HL2 retail owners: fed up with the disc check?

[Steve]

If you can't be bothered putting the HL2 DVD/CD in your drive to run the game, but CAN be bothered to download HL2 over steam, there's a handy tip on the Steam Forums.

Once you have registered your CD-KEY with Valve through steam, If you can be bothered to download all the HL2 and CS:source content you can play without the DVD. Just create a new steam install in a different location, open that install of steam and download the content through steam. HL2 and CS:source will appear is the "My Games" list and you can install them from there. Same way ATI vouchers had a CD Key your CD Key is registered to your Steam account and it's that key that allows you to download the content that you have purchased. This should install it the same way as everyone who purchased it through steam meaning you won't have to use the DVD to play it.

Wander over to here for full details.

[chuckskull]

Steam was the only reason I never bought HL2 it drove me nuts. Might give it another whirl sometime. I loved half-life one.

Links 404'd btw

[directhex]

i had always assumed this was possible - once it's in your steam account, surely you can just download it the same as people who bought over steam? not sure when i last touched a CD for a valve game

[Steve]

To be fair, the link was posted IN 2004!

Sheesh I've been working here too long!

Oh, and I have two steam accounts, both tied to retail packs of HL2, but I don't need the DVDs... I'm sure they updated the software to not require one after so long, UT style.

[Dark Horse]

I think this is because for some random reason the RSS feed for Hexus news was from Nov 2004 for the last few days. Seems to have been updated now though.

[chuckskull]

I always preferred not having to root under my table for an hour just to find the disc for a game. Now most game keys are checked against a central database, is it really neccesary?

EDIT: I just noticed the date. I blame RSS

[GeorgeTuk]

I also think Steam has worked pretty well, now that I have stopped it from starting up everytime I have less issues though I didn't have many before that.

For some reason I am still wary of buying games by download, I prefer the shiny round thing for safety!

[cougarslam]

i don't like the way steam forces you to update i was on 56k for a month while i sorted out broadband and couldn't use any steam games as it was near impossible to update them at 56k speeds.