Regarding HL2

[crabbyman]

So I searched and did not find anything on the subject...

I was wondering...if I buy HL2 and put it on my current desktop pooter, can I still use it on a different one later?

I want to buy it now and play on my family's Dell until I make a new box in the summer. I sort of want to test the game to see how much money I want to put into my next system. I have heard the code is more strict than the first, which is the last time I even owned my own PC.


So...is it possible?

 

[Ryland]

Yes it is. You just don't want to have Steam logging in at both places at the same time. I was able to disable Steam from automatically starting it by using MSCONFIG and not having it start by default at windows startup.

 

[dornick]

Yeah, HL2 copies are associated with Steam accounts, which can be used on any machine.

 

[crabbyman]

So its just sort of an online account. I can only be logged on at one computer onto the account?

 

[royaldank]

Originally posted by: crabbyman
So its just sort of an online account. I can only be logged on at one computer onto the account?

Correct. You can play it on any computer you wish, but only 1 at a time.

 

[Malak]

And you can't sell it to anyone. The account is yours foreeeeeever.

 

[Regulator07]

Originally posted by: royaldank

Originally posted by: crabbyman
So its just sort of an online account. I can only be logged on at one computer onto the account?

Correct. You can play it on any computer you wish, but only 1 at a time.

actually you can play it on as many computers as you want, all at once, you just need to have steam work in offline mode on all except one (or all, either way). i have a copy through steam and i let my brother download it on his comp using account, he plays it in offline mode no problem, only one of us can play online at one time, but for single player HL2 you are fine for as many computers as you want to put it on.

 

[Schadenfreude]

There's an offline mode? I thought you had to log in to play even the SP?

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: Jehovah
There's an offline mode? I thought you had to log in to play even the SP?

Technically you have to login once, then switch to offline mode. However, offline mode is buggy and doesn't persist with reboot of the computer. It can randomly say, "You've been offline too long" and require you to login again. In other words, it's worthless to anyone who doesn't have internet.