Deep Silver's roleplaying game Risen is currently on sale for Steam right now, but we're advising you not to buy it. Not because of the game's quality, but because if you buy it right now, you won't be able to play it. Apparently failing to foresee the game's popularity, Valve ran out of activation keys and is currently scrabbling to secure more.
Many gamers are getting a "Failed to contact key server" error message when attempting to unlock their game, and needless to say, it has pissed a lot of customers off. There's a seventeen page forum thread on the issue, bursting with outrage. The main problem people have is that Valve didn't warn anybody beforehand, and has allegedly done nothing to stop people buying a game they cannot yet activate.
The developer, for its part, has addressed the issue, sympathizing with customers and promising that more keys will be available on Monday. In the meantime, a weekend of roleplaying has been lost to those who bought the game without warning, and we all got a stern reminder that buying digital games leaves the consumer with very little power.
Never nice to be reminded of that.
[Thanks, Ken!]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
6:08 PM on 11.14.2010 | 
Still, what this means is that the game sold good, and it's totally worth it. One of the best RPGs of late
http://kotaku.com/5436298/steam-sold-out-of-prey-please-try-again-later
Hey, at least Gothic 2 is on sale at Good Old Games now.
So twice in the history on Steam they've run out of keys and so you hate it? Steam is one of the best things to happen to the industry in forever. Deal with it.
Thing is, people have always gotten keys once Steam contacts the publisher and asks for more as far as I know. So, the only issue there is really only an issue if you bought it, can't play, and cant wait a few days for it to get fixed. Frustrating, yes. The end of digital distribution as we know it? No.
And it'd be no different if a game store has a popular release and ran out of copies after the preorders, which has happened at Gamestops near me before.
"I've always hated steam, and when people ask why, it's stuff like this."
Right, because brick and mortar stores never run out of retail copies of games. That never EVER happens.
If this is the reason you hate Steam then you're essentially admitting you have no reason to hate Steam at all.
In any case, Steam is fucking fantastic, despite this little issue. It's what got me to cease my pirate ways, and that is no small feat.
Kinda sad that it's the best digital retailer that reminds us of this, i would expect this from Games for Windows or something, but never from Steam, oh well, i'm sure they'll compensate the users with a free game or something, they've always righted their wrongs too.
Also, not to advocate piracy, but can't people just go look for a, um, "special key" to use while the real one gets delivered? after all they already paid for it, so it technically it wouldn't be piracy, right?
@runtheplacered: Though i'll admit that his post is 95% empty hate, i'll note that brick and mortar stores can't sell you a game they don't have which is the problem here, Steam sold more copies than (the keys) they had.
They do it all the time in the form of having you "preorder" and then running out before you get your copy.. It's happened to me plenty of times.
The point is nothing ever works 100% of the time. I was hoping to convey that particular message.
This is STEAM we're talking about, not some dude in an alleyway who's never going to show up with your game. You will have your key before you know it, and the world will continue spinning.
The deal is losing an entire weekend over the issue.
Maybe some of us spend all week in the sun and want to play the games we paid for in the limited amount of computer time that we get. I know The game will be up and running for us soon, but it sucks that now I won't get a chance to play until after Thanksgiving. ( Due to work schedule) Just frustrating.
Oh wait, you cant, they dont have the game at all.
Yes, it sucks they ran out keys, but i dont see how this is any different than the issues wih retail pre-orders.
Your life must suck if you constantly buy from stores that take your money without warning you they've run out of products, and then shrug and say, "Sorry, nothing we can do."
When you order a game and the demand is greater than expected and you happen to be one of those who has to wait for more copies to arrive, it's the exact same thing.
Also, at least with digital distribution you don't have to make a long trip to the store a second time, it just starts downloading.
Digital distribution has its faults and I don't think you're stupid, but your comment about digital distribution is unjustified and ignorant, considering that the retail market is just as bad if not worse.