WTF?

G

Garfield2010

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Hi guys

I only recently got full-time internet. Now here is my problem. THe first 2 games I have bought's serials was already "taken" by some other idiot? For example:- GTA4 episodes from liberty city says that its serial have already been registered by another user. So now I cannot play. I need to contact the "windows live" guys who wants me to send proof of purchase etc.

The exact same thing happened with steam last week. I purchased an original game in Top CD. Once I tried to install it, steam said I was duplicating an already existing game. Long and short is that I took me 25 emails, about 5 hours and some frustration + anger management to get the game working 10 days later!!!!

It seems that you need to buy a game as soon as it is released, install and register in order to ensure that your copy is still yours................

My issue is that the honest guy is getting all the crap whilst the pirate on the street is playing GTA and some other games on MY ACCOUNT.

Worst part is that I asked steam to tell me who the hell this other guy is that "stole" my cd-key and they do not respond to that. No one is doing anything. I will also consider piracy for all offline games if this is the way things are going..........
 
Welcome to the real world... ;)

It happens, if you bought the game new recently return it and ask for another. What a lot of guys do is they go in and copy the serial number for their own cracked games - then install with the stolen serial and voila you have a legal game....
 
I understand Joe. My point is however that they should FICA or RICA gamers as well. That way they have a database of who owns what. So if some idiot "steals" my serial that I go go and find him and ask him nicely to not do that again!

They spend more money in screwing the honest guy over than to catch the guilty parties.

Fortunately I have pre-ordered crysis so I can play legitly....
 
Hahaha dude, when I bought Counter Strike Source years ago, I lost my CD key. When I emailed them they responded with: "please send proof of your key". When I sent them a picture of the game box, and CD they said they needed a picture of the CD key... I sent a nasty email back saying if I had that, I wouldn't have started emailing them in the first place. Years later, still no reply ;)
 
JoeSlaughter said:
Welcome to the real world... ;)

It happens, if you bought the game new recently return it and ask for another. What a lot of guys do is they go in and copy the serial number for their own cracked games - then install with the stolen serial and voila you have a legal game....
Click to expand...

Or a random key-gen popped out your CD-Key...
 
Hahaha yes I hope so..... Or does Top CD Cresta and BT Games Cresta sell illegal games?

New games have no problem. The issue is if you wait 12 months for the price to drop, then normally the key is used.

Steam also said I had to give them proof. So I took a photo of the game as well as the invoice. Then they said they needed a color photo. It was.... Unfortunately it seems the Wallmart invoices in the USA have color invoices. Anyways, 21 hatemails etc later they have added that game to my steam account.


I have a solution. Why not have internet in store. Once you buy a game there, you add it to your Steam/Win Live list inside the store............

Then afterwards you can pay and go home, install and play the game for sure..................??
 
Garfield2010 said:
Hi guys

I only recently got full-time internet. Now here is my problem. THe first 2 games I have bought's serials was already "taken" by some other idiot? For example:- GTA4 episodes from liberty city says that its serial have already been registered by another user. So now I cannot play. I need to contact the "windows live" guys who wants me to send proof of purchase etc.

The exact same thing happened with steam last week. I purchased an original game in Top CD. Once I tried to install it, steam said I was duplicating an already existing game. Long and short is that I took me 25 emails, about 5 hours and some frustration + anger management to get the game working 10 days later!!!!

It seems that you need to buy a game as soon as it is released, install and register in order to ensure that your copy is still yours................

My issue is that the honest guy is getting all the crap whilst the pirate on the street is playing GTA and some other games on MY ACCOUNT.

Worst part is that I asked steam to tell me who the hell this other guy is that "stole" my cd-key and they do not respond to that. No one is doing anything. I will also consider piracy for all offline games if this is the way things are going..........
Click to expand...

So did you get new cd-keys to play the games you bought? The reason I ask is that I don't want to end up buying a game and not being able to play it. That is just not on.
 
Garfield2010 said:
Hahaha yes I hope so..... Or does Top CD Cresta and BT Games Cresta sell illegal games?

New games have no problem. The issue is if you wait 12 months for the price to drop, then normally the key is used.

Steam also said I had to give them proof. So I took a photo of the game as well as the invoice. Then they said they needed a color photo. It was.... Unfortunately it seems the Wallmart invoices in the USA have color invoices. Anyways, 21 hatemails etc later they have added that game to my steam account.


I have a solution. Why not have internet in store. Once you buy a game there, you add it to your Steam/Win Live list inside the store............

Then afterwards you can pay and go home, install and play the game for sure..................??
Click to expand...

Just buy it on steam and use webafrica's freezone to download it?
 
I think the problem with both the games was that I bought it only 2 years after it was released first up. By that time idiots all over the world had time to "generate" or copy my serial. Yes they are original and yes they had there own CD Keys.......

Maybe you are right. Steam should issue a new serial on the invoice when you buy a game in a shop. Almost like topping up your airtime.........

THis way pre-issued CD-keys cannot be stolen.

Webafrica's freesone? I have Cell C Whoosh 5 gig per month... will this work without destroying my bandwith?
 
Garfield2010 said:
I think the problem with both the games was that I bought it only 2 years after it was released first up. By that time idiots all over the world had time to "generate" or copy my serial. Yes they are original and yes they had there own CD Keys.......

Maybe you are right. Steam should issue a new serial on the invoice when you buy a game in a shop. Almost like topping up your airtime.........

THis way pre-issued CD-keys cannot be stolen.

Webafrica's freesone? I have Cell C Whoosh 5 gig per month... will this work without destroying my bandwith?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not - requires ADSL with a webafrica account - then you can download for free from WA's steam server.
 
**** so I am dependant on buying discs.

Why dont NAG and or PC Format include full games on their disks? Then You can install them, go online, buy the CD-key and play? Problem solved?
 
Garfield2010 said:
**** so I am dependant on buying discs.

Why dont NAG and or PC Format include full games on their disks? Then You can install them, go online, buy the CD-key and play? Problem solved?
Click to expand...

Because everyone would download cracks instead.
 
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I have a legally bought copy of Orange Box that I've never been able to activate due to my key begin in use.

Unlucky for me I had problems with internet connection after I bought the game, and by the time it was sorted I had misplaced the till slip so I couldn't prove I bought it, neither could I return the game to the store as per Valve's suggestion. Thing is Valve flatly refused to assist me in any way despite my plea's and me mailing them with pix of the box, cd's & activation code card etc.

So please, if you want to pirate Valve games do so on my behalf, you have my full permission.
 
Best is, buy the game on steam and just get the appfolder from a friend or someone else. If no-one has the game, get someone with uncapped internet to help you out.

Sorry for not being more useful.
 
Well if the FICA us like I suggested it would sort out some of the problems. All gamers need to verify their address. So then they will think twice about stealing a serial..........

Also if piracy can stop period we can expect possible price drops in games?
 
Ofcourse not, then they would just find another excuse to justify high prices.

I am all for legit game buying but with DRM and high prices that canot be explained makes piracy alot less hassle then buying a legit game.
 
Reminds me of my issue where I bought Metro 2033 with Red Faction included from Look & Listen.

When I tried to install Metro it complained about key already in use, I then noticed that Red faction cd-key was also missing from the box. Emailed Steam and got Metro moved to my account but no such luck with Red faction as I didn't have the Key, so I downloaded the crack instead. I know I could have gone back to shop and exchange it but I didn't notice a second copy on the shelve when I bought it, also wasn't in the mood to go back to the shop.
 
LOL, the whole CD-key issue is a joke anyway. I mean, it isn't stopping piracy, not even multiplayer, with illegal servers and such. PC game producers that insist on relying on cd keys as security are fighting a losing battle. It's like locking the front door but leaving the window open. All it's doing in this case is pissing off a legit customer/s.
 
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