GTA IV + steam/PC + windows live?

[bguile]

So I purchased GTA IV package last week when it was on sale. However, I was not expecting to have to sign up for Games for Windows, + Rockstar Social club in order to play it. It's insisting I sign up for Games for Windows Live in order to save my progress, which is bs. I've never really experienced this before from a steam game, only other time was having to utilize gamespy for multiplayer in borderlands. However I could still play single player no problem. Is there something I am missing here?

Thanks.

[gorcorps]

Originally Posted by bguile

So I purchased GTA IV package last week when it was on sale. However, I was not expecting to have to sign up for Games for Windows, + Rockstar Social club in order to play it. It's insisting I sign up for Games for Windows Live in order to save my progress, which is bs. I've never really experienced this before from a steam game, only other time was having to utilize gamespy for multiplayer in borderlands. However I could still play single player no problem. Is there something I am missing here?

Thanks.

Nope, it's the drm that rockstar chose so that's what you have to use on top of steam. Same with the batman games (though there's no social club).

[Soundmanred]

Rockstar Social Club was patched out a long time ago, and use a local profile for GFWL.

[bguile]

Bah, it doesn't matter anyway. So I go and sign up for GFWL, but now the product code steam gave me on purchase (and apparently everyone else judging by the recent forums posts for the game) is not being recognized by GFWL, so I can't activate.

[DeadFred]

Originally Posted by bguile

Bah, it doesn't matter anyway. So I go and sign up for GFWL, but now the product code steam gave me on purchase (and apparently everyone else judging by the recent forums posts for the game) is not being recognized by GFWL, so I can't activate.

Sorry for your troubles but I have to say that I find it hilarious that out of all the things that GT4 requires, its steam that now screws it up.

I bought GTA4 at its release and remember cursing all the hoops I had to go through to get it installed, but it worked perfectly. Steam wasnt required at the time.

[bguile]

Ok got it to work, I think. Only tried it for 5 minutes. Turns out the steam key is used to to redeem another key in Windows Live, which then allows me full access to the game. It doesn't mention that part when you launch the game, had to read about on the forum. So in the end it only took 3 different accounts, a rockstar social club account, a windows live account, and an xbox account, two cd keys, and two downloads (the game, and games for windows live client). Its also asking me for flash player 9, which I haven't bothered with yet.

If I had known this in advance, probably would not have bought it.

[Ricochet]

Steam + GFWL is way better than Steam + Gamespy. I been playing Borderlands with a friend. Gamespy is a bitch to deal with. Periodically in game I would get a popup message that I'm disconnect and ask for me to re-logon (required to save progress). This is repeated ad nauseam. Aggravating to say the least when you're in a shootout. That is not how online gaming should be.