buying second hand online games

[alent1234]

i usually like to buy my PC games on ebay cheaper than retail. I look to buy authentic second hand games, not the illegal stuff people sell. now that i finally have an upgraded PC i can play modern games.

question is, will they work? after the whole steam deal i want to be sure before i buy.

i have my eye on a few copies of BF2 on ebay. some are said to be new, others used. If i buy a previously used game that the original owner doesn't want anymore can i still play online?

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

You'll need to be getting their username and password and then change the password and emaiol account on file immediately after getting it.

 

[potato28]

Look here on the FS/T forum. U can check their heatware, and you can get feedback from past buyers from the forum.

 

[mb]

If the seller is trustworthy then you should be OK. Of course, even 100% positive feedback doesn't mean you'll be safe. Always be sure to contact the seller before bidding and make sure you have all your questions answered.

 

[alent1234]

not interested in buyer's rep

i'm curious if the game will work. i know steam won't and i'll never touch anything that is steam enabled. but what about something like battlefield 2 or something similar that is heavy on online play?

 

[AMDZen]

Originally posted by: alent1234
not interested in buyer's rep

i'm curious if the game will work. i know steam won't and i'll never touch anything that is steam enabled. but what about something like battlefield 2 or something similar that is heavy on online play?

And your question was answered. For online play you will need to get their username and password, then change the PW and email attached to that account. Same with Steam, BTW. As long as you get the account info, Steam will work just fine too

 

[lxskllr]

With UT2k4 you could get a game that a person got globally banned from the servers due to hacking or stolen key. I don't know if other games are the same way, but I wouldn't risk it.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: AMDZen

Originally posted by: alent1234
not interested in buyer's rep

i'm curious if the game will work. i know steam won't and i'll never touch anything that is steam enabled. but what about something like battlefield 2 or something similar that is heavy on online play?

And your question was answered. For online play you will need to get their username and password, then change the PW and email attached to that account. Same with Steam, BTW. As long as you get the account info, Steam will work just fine too

its been awhile since i played BF2 but can't you create a new account with it?

 

[duragezic]

Yeah you just need the valid cdkey for online play with BF2. Accounts don't matter. I used my bro's key for a while when he didn't play it and created two of my own accounts in addition to his own (and they all were still valid as long as two accounts didnt try to play at the same time). Then when I got my own key, I just reinstalled the game with my own key, and use the same account. Its not tied to the old cdkey.

Problem is, how do you know the seller is giving you a key that no one else knows? He could still play the game, and whenever you are playing you'll get kicked off if he plays. I really dont think I'd buy a game off ebay involving cdkeys. The FS/FT here, probably if they have good heat. Or used from a friend locally is ok.

 

[alent1234]

isn't the CD protected by one of the schemes where they watermark it or whatever so if the seller sells it to me he can only play the original unpatched version and EA can do a blizzard and require patching?