Fallout 3 GOTY GFWL key is removed and I need it back badly.

[TweetyCZ]

Greeting friends. I would like to ask you if anyone has been dealing with similar situation like me and if yes, how have you ended up.

Okay, here is the thing, after the purchase of the new gaming PC, I decided to finally finish the game after the years. In previous years (since 2008) I played boxed Fallout 3 CE without Games for Windows Live implemented (Central Europe version variant), but eventually my HDD died off and I lost all my saves.

During the Summer Sale 2013 I bought the game again as GotY with all the DLCs and it was GfWL version like retail sold in the shops in the UK & USA. Steam copy included GfWL key which I inserted after first launch and used GfWL (necessary for saving the progress and achievements hunting). Sometimes in october 2013 I backed up my saves and ceased playing Fallout 3 with intention to continue on the better hardware the following year.

Well, after my new desktop setup I reinstalled Fallout 3, with the first launch GfWL upper tab pop up happened and the game wanted me to re-enter GfWL key I got with the purchase back in Summer Sale 2013, so I went to show CD key option and wait the minute the key is nowhere to be found! First I tought it has something to do with Bethesda or Microsoft but no the company responsible is Steam which hid the key by the "Removed SupportsCDKeyCopyToClipboard" update approximately eight months ago as you can see here - http://steamdb.info/app/22300/history/ According to Bethesda spokesperson (January 2014) "Steam has removed the need to activate the GFWL codes when purchasing the game."

The big problem is that Steam apparently removed GfWL keys from all the games purchased prior that update too. As you may know GfWL was not ditched entirely - only GfWL Marketplace was closed down. Retails continue to work with GfWL, just a few days ago I activated my brand new physical copy of Viva Piňata (2007 game with Live enabled) trough GfWL and today the friend of mine did the same with his retail copy (UK version) of Fallout 3 GoTY, so basically the game has been broken without appropriate compensation like complete transfer to Steam - the treatment Bioshock 2 and Batman AA got, this case is different those as a non-developer apparently hid the GfWL keys from legitimate users without further actions taken - Valve.

The removal of GfWL keys from Fallout 3 GotYies acquired trough Steam broke the game for me entirely. My account wants the very same key I used for the first time for Fallout 3, I won't help myself by inserting another taken from from some retail disc edition.. I know there's a bypass which enables to play the game with GfWL removed but I don't want to do that as I value GfWL version (though very few) advantages (=achievements) and I refuse to start the game all over (=saves - as I completed nearly 3/4 of the game already), it would be for the third time in a row and that is more than annoying.

I should have wrote the key on a piece of paper just after the actual purchase, but how could had I known something like this might even happen? I already contacted Steam support with detailed plea, but I now know why people say they got incredibly slow in their replies - three days passed and no reply yet. When I was asking something last time (2012) I got my response the following day.

I would be grateful if you shared some of your experience on the matter if you have some and would like to thank you for that beforehand!

[Satoru]

You don't need the key

THe game doesnt require GFWL anymore. You just have to install GFWL and it'll be fine. The key is no longer required. If you have an issue with teh implementation go yell at Bethesda.

[TweetyCZ]

Originally posted by Satoru:

You don't need the key

THe game doesnt require GFWL anymore. You just have to install GFWL and it'll be fine. The key is no longer required.

Please, dear friend, read a little bit more than headlines. I of course do know it's not required, but the thing is I want to use GFWL and I can't for an obviously absurd reason. Why I want to use GFWL and I cannot? It's described further up ahead.

[Satoru]

I'm almost positive, GFWL doesnt use encrypted saves on Fallout 3. So other than your achievements you can still play the game even without logging in

[TweetyCZ]

Originally posted by Satoru:

I'm almost positive, GFWL doesnt use encrypted saves on Fallout 3. So other than your achievements you can still play the game even without logging in

Well I'm not, sadly - I like my little GFWL/Xbox Live wutever account, really love to collect achievements for it (gamerscore) and I will use that account for my Xbox 360 too, as soon as I get one, so, I would really like to finish my Fallout 3 PC achievements as well..

[ReBoot]

Then do it. Your game is tied to your account. Just log in and you're fine.

[TweetyCZ]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Then do it. Your game is tied to your account. Just log in and you're fine.

Believe me, I would actually love to, but I can't see the damn GfWL CD key anymore, since the Steam has hidden it, hence I cannot enter the respective Fallout 3 key... Every GFWL enabled game wants to re-enter the key each time it is re-installed. I can log into Live anytime, but that does not solve the problem.
---
People, would you kindly READ - at least cursorically - more than actual thread headlines? Thank you. (:

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by (*-*)TweetyCZ:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Then do it. Your game is tied to your account. Just log in and you're fine.

Believe me, I would actually love to, but I can't see the damn GfWL CD key anymore

Your game is bound to your account. Just log in using the same GFWL account and you're fine.

[Discussions_Acc]

Originally posted by (*-*)TweetyCZ:

Please, dear friend, read a little bit more than headlines.

Just posting your problem and not an endless story around it usually helps.

[TweetyCZ]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by (*-*)TweetyCZ:

Believe me, I would actually love to, but I can't see the damn GfWL CD key anymore

Your game is bound to your account. Just log in using the same GFWL account and you're fine.

Yes, my game is indeed bounded to my account, but that's not enough to use its features like achievements, I need to re-enter my GfWL key for that reason, which - since the eight months old update (can be found in SteamDB called "Removed SupportsCDKeyCopyToClipboard") which hid until then visible CD key - I cannot see and do not know what to re-enter. It's practically like my key was stolen and I don't have it anymore which is absurd as I got one with the game during the Summer Sale 2013. Don't want to be rude dude, but do you get it now?

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by (*-*)TweetyCZ:

but do you get it now?

Still feels weird as it worked for me, but heck.
GFWL is going down. Bethesda ordered Valve not to give out keys anymore. You can use your old saves, but for everything else, concider GFWL nonexistant.

[TweetyCZ]

Originally posted by Discussions_Acc:

Originally posted by (*-*)TweetyCZ:

Please, dear friend, read a little bit more than headlines.

Just posting your problem and not an endless story around it usually helps.

Come on man, it's not that endless, first off, it's broken to paragraphs or sections if you will and second if reading bothers you, don't force yourself to anything including useless responses. Seeing most of respondees still do not know what exactly is going on makes me wonder if I shouldn't been even more comprehensive on the matter.

edit: You have a nice socket account for trolling btw. .)

[TweetyCZ]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by (*-*)TweetyCZ:

but do you get it now?

Still feels weird as it worked for me, but heck.
GFWL is going down. Bethesda ordered Valve not to give out keys anymore. You can use your old saves, but for everything else, concider GFWL nonexistant.

Thanks, but that still does not explains why Steam taken off those already "issued" with previous F3 purchases as those from boxed copies still work fine apparently.

GfWL is dead, it's now part of Xbox Live and Marketplace is closed down but support for CD keys continues (Section 8, Flashpoint RR, Fuel, Fable III and many more) in all those games Steam still displays GFWL CD keys.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by (*-*)TweetyCZ:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Still feels weird as it worked for me, but heck.
GFWL is going down. Bethesda ordered Valve not to give out keys anymore. You can use your old saves, but for everything else, concider GFWL nonexistant.

Thanks, but that still does not explains why Steam taken off those already "issued" with previous F3 purchases as those from boxed copies still work fine apparently.

Because Bethesda.

[TweetyCZ]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by (*-*)TweetyCZ:

Thanks, but that still does not explains why Steam taken off those already "issued" with previous F3 purchases as those from boxed copies still work fine apparently.

Because Bethesda.

Maybe, maybe not exactly. I hope Steam support team will tell me and preferably return me my key (in few weeks from now probably as they are obviously understaffed in the longterm and currently even got "high volume of tickets"). Still I'm very curious if anybody experienced something similar with this or another game and how he/she solved the problem in the end.

[TheSlacker]

I got FO3 GOTY during this steam summer sale. I was thinking I would get a key for achievements on GFWL, but didn't. I fixed this by not playing the game and not buying Bethesda products anymore. Valve won't integrate the achievements into steam and cannot supply keys.