More Retail games serials to compatible with steam.

[zervor]

I would like to add more titles to the list of games for which you can use a retail serial. I am thinking for Fallout 3, Red Alert 3 etc...

Since the only games that can be registered from a retail package are :

All retail Valve games and a number of third-party games can be registered to your Steam account. All of the following games can be registered through Steam:

* Valve CD Keys in this format: ####-#####-####
* Valve CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* Alpha Prime CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* Dark Messiah CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* Dark Messiah CD Keys may also have been printed incorrectly, please see the Dark Messiah article
* Dawn of War Soulstorm CD Keys in this format: 1AB2-3FGH-456I-K8LM-OP9Q
* Defense Grid CD Keys in this format (Direct2Drive only): 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* Football Manager 2009 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2CD3FGH456I7JK8LMNOP9Q
* GTI Racing CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* GTR Evolution CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions CD-keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* NBA 2K9 CD-keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* Prey CD Keys in this format: AAB1BB2C345CDD6E E7
* RACE - the WTCC Game CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* RACE 07 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* Ragdoll Kung Fu CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* Red Orchestra CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* SiN Episodes: Emergence CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* Saint's Row 2 CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* The Ship CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* STCC - The Game CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q
* Worldwide Soccer Manager CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q

Note: Only the retail third-party games listed above can be registered through Steam. No other third-party games can be registered and downloaded using Steam.

from the dedicated Steam Support Page on CD Keys.

Please let me know what you think.
Thanks.

[sciss0rz]

Ask the publishers to provide their key database to Valve.

[eram]

We would all like to add more keys to that list but it's not as easy as that. These few retail keys you can add come from deals worked out between VALVe and those other devs/publishers of the games.

Some of them use Steam as it's online multiplayer component while others like prey was due to it's online platform being closed down.

[zervor]

still, i believe it would be in their interest to do so, right ? no smart things were ever that easy .

[SD24]

Originally Posted by zervor

still, i believe it would be in their interest to do so, right ? no smart things were ever that easy .

No, not really. Unless Valve is getting paid for every serial they make compatible, users are just leeching their bandwidth. Valve is interested in adding BitTorrent features to Steam, when that happens, they are, to an extent, eliminating their biggest issue - that being bandwidth costs.

After that, all thats left is getting the developers to give up all of their CD-Keys for a particular game to Valve.

Yes, its too hard and complicated. Thus the reason for the limited titles that support it. Its certainly a neat feature but its too hairy for Valve to focus on right now.

[Yzmo]

What about you having to pay a little sum.. like $5 or $10 to add certain serials to Steam.. (Serials of games you own).

[Boff]

that would be cool, upload my own serial key code (if) the game is already installed and registered.

I wish that the keys for the galactic edition of spore would work

[Snoopyowns]

I like the idea of the fee to add 3rd party serials into steam. I have like 8 games in the last 2 years that right after I bought, it went to steam. So now I don't buy any games for fear that they will come to steam :P I'd be willing to spend the $5 a game to register them.

[Slybo]

I cant imagine any reasonable way of Valve doing this but I wish there was a way to register games that don't have CD-keys like my copies of Vampire Bloodlines and Beyond Good and Evil.
I would LOVE to have them on my Steam account instead of having to insert a disk whenever I want to play.

[ddrkreature]

What gets me, is that a game comes out on retail and steam but the keys don't work. The most recent I've seen work is COD:MW2. Steam may get more business if they made retail keys work for a low fee. Yes STEAM, we are willing to pay you for the ability to register retail copys of the games you are selling. I think the deal would pay for itself in no time

[Raefzm]

more keys should be available to enter idd

[Ranek520]

Originally Posted by ddrkreature

What gets me, is that a game comes out on retail and steam but the keys don't work. The most recent I've seen work is COD:MW2. Steam may get more business if they made retail keys work for a low fee. Yes STEAM, we are willing to pay you for the ability to register retail copys of the games you are selling. I think the deal would pay for itself in no time

I'm not sure who came up with this idea, but it's not a matter of money. The problem is developers not releasing their keys to Steam. Steam has the keys of all the people who have bought games through them, because they need to have them, and because that information passed through them to get to us. However, Steam does not know all the keys for a game that are sold in regular stores. It is up to the publisher/developer to say hey, let's give our entire key database to Steam so people can link their games to their Steam accounts. The problem is, most devs/publishers don't want to do this. I suppose it's because of the possibility of the DB getting leaked or abused in some way.

So, to reiterate what I said before, it's not up to Steam and I don't believe any kind of fee will make a difference.