Downloading from Steam onto Multiple PCs?

[tak]

Can I download to more than one pc with a single purchase from steam? I have the game pre-ordered from amazon thinking a physical disc would be better for loading onto my home pc and my work laptop (which is where i will probably have to play most the time because i travel a lot).

But I'm thinking i should cancel on amazon and download from steam so i can play sooner, but i don't want to be trapped on one machine... advice?

 

[RSV]

Yes you can, but you can only play it on one computer at a time.

 

[Agent Roo]

Doesn't matter where you buy from.

The physical disc will also require Steam and give you all the benefits therein.

Only advantage of buying from Steam in this case is that you can pre-load and just be ready to unlock on the day.

 

[Alsark]

Yes you can, but you can only play it on one computer at a time.

If you were set to offline mode on both computers, how would it know?

 

[oynaz]

It wouldn't. That would be piracy, though.

 

[Multiball]

I already have pre loaded onto two machines. my home and my work machine. I will probably copy the data folder from my home pc onto my laptop too to see if it can run it.

It's one of the awesome things about steam.

 

[Modiga-Disabled]

All copies of the game are essentially identical (disregarding additional extras like Babylon and maps).

Steam doesn't have any install limits; you can play the game on as many computers as you like. Steam actually provides Steam Cloud, a useful tool for anyone who does want to play the game on multiple machines. Steam Cloud provides you with 10 save game slots. You can access these saves from any computer as long as you're logged into your Steam account, making it easy to transfer saves.

 

[Alsark]

It wouldn't. That would be piracy, though.

I wouldn't really call it piracy. I think of piracy as the illegal downloading of games. I see nothing wrong with my brother and I playing at the same time. I mean, we're both going to be playing the game anyway - what's it matter if we're playing at the same time or have to wait to switch off between us? It's not like we can play online if we have offline mode enabled for Steam.

Plus, I miss the good old days when you could actually buy a game and that was that. It's a bit ridiculous to me that you need to buy a game multiple times per household. I understand with online games, sure, but I will seldom play this online (at least, until I have other people I know to play with).

 

[Helmling]

I wouldn't really call it piracy. I think of piracy as the illegal downloading of games. I see nothing wrong with my brother and I playing at the same time. I mean, we're both going to be playing the game anyway - what's it matter if we're playing at the same time or have to wait to switch off between us? It's not like we can play online if we have offline mode enabled for Steam.

Plus, I miss the good old days when you could actually buy a game and that was that. It's a bit ridiculous to me that you need to buy a game multiple times per household. I understand with online games, sure, but I will seldom play this online (at least, until I have other people I know to play with).

The license only entitles you to play one copy at a time. Therefore, your brother would be running a pirated (i.e. non-licensed) version of the game.

 

[SGRaaize]

Not that it matters, I don't think anyone is gonna try to sue you because of something as simple as that, lol

 

[Alsark]

Ah well. I'd like him to buy his own copy, anyway. Shame he has no job and as it is he's already trying to get me to buy Dead Rising 2 for him, as well :/. The leech...

 

[Kamenev]

Laws only have value if people put their faith in them.

Piracy is one of those things most people disregard. Therefore, its a law that is forced rather than accepted. There is nothing wrong with buying one game for a household in my opinion.

Ask yourselves if prohibition worked out. Piracy in this context is the same thing.

 

[allypower]

The license only entitles you to play one copy at a time. Therefore, your brother would be running a pirated (i.e. non-licensed) version of the game.

No. Piracy refers to copyright infringment which is ruled by copyright laws. Breaking a license does not constitute copyright infringemnt - this is ruled under licensing law.

For example: If you buy a book and on the front page it reads: "As EULA, you cannot read this book out loud."

If you do read it out loud anyway, it's called breaking the license but it's not copyright infringement nor piracy.

 

[Rebel44]

Ah well. I'd like him to buy his own copy, anyway. Shame he has no job and as it is he's already trying to get me to buy Dead Rising 2 for him, as well :/. The leech...

Tell him to look for work harder (yes, I know economy currently sux in most places).

 

[The_J]

Moderator Action: Moved to the technical subforum.

And attention: We don't have any tolerance for piracy here, so stop this discussion.

 

[Alsark]

Tell him to look for work harder (yes, I know economy currently sux in most places).

He's a lazy bum, unfortunately. He'll go apply to like three places in a day and then claim "he has applied everywhere". Granted, my girlfriend just moved here and we literally applied everywhere, and she only got three calls back (all from minimum wage jobs), but three is better than nothing. So I know he could get a job if he tried (though having Aspberger's doesn't help his case).

 

[oynaz]

Moderator Action:

And attention: We don't have any tolerance for piracy here, so stop this discussion.

That looks like a knee-jerk reaction to the word "piracy".

While I understand and symphathize with the policy, be careful not to let it entice you into reacting without thinking. The combination of physical copies, downloaded copies, and multinational laws leads to a very complicated legal picture. For instance, Allypower refers to the EULA, which have precisely zero legal value in most European countries.

Thus, a discussion of the limits of the licence is relevant, and can hardly be called piracy.

 

[Moss]

That looks like a knee-jerk reaction to the word "piracy".

While I understand and symphathize with the policy, be careful not to let it entice you into reacting without thinking. The combination of physical copies, downloaded copies, and multinational laws leads to a very complicated legal picture. For instance, Allypower refers to the EULA, which have precisely zero legal value in most European countries.

Thus, a discussion of the limits of the licence is relevant, and can hardly be called piracy.

You may want to check out this thread for CFC's policy on piracy (ainwood describes them in the second post) and you're views are more likely to be seen in that thread as well.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=380182