Digital download woes ?

[Elixer]

Say you purchased digital downloads of a game awhile ago, and you thought it might be fun to install them again.

In the 'old' days, it would be no problem, you still have the game data on CD/DVD, so you can work your ways around a authorization server.

However, with digital downloads, you are screwed, unless you want to try and 'work around' the installer, assuming you can still download the installer in the first place.

Once again, DRM shoots people who have paid for the game in the foot.

I am curious, how many people that jumped onto the digital bandwagon when they were first coming out, with lots more players besides steam & origin & uplay (D2D, impulse, and so on...) have had these kind of issues ?

 

[DaveSimmons]

I have 2-3 games from services other than Steam, but I only paid $5-10 each and I think the downloaded installer included the license key anyway.

Of course with old physical CDs, one scratch and you're out of luck too, since they are probably out of print or would cost some outrageous fee to get a new CD/DVD from the publisher.

What games have you lost from buying from "dead" digital stores?

 

[tidy]

.

 

[pontifex]

D2D became Gamefly.
Impulse was Gamestop's service, right?

Both companies are still in business. I bet if you contacted them they would help you out.

 

[Elixer]

D2D became Gamefly.
Impulse was Gamestop's service, right?

Both companies are still in business. I bet if you contacted them they would help you out.

Tried that, and each of them have "lost the rights" to sell the game in question (so they don't have a download available), or say it will be made available when it is made available, and no ETA, and it has been years.

Games I have issues with is World in Conflict, W4kark crusader, Titan Quest + expansion, and, some other ones.

Oh, and GameFly has sold its digital download business to AtGames Holding Ltd... which is why I was looking to download all the games I purchased before the switch over.

 

[greenhawk]

Titan Quest + expansion,

if you have the cd key from the other download company, you could try adding the game to steam as it does have that game.

or given the old game it is, add the game to your wish list and wait for a sale.

 

[Aldon]

Why would someone keep track of millions of serial keys .. back in those days? Not to mention customer data..

 

[BSim500]

Of course with old physical CDs, one scratch and you're out of luck too, since they are probably out of print or would cost some outrageous fee to get a new CD/DVD from the publisher.

Or buy it 2nd hand for $1-2 cheap on Ebay? I think the "CD scratches" thing is way overblown. If you take care of them and don't throw them round like frisbee's or leave them lying on the floor, you should be fine. "No-CD" cracks have been widely used for years - not for piracy - but to save wear on discs (only need once to install not to play), plus to play games on ultra-portable laptop's with no CD drive. Likewise, ripping them to ISO and mounting the ISO with a virtual drive is another way of eliminating scratch risk and backing them up that's perfectly legal in many countries. I have discs from the early 90's still in perfect condition. Same goes with lost CD serials (another apparent 'complaint'), why it's suddenly so difficult to securely store a simple number / sticker in a disc case (but only since Steam has been up & running) is beyond me. Surely people aren't that lax with their bank details too? I don't remember people "losing" their physical game collections en masse, pre Half-Life-2... :hmm:

I think the more serious long term issue is what happens if anything serious financially happens to Valve, no-one steps in to keep their server's up and you can't find an "unofficial" way of running the game. At that point it suddenly sinks in all Steam "purchases" are basically rental's...

 

[ShintaiDK]

Never had an issue with digital downloads. And I refuse to pay for some physical boxed version that I need to keep around.

Hell, I havent even had an optical drive since 2006.

Just like I barely had any physical cash as well, since that part is all digital as well.

 

[xantub]

I haven't had an issue with any games (yet), even though I have games in Steam, GoG, D2D, Amazon, Gamefly/Impulse, Gamersgate.

Having said that, if it ever happens that for some reason I can't play a game I already purchased because the company won't let me download it anymore, I just torrent it. It may not be 'officially' legal, but in my mind I already paid for it so it's ok.

Let me put it another way to you:
- # of times I haven't been able to install a game I purchased digitally because it's not available anymore: 0
- # of times I couldn't play a game I purchased physically because I lost the CD or threw away the game: 3 (at least, that I remember)

 

[tidy]

.

 

[shortylickens]

Not had this problem with Amazon or GOG.

Nor Steam.

 

[NickelPlate]

The only issues I've ever had DRM is reaching activation limits which can happen with boxed copies too. As far as Steam goes you can always re-download your games anytime and in fact you never have to if you keep your games installed on a dedicated drive separate from your OS drive.

HD space is also so cheap and plentiful you can save the installers for titles you've purchased and this is what I do so I never have to download them again.

 

[Ketchup]

I haven't done much game downloading (mostly because I don't game much anymore), but I have a backup of everything I have downloaded. I would never trust a site to have my game forever. I do this with many programs as well.

 

[thedosbox]

Ten years later, and people are still whining about steam? /facepalm

If you're worried about "renting" the game, then it's simple - don't buy it, or wait until the discount is big enough to account for the reduced value. It's not like there aren't any steam sales...

 

[Sattern]

I usually wait a couple months after the games release so I can snag them for a great deal.

I don't like steam or other digital downloads because I like collecting the discs.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I remember getting FEAR from D2D and I downloaded the entire thing to my HDD and saved the installer files. Still have em, and the code to unlock them. Not that I'll ever play again.

 

[Bateluer]

Whats with all the whiny people complaining about Steam here these past 72 hours?

 

[alcoholbob]

Some of my older Activision/EA games no longer work, they are listed on Steam and Origin but I can't start them up anymore due to activation issues. I have to torrent the games if I still want to play them. Kind of a pain, meh.

 

[Nebor]

Whats with all the whiny people complaining about Steam here these past 72 hours?

I have no idea. I don't have any games that aren't on steam.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Talking about digital downloads:
http://techreport.com/news/26968/research-firm-downloads-make-up-92-of-pc-game-sales

 

[Throckmorton]

Yep, can't play Test Drive Unlimited anymore because they limited how many times you could install. With many of those services, what you're doing is renting a game temporarily. Now I only buy games on Steam

 

[shortylickens]

Yep, can't play Test Drive Unlimited anymore because they limited how many times you could install. With many of those services, what you're doing is renting a game temporarily. Now I only buy games on Steam

Where did you download TDU? I have not been able to find it anywhere.

Getting sick of installing and playing by disc.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Yep, can't play Test Drive Unlimited anymore because they limited how many times you could install. With many of those services, what you're doing is renting a game temporarily. Now I only buy games on Steam

Lol I was installing Crysis Warhead on this machine to do comparison testing to my old system when I built it and got the error that I reached the install limit or something but I have the disk.

 

[tidy]

.