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cambookpro

macrumors 604
Original poster
Feb 3, 2010
7,189
3,321
United Kingdom
Hi (yet another Portal 2 thread lol...),
I guess my question falls into the grey area of the law so I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post it, but I'll try so here we go:

Is it possible to make a disk image of Portal 2 from Disk Utility? So you can run it without the DVD. I know it works with some games but not all. I would only be using this for personal reasons, not to pirate it or anything. It's just easier not to lug all the DVDs so please don't flame me for that :p

If anyone with P2 could see if it works I'd be grateful.
 

glitch44

macrumors 65816
Feb 28, 2006
1,121
156
I don't have Portal 2, but can't you login to steam and add it to your library and then you won't need the disc? This is just a guess.
 

VPrime

macrumors 68000
Dec 19, 2008
1,722
86
London Ontario
As stated valves steam games don't require DVDs. The DVD is just to install. Once installed it's tied to your steam account and you can play it on your computer( or any other computer) with out the discs...
 

jonpwnz

macrumors member
Oct 2, 2009
41
0
Seattle, WA
Correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't you just buy the PS3 version of the game and then use the voucher inside and activate your mac/pc copy...THEN trade the PS3 version back in for credit (without the voucher). Essentially making the pc/mac copy almost free, and giving you some money to use on something else? If you plan on playing on mac anyway.....I mean right?
 

Tonepoet

macrumors regular
Nov 11, 2010
152
0
Correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't you just buy the PS3 version of the game and then use the voucher inside and activate your mac/pc copy...THEN trade the PS3 version back in for credit (without the voucher). Essentially making the pc/mac copy almost free, and giving you some money to use on something else? If you plan on playing on mac anyway.....I mean right?

Does the PS3 version even work without the voucher? Disk versions of Steam Games usually seem to only be there for the convenience of not having to download it online and often require activation with Steam to my knowledge. Handy for people who have crappy ISPs and don't want to have to pay bandwidth overages or wait for download times. If it doesn't, I'm fairly certain retailers would check to see if it's intact first and may do so even if it does since store policy often requires everything to be retured just as you got it, making it more likely that you're just screwed on the return policy. Granted it might be hard for them to know, unless the game utilizes scratch off material on the voucher to make it tamper resistant and I don't buy steam games enough to know if they're actively utilizing that tactic. Some stores don't even let you return something if the shrinkwrap's been opened.

Likewise on selling it second hand, if it doesn't work without the voucher, it'd also make resale in the long run virtually impossible to anybody who knows anything about the title but even if it does, who says how much you'll get for it preopoened and without the it? Maybe half as much? You certainly wouldn't be able to tie it to your steam account, which would be a real downer for Valve fans.
 
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Mackilroy

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2006
3,921
585
From what I've read you have to link your PSN account to your Steam account, so selling the PS3 version while keeping it on Steam won't work. That's how it appears from the outside.
 

Sambo110

macrumors 68000
Mar 12, 2007
1,686
0
Australia
From what I've read you have to link your PSN account to your Steam account, so selling the PS3 version while keeping it on Steam won't work. That's how it appears from the outside.

A lot of people are activating it on Steam then selling off the PS3 copy, so it must be possible, unless a lot of people are going to get screwed over accidentally.
 

VPrime

macrumors 68000
Dec 19, 2008
1,722
86
London Ontario
From what I've read you have to link your PSN account to your Steam account, so selling the PS3 version while keeping it on Steam won't work. That's how it appears from the outside.
It is possible.
To get the PC/Mac version you first launch the game on the PS3. Log into your PSN. press select in game and log into steam.. This links your psn to steam (Not the game- just psn to steam).
Then you log into Steam on the computer, enter your included portal 2 cd key.
Now you have portal on the PC.

While you are playing portal on your computer, some one else can log into their PSN AND steam on the PS3 and play (either with you, or online with someone else, or single player).
There is no connection to the copy you have on the computer. It is like having 2 separate copies.
 
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