Call of Duty 6 Activation - Valve still stuck
So I came to install Call Of Duty 6 so I could play it after midnight tonight, but alas you can't even install it, let alone play it due to the product activation which requires steam!
What bugged me even more is the multitude of different, confusing or misleading 'error' messages that you get when you even try to install the game before the time that you're allowed to actually play it
Take this one for example:
"Sorry, but the following items are not available for purchase in this country. Your purchase has been cancelled."
There's so many things wrong with this dialog:
1) The message appears above a box in which has no title. It should be titled 'Products'
2) The product listed is incorrect. It reads "Steam" when it should actually read "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2"
3) I wasn't trying to purchase anything. I already paid my money to the retailer who in return posted me a DVD and a CD Key in the post.
4) I certainly wasn't trying to purchase a product called "Steam", a) steam is free, b) I wouldn't ever pay for steam!
5) The title of the dialog is "Product activation wizard" but it doesn't correspond to the contents of the dialog.
6) It says "Not available" above the error message. That's a lie, it is available, the DVD is in my drive right now!
7) The only options you then have are "< Back" and "Cancel", an "Install now and I'll activate it later" would be nice.
As a good friend of mine would say. "OMFG!, Seriously, WTF?"
This is how I would fix it.
1) Allow consumers to install games from physical media so they can activate it whenever they like. Installing from Physical media should always be allowed, activation is the only thing publishers need to prevent if they need to prevent anything at all.
2) Show useful error messages, how about "Sorry, you cannot activate [insert correct product name here] at this time, please try after [insert date and timezone here]".
Not only is steam product activation annoying, filled with errors and headaches it also prevents you, Mr Consumer, from reselling the game you just bought? Why? Well the CD Key that comes with the game is then tied to your steam account and steam accounts and purchases are non transferrable. If anyone other then you tried to use the CD Key again they won't be able to use it!
Product activation in this form is simply an attempt to stomp all over the second hand games market. And for that, I declare that Steam sucks, Valve sucks
And quickly, while I've got someone's attention having no public/private/clan dedicated servers also sucks!
Valve, you really can't code for shit.