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Pre-Order Valve Games Via Steam Next Week, Enter the TF2 Beta
The British Gaming Blog notes that the Orange Box (Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2) will be available for pre-order via Steam starting next week. What's more, ordering the games via Steam will give you access to an advance Beta test of Team Fortress 2. "The Orange Box contains Half Life 2, Episodes 1 and 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2; you'll have to purchase the entire package to receive the Beta. Valve recommends giving the extra codes for Half Life 2 and Episode 1 (if you already own them) to someone who's been missing out. Not explained on the actual pre-purchase page is an added bonus for early adopters, Peggle Extreme; a special edition of Popcap's Peggle featuring new challenges and Orange Box related artwork." Apparently current HL2 fans will miss out on the Beta ... because we've already paid them money.
Why would I be stupid enough to pre-order another Valve product on Steam?
When I pre-ordered HL2 on Steam, I couldn't play it for a week after release because activation was broken, then the engine was broken and wouldn't start, then the audio code was broken and would lock up on my machine...
Hell, why would I be stupid enough to *buy* another product off Steam when I could buy it at retail?
Then, foolishly I purchased BioShock on Steam instead of at retail, thinking that maybe Valve had finally gotten things right, since hey, I bought a couple titles on Steam like Geometry Wars and Episode 1, and they worked okay... Nope. Securom error, game won't start. Contact Valve support, get told 'go talk to 2kgames, we won't support you'.
I email 2kgames and securom, and don't get a response, so I think, hey, maybe I can get refunded and just buy the 360 version? Nope. Valve: 'We don't give refunds, and if you issue a chargeback we'll revoke your Steam account and access to every game you've ever purchased from us.' So, great.
A week later, securom tells me how to fix the error and start the game, but I then discover that the game still doesn't work because it locks up at load screens due to an incompatibility with my specific video card model (GeForce 79xx). Email 2kgames support again. No response. Awesome.
So, two weeks later, 2kgames finally responds to my support request by telling me that until my hardware vendor releases new video drivers, I'm out of luck. They give me a workaround that makes the game work about 25% of the time, so I'm actually able to play if I spend 30 minutes fiddling with settings and restarting the game over and over.
If I had bought the game at retail I could have been playing it on the 360 weeks ago, and actually got my money's worth. Instead, I'm out 50+ dollars and the game still doesn't work.