redeem on steam? [SOLVED!]

[Hearteater]

Yeah, the issue isn't getting a key that works on Steam.  Sure, Arcen could just hand out brand new keys that do work on Steam, which is what it appears Soldak did.  But that fixes it for only one person.  What Arcen is trying to do is give Steam a list of keys and have Steam add them to their list of "valid" keys, so any of us can just go an activate it on Steam.  Soldak's approach doesn't really take any time or effort from Steam.  Arcen's means some guy over at Steam needs to do something.

[keith.lamothe]

So either Arcen are making excuses because they don't want to say no and look like bad guys or they have some really bad contacts at Valve who are not being helpful and/or they just aren't trying hard enough.

I'm not saying they have to get the Steam keys for the prior purchasers in the first place, but if they aren't willing or able to do it for whatever reason just come out and say it. Don't string people along.

We're not making excuses or trying to string people along: if we had a final answer either way we'd give it.  I'm not happy with the level of customer service we've been able to provide on this issue, but I don't think there was something obviously better that we could have done on our own initiative.

I'm glad Steven at Soldak was able to help you with a Din's steam key, though.  That's a great game

[Mánagarmr]

Yeah, the issue isn't getting a key that works on Steam.  Sure, Arcen could just hand out brand new keys that do work on Steam, which is what it appears Soldak did.  But that fixes it for only one person.  What Arcen is trying to do is give Steam a list of keys and have Steam add them to their list of "valid" keys, so any of us can just go an activate it on Steam.  Soldak's approach doesn't really take any time or effort from Steam.  Arcen's means some guy over at Steam needs to do something.

This. So very much this.

[zebramatt]

Conspiracy theories abounds.

Yes, it's definitely a conspiracy. Must be. Only explanation, far as I'm concerned.

[tigersfan]

I'm not saying they have to get the Steam keys for the prior purchasers in the first place, but if they aren't willing or able to do it for whatever reason just come out and say it. Don't string people along.

I'd like to think that most of the folks that know us well know that we wouldn't string folks along. The last couple times we've asked Valve about this issue, we've received no response. That's the truth. If I had any more info, I'd give it.

[Smiling Spectre]

I am another one who stopped to play AVWW after Steam version is out - waiting for possibility of registration. Well, still waiting. :/

tigersfan, maybe it worth to mention it to Steam guys? I mean, "blah, blah, blah, just in case you wondering, your delay reduced our user base for some people who stopped to play after beta due this registration issue. Have a nice day". Something like this?

[Mánagarmr]

I am another one who stopped to play AVWW after Steam version is out - waiting for possibility of registration. Well, still waiting. :/

tigersfan, maybe it worth to mention it to Steam guys? I mean, "blah, blah, blah, just in case you wondering, your delay reduced our user base for some people who stopped to play after beta due this registration issue. Have a nice day". Something like this?

The problem is that Valve hasn't replied at all regarding this issue. I'm also fairly sure that with the amount of copies AVWW has sold, giving each customer a NEW Steam key (such as Soldak did) isn't feasible. :/

[Smiling Spectre]

The problem is that Valve hasn't replied at all regarding this issue.

But they still answering something to Arcen games, I hope? So you can be sure that at least your letters are seen? In that case it worth to keep the pressure. I think. I can be wrong here, of course.

I'm also fairly sure that with the amount of copies AVWW has sold, giving each customer a NEW Steam key (such as Soldak did) isn't feasible. :/

Oh, it's for sure. I think that Steam must get key list from Arcen, of course. I see no reason to double key-generating procedure. It's all very strange...

[tigersfan]

tigersfan, maybe it worth to mention it to Steam guys? I mean, "blah, blah, blah, just in case you wondering, your delay reduced our user base for some people who stopped to play after beta due this registration issue. Have a nice day". Something like this?

We've mentioned this. When we ask them about this issue, they don't respond. I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you more, I really do, but, there's nothing more to say.

[Smiling Spectre]

We've mentioned this. When we ask them about this issue, they don't respond. I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you more, I really do, but, there's nothing more to say.

Ouch. Sorry for this then. Well... I will be waiting more then. I hope, problem will be solved sooner or later. I am not in haste anyway.

[Motoki]

Yeah, the issue isn't getting a key that works on Steam.  Sure, Arcen could just hand out brand new keys that do work on Steam, which is what it appears Soldak did.  But that fixes it for only one person.  What Arcen is trying to do is give Steam a list of keys and have Steam add them to their list of "valid" keys, so any of us can just go an activate it on Steam.  Soldak's approach doesn't really take any time or effort from Steam.  Arcen's means some guy over at Steam needs to do something.

To be blunt, I don't think Valve is going to do that, that is retroactively make a bunch of existing keys retroactively redeem there. I don't know if they ever did that to my recollection and they obviously are terrible at communication.

What exactly is the issue with just doing it Steven's way and handing out new Steam keys to people? Is it that you'd have to manually do it one by one? I mean are there that many people that actually want this that it just can't be done on a when you can get to it basis? Anything would be quicker than the current plan which is clearly not working.

As far as I'm concerned, Valve's non-answer is an answer. The answer is no. So now you either go back and tell everyone sorry we weren't able to do it or you just have them send it requests and give them new Steam keys. Those are the options. I don't think 'I keep asking Valve and they keep ignoring me' is a valid answer after all these months.

[Hearteater]

They've done it for Arcen before if I recall correctly.  They just aren't super fast about getting it done.

[Aklyon]

Working with Steam invokes Valve Time, like everything else related to them. It'll happen eventually, with eventually being a range between now and a point only findable by someone who knows how to calculate valve time successfully.

[LaughingThesaurus]

You know how you would graph points on a numberline? It's a filled dot on the date the question was asked, with an arrow pointing to positive infinity. On that day or any future day, it will get done. Now, to calculate valve time, all you need to do is remove roughly the first 20% of the measurable estimated maximum time it can possibly get done.
What's 20% of infinity? Leave that to the mathematicians. As far as I know it's impossible.

[zebramatt]

@Motoki: Since anecdotal evidence seems to be your go-to variety, Arcen's previous titles have all had existing keys integrated into Steam for their existing customers. Always, I believe, more quickly than this. Based on that, one might reasonably assume Valve should have done it for Valley by now. Yet against all odds, they have not.

By extension, therefore, there's no reason to expect that just because they did something different for someone else on some other occasion, they therefore would do so, and do so expediently, for Valley. Assuming that there is something at fault with Arcen's tried-and-tested approach, and that Valve have decided to express that to Arcen by refusing to comment, is rather a leap of supposition.

And I hardly feel that Arcen being up-front with their customer base and telling them the truth is something to be condemned. If you would prefer them to lie to you in order to pursue another course of action which may prove equally as fruitless, then I'd consider your position to be pretty non-standard.