Couple Steam questions.

[Cloud121]

All right, so I've never bought anything on Steam before, as I very much prefer to have a physical copy (unless it is digital only obviously).

Orange Box is on sale at Steam for only $10. Very tempting, though I have a question about that.

Do I get an "activation code" with it, even though it's a digital copy? I'm referring to if you were to buy the retail copy, and an a code is included to authenticate with Steam.

If so, could I download the game, and then just buy a used physical copy later, as use the same activation code from my downloaded version?

Edit: Just noticed Dragon Age Ultimate is on sale at Steam as well. Apply my above questions to that as well.

[G-Boobie]

All right, so I've never bought anything on Steam before, as I very much prefer to have a physical copy (unless it is digital only obviously).

Orange Box is on sale at Steam for only $10. Very tempting, though I have a question about that.

Do I get an "activation code" with it, even though it's a digital copy? I'm referring to if you were to buy the retail copy, and an a code is included to authenticate with Steam.

If so, could I download the game, and then just buy a used physical copy later, as use the same activation code from my downloaded version?

Edit: Just noticed Dragon Age Ultimate is on sale at Steam as well. Apply my above questions to that as well.

You do get a code, I don't know for sure if you can use the code for a retail copy, I'm pretty sure you can, but why bother? The Steam copy auto patches to the most current version, and buying the game twice sort of nullifies the concept of buying on sale.

[Kitsune Sniper]

All right, so I've never bought anything on Steam before, as I very much prefer to have a physical copy (unless it is digital only obviously).

Orange Box is on sale at Steam for only $10. Very tempting, though I have a question about that.

Do I get an "activation code" with it, even though it's a digital copy? I'm referring to if you were to buy the retail copy, and an a code is included to authenticate with Steam.

If so, could I download the game, and then just buy a used physical copy later, as use the same activation code from my downloaded version?

Edit: Just noticed Dragon Age Ultimate is on sale at Steam as well. Apply my above questions to that as well.

You don't normally get an activation code when you buy games on Steam. Well, you do for some, like games that require internet activation or multiplayer games that use keys for online play.

What you do is create an account with Steam. Then you install their client and log into your account. Once you buy the games, they will show up on your client's "Library" tab, where you can choose what to install or play. You have to be logged into Steam and have the client running to play -most- games on Steam. (A few don't need the client to be running, but it's mostly indie or DOSBox-based games.)

If you buy a physical copy, you get a disc, but it's not used for anything other than installing the game - and considering how old the retail Orange Box is, you'll probably have to download about 10 GB of updates for Team Fortress 2 alone. So there's no real reason to get a physical copy unless you find one for an obscenely cheap price, like a buck. You'd still have to activate the game on Steam, and the code is one-time use only.

This is a list of most retail-sold games that activate on Steam. If you have more questions or want me to clear more stuff up, lemme know. I'm glad to help.

[Cloud121]

So you're saying that if I download from Steam, I can then use my account to install/play the game from a physical copy down the road? As you said, the disc copy would be just for installing the game, as Steam would need to be on anyway for authentication.

I want the physical copy for the sake of my collection on my shelf, as I'm sure others would.

[Kitsune Sniper]

So you're saying that if I download from Steam, I can then use my account to install/play the game from a physical copy down the road? As you said, the disc copy would be just for installing the game, as Steam would need to be on anyway for authentication.

I want the physical copy for the sake of my collection on my shelf, as I'm sure others would.

No, you won't need or use the disc for anything else. If you buy or activate a game on Steam, you download it via Steam. That's it. You can download it as many times as you wish. You don't need the DVD to install the game - you download it. Even if you did use the disc to install the games, the versions on the discs are really REALLY old (three years old at least) and TF2 alone has been updated over 300 times since then. A lot of content has been added.

I bought an Orange Box uh, box. It was a double DVD case, with two DVDs, and a piece of paper with the code inside. That's it. There really isn't anything to "collect" when it comes to Valve games, all their packages are really sparse.

I get it, you want to have something on the shelf. Well... that's not really a big deal with Steam games.

[Cloud121]

Sounds good. Now does the same apply to Dragon Age Ultimate as well? I want to say no, as it is not a Valve game.

[theclaw]

No. That isn't a Steam boxed game. Even then, there's little point buying some Steam games at retail. They usually have sparse packaging and downloads mean you may end up never using the disc.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Sounds good. Now does the same apply to Dragon Age Ultimate as well? I want to say no, as it is not a Valve game.

You can't activate that on Steam, you get a download.

However if you have a retail box you can activate and download it with EA's client, Origin. More or less the same as Steam, only with 250% more suck.

[Drath]

I'd like to point out that there is some retail games that are NOT Valve that you are able to register/activate via Steam. For example, I did this with Duke Nukem Forever. Activated via Steam via a CD-Key on the physical case. I never even bothered with the disc as it downloaded/patched in like 20 minutes anyways. It all depends on the game. Not sure about Dragon Age though.

I'm like you, I will still get retail copies if they exist before getting pure digital copies.

Like you said in the case of the Orange Box scenario. Get it on Steam, download and play it on Steam. If you do get the physical copy at some point, it will just be for show on your shelf - no reason to use it at all; however, because it's a Valve game, you need Steam anyways to play it. You could technically add it to your account, in which you would receive "gift copies" that you can send to friends (because you already own the product). Or you could make a second account to own 2 copies of the game via Steam - for some reason?

Although for posterity sake, maybe if Steam ever goes away, there will probably be other methods/hacks of playing your physical copy rather then Steam alone - which I think might be the case in the far, far future.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I'd like to point out that there is some retail games that are NOT Valve that you are able to register/activate via Steam. For example, I did this with Duke Nukem Forever. Activated via Steam via a CD-Key on the physical case. I never even bothered with the disc as it downloaded/patched in like 20 minutes anyways. It all depends on the game. Not sure about Dragon Age though.

I'm like you, I will still get retail copies if they exist before getting pure digital copies.

Like you said in the case of the Orange Box scenario. Get it on Steam, download and play it on Steam. If you do get the physical copy at some point, it will just be for show on your shelf - no reason to use it at all; however, because it's a Valve game, you need Steam anyways to play it. You could technically add it to your account, in which you would receive "gift copies" that you can send to friends (because you already own the product). Or you could make a second account to own 2 copies of the game via Steam - for some reason?

Although for posterity sake, maybe if Steam ever goes away, there will probably be other methods/hacks of playing your physical copy rather then Steam alone - which I think might be the case in the far, far future.

I already posted a list of retail games that activate on Steam earlier in the thread.

You can't add second copies or giftable copies of games to your account. If you try to activate a game you already own with a key, it'll tell you that you already own the game and not let you do anything with it if the key hasn't been used. If the key's been used already it'll tell you. There's been rumors that it'll be possible to do this in the future, but it can't be done as of now.

And really, if you're going to crack a Steam game, you're not going to use the version on a disc since it'll be VERY outdated by the time that's needed. None of the games on Steam are impossible to back up, I always copy the install files after installing a game so I don't have to redownload everything when I decide to reinstall it.

[Drath]

I did not see the link, thanks for that.

As for the gift codes. You can add second gift copies in several different ways, because i've done it. Examples:

Purchased Super Meat Boy on Steam.
Purchased Potato Sack Bundle: 1 Gift Code for Super Meat Boy.

Purchased Portal on Steam.
Purchased Orange Box Retail and Activated: 1 Gift Code for Portal and maybe HL2?

I also have tons of Gift Codes for Half-Life and Half-Life 2, and like 3 Portal ones. Not sure where those came from exactly (I did buy HL2 retail years and years ago), but it's definitely possible. Perhaps it only applies to bundles in present/past?

[Kitsune Sniper]

I did not see the link, thanks for that.

As for the gift codes. You can add second gift copies in several different ways, because i've done it. Examples:

Purchased Super Meat Boy on Steam.
Purchased Potato Sack Bundle: 1 Gift Code for Super Meat Boy.

Purchased Portal on Steam.
Purchased Orange Box Retail and Activated: 1 Gift Code for Portal and maybe HL2?

I also have tons of Gift Codes for Half-Life and Half-Life 2, and like 3 Portal ones. Not sure where those came from exactly (I did buy HL2 retail years and years ago), but it's definitely possible. Perhaps it only applies to bundles in present/past?

You can get extra copies when purchasing bundles, but not always. Only special bundles will give you extra copies - usually Valve and indie packs will give you extra games. Stuff from say, Rockstar, Ubisoft, or smaller companies won't.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_...4502-TPJL-2656

As for how you got a ton of extra copies of those other games, who knows.

[Jorpho]

Orange Box is on sale at Steam for only $10. Very tempting, though I have a question about that.

...

Edit: Just noticed Dragon Age Ultimate is on sale at Steam as well. Apply my above questions to that as well.

A key piece of advice when Steam has sales like the one going on currently: wait until the last day. While you could buy The Orange Box for $10 right now, there's still a few days left in the sale – and what if there's a daily special that has The Orange Box for $5? Don't think it can't happen!

Or perhaps Mr. Drath would like to sell you some gift codes, given that TF2 is free to play now.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Or perhaps Mr. Drath would like to sell you some gift codes, given that TF2 is free to play now.

But F2Pers can't trade items and have severely low backpack space.

So I wonder, does buying Orange Box automagically give you a Paid upgrade? (Since F2Pers have to buy an item in the TF2 MannCo. Store to get the paid status on TF2.)

[portnoyd]

A key piece of advice when Steam has sales like the one going on currently: wait until the last day. While you could buy The Orange Box for $10 right now, there's still a few days left in the sale – and what if there's a daily special that has The Orange Box for $5? Don't think it can't happen!

Truth. Or troof. Or in this case, T'rouf.

Steam sales basically boil down to 'I hear you got some loose change in your pocket. Want to trade it for some GAMES?!'.

[Cloud121]

I actually tested the whole Orange Box thing with my friend's versions of Half-Life 2, and Episode 1. HL2 installed and ran fine, but Episode 1 needed activation, as though it were completely separate from my Steam purchase.


Okay now, how about Origin?

They have the Digital Deluxe Edition of Dragon Age for $10.

Could I purchase it, and then get a retail copy later and just install it using that?

Also, if I were to go the retail route, would the DLC that's included (soundtrack, items, Warden's Keep, etc.) just apply to my retail installation? Afterall, it's all under the same username/account.

[Jorpho]

Could I purchase it, and then get a retail copy later and just install it using that?

I do not understand. You want to buy the game twice!?

[calthaer]

I used to be a fan of physical copies. Then I started running out of shelf space. Also, when you're married, you often can't have your whole house consumed by video game paraphernalia - or necessarily even want to. Steam will nickel and dime you to death, but you will get loads of games for your nickels and dimes. When I think about how much shelf space I don't need because of all my Steam games, I become happy, and imagine myself waking up some day in a sparsely furnished house that contains only a few necessities (carefully hidden in a few drawers) and Eames furniture, with nothing but the sheen of the waxed hardwood floor to step upon and large windows looking out upon wooded vistas. Like this, sort of.

Also, my games will be played on holographic displays, because in this uncluttered fantasy it is The Future. I would also settle for VR glasses, if I can surf the virtual reality of cyberspace (like in Neuromancer) with them.

Steam, therefore, is very useful in achieving this uncluttered dream. Not only are games cheaper now than they've ever been, and I don't have to pwn Gamestop douches on a regular basis to get my games - it's easy, and I don't have to deal with physical copies. I'm far from my dream right now, but some day I shall get there, and Steam will probably help.

You, too, can have this dream. Don't worry about the physical copies, especially of Valve games - just get the Steam.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I actually tested the whole Orange Box thing with my friend's versions of Half-Life 2, and Episode 1. HL2 installed and ran fine, but Episode 1 needed activation, as though it were completely separate from my Steam purchase.


Okay now, how about Origin?

They have the Digital Deluxe Edition of Dragon Age for $10.

Could I purchase it, and then get a retail copy later and just install it using that?

Also, if I were to go the retail route, would the DLC that's included (soundtrack, items, Warden's Keep, etc.) just apply to my retail installation? Afterall, it's all under the same username/account.

You don't need to buy it retail at all. You bought it digital, so when you download it, everything is included - the soundtrack, items, and quests.