Activating Steam Key in my Account For a Game I Already Own

[Flamesabre]

Hi,

I recently purchased a retail copy (contains just the base game) of Dragon's Dogma : Dark Arisen. However I already own a digital copy of the same on Steam, which I pre-ordered. The digital edition of the game already contains all the extras. I understand that if I activate the retail copy too, I would not receive an extra copy of the game and that's fine with me. However, I would like to know whether it would just replace the base game and would leave the activated DLC for it as is ?

Thanks
Flamesabre

P.S. The entire game is 20GB. So, I am just doing this to avoid downloading the complete game online

[Tev]

Should it activate, it won't overwrite your pre-order bonuses.

Subscriptions can co-exist, and can also be manually "removed" (more like disabled) from the Help Desk -page if required.

Meanwhile, you could also just install the game from the disc and not activate the CD-key at all. Give it to someone else for example.

[Flamesabre]

Thanks Teutep. That was just what I was looking for.

Just one question, how do I bypass the CD-key activation and get on with the installation? From what I've observed with all my other games is that activating the CD-key is the first step to installing from a disk, the first time.

[Tev]

Originally posted by praveen.thomas7777:

Thanks Teutep. That was just what I was looking for.

Just one question, how do I bypass the CD-key activation and get on with the installation? From what I've observed with all my other games is that activating the CD-key is the first step to installing from a disk, the first time.

Since the game should basically make the CD-key activation through the Steam -client, I'd imagine should you be signed in on the Steam -account that owns the game, that it would skip that part.

EDIT: I'll see how my Borderlands 2 disc behaves.

[Flamesabre]

Thanks Teutep. You've been a great help. Let me try that and get back to you if it works.

[Tev]

Here you go (as far as i.e. Borderlands 2 goes),

1. http://i.imgur.com/VQXQTgq.png
   
2. http://i.imgur.com/V4J6rMo.png

It skipped the CD-key prompt entirely since I own the game on Steam.

[Flamesabre]

Perfect. Just what I needed. Thanks for going the extra mile for me buddy

[Spawn of Totoro]

Why do you need to add the retail copy? What is the diffrence? As far as I can tell, Steam sells the compleat version, same as the retail would be, so Steam will say you already own the game and not let you add it.

http://dragonsdogma.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon's_Dogma:_Dark_Arisen

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is an expansion and re-release of Dragon's Dogma containing all the original content, plus an entire new questline and region "Bitterblack Isle", plus all the original DLC content, as well as additional skill upgrades, monsters, weapons and armour.

Originally posted by praveen.thomas7777:

P.S. The entire game is 20GB. So, I am just doing this to avoid downloading the complete game online

O'h, ok.

You can also have a friend copy the game if they have it, then place the files on your computer. This way you don't have to buy it twice.

[Tev]

Originally posted by Spawn of Totoro:

Why do you need to add the retail copy? What is the diffrence? As far as I can tell, Steam sells the compleat version, same as the retail would be, so Steam will say you already own the game and not let you add it.

http://dragonsdogma.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon's_Dogma:_Dark_Arisen

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is an expansion and re-release of Dragon's Dogma containing all the original content, plus an entire new questline and region "Bitterblack Isle", plus all the original DLC content, as well as additional skill upgrades, monsters, weapons and armour.

Well, the topic quickly changed to whether OP can install the game from the disc without activating the disc's CD-key.

And that should be possible, but I figured I'll make sure how it is with my retail copies just incase since OP had been previously prompted with CD-key prompts (presumably in scenarios where he hadn't yet activated the game himself)

Figured it's better to be safe than sorry.

EDIT:

Originally posted by Spawn of Totoro:

O'h, ok.

You can also have a friend copy the game if they have it, then place the files on your computer. This way you don't have to buy it twice.

That works too.

In fact, even better than my suggestion, if OP does get prompted (for whatever reason.)

[Flamesabre]

I have never tried adding a retail version of a game, for which I already own a digital copy. However, I have tried it the other way round. I activated my retail copy of Hitman Absolution first and then purchased the Hitman Absolution Profession Edition (base game and all the extras) digitally. While making the purchase, I was notified that I already own the base game and that I would not receive an extra copy. The final effect was that my standard edition was enhanced to the professional edition. So, now I can directly install the base game from the disc and have to download just the DLCs online, as opposed to downloading the entire game.

Like I said, I wanted to avoid downloading the complete game online, although I do have a pretty good internet connection.

[Flamesabre]

Originally posted by Teutep:

Originally posted by Spawn of Totoro:

Why do you need to add the retail copy? What is the diffrence? As far as I can tell, Steam sells the compleat version, same as the retail would be, so Steam will say you already own the game and not let you add it.

http://dragonsdogma.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon's_Dogma:_Dark_Arisen

Well, the topic quickly changed to whether OP can install the game from the disc without activating the disc's CD-key.

And that should be possible, but I figured I'll make sure how it is with my retail copies just incase since OP had been previously prompted with CD-key prompts (presumably in scenarios where he hadn't yet activated the game himself)

Figured it's better to be safe than sorry.

EDIT:

Originally posted by Spawn of Totoro:

O'h, ok.

You can also have a friend copy the game if they have it, then place the files on your computer. This way you don't have to buy it twice.

That works too.

In fact, even better than my suggestion, if OP does get prompted (for whatever reason.)

Is this really possible ? The entire concept of DRM is to discourage doing just this. If you navigate to your installation directory, you will see that you will have only package files, which are accessible only from the Steam Client. Not sure whether copying the installation files would really help the cause.

[Tev]

If by this you're referring to the file transfer part. It's possible. When I had to fix my friend's computer at my place (and also do a reformat), I also transferred some of my installed Steam games over to his computer.

Once he got on his account, he was able to play the games just fine.

With Dragon's Dogma, you will want to copy

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\appmanifest_367500.acf

As well as this folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DDDA

Place them in the corresponding locations on your computer, while your Steam -client is OFF.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by praveen.thomas7777:

Is this really possible ? The entire concept of DRM is to discourage doing just this. If you navigate to your installation directory, you will see that you will have only package files, which are accessible only from the Steam Client. Not sure whether copying the installation files would really help the cause.

As Teutep said, it is.

I've done this several times myself between my computer and my wife's. With Steam, the DRM is your account. As long as you have a license to play the game on your account (or shared through Family Sharing) then you can copy any game over to another computer and play it.

This works out for us since I mainly play single player games, so we can copy the game's over and she can play as well, while online. It saves bandwidth too, though we have no limit and as 130Mb/s (about 15 MB/s) connection, it feels like a waste to download it again. We also have a shared 4TB drive on a Gigabit network to make copying easier.

Dragon's Dogma does not contain any additional DRM either.

[Flamesabre]

Wow ... This is pretty insightful indeed. Thanks Teutep and Spawn of Totoro. You really made my day.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by Flamesabre:

Wow ... This is pretty insightful indeed. Thanks Teutep and Spawn of Totoro. You really made my day.

And probebly saved you about $40 bucks to boot.

And sorry, but I don't accept friend invites.

[Flamesabre]

Originally posted by Spawn of Totoro:

Originally posted by Flamesabre:

Wow ... This is pretty insightful indeed. Thanks Teutep and Spawn of Totoro. You really made my day.

And probebly saved you about $40 bucks to boot.

And sorry, but I don't accept friend invites.

You sure did !!

That's cool man. I am quite new to Steam ... Just wanted few friendly people around.

Was more of a GFWL gamer, until it was pulled. Now I am all over the place .. Steam,Origin, GOG, Ubisoft ...