I'm a new player...

[cooldragon]

Ok, I was just given Half Life 2 by a departing friend and I have a problem already. I have loaded all 5 discs without a problem, but I can't play the game. I'm told that I need to update Steam, whatever that is.

I've looked up Steam, and I do not want to play online. I just want to play the game on my PC like I did with Half Life original, and a number of other games I have. What the hell's going on?

The discs are genuine, and the packaging complete...

Can you help, please?

I might add that Steam aren't responding to emails either.

Cheers, John

 

[morgs]

Download steam, it is required to update and launch the game, online or no.

 

[Iron Kat]

You need to get a Steam account to be able to play the games and install them in that account. they won't work otherwise.

Welcome to the forums btw!!!

 

[Sliver Slave]

You're not alone when it comes to disliking steam.

 

[McGooTheWise]

No, ur no alone.

Whats a alone? Haha... heh...

/joke

 

[Emporius]

I think you mean 'a lone'

Good for you

 

[McGooTheWise]

Way to ruin my already awful joke. -.-

 

[nipples]

I don't see how people still hate Steam. Are they that afraid of change?

 

[cooldragon]

Are you saying that the game cannot be played at all without joining Steam? It doesn't say that on the packaging or on the website...

John

 

[kineaesth]

That's correct, and it probably does. Try to realise that all Valve games are inextricably tied to Steam, and that although Steam slows you down a tiny little bit when you want to play your games, its merits far outweigh its drawbacks.

 

[the cow says moo]

I wish I had to trouble myself with an over-complicated website to play games on my 360. All I have to do is put the disk in the disk holder and push it in. That's not even a challenge! The hardest part is praying to god that I don't get the red rings of death.

 

[Operational]

1. Let Steam Update.
2. Play Games.

 

[jet_porkins]

The only reason to hate being required to download and update steam is if you have an insanely slow connection speed, such as dial-up, or if you attend Central Washington University where the connection splits a hundred ways to satisfy each dorm.

 

[cooldragon]

That's correct, and it probably does. Try to realise that all Valve games are inextricably tied to Steam, and that although Steam slows you down a tiny little bit when you want to play your games, its merits far outweigh its drawbacks.

I have Half Life the original and that is NOT tied to Steam.

 

[cooldragon]

I wish I had to trouble myself with an over-complicated website to play games on my 360. All I have to do is put the disk in the disk holder and push it in. That's not even a challenge! The hardest part is praying to god that I don't get the red rings of death.

Yea, man... you are an unlucky bugger. Fancy only having your PC to play on...

Sigh...

 

[kineaesth]

Valve games since Half Life 2.

Just to disappoint you further, if your friend has given you a second hand copy of the game, you probably won't be able to play it, as it will be tied to his steam account.

 

[cooldragon]

1. Let Steam Update.
2. Play Games.

What a pain in the arse. If this costs me, I'll just dump the game. There are others, after all.

 

[kineaesth]

Steam's a free service, and provides a stream of free updates and patches for your games, but, like I've said, the CD key of the copy of Half Life 2 that you got may well have been registered to your friend's Steam account already.

 

[cooldragon]

Steam's a free service, and provides a stream of free updates and patches for your games, but, like I've said, the CD key of the copy of Half Life 2 that you got may well have been registered to your friend's Steam account already.

How right you are... the game is just worthless dross withut the previous account details.

 

[MattyDienhoff]

Does anybody still have one of those spare gift copies lying about? We've got a Half-Life 2-less man here!

 

[pomegranate]

How right you are... the game is just worthless dross withut the previous account details.

So... get the account details?

 

[Eejit]

Or just go buy yourself a copy of the Orange Box. It's pretty cheap most places now.

 

[Satans_Offspring]

I wish I had to trouble myself with an over-complicated website to play games on my 360. All I have to do is put the disk in the disk holder and push it in. That's not even a challenge! The hardest part is praying to god that I don't get the red rings of death.

Which is why you need a PS3.

 

[morgs]

Which is why you need a PS3.

PS3's overheat frequently too, you know.

 

[the cow says moo]

Why don't you get your friends steam account details?

 

[seif100]

for you couldragon you can simply do these parts :
-download steam
-update steam
-creat steam account
-log in
-install your game
-go to offline mode
-and play

 

[cooldragon]

Or just go buy yourself a copy of the Orange Box. It's pretty cheap most places now.

Not in NZ it isn't...

 

[cooldragon]

Why don't you get your friends steam account details?

I'm trying... I just don't know where he's gone!

 

[cooldragon]

for you couldragon you can simply do these parts :
-download steam
-update steam
-creat steam account
-log in
-install your game
-go to offline mode
-and play

Um, I've done all those things. Unfortunately, the game won't load. i note you place the instuction to install the game AFTER logging on to Steam... is that possible? Or is the sequence of your instructions unimportant?

Do you think I should uninstall the game (again) and Steam (again) and then restart by installing Steam followed by the game? It's all very confusing. I'm not inexperienced at gaming, but this Half Life 2 thing is ludicrous.

Oh, and I have broadband so I'm online all the time.

 

[Eejit]

Please don't triple post, there's a multi-quote button. Or you could just edit one post.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

Unless you have your friends account details it won't work. The key is binded to his account and the game won't install onto a new account without a valid key.

 

[kineaesth]

I'm from New Zealand too, and the Orange Box is not prohibitively expensive. Then again, I can see how you'd want to give Half Life 2 a try.

If we were to pretend you were starting fresh, I'd say first find out the account details of your friend - the username and password. Then, get Steam from here, and install it. log into his account to check it works. Then quit Steam, and install Half Life 2 from disc. At the end of the installation it should prompt you to either create a new Steam Account, or login to an existing one. You want to log in to an existing one. Then, when Steam opens up, you should see Half Life 2 in the 'My Games' list. It will need to update for a bit, and then you can play.

However this is a violation of the Steam Subscriber agreement, as it's basically piracy.

 

[cooldragon]

I'm from New Zealand too, and the Orange Box is not prohibitively expensive. Then again, I can see how you'd want to give Half Life 2 a try.

If we were to pretend you were starting fresh, I'd say first find out the account details of your friend - the username and password. Then, get Steam from here, and install it. log into his account to check it works. Then quit Steam, and install Half Life 2 from disc. At the end of the installation it should prompt you to either create a new Steam Account, or login to an existing one. You want to log in to an existing one. Then, when Steam opens up, you should see Half Life 2 in the 'My Games' list. It will need to update for a bit, and then you can play.

However this is a violation of the Steam Subscriber agreement, as it's basically piracy.

It's prohibitively expensive for an old aged pensior! Yes, even old codgers enjoy killing things...

I did open a steam account yesterday, but you think it would be best to start again by uninstalling the game and the Steam software, and use the last user's account? I'm not keen on piracy either, but this is ridiculous. They're preventing potential buyers from experiencing their games... and then going on to buy more of the same brand. Pretty shortsighted, really.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[kineaesth]

We get threads like this a lot, about the merits of Steam. Personally, although it can at times be slightly intrusive, I think it's also incredibly good. I don't buy my games at stores any more, I buy them straight from Steam, so I save money on the markups the stores slap on. I now have a Steam account with 20 odd games that I can play anywhere in the world, theoretically. Steam is, in many ways, an indicator for what the video game industry will/should turn into - effective, fast digital distribution.

If you know your friends Steam account details, just log out of your account either by restarting Steam or buy pressing Settings, down the bottom of the window, navigating to the account tab, and clicking 'log in as a different user'. Hopefully, if you've installed Half Life 2 correctly, this will allow you to try out the game on his account. However, if you like it, and are thinking of buying the expansions, or any other game from Steam for that matter, I recommend you use your own account.

 

[the cow says moo]

They're preventing potential buyers from experiencing their games by using their friend's disk to play them.

This is what I thought you were going to say after reading the first half of the sentence.

 

[cooldragon]

Oops!

 

[cooldragon]

This is what I thought you were going to say after reading the first half of the sentence.

Close enough..

 

[cooldragon]

We get threads like this a lot, about the merits of Steam. Personally, although it can at times be slightly intrusive, I think it's also incredibly good. I don't buy my games at stores any more, I buy them straight from Steam, so I save money on the markups the stores slap on. I now have a Steam account with 20 odd games that I can play anywhere in the world, theoretically. Steam is, in many ways, an indicator for what the video game industry will/should turn into - effective, fast digital distribution.

If you know your friends Steam account details, just log out of your account either by restarting Steam or buy pressing Settings, down the bottom of the window, navigating to the account tab, and clicking 'log in as a different user'. Hopefully, if you've installed Half Life 2 correctly, this will allow you to try out the game on his account. However, if you like it, and are thinking of buying the expansions, or any other game from Steam for that matter, I recommend you use your own account.

OK, good advice, and I thank you for your time. I may have tracked the ugger down this morning, so we'll see what happens. I have no argument about using Steam to play... I understand their piracy concerns. However maybe they need to modify their rules a bit to allow people to experience and then buy.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

Well you can create a Steam account and download and install the demo. That was meant for people who wanted to experience the game.

 

[cooldragon]

Yes true, but not everyone wants to go through the process of creating accounts like Steam and downloading demos... and if someone tires of a game why shouldn't that person be able to pass the game on? Surely that's spreading the good word for the manufacturer.