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So the Orange Box are u going to buy it off steam or in the shops?

  • 14-10-2007 10:38am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,792 ✭✭✭✭


    So I was there thinking about buying the Orange box via steam, reckoned I'd save a good bit of money after all 49.95 converts to 35 euros, so go through the online process and then it wacks a load of tax on it bringing it up to around 40 Euros, so I check smyths site and when it comes out next weeks it will be around 45 euros, so I cancelled as I think for the extra couple of Euros I'd prefer to have the DVD version. What about others are u going to download or buy it in your local store?


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,225 ✭✭✭Ciaran500


    Already bought it off steam, don't see any point to wait a week and pay extra just for a DVD. You can backup the steam files to DVD if you really want a hard copy.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,584 ✭✭✭✭Creamy Goodness


    pointless buying it in store. you'll all you'll get extra is a box and a half life 2 quick guide (the controls are printed on this and anyways who doesn't know the controls to an fps) which valve give you in pdf format.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,339 ✭✭✭✭tman


    Bought it off steam a month ago to avail of the TF2 beta. Was well worth it to be able to play episode 2 on wednesday without any delays (apart from all that bloody decryptin:mad:)
    Ciaran500 wrote: »
    Already bought it off steam, don't see any point to wait a week and pay extra just for a DVD. You can backup the steam files to DVD if you really want a hard copy.

    I think it's cheaper on play.com than it is on steam if you factor in the US sales tax


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,792 ✭✭✭✭Snake Plisken


    Looks like its 7.81GB for the full package, which would eat well into my 40GB crap cap with NTHELL, plus I'm old fashioned like the idea of receiving a physical disc rather then a download.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,905 ✭✭✭grimm2005


    i'm credit cardless so i will be buying it in the shops


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 651 ✭✭✭Gunther_Gloop


    Whichever way it's bought anyway, it's still dependent on the Steam server(s). Whenever Valve or whoever's responsible for that side of things decides they don't want to provide access to it anymore, they can just pull the plug. Of course that won't be for a few years yet, but it will come of course.
    Also, you can't just play it without being online in the first place. You can tick the box to say play offline, but it still forces you to go online every couple of days.
    Neither can you sell it, assuming you have played it.
    Gone are the days of actually _owning_ something.

    The only way to play Half-Life 2 without all that garbage is to pirate it. Of course I would never advocate such a thing and I'm not even certain it is available that way. And I'm not bothered enough to find out either.
    I stopped buying or playing anything STEAM-related after seeing how restricted HL2 is.
    If it's the future of pc-gaming then I'm afraid I've played my last.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    Whichever way it's bought anyway, it's still dependent on the Steam server(s). Whenever Valve or whoever's responsible for that side of things decides they don't want to provide access to it anymore, they can just pull the plug. Of course that won't be for a few years yet, but it will come of course.
    Also, you can't just play it without being online in the first place. You can tick the box to say play offline, but it still forces you to go online every couple of days.
    Neither can you sell it, assuming you have played it.
    Gone are the days of actually _owning_ something.

    The only way to play Half-Life 2 without all that garbage is to pirate it. Of course I would never advocate such a thing and I'm not even certain it is available that way. And I'm not bothered enough to find out either.
    I stopped buying or playing anything STEAM-related after seeing how restricted HL2 is.
    If it's the future of pc-gaming then I'm afraid I've played my last.

    Have Valve turned off anything yet? I don't think they have. Steam keeps track of what you own so if you lose your DVD or it gets so scratched it doesn't work, you can download it again for free! Gone are the days of you runing your stuff and it been gone forever or backing it up to ensure that does not occur.

    There are advantages to the Steam way of doing things too. I'll wait until they screw users over before assuming they are going to.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,584 ✭✭✭✭Creamy Goodness


    and also don't EA now distribute Valve games? i thought i read that somewhere.

    less money that goes into their pockets the better.


  • Posts: 5,078 [Deleted User]


    I'll be buying it in the shops for my PS3. I already have HL2+EP1 on my laptop, but its low spec lags a good bit. I'm looking forward to playing it smoothly for once :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,930 ✭✭✭✭challengemaster


    already downloaded, weeeeeeeeee portal \o/


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,304 ✭✭✭✭koneko


    Valve have stated before that if they were to ever go out of business or anything like that happens, they have patches ready so you won't lose your games.

    As brim4brim said too, it's very convenient being able to download games you've lost the discs for, even some games I didn't buy through Steam, they're in my account as activated and I can download them again anytime.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,224 ✭✭✭✭Kinetic^


    Ciaran500 wrote: »
    Already bought it off steam, don't see any point to wait a week and pay extra just for a DVD. You can backup the steam files to DVD if you really want a hard copy.

    +1


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,856 ✭✭✭Clover


    grimm2005 wrote: »
    i'm credit cardless so i will be buying it in the shops

    get yourself a 3v card then you can buy a pre-paid visa voucher ( €5 charge per voucher though ) to shop online , i used one to get the orange box from steam and use them for online shopping and my motor tax.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,971 ✭✭✭Holsten


    I can wait till next friday, I prefer to have the actual physical disc.

    Plus it would probably take till friday to download it anyway... haha.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 17,338 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gonzo


    I have HL2+episode 1 on my laptop as well but it is also low specish so im waiting till the 360 version comes out on Friday and i'll buy it then.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,643 ✭✭✭0ubliette


    buying the 360 so i can paly it in the comfort of my bedroom on my HDTV :D And for acheivements!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 550 ✭✭✭Teg Veece


    Just a quick question regarding steam. I'm thinking about moving abroad for a year or so and I'm wondering if I could download whatever steam games I've already bought onto the PC I'll be using when I move using my steam account.

    Would I have to uninstall the games on my home PC first?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,304 ✭✭✭✭koneko


    You can just install Steam on your new PC, log in and download and install the games. I use my Steam account on two seperate PCs with no issues.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,332 ✭✭✭padraig_f


    Just reading the Eurogamer review (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=85044&page=1) and saw this which some might find useful:
    'PC owners should also be aware that they can give their CD-keys to friends if they already own Half-Life 2 or Half-Life 2: Episode One, too.'


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,304 ✭✭✭✭koneko




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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,470 ✭✭✭MOH


    I'll be buying elsewhere. It's not such a good deal on steam after the 21% tax gets added on. Plus they wouldldn't accept my credit card, despite the fact the details matches what I use all the time.

    Online prices:
    Play.com 41.99
    Blahdvd.com 40.99
    HMV.co.uk 38.72 (GBP 26.99 inc del)
    Gameplay.co.uk 38.00 (but there's a shipping fee of about GBP 2.50)

    Just bought it from HMV


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,339 ✭✭✭✭tman


    koneko wrote: »
    You can just install Steam on your new PC, log in and download and install the games. I use my Steam account on two seperate PCs with no issues.
    Or just right click on anything in the my games menu in steam, choose "backup game files", then just copy the file it creates to the other pc and run it there. saves a wee bit of bandwidth...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,111 ✭✭✭MooseJam


    Another old fashioned vote here, I'll be getting the box just so I can look at it and add it to my collection, not that I think there is anything wrong with steam, It's a pretty cool system, had a look at their stats and I never realised it was so big - several hundred thousand gamers online at any one time - wow


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,225 ✭✭✭Ciaran500


    Also, you can't just play it without being online in the first place. You can tick the box to say play offline, but it still forces you to go online every couple of days.
    Not true at all, activate it once then it never has to go online again.
    Gone are the days of actually _owning_ something.
    You never owned software, just a license to use it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,503 ✭✭✭✭Krusty_Clown


    MOH wrote: »
    Just bought it from HMV

    Is it on sale over here already?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,470 ✭✭✭MOH


    Is it on sale over here already?

    Sorry, meant I'd just pre-ordered it from HMV.co.uk - they were the cheapest of the 4 I'd quoted.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,976 ✭✭✭✭humanji


    Ciaran500 wrote:
    You never owned software, just a license to use it.

    You owned the box and the disk :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭Naikon


    Ciaran500 wrote: »
    Already bought it off steam, don't see any point to wait a week and pay extra just for a DVD. You can backup the steam files to DVD if you really want a hard copy.

    My sentiments exactly....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭Naikon


    humanji wrote: »
    You owned the box and the disk :D

    No source code included though;)
    Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't propitiatory/closed products always sold as licenses to just "use" the product?
    Mind you, I don't think I buy a license to drink coke when I buy a can for example:D


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,976 ✭✭✭✭humanji


    Well be careful just in case they demand it all back! :eek:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 287 ✭✭h2s


    Might buy it in shop, undecided yet.

    Got stung with C&C3, bought it thru Steam some months ago for €50 only to find that local Gamestop flogging it for €25.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 999 ✭✭✭cregser


    Bought it off Steam for the first time and don't really have any complaints... yet. I used to have the same reservations expressed already but I just couldn't wait another week for Team Fortress 2 knowing it was out there ready to played.

    I do agree though, that the prices are a bit extortionate considering you're saving them the bother of having to build, staff, insure, and maintain multiple premises in expensive locations throughout the world to distribute their product. It stinks of the supercilious attitude I personally perceive from Valve.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,792 ✭✭✭✭Snake Plisken


    Checked with Smyths in Town and won't be selling it till Friday, anyone know of stores in town that might sell it to you tomorrow?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,653 ✭✭✭steviec


    And for those still on the fence about buying it either way:

    Zero Punctuation Review

    Great review as ever, this guy is fast become my most trusted reviewer as well as the most entertaining...

    I agree with everything he said about portal. The other parts of the package aren't really my bag so much.


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 14,766 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dcully


    The whole package is amazing value imo.
    Portal is amazing.
    TF2 is the single best team based multiplayer game out there imo.
    HL2 and episodes are the best fps single player ever made imo.
    Id pay the asking price for TF2 or Portal alone.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,111 ✭✭✭MooseJam


    can you buy tf2 by itself ?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,653 ✭✭✭steviec


    MooseJam wrote: »
    can you buy tf2 by itself ?

    Yes. Not great value though. Can't remember prices but it was the same price for me to buy the whole lot as it was to buy just TF2 and Portal.

    And you don't want to miss out on Portal, trust me.


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 14,766 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dcully


    Ive been playing nothing else but TF2 so i thought it was time to get stuck into Portal.
    Just finished 3 hour sitting from start to finish and my god what an astonishing game.
    The end is just pure magic as is the music and end credits part.
    An absolute masterpiece that i simply couldnt put down,oh god im up in 5 hours.

    As has been said you cannot miss out on Portal,its a stunning piece of software,truely ingenoius.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,653 ✭✭✭steviec


    Dcully wrote: »
    Ive been playing nothing else but TF2 so i thought it was time to get stuck into Portal.
    Just finished 3 hour sitting from start to finish and my god what an astonishing game.
    The end is just pure magic as is the music and end credits part.
    An absolute masterpiece that i simply couldnt put down,oh god im up in 5 hours.

    As has been said you cannot miss out on Portal,its a stunning piece of software,truely ingenoius.

    So true. The game exceeded all of my expectations. Surprise of the year.

    Warning - DO NOT read the spoilers if you haven't completed it.
    GlaDOS congratulated me on completing Floor 19 and thought to myself "yes, that was a pretty good game, lived up to my expectations", then I rounded the corner and realised I was about to be incinerated and just thought "NOOO they can't do that to me" and quickly scrambled to find an escape. To be honest I think it may be the first time, ever, that I can recall feeling being 'in' a game to quite that extent, it was only after masterminding my escape from the incinerator that I calmed down and realised that this was of course all scripted and this is what the player is expected to do.


    And what followed from that point onwards was just pure genius every step of the way, until the credits stopped rolling. Fabulous game.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 380 ✭✭Puteq


    I have a question maybe someone who has already bought this can answer - lets say hypothetically I go and buy the Orange box in a shop or on the net, will it come with a new steam account that I will have to use for TF2? Cos then my existing steam account would have CS:S on it, but if I wanted to switch over to TF2 I would need to log out and in again! I assume if I went ahead and bought Orange box I could get the contents of it attached to my existing steam account? and yes I know it would be simpler to just buy it via steam with my existing account but if it is cheaper on the net then thats the option i'd rather go for...


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,351 ✭✭✭✭super_furry


    Gonna pick it up on the 360 this afternoon.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,304 ✭✭✭✭koneko


    Puteq wrote: »
    I have a question maybe someone who has already bought this can answer - lets say hypothetically I go and buy the Orange box in a shop or on the net, will it come with a new steam account that I will have to use for TF2? Cos then my existing steam account would have CS:S on it, but if I wanted to switch over to TF2 I would need to log out and in again! I assume if I went ahead and bought Orange box I could get the contents of it attached to my existing steam account? and yes I know it would be simpler to just buy it via steam with my existing account but if it is cheaper on the net then thats the option i'd rather go for...

    Yes, if you have an existing Steam account you can just tie it in with that, so everything is on one account. Anything you have duplicate (like HL2) you can "gift" to someone else, so if you have a friend that has not played HL2 before now is the time to make them ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 380 ✭✭Puteq


    koneko wrote: »
    Yes, if you have an existing Steam account you can just tie it in with that, so everything is on one account. Anything you have duplicate (like HL2) you can "gift" to someone else, so if you have a friend that has not played HL2 before now is the time to make them ;)

    Cool thanks for letting me know :-) Now I can go ahead and order woohoo!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,063 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Hey Guys,

    Sorry to ask what might be an obvious question but what's all the fuss about Orange Box? I haven't been playing many PC Games lately as I sold my PC and while my laptop is reasonably spec'd it's just not the same experiance.

    So I don't get what all the fuss is with Orange Box? It's just material that you had already (Half-Life 2) and material that you could download through Steam (Episode's).
    Am I missing something???


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,470 ✭✭✭MOH


    eo980 wrote: »
    Hey Guys,

    Sorry to ask what might be an obvious question but what's all the fuss about Orange Box? I haven't been playing many PC Games lately as I sold my PC and while my laptop is reasonably spec'd it's just not the same experiance.

    So I don't get what all the fuss is with Orange Box? It's just material that you had already (Half-Life 2) and material that you could download through Steam (Episode's).
    Am I missing something???

    It's HL2, Ep 1, Ep 2, Team Fortress and Portal, so 5 games (well, 2 and 3 halves) for 40 quid. If you don't have HL2 and Ep 1 already it's brilliant value.

    I've HL2, no Ep 1, but it's still a decent deal. Plus if you end up with duplicates of HL2 and Ep 1 you can gift them to someone else. (Or try and seel them on adverts as some people are doing.)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,063 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Ahh thanks MOH. I guess that's pretty good value alright and I had been thinking about buying the Episodes to play, so perhaps I'll just get this instead.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,304 ✭✭✭✭koneko


    Yeah, definitely good value, and if you're at all interested in online play Team Fortress 2 is in the box too. I haven't tried Portal yet but I've heard lots of very very good things about it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,905 ✭✭✭grimm2005


    bought the game today only €40.49 in smyths with a loyalty card or €44.99 without (which prolly ends up cheaper than steam given tax and all that)

    €54.99 in game, hmv and gamestop


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,864 ✭✭✭uberpixie


    grimm2005 wrote: »
    bought the game today only €40.49 in smyths with a loyalty card or €44.99 without (which prolly ends up cheaper than steam given tax and all that)

    €54.99 in game, hmv and gamestop

    Picked it up for €49.99 in Gamestop in Swords this morning.

    Just have to wait till after work to play it:(.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,339 ✭✭✭✭tman


    koneko wrote: »
    Yeah, definitely good value, and if you're at all interested in online play Team Fortress 2 is in the box too. I haven't tried Portal yet but I've heard lots of very very good things about it.

    TBH
    Portal is my pc game of the year so far, absolutely fantastic stuff!


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