So here's how my "26 minutes of playtime" for GTA IV went down:
- Downloaded local content last night. A IV showed up on my desktop. Was ready to check how it ran after beating III's main story, which I did today on PS4.
- After playing III and watching more Jessica Jones (see last blog), decided I'd have a nightcap playing IV.
- Takes longer than usual for first time set up to install DirectX, then Games for Windows and Rockstar Social Club
- Set up completes. The real "fun" begins.
- Can't sign into Rockstar Social Club. Get password sent to email. Hitting play OR play offline gets Socialk Club window to go away ... then game stops running?
- Investigate through Steam support. Says something about GFW Live. Try to sign in over there.
- Have to get password sent to my email as well as a code sent to my phone cause someone in Taiwan entered my email and an invalid password on the 2nd.
- Get into GFW Live. Have to get yet another code emailed to see my activity (this is when I find out about Taiwan)
- With that out of the way, try to launch game again. There is a menu and I click start
- Games for Windows Live shows up once Social Club goes away. Progress! Only I have to sign into GFW Live again. Ok.
- GFW Live takes FOREVER to verify ... whatever. Then I enter my product key and GFW Live takes another eternity to tell me it's invalid. WHAT?! Re-try (which takes more soul sucking minutes), code still invalid despite matching exactly what it says on bottom right of my screen.
- At this point, I am mad at myself for not having sent a refund request, but I'm determined. I find out a lot of invalid codes are actually redemption keys for xbox.com ... which I'll need an xbox.com acct to get to. In addition to GFW Live.
- Make xbox acct (or one is made for me using GFW info) with oddly fruity default username. Whatever. It says I now own GTA IV PC after entering the key. Good to know I own it NOW. Jesus.
- Attempt again to run the game, and yup, asks for key again, and yup, same key I just successfully redeemed on xbox.com is rejected.
- I send a refund request to Steam Support which is this blog, but more of a run-on sentence.
- I note that since this game was part of a 12.49 GTA bundle I bought a year or so ago, and I've played 12 hrs of III and 1 hr of VC on PC already, I don't really expect a refund. I just want them to know what a crock of shit it was I had to go through that.
- And yes, I tried playing the game without signing in (meaning no save files). I got a black screen with I'm assuming the title menu music.
If by some miracle the refund gets granted (I told them to refund it to my Steam wallet, so I'm betting it's more likely than if I'd ask them to refund my credit card. They know the money will get back to them, though it's still improbable I get it since they need to keep Rockstar happy), I'll buy some other games. If not, I'll play Liberty City Stories and just play VC and SA on my PS4 (I have them on Steam through this bundle, but the 360 control mapping for them is awful). So in the end, it's not a huge deal for me. But my God, had I paid $60 and had this happen, I may have sworn off gaming.
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