I was looking through Steam's list of Retail CD Keys that Steam accepts. Skyrim makes that list, but I have a question about it. If I buy the physical disk, which is Games For Windows Live, and activate that key on Steam, will I essentially get the same benefits I would get via Steam online purchase? I'm really interested in buying this game after it comes out, and I would really like a physical copy. But if the retail activation won't give me Steamworks and such, I'll just buy it on steam.

Skyrim does not use GFWL, it uses Steamworks. Which means that even if you buy it on disc, you will be forced to register it on steam. You can use the disc to speed up the install/download process though, like how it worked with Fallout NV, Metro 2033 and some others. 

I misunderstood Amazon's box art with Games for Windows as being GFWL. Oops. Thanks! Really happy that the physical copy uses Steamworks.

Sorry for hijacking the thread. Anyone knows if this game has steam achievement. Apparently I am a sucker for that ...

@Wuddel said:

Sorry for hijacking the thread. Anyone knows if this game has steam achievement. Apparently I am a sucker for that ...

Most likely, when a game uses Steamworks it usually will get achievements to boot.

@emergency: Well, it's not on the site. In contrast to the XBL ones. Hmm....

@Wuddel said:

@emergency: Well, it's not on the site. In contrast to the XBL ones. Hmm....

Steam achievements for a game usually don't show up even on their Steam store page until after the game has released.

@theQman121: How could you do such a thing? Confusing GFW with GFWL!

@ThePaleKing said:

Skyrim does not use GFWL, it uses Steamworks. Which means that even if you buy it on disc, you will be forced to register it on steam. You can use the disc to speed up the install/download process though, like how it worked with Fallout NV, Metro 2033 and some others.

This is the perfect first post!

@Chavtheworld said:

@ThePaleKing said:

Skyrim does not use GFWL, it uses Steamworks. Which means that even if you buy it on disc, you will be forced to register it on steam. You can use the disc to speed up the install/download process though, like how it worked with Fallout NV, Metro 2033 and some others.

This is the perfect first post!

That and the physical map is why I chose to buy a disk. Not going to play at midnight anyway and I'd rather not wait for a 6gb download to play.

@theQman121: You aren't the only one being confused by the GFWL box art. I almost held off on buying until I could download from steam because of that. Turns out it is just published by GFWL, but Bethesda refused to use their shitty service, so it is steam works. So everyone wins!

@theQman121: You aren't the only one being confused by the GFWL box art. I almost held off on buying until I could download from steam because of that. Turns out it is just published by GFWL, but Bethesda refused to use their shitty service, so it is steam works. So everyone wins!

@Adamsons said:

@SSully said:

@theQman121: You aren't the only one being confused by the GFWL box art. I almost held off on buying until I could download from steam because of that. Turns out it is just published by GFWL, but Bethesda refused to use their shitty service, so it is steam works. So everyone wins!

It's Games for Windows, not GFWL, its just a Microsoft brand that means essentially nothing, except that you can play the game on Windows.

you mean I can't play skyrim on ubuntu? LAME.

@SSully said:

@theQman121: You aren't the only one being confused by the GFWL box art. I almost held off on buying until I could download from steam because of that. Turns out it is just published by GFWL, but Bethesda refused to use their shitty service, so it is steam works. So everyone wins!

Thank goodness. I'm new to Windows 7 and the Games for Windows Live service and it's been a fucking headache for me so far... And all I wanted to do was play Bioshock 2!

I won't go into the details unless anyone wants them, but because of GFWL I got the dreaded Win 7 "bootmgr is missing" error and then Bioshock 2 had a problem locating its save files. Both problems are fixed now, but if I can help it I won't purchase any games that use that service.

Anyway, because of that Skyrim's box art almost gave me a heart attack!

@Wuddel said:

Sorry for hijacking the thread. Anyone knows if this game has steam achievement. Apparently I am a sucker for that ...

It does, they were on the Skyrim page on Steam for a brief while the other day, then got taken down. People had already unlocked them as there were % stats filled for each one. Alas, I didn't take a pic, I had just assumed they were up to view. They're the same as the console achievements.

Skyrim is a steamworks game, so if you buy the retail version it will need to be activated on Steam.

On another note...

This is the first Steam game that I've preordered. Don't know why I did it, I didn't see any type of extra stuff that would be included, but I don't care about that stuff anyway.

Is there a way to have the game automatically download once it becomes available, or will it show up and begin the download the next time I start up Steam (like updates and such)?

Thanks.

@akzo said:

On another note...

This is the first Steam game that I've preordered. Don't know why I did it, I didn't see any type of extra stuff that would be included, but I don't care about that stuff anyway.

Is there a way to have the game automatically download once it becomes available, or will it show up and begin the download the next time I start up Steam (like updates and such)?

Thanks.

You'll have to start it yourself, but you should be able to preload it eventually before it releases.

Hopefully we will be able to preload the game on Steam here soon... I want it on my hard drive!!!

@DystopiaX: preloading = no wait, map is definitely worth the physical copy though.

@EdIsCool said:

@DystopiaX: preloading = no wait, map is definitely worth the physical copy though.

Last time I forgot to preload until like 5 hours before, still wasn't done. Shit college internet+steam being hammered I guess.

I want to be able to preload it tomorrow, then at midnight on thursday i'll remote into my machine from work and have it decrypt for me while im on my way home. It's a foolproof plan.

@bonorbitz: Trust me I felt the same way. I didn't get bulletstorm working on my PC until about 2 weeks after I got the game because of a series of stupid little errors and verification bullshit on GFWL.

I would get Skyrim on steam but I must build my Elder Scrolls map collection.

I was able to find a boxed copy for $17 cheaper than the Steam version, so I was mighty pleased to find out I'd just be putting a code into Steam.

Edit: "Your order for The Elder Scrolls - Skyrim has now been picked, packed and despatched to you."

Yay for early games. Nay for not being able to play it early because of Steam and its release date checker. Fuck modern gaming. Fuck the man.

FYI, preload is now ready for Skyrim. So start downloading it!

hustling to get it. gotta get paiiiiiiid.