How did people find out about Steam back in the day?

[Belva Company]

Whether it was during the Playstation 3 era, or even in the middle of the Playstation 2 era, how did people hear about the Steam platform at the time? I don't remember Steam gift cards being sold in retail stores yet.

[D. Flame]

Orange box, 'nuff said.

[DarkCrystalMethod]

I was fine with the 4 CD Platinum edition of Half-Life and didn't even know until someone told me they were discontinuing support for CDs and everyone should install this Steam program. I guess maybe a gaming magazine mentioned it afterwards but I wouldn't have even known unless I was nose-deep in the gaming scene.

[SKARDAVNELNATE]

The controversy around the release of Half-Life 2, "internet connection required" being understood to mean for multiplayer, and people buying a useless disc.

[Wolfpig]

Like most people got forced to use it because a game (back in the day it was hl2) only runs with steam.

But back then there was still the hope that this sort of online drm won't survive.

[SpeedFreak1972]

Half Life 2 than except playing HL2 the account sat nearly dormant for a couple of years before I bought some games

[Seraphita]

Portal game bought from Walmart. I still remember like it was yesterday. It gave me a code and I had to use steam to enter it. It was my first game on Steam, afaik.

[ReBoot]

Some day in 2003, playing Half-Life (or any of the addons like Team Fortress Classic) meant it was impossible to not stumble over Steam.

Fun fact: a bush of morons complained about TFC getting teleporters back then for the usual "new is bad" reasons while entirely ignoring them being in the original Team Fortress.

[BloodShed]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Some day in 2003, playing Half-Life (or any of the Addons like Team Fortress Classic) meant it was impossible to not stumble over Steam.

This, and the fact the WON multiplayer network would be shutting down and Steam would replace it.

[AmsterdamHeavy]

The (I think it was a) popup in the WON server browser saying, my paraphrase "WON is shutting down you need to start using this new Steam thing".

[J4MESOX4D]

Originally posted by SKARDAVNELNATE:

The controversy around the release of Half-Life 2, "internet connection required" being understood to mean for multiplayer, and people buying a useless disc.

Same. It was practically unheard of at the time - an internet connection required just to play a single player game.

[Nx Machina]

When Half-Life 2 released 2004 as prior to that i played Half-Life via CD.

[Sasori Kigaru]

I'm not sure how my Dad came across it and I can't ask him since he isn't alive anymore. I vaguely recall him playing Half-life before that so he probably got the account due to Half-life 2 like some of the other replies in here.

He made his account September 10, 2004 so I found out about steam through him and had my own account when I was old enough.

Edit: Reading some of the replies gave me a good estimate as to how my dad probably got his account.

[Chika Ogiue]

As with most people, Half Life 2. Still have my collector's tin, though it's starting to rust on the edges and the label telling you about the game and the fact Steam is required, is all cracked.

[az0id]

Enjoy: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_(service)

[ꉔꏂ꒐꒒ꇙ]

Originally posted by Belva Company:

How did people find out about Steam back in the day?

Many factors.

Youtube = Pewdiepie playing Amnesia: The Dark Decent, Terraria players, Team Fortress 2, Half Life, Left 4 Dead, Portal etc

I am sure many other people also have things that drew them to Steam. I can't 100% remember what brought me here the first time but I am sure it has to do with what I mentioned or some other game.

Edit: Terraria being my first Steam game x3