If you buy a PC game disc, do you have to download the game?

[PIC Master Race]

I bought Fallout 4 on a disc, and expected to be able to install it from the disc, but when I authenticated it at steam, instead of installing it, it started 24 hour long download. I paused then removed it... maybe I just need to go back to the disc to install it instead of hitting "install" on steam? Or do PC discs not come with the game on them anymore?

Okay so it said it was downloading about 24GB from steam. I paused it and thought I removed the DL, but it won't go away. Then I click the fallout disk installer, and try to uninstall. I click it but nothing happens. Then I go back to it after taking out the CD and putting it back in, and click "reinstall" instead. Now it's installing 25GB and change. Is this the same thing that was downloading from steam?? And now am I going to have two of the same thing, because I don't know how to get rid of the 10MB that already downloaded from steam? Is this going to screw it up? How do I get rid of the steam download? And can I be sure they're the same thing and that I won't also need the steam download? I can't tell if the steam thing is an "update" I need and the 25GB installation is the game, or if they're just both the game?

 

[Newbian]

It's only a partial install for the pc game disk.

 

[PIC Master Race]

It's only a partial install for the pc game disk.

What do you mean? Do I really need to download 24GB from steam to play it on top of the 25GB fallout installation from the disc? My guess is that I just messed up and started downloading the full game from steam instead of installing it from the disc. Hopefully I won't need a 24GB steam download for a paid disc? That doesn't make any sense.

Edit yeah I checked and the download size from steam for the full game is 24GB. So I was downloading a double copy of the game. Is that still on my hard disc, the small amount I downloaded already? Can I get rid of it?

 

[Newbian]

The install disc will only have a part of the install and you will have to download the rest so do both, install from the disc and then download the rest from steam, for a smaller download but a quick google shows it will still be a decent amount as the actual pc disc only is around 5 gigs while the game is over 20.

Remember the game disc is only a dvd and you would had needed a blue ray disc to had fit the entire game on it and only consoles will do that and even then you will still need to download future updates.

The day of a full game on a disc is over for many pc games if they force you to use steam / origin and such for both the purposes of the size limit and to "prevent piracy" the devs say.

 

[JeffMD]

Afaik fallout 4 is over 50gigs, so 25 on disc and 25 to download.

Edit: Hmm it does seem to be only 25 gigs. Maybe it uncompresses alot? Don't own it yet.

 

[sweenish]

I only know it downloads about 24 gigs, if bought digitally.

I haven't checked to see the final size of the folder.

 

[greenhawk]

Hopefully I won't need a 24GB steam download for a paid disc? That doesn't make any sense.

IIRC the install from disk is similar to reinstalling backups.

Steam needs to be connected to the internet to allow the processing to work (DRM issues I think mainly). It will look like it is downloading from the internet, but if you started installing from the disk, it should use all it can from there first.

But, the disk is generally sent out as a data in a similar fashion to pre-orders on steam. You get 80-90% of the game, but have to wait for release to get the last little bit / unlock the already downloaded data. It makes OK sense when the game just gets released, but causes a major PITA when the game has been out for a little while.

And then the game will download any and all patches to make sure it is up to date, so another download period before you start playing. This is made worse by some developers as they rush the product and what is on the disk is getting patched/replaced on release day (3 GB patches as soon as you unlock). It sucks for most of us down under as we do not always have that 10Mb/s plus adsl/cable connection, unlike most of the US (which push out these styles of delivery).

This arrangement has lead to some really stuffed up situations, and the issues still keep coming up even as steam /developers are made aware of them. But that is just going to be a rant for another thread (and problem can be found by searching for "steam release issues" or something similar.


Just wanting to say that at least you have data on the disk, there has been a few games over the recent years where the game box only had a small piece of paper that had a "how to download steam" and a CD key. No disk or anything.

 

[thejunglegod]

I had the same issue with Metal Gear Solid V.

 

[cmdrdredd]

It seems that many retail releases don't have the full game on disk to install. They do not give you multiple DVDs any longer and instead pack a steam installer on the DVD with a steam code and force you to download.

 

[Mem]

Afaik fallout 4 is over 50gigs, so 25 on disc and 25 to download.

Edit: Hmm it does seem to be only 25 gigs. Maybe it uncompresses alot? Don't own it yet.

My Fallout 4 retail game only had Steam install on the DVD, the full F4 game had to be downloaded via Steam.

 

[funboy6942]

I bought DOOM III off Amazon just recently and it just popped open my steam and made me install it through steam and did nothing with the disc. It was pointless for me to really even buy the disc really. The only reason I bought the disc was it was $10 cheaper to buy it then do the dl off amazon, but it made me dl it anyway, so go figure