[Faster_is_better]

Ok my friend wants me to buy BF2 collection, for him since its on sale right now. But hes on dialup so he won't be downloading it.

I can send him it via email(and he can set up a steam account) but won't be able to download anyways.

BUT, I have a retail copy of it, so he could install it with the disks, but I'm wondering if there is a way to activate with steam or?

The other option i'm thinking of, is if I download it for him, and just give him the game folder, he can insert into his game folder, and steam will recognize it like that? I know it worked like that with an Impulse game I downloaded.

A couple things I found already to take note of:

Quote:

All retail Valve games and a number of third-party games can be registered to your Steam account. All of the following games can be registered through Steam: * Valve CD Keys in this format: ####-#####-#### * Valve CD Keys in this format: 1AB2C-D3FGH-456I7-JK8LM-NOP9Q

source

Quote:

Do I get a CD or printed CD Key when ordering through Steam? You will not need to enter a CD Key to retrieve your game, you will only need your to login to your Steam Account to get access to your games. Note: Games purchased online through Steam do not include a CD Key, a physical CD, a manual or any other physical goods. source

If valve gives me a CD key that I can use on the retail install, then this will work out, does it look like that?

Thanks

 

[Nelson2011]

What would he do with bf2 on dial-up connection? Also he has to have a steam account so you can gift it to him and he would have to download it on his steam account.

 

[Faster_is_better]

lol... solo is pretty fun for a while... maybe for some future LAN or if he gets a better connection later on

 

[Afrodisiac]

BF2 is not in the retail key support list for Steam, so he cannot get the game tied to Steam. He can install the game using your discs though, but that might get complicated. The bottom line is, your current retail copy cannot be tied to Steam.

 

[greydor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nelson2011 What would he do with bf2 on dial-up connection?

He can rip his shirt open to reveal his true colors as seen on this floppy..

 

[Nelson2011]

You can buy it on steam but it's not like some of the new games that are steam tied. The retail edition can't be tied to steam only the one that's on steam.

 

[Sam1990]

Valve doesn't give you a CD key if you purchase online through Steam. I bought COD:MW2 and it just started downloading it, no CD key was given to me after checkout or emailed.

You can try the gift option, but I'm pretty sure he would still have to be the one to download it. Why not just buy the retail copy from Best Buy or does he NEED it through Steam?

 

[samster25]

how about you login into his account on your computer download it and back it up onto a flash drive or DVDs, and he could restore on his computer using steam backup

 

[Faster_is_better]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrodisiac BF2 is not in the retail key support list for Steam, so he cannot get the game tied to Steam. He can install the game using your discs though, but that might get complicated. The bottom line is, your current retail copy cannot be tied to Steam.

K thought so, but what about giving him the game folder after I download it? As I plan on buying this on steam as well... what would be the best approach to this?

Quote:

how about you login into his account on your computer download it and back it up onto a flash drive or DVDs

This could work..

Quote:

You can try the gift option, but I'm pretty sure he would still have to be the one to download it. Why not just buy the retail copy from Best Buy or does he NEED it through Steam?

Steam deal $15 for collection atm

 

[Nelson2011]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samster25 how about you login into his account on your computer download it and back it up onto a flash drive or DVDs, and he could restore on his computer using steam backup

Yeah you can backup ur games on steam so this looks feasible.

 

[Afrodisiac]

Both of you buy it on Steam, you download it, do a Steam backup of the game and then give him the backup so he can install the files on his computer without having to download it the game.

 

[aksthem1]

Steam will not give you a CD key, but it should be in the registry. But it will only show up once fully downloaded and installed, so that kind of defeats the purpose of just trying to get the CD key.

You can do what samster25 suggested. Or this and send him the patches. The latest patch has the booster packs free.

 

[StretchNuts]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrodisiac Both of you buy it on Steam, you download it, do a Steam backup of the game and then give him the backup so he can install the files on his computer without having to download it the game.

+1 as steam will see it is his game list, do a file integrity check, see that all files are up to date, and add it to the game list without further download

Done this with Counter Strike Source myself.

 

[ZHoob2004]

copy your steam install files to an external drive and then, when steam starts trying to download on his end, pause the dl, paste your files over the ones already there, resume the download and it will complete and be ready to play.

 

[Faster_is_better]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrodisiac Both of you buy it on Steam, you download it, do a Steam backup of the game and then give him the backup so he can install the files on his computer without having to download it the game.

Good that's what I wanted to hear, thanks.

 

[xxicrimsonixx]

you can always download it on your computer (with your presumably faster internet). Then you can backup the game through the "My Games" tab in Steam. Then with the backup, just transfer it to your friend's computer. Run the Backup.exe (or whatever it is called, should be an executable file though). Anyways, it should install on your friend's computer using the backup downloaded on your computer.

Thus a successful install of BF2, which BTW, I am downloading as I type this.

 

[sillymansam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skitzogreg He can rip his shirt open to reveal his true colors as seen on this floppy..

hehe. I saw an add by them the other day...how nostalgic. what version are we on. 26.0?

 

[Sam1990]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samster25 how about you login into his account on your computer download it and back it up onto a flash drive or DVDs, and he could restore on his computer using steam backup

I think that's still by far the best idea. It will work and you're not violating the TOS nor spending additional money to purchase 2 copies, unless of course you're getting one for yourself.

 

[Afrodisiac]

That is actually a better idea if the only reason for you to buy the game is to download it for him. If you actually want to buy it on Steam though, then do what I said.

 

[Coma]

You can download the game and give him DVDs with the relevant folders/GCFs from SteamApps, then he can just copy them.