play Skyrim, and discussion on circumventing Steam by running Skyrim by any other means will not be allowed within these forums.

Do I need to be connected to the internet to activate Skyrim?
Yes. There is no such thing as offline activation.

Do I need to be connected to the internet to play Skyrim?
No. Steam is able to run in offline mode, meaning that you need to get online only once to activate Skyrim and install any required updates/patches, and don't need to be connected to the internet to play it. See https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3160-AGCB-2555 for the official guide, and the last entry in this FAQ for more detailed instructions on how to set the Steam client to offline mode so that it can stay offline for a long time. The Steam client is often updated, and the offline mode is known to be still a little buggy nowadays, hence it is advisable follow the latter instructions to set the client in permanent offline mode once you have activated Skyrim if you need extended offline time, and regardless of any further Steam client updates.

I have preordered my physical DVD copy of Skyrim; how am I supposed to install it? Do I need to install the Steam client first?
No. What you're actually installing when you completely install Skyrim from the DVD is the Steam client itself (as long as you haven't installed Steam in your system yet), which will then automatically copy the required game files from the DVD to your hard drive. You'll be asked to enter your Steam account name and password to log onto Steam authentication servers, then setup will start. If you don't have a Steam account you'll be asked to register one before installing Skyrim. Note that some of the files may be pulled from the internet through the Steam client to complete the installation, rather than all being on the DVD.

I want to order the Collector's Edition of Skyrim, but I don't have an optical/DVD drive. Will I still be able to install it when it arrives?
Yes, as long as you have a broadband internet connection. You can activate the DVD key of any SteamWorks game, including Skyrim, in your Steam client and download and install it over the internet without ever needing the DVD at all.

I have purchased a copy of Skyrim through Direct2Drive, GamersGate or some other digital download portal, not a physical DVD version. Won't that be different from the Steam version? Will they be incompatible for modding?
No. There will be no difference nor incompatibility. Skyrim is exclusively on the Steam platform. These sites are selling Steam activation codes for Skyrim, similar to the SteamWorks DVD key. When you buy a code, you will activate it in your Steam client, which will then download and install Skyrim, just as if it was bought through Steam. So, there will be no difference from a version bought directly through Steam itself.

Where am I supposed to install Skyrim?
Any Steam game is always installed into the main Steam folder without prompting for install location. However, you may choose where to install the Steam client itself, which will determine the install location.

What if an update/patch comes out? May I just download the patch and install it, with the Steam client still set in offline mode?
No. There will be no manual updates or patches available for download anywhere; the only way to update Skyrim is to get online and let the Steam client download the updates for you. Then you will able to get back offline and play Skyrim as usual.

I'm on a slow/dial-up internet connection. Can I still activate Skyrim when I install from physical DVD disc? Will I be able to download required updates/patches?
Possibly. You will be able to activate Skyrim on a slow or dial-up connection. Steam activation data files are usually in the order of a few megabytes, so should only take a few minutes to download. However, at activation time it is required to install any required updates/patches.

Will I be able to play Skyrim as soon as it releases?
Yes. There will be more details on preloading Skyrim on Steam closer to release.

I have a question or concern about Steam, or DRM in general, that's not answered here.
Then you're encouraged to refer to the Unofficial Steam/DRM Discussion found in the http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/forum/18-community-discussion/ forum or visit the http://store.steampowered.com/forums/.

Thanks to dAB for helping put together this FAQ

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Discussing or linking to P2P content within this forum is prohibited. Given the nature of these resources and their use with piracy, under no circumstances can they be linked to within our forums. Violations of these rules will result in a warning or account suspension.

Bittorrent links and discussion are prohibited within our forums, with exception to use of bittorrent links relating to modded content (from clean torrents). Violations relating to bittorrent content will result in a warning/suspension. Similarly, we do not allow discussion methods of circumventing the Steam check or of Cracks that violate the terms of a game's EULA. Open admission to pirating copyrighted materials will result in an account ban.

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Btw, I'm gonna sound like an idiot but, what do you mean by advocating? I'm not a Vocab-Type of guy.

And what happens if the internet or the Steam server is down? Then I can′t play the game I payed for?

Thankfully that's not the case with Steam. The last straw with DRM for me is when they force you to be online to play, or force you to keep your saved games on their servers.

What I′m saying is I think they miss out on a lot of money because of this and imho it′s a very bad marketing strategy.

I understand the whole Money thing, I guess. I mean what said above makes sense. Bethesda is prolly making a lot more money in the long run but they are gaining "Noobs" and that can prolly hurt more later. What if these "Noobs" didn't like Skyrim? Good chance of that happening and if this is correct then they wont get the next ES and wouldn't bother the older ones thus the next game on Steam will gain less sales than Skyrim. Also, Bethesda has lost a good % of their "Loyal" players who played since Arena, Daggerfall, etc because these players refuse to use Steam and had a tradition of getting the Game Series on the Computer and not for Xbox/PS3. I've seen things like this quite a lot and read people's stories on the internet why they "quit on Bethesda" because of Steam.

This means, Bethesda will lose a good amount of sales for TES6 in the future that Skyrim manage to gain. They might be able to make enough for profit but they will still lose a good amount, if you ask for my opinions on that matter.

Bethesda's best choice is to make their games be able to go through Steam but not making it a requirement thus they can gain their "Loyal" players back while at the same time keeping their "Steam/Noob" players for more profit gain.

That is how I look at it when it comes to profits and all.

It's simple: Overspecialize, and you breed in weakness. It's slow death.

The RAM usage won't slow your games down, nor will it make your PC run hotter.

I'm trying to save the environment here. Less RAM usage=Less power usage. Just messing, It perturbs me that steam uses 150,000 K of RAM

So, what's the beef? Why do some people hate Steam so much? What am I missing that is soon to make me resent Steam?

My only problem with Steam is that it takes gd forever to dl a game. Bought Shogun 2 a few days ago, using my (ridiculously) high speed internet connection and it took eight hours to download. Eight. Hours. Meanwhile, I can go to another site and download 2gb videos inside of (usually) 5 minutes each *at the same time* as the game is taking its sweet-ass time to dl.

I don't understand.

A lot of it is toward what can happen. Since your Steam games are tied to your Steam account, and Valve legally owns your Steam account, they can lock you out of your games on little more justification than "we felt like it". Obviously this doesn't happen to most people, but many still dislike putting that option into someone else's hands.

They're also wary of Steam inevitably being shut down, since no company/service lasts forever, and they have no legal obligation to install a feature that will let you play your games without Steam in that event.

My personal biggest gripe came with their overuse of subtlety; I got Steam when I bought Portal years ago, because I'd heard lots of great things about Portal. I was only vaguely aware of Steam as a thing that existed at the time. The word "Steam" is nowhere on the box, and when I got the message saying "oh by the way, now you have to download this extra program and make an account if you ever want to play what you already paid for", I was pissed. Plus, while not really an inherent fault in Steam itself, it's very popular and becoming implemented more and more across the board by game publishers making it mandatory for their products. People complain about something less when it's an option, than when it's "use it or never be able to play this game".

Of course, the majority of the thousands of posts in this thread have been insane conspiracy theorists and fanatic defenders shrieking nonsense at each other ad infinitum, never getting anywhere, never backing down. So, uh, there's also that.

My only problem with Steam is that it takes gd forever to dl a game. Bought Shogun 2 a few days ago, using my (ridiculously) high speed internet connection and it took eight hours to download. Eight. Hours. Meanwhile, I can go to another site and download 2gb videos inside of (usually) 5 minutes each *at the same time* as the game is taking its sweet-ass time to dl.

I don't understand.

and gives you access to hundreds of other games at some really incredible prices

Maybe in the US. I have bought Morrowind retail disc 5 years ago for 4x times cheaper than it is now on Steam.