store bought steam game vs downloaded ones?

So if I get TF2 from a store, what's the difference between buying it through steam on my computer? My friend tells me that if I get it through the store, it won't have built in steam integration like steam within the game and auto updates and stuff.

 

no you still have to use the steam platform. the only difference is that you save a bit of bandwidth and get a box.

 

Valve's own games will integrate with Steam regardless of whether you bought them online via Steam or in a store. Just input your CD key and the game will be linked to your account, allowing you to download it if you don't want to install via disk.

These games include:

• Half-Life, Blue Shift, Opposing Force, Half-Life 2, all the episodic expansions, Deathmatch, and Lost Coast
• Counter-Strike and its Source rendition, as well as Condition Zero
• Day of Defeat and its Source rendition
• Team Fortress Classic and Team Fortress 2
• Portal
• Left 4 Dead
• Ricochet

I'm not sure that's everything, but any of those games will be integrated into Steam, since it's Valve's own software. Third party games do not always work like that, although some do (Empire: Total War for example).

 

The difference is if you download it you save 0.00001% of a tree...

 

i shall kill all of the trees! i only buy in store but as another guy posted, valves games all use steam. it doesnt matter if you buy it in the store or not.

 

If you are going Valve you are better off just getting it from STEAM and calling it a day.

 

i would prefer a box, but that's my opinion.

 

A boxed copy with Steam requirement is just as useless if Steam goes down as a Steam download copy, really, since any updates that would unlock it from Steam would require the game activated...which it can't be if Steam doesn't work. I really don't see a point in a boxed copy of a game that requires online activation and can be downloaded any time anywhere.

 

The only advantage that I could think of is if you have a cap on your internet and don't want to waste it by downloading 10Gb+ games.

With the disks, you'd only need to download the patches.

 

I'm always in favor of tangible media, even if Steam is still needed for the software to operate.

 

Ditto and +1 to you friend. Also you DO need an internet connection no matter what with any steam game (you'll see that on the box if you buy it in the store).

 

If Steam has a crazy deal on something I buy it there. If it's the same price in store... then I get the box so I have a something pretty to look at while I install the game.

 

Just get it off of steam so you dont waste time and gas going to the store and having more stuff taking up space in your room.

 

Steam=Soft Copy
Store=Hard Copy

 

I like the steam version because I have lost hard copies of games before, especially after they get older and you dont play them. They take up space in your room/house and get in the way.

With a digital copy your out on vacation and your like wow I want to play TF2 so you hop online and download your digital copy and can play it without having your copy from the house with you.

When it comes to digital you know you will never need the disk to play it, and its easy to have it on multiple computers at once.

Thats the basic outline of why I prefer digital copies.

 

FYI,

Once you have downloaded the game on steam, you can make a backup of the game and burn it on a cd. You can use this to re-install the game later so you dont have to download the game again.

 

If you know where to buy, you will find always cheaper prices in the stores. Although Steam sometimes has good deals.

 

Hm I think that's pretty bold of you to say. You won't ALWAYS find cheaper anything anywhere, except maybe socks at Walmart vs socks elsewhere, lol.

Sometimes there's a good deal in store, sometimes there's a good deal on Steam. I have yet to see Empire Total War or Fallout 3 hit $25 in any store here. Yet I bought both of those at that price on Steam. That's more than 50% off retail price. There was a $35 version of ETW in BB for a while, that's as close as it got. Probably this xmas you will see deals like that in store on these games.