Is steam a safe place to buy games at?

I'm really paranoid about putting my credit any where on the internet is steam a safe place to buy games from? I really just want half life for 98 cents lol. If I do use my credit does it stay with my steam account? Cause I really don't want it to. Thanks!

 

I've been using Steam since fairly early on (3,xxx,xxx Steam ID), it's very safe.

 

I've been using steam for about 3 years now and have purchased about 8 games from it. It is very safe.

 

Yes, it's safe.

You have to re-type your info for each transaction.

The only way you could get scammed is to fall for one of those "phishing" E-mails pretending to be from Steam asking for your name + password info---but that's true for most anything online (Amazon, E-bay, paypal, etc,etc).

Note that even if you fall for it, they won't get your CC info, just your Steam account (games.)

 

I have bought 5+ games from steam. Its a decent system to keep track of all your games.

 

I has 60+ steam games and have had no problems with it.

 

Yup, Steam is safe. I've started to buy all my games over the internet through Steam to save the hassle of getting the discs. Once you buy, it stays with your Steam account allowing you to install it anywhere you are logged in.

 

I have 16 games bought on Steam and I never had a problem

 

Steam is cool. I still prefer the box and cd method as to steam taking their lovely time to verify it is in fact you and keep you waiting for a week while not gaming...but not to complain I was a genius and lost my secret answer sheet, but other than that, no issues with Steam itself.

 

One of the members here sent me HL2 to my account for free

But yes Steam is safe.

 

Want HL2-ep1 for free?

 

i want it lol

 

me first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

 

+1 for steam being a great service. IMO the absolute best way to get games, period. Safe and Secure

 

i bought 9 games on steam, not only is it safe, but you never need CD's, and can download (reinstall) the game as many times as you need to... even if you get a new computer, reinstall your OS, whatever. even if you don't remember to uninstall before you swipe your old HDD...

**** you EA.

anyway, steam is great.

plus, they have great value and great production quality and genuinely great games. I bought the orange box, set of 5 games... I bought the multiplayer suite, $30 for CSS, HL2DM, and DoD. I wanted all 3 and this was years ago when it came out. Great value. And I just payed full price for Left4dead, because they genuinely deserve my money.

 

you can say that again

 

+ to Steam from me as well..

for me the best thing is that you can have steam on ur external hard drive...
because I still haven't got a new laptop, I just go in my uni, hook up my external and can play straight off it. No probs whats so all..

one of the best services..

be vary though on other publisher games.. Crysis employs its own drm on top of Steam DRM..

 

Besides Steam does anyone uses places like direct2drive and the likes?

 

Before Ubisoft was in the Steam catalogue I purchased games off of the Ubisoft site. I can download/install the games from Ubi as many times as I want after purchase, just like Steam. But now they are on Steam so I'd just use that.

 

I have about 10-15 games on steam.. very safe imo

 

i have the Orange box, CSS and COD4 on steam. its safe and clean

 

I got Vampire: Bloodlines from direct2drive and installed with no problem; the only thing I didn't like was they make you install some crappy download manager.

 

If you buy games off of steam, I know that it stays with your account but can you DL it and burn it to CD/DVD to have a hard copy and use the media to install it? or is it only download and install?

 

I guess no one remembers/knows of the time valve got hacked and lost all the credit card info they had on file.

 

Steam is awesome if you wait and buy when they have sales that offer a whole suite of games from a single publisher, game series, or otherwise. Got all the iD games for cheap (can't remember, like $40 or something). Half-Life 1 just went for $0.98. Can't beat that.

I used to love the boxed copies, but since they don't offer any decent printed materials anymore, I could care less. Only thing is that I can trade a boxed copy with a friend, or resell on eBay if I finish it and it has little replay value, or don't like it.

 

Pretty much just download and install, which is what I worry about should something unexpected happen to Steam and its servers (you never know), that you won't be able to access the games offline.

That's why I still prefer hard copies, especially games that are single-player-centric.

 

I am pretty sure you can but not in the conventional DVD image burning. It's just a straight backup. I did this before when I had to move to a new HDD.

All the games you have on steam is in a folder called 'steamapps'. All you need to do to have a hard copy is make a copy of all or any of the games in that folder (or make a backup elsewhere). And if something happens that require you to reinstall (reinstalling windows/new HD etc) then just redownload steam and reinstall that (need your steam password). Then copy the backup of steamapps you made back over to the steam folder. When you start steam you'll see your previous games accessible now in steam.

Of course you can still redownload the games via steam instead of doing the backup method. And that's what makes steam great - I don't have to worry about losing or misplacing my dvds and if I want a hardcopy I have that option too.

 

If your still paranoid you can set up a pay pal account and pay for games through it. That way you can set $xxx amount of money into your pay pal account, exactly how much the game costs, and you cannot be safer.

Although im losing my mind right now waiting for money to be cleared so that i can get the orange box, i have to wait till thursday and i sent the money on wednesday!!! Im going crazy