So I just bought a used game from Steam. . .

[Bobbtjoe]

So I just bought Empire: Total War used from Amazon, and when I inserted the disk and typed in the activation code, this message came up:

The product code you have just entered has been activated by an existing account, and therefore is invalid. Your activation of Empire: Total War retail has not been completed.

So let me get this straight. Because this game was previously owned, and the code has already been activated, I would not be able to play this game? I would have to contact the person who I bought this from and seek a refund? Would there be anyway to renew the activation code? I "Googled" this and only found a not so helpful post. Any response would be appreciated.

 

[ParkCungHee]

The person should be able to deactivate it on their end.

 

[bob_page]

So let me get this straight. Because this game was previously owned, and the code has already been activated, I would not be able to play this game?

That is correct. Once a code has been activated it is unusable, and games cannot be transferred between accounts. Hopefully it was an honest mistake on the part of the seller.

 

[warpus]

Eh? How does steam figure into this?

 

[GinandTonic]

Eh? How does steam figure into this?

By way of being the devils child. Remember you dont own steam dependent software. You are permitted to use it on the owners sufferance, like a child who has to beg leave to go and play.

 

[.Shane.]

G&T, the OP doesn't say he bought it on steam. He bought it on Amazon. Seeing as he also says he "inserted the disk" I'm assuming that's physical media. But, yes, it seems that on Steam there is no reselling or transferring.

Clarification would be good.

 

[innonimatu]

Posting this on the civ V forum would be good! One of the goals of companies using steam's DRM is precisely to prevent the sales of used games. It's all about squeezing as much money as they can from their products by making people buy more copies of the same product. As with all DRM.

On the one hand they talk about a person not "owning" music, or a game or other piece of immaterial property, about how what people buy is a "license". On the other hand they make it impossible to convent the content itself from deprecated media to newer media, so that people are forced to buy the same thing again. Or prevent resale of used copies, with the same goal: more (unnecessary for the "consumer") sales of the same product by the monopolizing company.

 

[Bobbtjoe]

I bought a disc. It's just that it runs on Steam, so that whenever I put it in, Steam pops up.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Presumably this just means you can't play online.

 

[Elrohir]

This sort of thing is precisely why I refuse to buy anything that requires Steam to run. Bobbtjoe, you can try and contact the Amazon seller, but you're probably screwed. (Did you buy it from a big name seller, or an individual? If it's a big business, then they might refund your money, but more likely they don't have the code and don't care. Did you check if the code was activated before you bought it?)

 

[Bobbtjoe]

I ca't play the game at all.

 

[emzie]

Ask for a refund. If you don't get it, dispute the charge.

 

[cardgame]

Ask for a refund. If you don't get it, dispute the charge.

If you don't get that...

<snip>

Moderator Action: Lets not go there please.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[Bobbtjoe]

I bought it from some random dude off the internet. If you click the link in the first post, you'll see that the other guy had the same problem, except he was the seller.

 

[Dreadnought]

Link to video.

Yep, it happened to you. I'd suggest you buy directly off steam.

 

[emzie]

I bought it from some random dude off the internet. If you click the link in the first post, you'll see that the other guy had the same problem, except he was the seller.

Unless you paid in cash, demand a refund. If the seller isn't willing to do that, dispute the charge. That's your only recourse.

 

[homeyg]

Young people are hilarious.

 

[MobBoss]

Steam doesnt sell used games....

Duh...

And you just learned a valuable lesson. Buying used software has its pitfalls....especially under many of todays DRM type of rules.

 

[Bugfatty300]

Can't you just download a keygen program?

 

[Furiey]

I have just installed Empire Total War and I'm pretty sure (from memory hence not 100% certain) that the licence agreement said that you could not resell the game and that the licence was not transferrable once activated. The seller therefore has broken the licence agreement. Even though you have the discs, the seller still has the licence.