Quick question on 'used' PC games

[UrinalDook]

Okay, it's only very recently that I've acquired a PC good enough to run current gen games. Previously I was an Xbox gamer, and though I do miss the reliability of popping a disc in straight out of the package from Amazon and playing it, well... Mods, amiright? Also pretty pretty graphics (thank you GTX 650).

Here's my issue. I've had Skyrim on Xbox since release. I don't play it that often, but I'd love to see what my PC can do with some of those mods released for it (Frostfall and HD textures especially). Thing is, Skyrim is still £35 on Steam. I flat out refuse to pay that much for a game I already own, and to be honest am pretty much done with outside of slowly cracking some 'chievements now and then. I'm probably not going to go through all those quests I've already done again, but I really want to see what my PC can do.

So my question is this: can I pick a second hand copy of Skyrim for PC from somewhere and register its product key with Steam? If someone has already registered their copy, can they 'unregister' it? And would they be likely to do that before taking it to trade in/sell online?

This isn't essential. Given that, technically, I already own the game and that I'm probably only going to spend an hour pissing about with beefed up graphics gawping as I freeze to death, I'm not ethically above torrenting it to check it out. I'd rather not though, I really don't want to get busted and I imagine Steam will flat out refuse to work with a cracked game.

As an aside, this is only an issue because I'm led to believe that the only legal way to update Skyrim is through Steam, and certain mods use a script extender that again will only work with Steam. Which frankly is bullshit. I love Steam, but using it should be my choice.

TL;DR - the bolded bit.

 

[Doom972]

There's no legal way for you to use a copy that was already claimed on Steam.
I suggest waiting for a Steam sale. It'll probably happen this year.

EDIT: Ninjas... Ninjas everywhere.

 

[General Twinkletoes]

You can't trade it/resell registered copies of steam games. But you can buy any old copy of Skyrim and add it as a non steam game if you want. It won't update it, but it will run it.

By the way if you didn't know, steam will run pretty much any game (including cracks)[footnote]not saying you should[/footnote] you ask it to, you just have to add it to the list of games.

 

[UrinalDook]

It won't update it, but it will run it.

See, this is the thing. Updating it is exactly what I need to do.

By the way if you didn't know, steam will run pretty much any game (including cracks)[footnote]not saying you should[/footnote] you ask it to, you just have to add it to the list of games.

Well, you can add to it your library and launch it through Steam, sure. It makes absolutely no practical difference though. It's just having the shortcut on Steam rather than on the desktop.

As for waiting for a sale, I suppose I could but it's hardly an immediate solution. Plus, it was in the Steam Xmas sale at one point, but I remember thinking it was still too much money for an experiment. Looks like the best option would be to find a new physical copy as cheaply as I can. Not ideal, as I was only looking to spend maybe a tenner on this (between release date Xbox purchase, Dawnguard and Hearthfire, I feel like Bethesda have already got enough of my money). But at least Amazon don't have the gall to charge £35 for a year old PC game.

Looks like this is the first time Steam has failed me. Ah well, thanks for your quick replies guys.

EDIT: @WaitWHAT, I feel I'm failing in my civic duty if I don't inform you that your avatar is truly horrifying ;-p

 

[Smooth Operator]

If the person you buy it from made a separate Steam account for the game and he gives you the access info with the package then it works fine, but those are a lot of IFs and this is not advisable outside a circle of friends.

Otherwise you need to look for a non Steam copy.

 

[Fat Hippo]

If the person you buy it from made a separate Steam account for the game and he gives you the access info with the game then it works fine, but those are a lot of IFs and this is not advisable outside a circle of friends.

Otherwise you need to look for a non Steam copy.

I don't think a non-steam retail version of Skyrim exists. Even if you buy it, you still need to register the copy on steam. That's how it worked with the copy I bought, anyway.

So if you were to buy it on Amazon, ebay, or whatever, it would simply be an unused, unregistered copy someone had decided to sell, for whatever reason. I don't really know why anyone would do this, but maybe you'll get lucky.

 

[Hazy992]

Yes you can its called Green Man Gaming

http://www.greenmangaming.com/

It works by letting you 'trade in' a game by deactivating your activation code. You can then get credit to buy other games.

 

[VanQ]

As Hazy said above me, GMG is a good place to start looking for cheap games. And you seem to be thinking that you'll be buying the same game you got on XBox with your money. You aren't. The PC version is far more malleable than you can ever imagine. You want to talk mods? Here is a place with many good mods that are worth your cosideration: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/

Not sure which mods are reliable and worthwhile or are you just so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of mods that you can't choose or don't know where to start? Check out the Essentials section of this site for the most highly recommended mods by people that know their stuff: http://vgtes.wikia.com/wiki//vg/%27s_The_Elder_Scrolls_Wiki

And hell, just have fun with it. You can do so much more with the Elder Scrolls on a PC than you ever could on an XBox. Welcome to PC gaming and enjoy the flexibility it offers. You'll find that the content delivered by the community of players will almost always outshine the content delivered by the developers.

 

[Albino Boo]

Yes you can its called Green Man Gaming

http://www.greenmangaming.com/

It works by letting you 'trade in' a game by deactivating your activation code. You can then get credit to buy other games.

Greenmangaming will not accept trade ins for any game with 3rd party drm, ie steam and origin. They can only deactivate codes for games that they control.

 

[Yopaz]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Elder-Scrolls-Skyrim-DVD/dp/B004G5YW5Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358704075&sr=8-2

It costs 20,33 new on Amazon. That would probably be your best bet.

 

[Hazy992]

Yes you can its called Green Man Gaming

http://www.greenmangaming.com/

It works by letting you 'trade in' a game by deactivating your activation code. You can then get credit to buy other games.

Greenmangaming will not accept trade ins for any game with 3rd party drm, ie steam and origin. They can only deactivate codes for games that they control.

They sell loads of games that require Steam so how does that work?

 

[Albino Boo]

Yes you can its called Green Man Gaming

http://www.greenmangaming.com/

It works by letting you 'trade in' a game by deactivating your activation code. You can then get credit to buy other games.

Greenmangaming will not accept trade ins for any game with 3rd party drm, ie steam and origin. They can only deactivate codes for games that they control.

They sell loads of games that require Steam so how does that work?

On the game page they have a note saying you cannot trade this game, it's on the bottom of the prices box. They can only deactivate keys that are authenticated by Green mans own servers, anything that is authenticated by a 3rd party key server they have no control over

 

[Hazy992]

Yes you can its called Green Man Gaming

http://www.greenmangaming.com/

It works by letting you 'trade in' a game by deactivating your activation code. You can then get credit to buy other games.

Greenmangaming will not accept trade ins for any game with 3rd party drm, ie steam and origin. They can only deactivate codes for games that they control.

They sell loads of games that require Steam so how does that work?

On the game page they have a note saying you cannot trade this game, it's on the bottom of the prices box. They can only deactivate keys that are authenticated by Green mans own servers, anything that is authenticated by a 3rd party key server they have no control over

Fair enough then.

You can still add those games to Steam though, right?

 

[Albino Boo]

Yes you can its called Green Man Gaming

http://www.greenmangaming.com/

It works by letting you 'trade in' a game by deactivating your activation code. You can then get credit to buy other games.

Greenmangaming will not accept trade ins for any game with 3rd party drm, ie steam and origin. They can only deactivate codes for games that they control.

They sell loads of games that require Steam so how does that work?

On the game page they have a note saying you cannot trade this game, it's on the bottom of the prices box. They can only deactivate keys that are authenticated by Green mans own servers, anything that is authenticated by a 3rd party key server they have no control over

Fair enough then.

You can still add those games to Steam though, right?

Yes, in fact they require a steam account. You can either make a new account or add to an existing account.

 

[Blackdoom]

If you buy a copy of Skyrim new or used and the key doesn't work you can try contacting the steam support informing them that you had purchased the game but the key was already used if you send them a picture of the receipt for the game they will usually get you a working key.

I did this with Saints Row 2 however this could have been because I bought from EBgames a "new" copy and they are meant to be a reputable place to buy games from.