HL2/Steam Question

I promised a friend that I would give him my TF2 key because I can't do anything with it. I have satellite internet and a 56k connection so it serves me no purpose. The questions I have are pretty simple.

The guy lives in Europe and I in America. I bought the game in America. So...

1. If I give him the cd key, can he register it on Steam and jsut download TF2? (I ask because I bought HL:GOTY a few years ago and registered all the keys on Steam, over the years I've either lost or destroyed the cds by accident, but Steam let me download the games since I already had the key registered)

2. Since he lives in Europe and I in America, will my copy of TF2 work for him?

3. Will it be legal for me to give him the key? I'm not exchanging it or selling it, it's just a gift.

4. Will I still have to mail him the CD for him to play? Since he lives in Europe I think it may be a pain to do so.

Thanks,
-Taylor

 

Nope, when you buy the game you essentially are paying for the CD Key - which is a license to play the game. He SHOULD be able to play it, just give him the key and let him register it. It'll be legal as long as you don't email valve about it. He doesn't need the CD, just the key.

 

Won't everything from Orange Box use one shared key? I'd assume so, and in that case, it's an all-or-nothing deal. Either the key gets bound to your Steam account, or to his.

(There is one exception. Apparently, if you already own some of the OB games, that is, HL2 or Ep1, you're allowed to give those to a different account. But I don't think you can do it with games you don't already have (such as TF2))

So I doubt it'll work. But if you're buying it anyway, it won't hurt to try.

 

HL1 had different keys. HL had a key, BLue Shift had a key, CS had a key, TFC had a key and Opposing Forces had a key.

 

The short answer is no. The CD key is useless once you've registered it to an account whether it is yours or his account. If you already own HL2 or EP1 you can give those games as a gift (you will be informed on how through steam I think). If you don't plan on playing TF2 ever and you don't have any other multiplayer games registered to you account you could send your friend your account info and password (assuming you trust him).

 

Off wikipedia

"The retail box will contain three different product keys, one for the three new games, one for Half-Life 2, and one for Half-Life 2: Episode One."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orange_Box

 

The wikipedia is incorrect!

I just got the Orange Box and it only has one product key. So, I guess I won't be able to give him the game. I'm a little disappointed though. HL1 had keys for all the games.

 

HL1 had a key for HL1 and nothing else.

What version did you buy?

 

I bought HL1:GOTY and it included Oppossing Forces, Blue Shift, CS, TFC and it keys for all of them except for one that I don't remember.

 

HL2: GOTY had a single CD key for all of the games (HL2, HL2: DM, HL:Source, CS:Source), so it's not too surprising that it's the same way for the Orange Box. It's a shame, but I guess that's how it goes sometimes...