Can I download from Steam an old game whose DVD I purchased in the past?

[juanmelenchon]

Hi people, I have looked for this issue but had no luck, no just in the case this doubt has been already answered, I beg the mod to redirect this discussion to the right place.
-I purchased Desperados: Wanted dead or alive a lot of years ago (2001 or 2002), and I still conserve the DVD and the box at home, but... now I live in another country. The thing is that I know this game is available for Steam, so the question is: could I use the Steam platform for playing it again in my current computer without paying again? Maybe through the barcode or something like that...

[J4MESOX4D]

No. You will either need to recover the disc and install that way or purchase a digital licence of the game on Steam if the game is available or through another online retailer.

[juanmelenchon]

Strange... I read that a lot of games adquired out of Steam can be incorporated to the personal library through a code. Maybe the problem comes from being an old game?

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by juanmelenchon:

Strange... I read that a lot of games adquired out of Steam can be incorporated to the personal library through a code. Maybe the problem comes from being an old game?

Yes, because you then purchase a Steam key on other stores. Stores like Fanatical, Humble, Green Man Gaming sell Steam keys.

You have a CD key, which is entirely different.

[Cathulhu]

Some games can be activated retroactively on Steam, but only a handful.
It's the rare exception.
Games like Unreal Tournament 3 and Euro Truck Simulator 2 are two examples.
But the former is not even sold physically anmore.

[J4MESOX4D]

Originally posted by juanmelenchon:

Strange... I read that a lot of games adquired out of Steam can be incorporated to the personal library through a code. Maybe the problem comes from being an old game?

Non-Steam codes of physical products cannot be transferred into a Steam code and be added to your account.

Games purchased outside of Steam that come with a Steam key require this DRM and must be added to Steam to function.

Your CD key of the respective game existed before Steam was even created and the only way to get this to work is by installing via the disc after using this code.

[juanmelenchon]

Understood. Thanks to all of you!

[J4MESOX4D]

Originally posted by juanmelenchon:

Understood. Thanks to all of you!

Also if you wish to have this game on Steam, you can track its pricing here https://isthereanydeal.com/game/desperadoswanteddeadoralive/info/ where you may be able to get it very cheap in a sale. This will be a digital code which you can add to your Steam account and the game will be added to your library to be downloaded at any time. Some old games also have improvements and patches so they work with the latest operating systems too.

[juanmelenchon]

Thank you again! :D