Seriously.... I work over 50 hours a week, I requested off Tuesday just so I could have as much time to play this game when it launched. Since I chose to buy the PC version over the PS3 or Xbox, I have to wait an extra 3 hours to launch. So I preload the game, and then I am informed by my computer that I have to defrag do to the prelaunch and have been waiting almost another hour.... I am so far highly disappointed. I can only hope that the game play saves this title..... I have been playing since Fallout 1 and have never been disappointed.... Honestly Bethesda... What gives?

This happened to every PC game that used Steamworks, and I would say that the launch of the first Steamworks game that started it all, Half-Life 2, was noticeably worse as Steam wasn't nearly as stable as it is now.

Never witnessed a major game release on Steam go smoothly. If it's not late unlocks or decrypt problems, you get the servers 'too busy to process your request'.

But, don't worry - in a day or so at worst, you should be good. It's not like you're screwed out of your money.

I'm sorry, this is not acceptable. First, as an avid Fallout Fan, I have been tracking the game and waiting for the New Vegas launch like Vengence, only now to find out that I need to launch through Steam to properly activate on the PC. Saying that it is "better" doesn't make it good, nor does that excuse the fact that I can not verify what is being downloaded through Steam and there was no word of this during the Launch. Maybe those who ordered through Steam had the notion, but I like to keep things a bit old school, so I got a copy of the disk. That should be all I need to play the game, end of discussion.

Seriously, Bethesda dropped the ball on this one. I call Fail. Next time you want to serve me one up the ... at least buy me dinner first.

It had been mentioned countless times before the release. FONV is using Steamworks so it requires being activated through Steam. In the Steam store, it had an unlock time.

It is probably mentioned in the manual also. Care to do some research before purchasing a video game.

I have never seen Steam as being stable, I've had the same problems with Half Life 2 that I've had since it's release, but also I've never bought any other games off of Steam so the issue could just be that they have never fixed Half Life 2.

Could be worse. I'll take Steamworks with a rocky release day over SecuROM Ultra-[censored]-Edition or Starforce etc

You have a misunderstanding of what Steam is. Steam is not a copyright protection anymore and also not a DRM. Today, in it current form, it is made to increase the sales by eliminitaing the second hand market. That is all that is to Steam. Nothing more, nothing less.

Better for you to wait 3 hours then to have to wait 3 days like the rest of the world outside America. :brokencomputer:

I know what Steam is. I've been using it since it replaced WON.

The fact remains that third parties use it as a substitute for traditional DRM in addition to content distribution and sales.

Dude, seriously, you are raging and calling this the worst launch ever because you had to wait 3-4 hours more than you had expected?
Just get some sleep and play it in the morning instead.

Yeah, another Australian here guilty of that. I nearly decimated my PC at 4:00 AM this morning...

Frankly what disgusts me is the double standard that resulted in a different release date for those of us outside American which was compounded by the complete lack of real effort to indicate that the game would not be release on the 19th as advertised.
Seriously if you are not going to do a universal go live at least have the decency to ensure your site consistently reflects when you will go live for the region the customer is coming from.

That said the entire point of using stream is to try and avoid the second class citizenship that seems to occur from buying games from Australia with the higher prices and the later release dates.

At least if I pre ordered through EB games I could go and ask for my money back..

yeah i know, everyone just needs to calm down

Agree.

Myself, I will wait a couple of days before purchasing and see if things get better.

And how is this different to any/most other PC game releases?
Be happy you don't play strategy games. Civ 5, Total War games, etc. all work like that

So many techproblem threads that I don't know where to put this, so I'll just leave it here....

Reading this forum carefully (to avoid spoilers) I'm actually glad that I have to wait 'til friday. If the first patch isn't put up 'til then, at least I'm closer to it.

To the point. A friend of mine has this game ordered for the Xbox and he doesn't plan on opening an internet account just because of this, so the question goes: Is it possible to download the Xbox patches and burn them to a DVD via a PC and then manually install them from the said DVD?

Answers appreciated (as I don't have a faintest clue).

Dont think it is. Guess he'll just have to take his 360 round to someones house if he wants the updates.

for all of you who don't seem to understand the perspective of those who are upset over this fiasco of a launch, or who think that this is somehow an 'ok' way for software companies to do business:

http://www.gamersbillofrights.org/

By Stardock, whose recent Elemental launch was anything but a culmination of those "rights" :rofl:

Thanks.

Sorry you had to wait a few hours. hopefully the frustration will dissipate. We have too many threads ranting about Steam or DRM, etc., so I am locking this, since presumably the OPs got his game going by now.