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Do we get Steam Keys?

SelsenaySelsenay Member Posts: 4
in Windows PC (Archive)
So now that BG:EE has released on Steam when we were told time and again that that would not happen, do those of us that already bought the game through Beamdog get Steam keys of the game so that we can play it using the method we would have preferred? An official statement on this would be great.
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Comments

  • SnelheidSnelheid Member Posts: 2
    Totally agree with you, my kind sir.
  • moopymoopy Member Posts: 938
    edited January 2013
    Edit:
    Given that Atari sucks and are jackasses I don't care to have it on Steam anymore. Atari can bite me.
    Post edited by moopy on
  • SaintedDrewSaintedDrew Member Posts: 1
    Came here looking for the same information.
  • SelsenaySelsenay Member Posts: 4
    moopy said:

    WTF?

    You mean we could have NOT finished beta testing for them and gotten it on Steam after the game was flushed out more?

    Everything official I read stated that the game would not make it to Steam. I was not interested in being a beta tester. Perhaps you did, but all I wanted was to pay for a game and play said game, which I have been doing. What this is concerning is that I would have bought it on Steam given the opportunity, given that 95% of my game library of the last few years is there. If we don't get keys for having already purchased the game (which provided funds for them to work out the way-too-many bugs), then that's whatever. But I think it would be a nice thing for them to do given that they essentially straight-up changed their story on the issue. It's not going to change my opinions on the game as a whole (still a great game, has more bugs than I would like, but still good, and I'll fork over the money for pretty much all future game remakes they do), I just think it would be awesome if they would actually make some sort of statement regarding Steam.
  • moopymoopy Member Posts: 938
    @Selsenay

    I think you misunderstood me. I was agreeing with you.
  • SelsenaySelsenay Member Posts: 4
    moopy said:

    @Selsenay

    I think you misunderstood me. I was agreeing with you.

    Gotcha. My bad. Sarcasm on the Internet is hard sometimes :P

  • FuzzyPuffinFuzzyPuffin Member Posts: 289
    From Twitter: "We have not been able to reach an agreement with Atari regarding Steam keys for existing users. We are still trying."

  • MojoPainMojoPain Member Posts: 1
    I can't believe this. I've been waiting patiently fingers crossed for it on Steam since the enhanced edition finished, but finally gave in and bought it a couple days ago on BeamDog after reading nothing but 'Never on Steam' articles. Sucks. If they do, and hopefully will, give Steam keys I wonder if game saves will be compatible. As for now I'm only 5 hours in-game so will stop playing till I know if I can switch over.
  • SirK8SirK8 Member Posts: 527
    @Selsenay - can you please provide references, including links where Beamdog explicitly stated that a release on Steam *would not happen*. From what I recall reading, whenever they were asked about it they stated that it wouldn't be initially but that could change.

    As for your question on whether or not you will get a key for Steam if you've already purchased the game, I think that's a valid question and was answered in the thread discussing the release on Steam.
  • RhulqdahrRhulqdahr Member Posts: 28
    edited January 2013
    From Twitter:
    Trent Oster said:

    We have not been able to reach an agreement with Atari regarding Steam keys for existing users. We are still trying.

    Trent Oster said:

    Atari did the integration for #BGEE on Steam, so it is a very basic setup. We were not involved.

    Guys from Overhaul are all right, but from publisher's standpoint, that would mean losing lots of money. What guarantee they have that people will use these keys to play themselves and not give it out to friends and/or family? Instead they search for new consumers and want people who must have all of their games on Steam pay twice for the same title (provided they were impatient enough to buy it already). It's a smart move considering how loud it was about the Steam release just after the official announcement of the game by Overhaul.

    I'm one of the many people who prefer Steam over any other digital distribution platforms and sites, but for me the excitement about Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition has passed. Played it, didn't like it, if I ever want to recall how Baldur's Gate looked like I'll play the original. The problem does not concern me, although I was curious how much controversy will Steam cause... again. ;)
  • SagaNSagaN Member Posts: 6
    I work for a company whom is trying to get something green lit, and steam says they will give as many free keys to your project when it gets green lit so that you can give existing users.
    So there is no problem policy wise from STEAM, maybe just the other end.

    Hope the other side comes to the party here since they made it clear that this which has now happened would not happen...
  • SagaNSagaN Member Posts: 6
    yeah, I trusted you guys with my money and pre-order many month ago, so what they might be saying is that I needed to trust them, but they can not trust me, they need to figure out something that adds it to my account, or give me the goods and trust that it will happen as such
  • SelsenaySelsenay Member Posts: 4
    FuzzyPuffin said:

    From Twitter: "We have not been able to reach an agreement with Atari regarding Steam keys for existing users. We are still trying."

    Thanks! I just saw that. The way they give news is to spread it all over the place haphazardly. Their actual news section is pretty bare, and a forum search for "Steam" only brought up topics created when the game launched in November for some reason.
    SirK8 said:

    @Selsenay - can you please provide references, including links where Beamdog explicitly stated that a release on Steam *would not happen*. From what I recall reading, whenever they were asked about it they stated that it wouldn't be initially but that could change.



    http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3b6c0e6ef0c1deb880f420476&id=4f171e7616

    etc, etc. As I said above, if they said something about a Steam possibility, it got lost in their shitty news system. Minutes of Googling turned up nothing that said Steam was a possibility.
    Rhulqdahr said:


    Guys from Overhaul are all right, but from publisher's standpoint, that would mean losing lots of money. What guarantee they have that people will use these keys to play themselves and not give it out to friends and/or family?

    A legitimate concern, but so many other games have done the exact same thing and have still done amazingly well. It's up to Atari, I just wanted to know if they are going to be nice about it.
  • MotokiMotoki Member Posts: 12
    This is exactly why I refused to buy it from Beamdog and held off. I'm glad that I did now but if it never came out on Steam I would have just lived without it. 95% of my digital collection is there and I'd like to keep as much as possible tied to that account so if I upgrade hardware or PCs or OSes then I can just redownload everything from one place.

    I feel for you guys that want the game on Steam but decided to be supporters and buy it on Beamdog anyway. In my opinion that exclusivity was a bad decision which I suppose they probably realized now.

    I do hope they can manage to find a way to get Steam keys for it to those existing owners that do want it.

    As for me, it was a day one purchase today the minute I saw it on Steam.
  • GhostRapGhostRap Member Posts: 1
    I signed up just to say that this news made me pissed off this morning. I've spent $180 on gifting this game to people for Christmas (All of whom use steam) and had to convince all of them to give beamdog a try.
    I've also bought the game twice already for myself (BD windows + iPad) and planned to get it for my mac as well, but now its pretty clear that I should just not bother and distance myself from future releases.

    All respect to Trent and the team, followed you all on Twitter. You're all good people. I just hate getting effed around.

    (Getting steam keys would, of course, placate me XD)

    In another vein, will the steam release also work on macosx when it comes out?
  • swnmcmlxiswnmcmlxi Member Posts: 297
    Those wanting Steam keys should check out Aosaw's post on how to launch BGEE from Steam without a key on this thread:
    http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/14633/steam-key-for-beamdog-buyers#latest
  • WooWoo Member Posts: 135
    swnmcmlxi said:

    Those wanting Steam keys should check out Aosaw's post on how to launch BGEE from Steam without a key on this thread:
    http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/14633/steam-key-for-beamdog-buyers#latest

    This adds it as "Non-Steam game". Correct me if I am wrong, but BG:EE is indeed now a steam game and I paid for it, Twice. I would like my Steam keys. So I can Have it in my paid for library rather than a shortcut to Non-Steam game. Not to mention anyone who buys it now gets a steam key. What about the X amount of people from months ago? We get screwed?
  • swnmcmlxiswnmcmlxi Member Posts: 297
    @Woo. Quoted from Trent Oster's twitter: "We have not been able to reach an agreement with Atari regarding Steam keys for existing users. We are still trying." It seems to me that pressure should be put on Atari rather than Beamdog.
  • WooWoo Member Posts: 135
    Avoiding responsibility, Is it not a group effort? I bought it through beamdog because I was forced to. Why should Atari be thrown under the bus alone when multiple companies came together to a decision, and then ignored/changed it months afterwards screwing over existing customers. I work in marketing and i understand peoples troubles, I don't complain about something not being perfect or EXACTLY like I want it, food etc. But this is poor work ethics, and bad customer service. If I don't get a steam key I would like a refund so I can then turn around and repurchase THROUGH steam. Thanks.
  • swnmcmlxiswnmcmlxi Member Posts: 297
    Woo said:

    Why should Atari be thrown under the bus alone when multiple companies came together to a decision, and then ignored/changed it months afterwards screwing over existing customers.

    Because Atari, having the rights of digital distribution of the franchise, were the ones who made the decision to release the game on Steam? Possibly? If customers have been "screwed over" I think it's fair to say - so has Beamdog. And they are left to deal with this new winter of discontent.
  • WooWoo Member Posts: 135
    That maybe so, But if you do a group project in the business world or even in school. and 3/4 people(companies) hold true and do their work and 4th one doesn't come through the group fails/doesn't get a passing grade. It's a contract they have, that is their business, what I care about is where my money went, guess where that is? BEAMDOG.... still have email receipts.
  • SirK8SirK8 Member Posts: 527
    @Selsenay - you may want to check out this thread http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/237096/#Comment_237096

    Anyway, I think I'm done reading the steam key posts, since I really don't care either way. I do hope something can be worked out that's favorable for both Beamdog and those that want their steam keys though.
  • MotokiMotoki Member Posts: 12
    jaysl659 said:


    Please consider the facts before you start b*tching about Overhaul. I know everyone in the world is in love with Steam, but Atari releasing this game on Steam is really hurting this development team.

    I think that's a bit extreme. I don't see how getting more exposure and selling to a much, much wider audience is hurting them exactly.

    I realize after everyone else gets their cut they aren't making a ton of money on each individual sale, but potentially if it sells a high volume they could still do well. Most mobile developers are making very, very little on each individual sale after Apple or Google get their cut and yet some of them still do quite well by selling a large volume.

    And it's not like it's taking away sales on Beamdog to have it on Steam because pretty much everyone who really wanted it from Beamdog probably got it by now anyway.
  • TibsterTibster Member Posts: 15
    wow, a lot of crying these days.......lol
  • IsayaIsaya Member, Translator (NDA) Posts: 752
    If you already bought the game from Beamdog, do you know that you already own the game, forever and ever? You can make a backup of your installation directory on a DVD, a hard disk, a USB memory, ... You can copy it to another of your computers, or to your next computer. You can already run the game through Baldur.exe without having to connect to anything, to identify yourself. If you want to update your game, without any delay, you just have to provide your identification (provided you're doing it from another computer than the one you initially downloaded if from), and that's it.
    So you're asking for a key to allow you to have to download again 2 GB of data, having to connect with just another login information for updates, that is slightly behind in terms of updates? Is this what you're asking? Being tied to another store?
    It was clear from the start that there would be other ways to buy the game than Beamdog, but later. Even a box version was mentioned. In the event this box version is released, will you come back and demand to have it for free?

    Let's say you bought some music from some independant music producer. Would you go to them and ask for a free key to download your music again from iTunes, since it's now available there?
  • EdwinEdwin Member Posts: 480
    I have a dog that chases his own tail...It is very fun to watch.
  • swnmcmlxiswnmcmlxi Member Posts: 297
    Edwin said:

    I have a dog that chases his own tail...It is very fun to watch.

    Dogs are great!
  • bmcclurebmcclure Member Posts: 2
    @Isaya: Nobody's claiming that you can't back up Baldur's Gate if purchased from Beamdog... the benefit of Steam is not that you can back up your games to a DVD or a USB stick. In fact, it's almost exactly the opposite--that all your games are in one place and you don't have to worry about where they're stored when they aren't installed. When you get a new PC or reinstall Windows you aren't forced to remember a bunch of different websites you need to go to find your games--you just download Steam and they're all there.

    And nobody's claiming that we should get a free boxed edition because we bought the game online. That's kind of a ridiculous comparison.

    And to your comment about purchasing music from an independent producer and then asking for it on iTunes, that's also not an equal comparison. But even so, if that producer said you have to buy it from them because it will never be on iTunes, and then puts it on iTunes after you buy it from them, someone who wants to keep their music library in iTunes would have a right to be a bit upset about it. To Beamdog's credit it wasn't their fault that it happened this way, but even so...

    However, iTunes != Steam. They are very different cases, and there is a HUGE precedent for owners of games, ESPECIALLY from independent developers, getting a free Steam key when it's released on the platform if it wasn't available from there originally.

    I'm pretty sure the only reason we don't already have Steam keys is that it's on Atari and not Beamdog to make that decision. And it's entirely valid for someone to be upset with Atari if they choose not to go that route.
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