"This game's retail version can be activated" message plz

Die Finsternis · 03-20-2009, 11:19 PM

I don't know if this has been suggested or if there is a place where I can find this info (I can't find said place).
So this is a question/suggestion.

I find it really annoying not knowing which games can be activated in Steam and which can't, so why not putting a little message in the Steam store that says "this game's retail version can be activated in Steam" or something of the sort.
I have several games in Retail version that Steam sells, yet they cannot be activated (Overlord, Civ4). The only game I have been able to activate is Counter Strike (which is obvious why).
I would love to have all of my games in Steam (my college and my house are 300 miles apart. It will save me a lot of space in my bag if I didn't have top carry around a bunch of CDs).

So, the question/suggestion is, are only games from Valve able to be activated in Steam (if so, then I suggest saying that somehwere in the "activate a product on Steam" option)? If not, then please put a message saying whether a game's retail version is able to activate.

cryptodan · 03-20-2009, 11:50 PM

List of Retail Keys that are accepted on Steam

Die Finsternis · 03-21-2009, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cryptodan

List of Retail Keys that are accepted on Steam

Thanks.

But wouldn't it be easier if it was in a more "reachable" place? Like in the game's store page?

And that's not a whole lot of games, why can't Steam get all games that it sells to do that?

cryptodan · 03-21-2009, 12:10 AM

Its up to the publishers of the games

mrmeanfatgirl · 03-21-2009, 09:35 PM

because why would you be at the store page for a game if you already have it. i think it makes more sense in the support section, as for why they dont allow more games. well it costs valve in bandwidth to let people download games infinitly, so why would they allow games to be downloaded when they arent getting money of the gamer or the publisher or the developer

Die Finsternis · 03-22-2009, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmeanfatgirl

because why would you be at the store page for a game if you already have it. i think it makes more sense in the support section, as for why they dont allow more games. well it costs valve in bandwidth to let people download games infinitly, so why would they allow games to be downloaded when they arent getting money of the gamer or the publisher or the developer

Dam it, you're right.

Widdit · 03-22-2009, 05:59 AM

Game publishers probably wouldn't be too keen on the idea either.

"Don't worry, you don't have to give us more money!"

Die Finsternis · 03-22-2009, 09:18 PM

Ok, how about Steam allow us to pay (i don't know, 2, 3 bucks or something) so that we can activate our games in Steam. That way they make money and we get rid of our CDs.

...Or something. I don't know, I JUST DON'T WANT MY DVDs!!! Is that so wrong?!

Sonikku · 03-23-2009, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Die Finsternis

[...] So, the question/suggestion is, are only games from Valve able to be activated in Steam (if so, then I suggest saying that somehwere in the "activate a product on Steam" option)? If not, then please put a message saying whether a game's retail version is able to activate.

For Steam to know that this retail can't be registered, the publisher would have to give a list with CD-Keys to Valve themselves. Do you really think that EA would just give Valve those keys without paying a dime?

mrmeanfatgirl · 03-23-2009, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Die Finsternis

I JUST DON'T WANT MY DVDs!!! Is that so wrong?!

I agree, if it where my perfect little world game devs and pubs would see steam like they see gamestop, eb games, any any other retail, and yes we would be able to get and activate any game with steam, but sadly i am not the dictator of the gaming world.... yet

Roxor · 03-25-2009, 07:17 AM

Personally, I hate installing from CDs, especially if a game takes up multiple discs. The Sims comes to mind as being a particularly bad offender. Maxis released how many? Eight CDs for that game? The sequel uses even more if memory serves.

Earlier this year I got a new video card and it came with a couple of games. Okay, naturally, I want to put them on Steam to make managing things easier. Oh, crap. One has no CD-key and probably isn't available on Steam at all and while the other has a CD-key and is being sold on Steam, it's not on the list of games that can be added to your account.

Not good enough.

Given CD-keys can easily be generated, why not make a little utility program that can analyse a CD/DVD/Floppy (include discs for console games that have PC ports, too) and generate a signature that can be used to verify if a disc is authentic and if it is, add the game to your Steam account. Just so Valve can make some money from this, require users to pay, say, $5 to get the verification program for all games released in a certain decade (or year for post-2000 games, given the large file sizes involved).

Die Finsternis · 03-25-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roxor

Personally, I hate installing from CDs, especially if a game takes up multiple discs. The Sims comes to mind as being a particularly bad offender. Maxis released how many? Eight CDs for that game? The sequel uses even more if memory serves.

Earlier this year I got a new video card and it came with a couple of games. Okay, naturally, I want to put them on Steam to make managing things easier. Oh, crap. One has no CD-key and probably isn't available on Steam at all and while the other has a CD-key and is being sold on Steam, it's not on the list of games that can be added to your account.

Not good enough.

Given CD-keys can easily be generated, why not make a little utility program that can analyse a CD/DVD/Floppy (include discs for console games that have PC ports, too) and generate a signature that can be used to verify if a disc is authentic and if it is, add the game to your Steam account. Just so Valve can make some money from this, require users to pay, say, $5 to get the verification program for all games released in a certain decade (or year for post-2000 games, given the large file sizes involved).

I was talking to the Support team and I made that suggestion. They said that Key-activation is a choice made by the publishers (not them). So maybe it is the publishers who are against the idea (which I would understand why. Why doesn't valve give some of that we would pay to have our games on Steam. Everyone wins).

03-25-2009, 04:12 PM

I dont think this is such a bad idea.
Afterall theres plenty of useless information in the store.

AdamXENO · 10-07-2009, 10:12 AM

I like Steam and this is only an idea:

All games available in Store should be able to be activated if it was bought as a retail pack. So for example: it would be nice if I were not needed to carry my game CDs/DVDs from one computer to another. All I should have to do is to login to my Steam Account and start my game download. I see this cost bandwidth, so maybe they should make some limitation, like you can download a game only once per month on the same IP address or something. - or limit your download speed when you download it more than once in a month.

Sierra Oscar · 10-07-2009, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamXENO

I like Steam and this is only an idea:

All games available in Store should be able to be activated if it was bought as a retail pack. So for example: it would be nice if I were not needed to carry my game CDs/DVDs from one computer to another. All I should have to do is to login to my Steam Account and start my game download. I see this cost bandwidth, so maybe they should make some limitation, like you can download a game only once per month on the same IP address or something. - or limit your download speed when you download it more than once in a month.

Well, the thing is the games publishers would also have to give Valve permission to put their games on Steam, and also provide them with of the actual CD Keys so Steam can recognize them.

03-20-2009, 11:19 PM	#1
Die Finsternis Join Date: Mar 2009 Reputation: 3 Posts: 285	"This game's retail version can be activated" message plz I don't know if this has been suggested or if there is a place where I can find this info (I can't find said place). So this is a question/suggestion. I find it really annoying not knowing which games can be activated in Steam and which can't, so why not putting a little message in the Steam store that says "this game's retail version can be activated in Steam" or something of the sort. I have several games in Retail version that Steam sells, yet they cannot be activated (Overlord, Civ4). The only game I have been able to activate is Counter Strike (which is obvious why). I would love to have all of my games in Steam (my college and my house are 300 miles apart. It will save me a lot of space in my bag if I didn't have top carry around a bunch of CDs). So, the question/suggestion is, are only games from Valve able to be activated in Steam (if so, then I suggest saying that somehwere in the "activate a product on Steam" option)? If not, then please put a message saying whether a game's retail version is able to activate.

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03-20-2009, 11:50 PM	#2
cryptodan Banned Join Date: Feb 2007 Reputation: 405 Posts: 7,625	List of Retail Keys that are accepted on Steam

03-21-2009, 12:10 AM	#4
cryptodan Banned Join Date: Feb 2007 Reputation: 405 Posts: 7,625	Its up to the publishers of the games

03-21-2009, 09:35 PM	#5
mrmeanfatgirl Join Date: Sep 2007 Reputation: 0 Posts: 289	because why would you be at the store page for a game if you already have it. i think it makes more sense in the support section, as for why they dont allow more games. well it costs valve in bandwidth to let people download games infinitly, so why would they allow games to be downloaded when they arent getting money of the gamer or the publisher or the developer

03-22-2009, 05:59 AM	#7
Widdit Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Reputation: 18 Posts: 622	Game publishers probably wouldn't be too keen on the idea either. "Don't worry, you don't have to give us more money!"

03-22-2009, 09:18 PM	#8
Die Finsternis Join Date: Mar 2009 Reputation: 3 Posts: 285	Ok, how about Steam allow us to pay (i don't know, 2, 3 bucks or something) so that we can activate our games in Steam. That way they make money and we get rid of our CDs. ...Or something. I don't know, I JUST DON'T WANT MY DVDs!!! Is that so wrong?!

03-25-2009, 07:17 AM	#11
Roxor Join Date: Sep 2006 Reputation: 38 Posts: 590	Personally, I hate installing from CDs, especially if a game takes up multiple discs. The Sims comes to mind as being a particularly bad offender. Maxis released how many? Eight CDs for that game? The sequel uses even more if memory serves. Earlier this year I got a new video card and it came with a couple of games. Okay, naturally, I want to put them on Steam to make managing things easier. Oh, crap. One has no CD-key and probably isn't available on Steam at all and while the other has a CD-key and is being sold on Steam, it's not on the list of games that can be added to your account. Not good enough. Given CD-keys can easily be generated, why not make a little utility program that can analyse a CD/DVD/Floppy (include discs for console games that have PC ports, too) and generate a signature that can be used to verify if a disc is authentic and if it is, add the game to your Steam account. Just so Valve can make some money from this, require users to pay, say, $5 to get the verification program for all games released in a certain decade (or year for post-2000 games, given the large file sizes involved).

03-25-2009, 04:12 PM	#13
Bezzer Guest Posts: n/a	I dont think this is such a bad idea. Afterall theres plenty of useless information in the store.

10-07-2009, 10:12 AM	#14
AdamXENO Join Date: Sep 2009 Reputation: 1 Posts: 84	I like Steam and this is only an idea: All games available in Store should be able to be activated if it was bought as a retail pack. So for example: it would be nice if I were not needed to carry my game CDs/DVDs from one computer to another. All I should have to do is to login to my Steam Account and start my game download. I see this cost bandwidth, so maybe they should make some limitation, like you can download a game only once per month on the same IP address or something. - or limit your download speed when you download it more than once in a month.