Steam download or DVD

[Sir Beane]

I've recently started downloading everything, though I use Direct2Drive rather than Steam

Couple reasons for this.

1) Electronic Boutique, Future Shop, and Best Buy have all seen their space dedicated to PC games shrink astronomically in the past couple years. Hell the EB nearest my house now has maybe 20 or so titles in stock right now. They've been completely taken over by console games that I simply couldn't care less about. If they aren't going to support my games, I won't support them and I'll give my money to a retailer who does.

2) I am notorious for loosing manuals, jewel cases, and other little bits of paper that have useful things like activation codes on them. It's a pain in the butt to re-install games when you loose those.

3) I recently went purged my collection of old games and realized that I have 4 or 5 large boxes full of games that will probably never get played again. That's a huge amount of stuff to end up in a landfill. Switching to digital copies might not make a huge difference, but it does make a difference.

I can fully support reason number 3. If it weren't for the fact that I really want the map and manual then I would have gone for the digital edition.

Congratulations on doing your bit to help lessen the landfill problem.

[KozaK13]

DVD is more reliable than a digital version. You have your copy in your hands and there are no stupid things like files maybe mucking up or downloads going wrong.

Plus ofc the manual and map, if the map comes in the bog standard edition ofc...

[Husar]

I like to have a disc that I can install on other computers, take with me, etc.

You can install Steam on other computers and download all your Steam games on them as long as you always login with your account, you will have to install Steam on those other computers anyway to get Empire to run. You can still get the DVD for the other reasons of course.

[Vuk]

You can install Steam on other computers and download all your Steam games on them as long as you always login with your account, you will have to install Steam on those other computers anyway to get Empire to run. You can still get the DVD for the other reasons of course.

Yeah, but I like having the disc. That way what I own is something real and physical that I can hold in my hand. :P Maybe that sounds noobish, but I have downloaded games before, then had to rewrite my hard disc and lost them. I am not sure if it will be the same for Empire and I do not care, I like the physical copy.

[Polemists]

I usually have more problems with hard disks then downloads. Usually do to fact disks can be scratched, or have errors and for whatever reason when I download they usually don't. However as steam's download is so large i'd rather not resort to that.

SO....I will be buying a hard copy, hope it works, and if not I will resort to a download, I prefer downloads to be a fall back though.

[Vuk]

I usually have more problems with hard disks then downloads. Usually do to fact disks can be scratched, or have errors and for whatever reason when I download they usually don't. However as steam's download is so large i'd rather not resort to that.

SO....I will be buying a hard copy, hope it works, and if not I will resort to a download, I prefer downloads to be a fall back though.

lol, that is another thing, my internet is as fast as a snail. :P It would probably take me days to download it. :P

[Polemists]

One time I tried downloading something that was 2 gigs on my internet

for wait time I got

1yr 34 weeks


So we are going to go with no..on the download side of things.

[Reddog]

If you buy the dvd you will really get both because once you activate it you wont ever need the dvd again because you can download from steam anytime you need it.

[Fisherking]

One time I tried downloading something that was 2 gigs on my internet

for wait time I got

1yr 34 weeks


So we are going to go with no..on the download side of things.

Oh! Ouch! That made me laugh too hard!

I was just thinking you could sit down with a printout of the code and type it in , in less time than that download.

ROFLMAO! I never knew that data could be moved by ox cart or camel caravan!




it hurts too much...



.

[Polemists]

Yea later on that same file got 3 days, so it just depends on how my net is moving.

If you buy the dvd you will really get both because once you activate it you wont ever need the dvd again because you can download from steam anytime you need it.

That is pretty neat, that is the first valid reason I've heard about why steam is so great

[Husar]

Yeah, but I like having the disc. That way what I own is something real and physical that I can hold in my hand. :P Maybe that sounds noobish, but I have downloaded games before, then had to rewrite my hard disc and lost them. I am not sure if it will be the same for Empire and I do not care, I like the physical copy.

The problem is the physical copy is useless without the online activation, so all you actually own is a piece of plastic with little holes in it and a nice picture on top.

I'm also going to buy a disc, for financial and other reasons though, just saying the disc itself is relatively worthless unless you don't have an internet flat and would have to pay a lot for downloading 11GB.

[Sir Beane]

The problem is the physical copy is useless without the online activation, so all you actually own is a piece of plastic with little holes in it and a nice picture on top.

I'm also going to buy a disc, for financial and other reasons though, just saying the disc itself is relatively worthless unless you don't have an internet flat and would have to pay a lot for downloading 11GB.

You probably don't even own the piece of plastic. Todays EULA agreements are worded in such a way that companies have the right to take that back off you if they wanted. Nowadays it's more a case of renting the game for as long as the company feels you should have it, rather than actually owning it.

[Polemists]

a nice picture on top

but i love my picture box..it fits so nicely on my bookshelf

[wolf999]

Isnt the game bound to steam? so if you buy it in DVD you have to bind it to steam(for security reasons) and you can download it later from steam(on to another comp)/get patches.

I would go with the physical edition

I preordered the collectors edition myself cuz of steams absurd prices(europe).

[Hosakawa Tito]

I recently went purged my collection of old games and realized that I have 4 or 5 large boxes full of games that will probably never get played again. That's a huge amount of stuff to end up in a landfill. Switching to digital copies might not make a huge difference, but it does make a difference.

Hehehe, unless my final resting spot is in a landfill, my wife says I'm getting buried with mine.
Yep, I'm taking mine wit me!

[mp84]

Hehehe, unless my final resting spot is in a landfill, my wife says I'm getting buried with mine.
Yep, I'm taking mine wit me!

If remember correctly from the various forum sites I've read.

You only need to be connected to the internet with steam installed once for its activation if you have a boxed copy.

The rest of the time, you can run steam in "offline" mode, so you don't need an active internet connection to play the game.

I could be wrong, but I think that is correct.

MP

[Monk]

If remember correctly from the various forum sites I've read.

You only need to be connected to the internet with steam installed once for its activation if you have a boxed copy.

The rest of the time, you can run steam in "offline" mode, so you don't need an active internet connection to play the game.

I could be wrong, but I think that is correct.

MP

No, this is correct. It's been verified numerous times by CA reps on this forum. After activation you can switch over to offline mode and play ETW.

[Polemists]

Yep it's a one time activiation.


I still go with dvd, the download sounds good, but at 15 gigs, good luck getting that monster before the 4th, even with a 48 download window. Just look at the demo crowd, they are going to consume that bandwidth.

[Vuk]

Anyway, DVD's are just sexy. :P All the curves....

[scipiosgoblin]

Anyway, DVD's are just sexy. :P All the curves....

Stop it! You're makin' me blush.

I really prefer the DVD's too. I like to hold the object that will define my waking moments of life for months and possibly years to come. Downloading the game just won't give me the same sense of satisfaction.

SG

[Sir Beane]

Stop it! You're makin' me blush.

I really prefer the DVD's too. I like to hold the object that will define my waking moments of life for months and possibly years to come. Downloading the game just won't give me the same sense of satisfaction.

SG

Plus you can use it as a tea coaster, frisbee, or a geeky christmas decoration if it turns out the game is rubbish.

[Zoring]

So when you install the DVD version you need to start steam up anyhow. Thus logically i can then use steam to download my registered copy later.

Also in ten years when steam goes tits up, i want my old DvD so i can play ETW on the future machines we have then, fire up a quick battle with 20,000 men a side and go, ahh look at them old graphics, no match for our future space vibrating codpiece virtual reality jobbies, but i miss the old days.

[Mailman653]

Well, I finally pre-ordered my copy and went with Bestbuy. I was going to get the d/l version via Steam but looking at the Empire website, it stated that pre-ordering from Bestbuy gets my the special pre-order unit while that is no where menttioned on the Steam portion or on the Steam page (other than getting Rome for free). Who's to say that Steam does give out the special pre-ordered unit, but I didn't want to risk it.

And since when does Bestbuy get the special treatment? Usually its the game outlets like Gamestop that gets all the special goods.

[Marius Dynamite]

I'll go out to the shop and buy it, if only to keep the guys in the shop in a job.