Steaming
The more I interact with Games for Windows Live, the more I like Steam.
So, I was thinking of getting the new DLC for Fallout 3. If I could buy this via Steam, I would, because the interaction goes like this:
“Hey Steam, I want this Game/DLC/Thingy.”
“Ok Jeremy. Give us X dollars.”
“Sure, here you go.”
“Ok. Here’s your game.”
“Neat. *plays game*
Simple. To the point. I like it.
My epic quest to get the Fallout 3 DLC goes like this:
I load Fallout 3.
I click “Live” to join Live, which I had never done before (why would I bother? Fallout is hardly a multiplayer game.)
I don’t have a Live account, so I follow the prompts to make one.
For reasons I’m not clear on, the system then asks me for the Registration Key for the game. Huh? I registered it when I bought it, why would I need to do so again?
I close out of the program and wander about looking for the manual. I fail to find it.
I reload the program. First thing I notice: “Continue” is grayed out. I check and confirm: my saved game files are gone. All of them. Every character I’ve played since I bought the game are gone. Now, in this case I don’t really care, as I didn’t intent to play them again, but holy shit would I have been unhappy if that wasn’t the case.
I am unable to recreate the apparent error RE the registration key. I log into Live. I poke around for a bit trying to find how to download the DLC. I fail.
I give up, and log out. Google to the rescue…I learn that I need to have the 1.1 patch. Ok, I should have the patch anyway: spend 10 minutes downloading and installing patch.
I reload the game. I go back to Live. I again fail to find a way to buy the content.
Back to Google. According to J-random website, I have to run some exe file in the GWL folder to get to the area that will let me buy the DLC.
I abandon this quest and determine that Microsoft doesn’t want my money.
The thing that irritates me even more is that if I ever bother to get to the ‘buy this’ function, I can’t just give them ten bucks and get my DLC. I have to buy 800 Microsoft Points, and then turn those in for the game. If I encounter any problems with trying to buy exactly 800 Points I’m going to be even more cross.
So, I was thinking of getting the new DLC for Fallout 3. If I could buy this via Steam, I would, because the interaction goes like this:
“Hey Steam, I want this Game/DLC/Thingy.”
“Ok Jeremy. Give us X dollars.”
“Sure, here you go.”
“Ok. Here’s your game.”
“Neat. *plays game*
Simple. To the point. I like it.
My epic quest to get the Fallout 3 DLC goes like this:
I load Fallout 3.
I click “Live” to join Live, which I had never done before (why would I bother? Fallout is hardly a multiplayer game.)
I don’t have a Live account, so I follow the prompts to make one.
For reasons I’m not clear on, the system then asks me for the Registration Key for the game. Huh? I registered it when I bought it, why would I need to do so again?
I close out of the program and wander about looking for the manual. I fail to find it.
I reload the program. First thing I notice: “Continue” is grayed out. I check and confirm: my saved game files are gone. All of them. Every character I’ve played since I bought the game are gone. Now, in this case I don’t really care, as I didn’t intent to play them again, but holy shit would I have been unhappy if that wasn’t the case.
I am unable to recreate the apparent error RE the registration key. I log into Live. I poke around for a bit trying to find how to download the DLC. I fail.
I give up, and log out. Google to the rescue…I learn that I need to have the 1.1 patch. Ok, I should have the patch anyway: spend 10 minutes downloading and installing patch.
I reload the game. I go back to Live. I again fail to find a way to buy the content.
Back to Google. According to J-random website, I have to run some exe file in the GWL folder to get to the area that will let me buy the DLC.
I abandon this quest and determine that Microsoft doesn’t want my money.
The thing that irritates me even more is that if I ever bother to get to the ‘buy this’ function, I can’t just give them ten bucks and get my DLC. I have to buy 800 Microsoft Points, and then turn those in for the game. If I encounter any problems with trying to buy exactly 800 Points I’m going to be even more cross.