Half Life 2, CSS and Steam

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Sackboy

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I just bought a second hand copy of Half Life 2 complete with box and CD key.

It was a good deal for R60, I think.:)

How can I get it working on Steam? According to them, the CD key is "in use".

Will Steam let me use it or grab the key back?
 
Oh boy... You've been ripped off
Go to the person yopu bought it from and demand the username and password to his steam account. Take legal action, do whatever to get it lol
 
boramk said:
Oh boy... You've been ripped off
Go to the person yopu bought it from and demand the username and password to his steam account. Take legal action, do whatever to get it lol
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Would he not be using his steam account for other games?

Isn't it just a matter of getting him to give up playing Half Life 2 and CSS with that CD key?
 
No, its a matter of him giving you his account he registerd those games with you ever want to play
 
I have managed to circumvent:

Windows licencing / activation ('95, '98, ME, XP & Vista)
Office Activation (2003, xp & 2007)
sony soundforge.
photoshop.
+ a few others (:D)

But Steam? The above (and a few more) could learn a thing or two about anti-piracy from Valve. Do as boramk said: get the guy's account and password. It's the only way you're going to be able to play the game. Valve play hardball.
 
OK, I understand now. The game is totally linked to a Steam account.
Well at least I don't have to download it.

I can give the CD's back and then just buy a key?
Are they copyable??
 
Yes you can buy a key and use the CD's to install...
No, noy copyable, Steam games are impossible to pirate (almost) unless you get the ripped games
 
Oh and BTW, enjoy HL2 - great game. Still play it now and then.
 
As far as I remember, you can scan the barcode and box and send it to Steam stating that you have bought it second hand. I don't know if they still allow that these days, though.

You will also have to quote a security number in the manual.
 
RavenServers said:
As far as I remember, you can scan the barcode and box and send it to Steam stating that you have bought it second hand. I don't know if they still allow that these days, though.

You will also have to quote a security number in the manual.
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The manual is missing! (Hope I don't need it)
The CD key is on one of the disk sleeves.
 
I took it up with steam support.

They responded and asked for a photo of the CD key, which I gave them. Then hours later they asked for a photo of the receipt. Apparently it has to be a fresh one (<90 days old).

I sent that in.

Then things went quiet, so I hope it's because of the weekend or timezone (wonder where they are based?)

What worries me is that Steam have a policy of disallowing the resale of games and the transfer of accounts. Surely if someone sells me a game, I can use it without worrying whether the people who wrote the game 5 years ago allow it or not??

Is this legal?? It sounds like a ploy to get more original sales.
 
The sale of the game to you is incomplete without the account it's married to. That account (the guy who sold you the game) can still play the game. Hence you cannot. One copy = one player. Makes sense to me. It's called anti-piracy. Valve are protecting their intellectual property.
 
Grouter said:
The sale of the game to you is incomplete without the account it's married to. That account (the guy who sold you the game) can still play the game. Hence you cannot. One copy = one player. Makes sense to me. It's called anti-piracy. Valve are protecting their intellectual property.
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Protecting property is one thing, but stopping me reselling a game is another.

Many people get bored with a game or don't like it for some reason and want to sell it. I might want to give it to a cousin. Valve doesn't allow any of that.

In fact if you buy a Steam game online you have less rights than the retail version.

Unless this box came from a jumble sale or someone's mother, the person who owned the game before knew that the game wasn't saleable, so I've claimed theft or hijacking of the rights in order to get it going. I don't know if it will work, but it's worth a try.

It will mean they can't play anymore, that's for sure.
 
Sackboy said:
...the person who owned the game before knew that the game wasn't saleable, so I've claimed theft or hijacking of the rights in order to get it going. I don't know if it will work, but it's worth a try.

It will mean they can't play anymore, that's for sure.
Click to expand...

I say good for you. If the guy who sold you the game took your money, he should have been prepared to relinquish the rights to ownership of the game to you too. Otherwise he should never have offered it for sale. Hehe - he'll log into his steam account to find HL2 gone - serves him right.
 
Grouter said:
I say good for you. If the guy who sold you the game took your money, he should have been prepared to relinquish the rights to ownership of the game to you too. Otherwise he should never have offered it for sale. Hehe - he'll log into his steam account to find HL2 gone - serves him right.
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I blame Valve for the way they've set up the system. I can understand denying online use or restricting it to one 'owner', but they could have allowed the game to be played on a PC offline with the CD key at least.
 
if you do manage to get his username and password be sure to check if the steam account isnt banned on one of the local Naprawa tv (SA) css servers
 
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Aider said:
if you do manage to get his username and password be sure to check if the steam account isnt banned on one of the local (SA) css servers
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No need.
Steam came through and allocated the game to my account. :)

It seems you have to update the game with quite a big download before you can play it. I also got Deathmatch and Lost Coast with HL 2 and CSS, so it was a good deal after all.
 
Steam is the best system out there IMO.
Good for you, I hope that guy logs in and sees his games gone, can imagine his face :D Selling $40 for R60 haha
 
Yep, I would imagine your seller is down a couple of steam games right now:)

Enjoy HL2 (Still can't believe there are people who haven't yet played it.)
 
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