Okay, so I didn't want to download it when I have it right here so I looked up how to install from disk and I found I just have to type "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -install E: into Run. This works fine, but it says I can't install it yet because it's not released. Just wondering, this is definitely going to work right? And it's not going to take several hours right? I want to play it fairly soon after release if possible, and I don't want to find out after release that I have to download it anyway.

Bump, would really like to know, haven't used Steam before

Yes it'll definitely work, though there is a "day 1 patch" so double-check Steam does download SOMETHING to the game after installing (restarting Steam after installing it, if it doesn't patch straight away by itself, usually helps push patches through).

If Steam decides it wants to try downloading the entire game rather than installing off the DVD, just right click the game in the Steam library and select "Delete local content" - then start the install again, Steam sort of "gets the idea" and installs it off disc then.

You can't play it until steam unlocks it anyway at midnight, i've just got the game through the post, but i'm just letting steam download it, iv'e got 50mb virgin though so it's not a problem.

Well, if you figure that there are several hundred thousand/million players who will be connecting to Steam and downloading their files/program, it may be slow going in the beginning. But I'm only thinking from the point of view of so many people logging on to Steam at the same time/within hours of each other - and if there's an impact because of that.

I have no prior experience with Steam, so it will be interesting to see what happens. I odered my game from Gamespot with 3-day delivery, so hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday when I get my copy, it won't be so bad.

Good luck.