This will not activate until 1pm Tuesday. You might say some games you buy in store you can play before Steam activates it. Yes, that is true, but those are the games that don't use Steam as its DRM. Those are the games that are also available in Steam for purchase. Unfortunately, like Civilization 5, Left 4 Dead 2, Empire: Total War it uses Steam entirely. The physical disk is only there so you can avoid downloading it. Hell you don't need the disk at all, you could use your serial number and register it on Steam and you'll be able to download it.

Which means, we all have to wait until the official Steam unlock. Why its 1pm and not 10pm like Civ 5 is beyond me. I hope I'm wrong, but I believe I'm 99% correct. And I haven't heard of any midnight releases, which further supports my point.

No offense, but you don't this is the case for New Vegas until Gstaff says so. GameStop is going to get hammered if your right.

I've never heard of a Steam exclusive game being released sooner for physical copies than for digital ones. Remember, few games are Steam exclusive (Civ5, Empire Total War). Do you have a specific example in mind?



The only part we don't know is when the unlock will occur. They could move it closer to midnight between now and Tuesday. We do know that for Steam exclusive games, there aren't two separate activation times (one for physical copies, one for digital ones).

Also, another big factor differentiating this from the other games I mentioned that is Steam exclusive is that there are console versions. Again, they might have a midnight release but I'm still standing by my point.

... and I may be giving you all a Very Big THANK YOU if word comes down that we can't activate until 1pm. If that turns out to be the case, aside from a formalized letter of complaint to gamestop, I'll get good sleep that night instead and casually get the game during the morning hours. I can then proceed into my Fallout experience at 1pm without being tired, angry and bitter. But I will be the tiny majority who learned about this before hand, where-as thousands of unaware peeps are going to fall right into the trap and get really, Really angry. I would rather not see that happen to gaming companies that I hold dear.

Miax

but like I said, don't start organising protest marches against Gamestop. If Obsidian/Bethesda didn't tell them there was an mid-afternoon activation, its hardly Gamestops fault. And If Steam didn't tell Obsidian, then it's hardly Obsidian's fault. Which is why we would like some kind of official statement. Someone coming on and saying "relax it will work at midnight" is all it would take, and would take seconds.

Yeah I wouldn't blame Gamestop for this problem this is mainly on Bethesda and Steam

Bethesda is the publisher, and it's always their fault if something goes wrong with launch. I'm sure Obsidian has nothing to do with it.

No, it could be Steam's fault and only Steam's fault. The forced use of Steam adds extra complications for both the publisher and the end user, and if the problem is related with Steam you can't really blame Bethesda outside of the fact that it was their idea to use Steam in the first place.

Lol sorry but this is just pathetic. If you would do any of this over a possible 12 hour delay, you're obviously not a legitimate fan of the franchise.



Steam allows them to market their product to an expanded audience, handle achievements with a popular universal system, and protect their product from software piracy. Steam has an excellent download server & is getting increasingly popular with major game companies. Whoever teamed up New Vegas with Steam is hardly a moron.

We all want a midnight release, we are all tired of waiting, and I am sure Obsidian / Bethesda will do everything they can to make it happen. Gstaff already posted that they are looking into it and will get back to us. Mid Day unlocks are almost always the steam default, and they are often switched later to a late-night release instead.

Whether they get it fixed in time or not, there is a ridiculous amount of whiny bashing going on in this thread. Your tears and threats will not push the release any earlier. :facepalm:

They won't, since probably only 10% of their customers will buy it for PC, or less.

Why would I complain I'm getting it for the 360. If I've got a complaint its that the PC version should be treated equally with the console versions

I have sent an inquiry in about this asking for an answer. In the meantime, think about this.

It's not about pushing out the release any earlier, it is about advertising, and product delivery. EVERYWHERE I have seen FNV mentioned, this forum, Amazon, Bestbuy, Gamestop, magazines, blogs, it has said the game is available on 19th/22nd October. Nowhere has it said "19th October, with activation at 1pm". Nowhere. So if that IS the case, when were they planning on telling us? "

Release day! Oh and btw you won't be able to play it until 7pm, sorry forgot to mention that at any time in the last 12 months of advertising the game...."

A simple statement of clarification is all we are asking for, not panic and revolution.

(oh, and I couldn't care less when Steam Downloaders activate the game. They have been informed at point of purchase of an unlock time. This is specifically about boxed preorder versions of the game, or boxed versions purchased on launchday)

I have no problem with someone wanting to know if a midnight launch is possible, I am in the exact same situation, I want to know.

What's pathetic is threatening to never buy their games again over a few hours or relentlessly bashing Steam, who by the way is working for Bethesda / Obsidian.

Trust me I'm a legitimate fan of the franchise, but with my work schedule I will be gone and unable to play for 5 days. Taking away half of launch day and only allowing me a few hours to play before I leave would be completely unacceptable if I go to a midnight launch. Granted my work schedule is not Bethesda's fault, a release date of Oct. 19th at 1pm surely would be. If Bethesda really wanted steam to do a midnight release all they would have had to do is say we want it or we wont use your service for future titles.

Bingo :tops:

That really, really svcks you are going to have limited access to the game. Nobody here would want to miss out on playing as much as possible, but at the end of the day the release isn't scheduled around our individual lives and work schedules. I have Tuesday off, I would love to have the whole day to play, but if it starts at noon, it starts at noon.

Again, I am sure Bethesda / Obsidian will make an effort to release at midnight, but it's hardly the end of the world if they don't.

It doesn't matter if they have been marketing a midnight release. It was probably for the console versions. Steam is a separate entity, and I highly highly doubt they'll have a midnight release because they never do. The best thing I can see them doing is a letter of apology, saying how they have no control over the Steam unlock.

The thing I don't get is why its 1pm instead of the usual 10am unlock of most game. I have no idea where they got the 1pm. That's more than half the day over. I've never liked Steam, but what can you do.

But, if I buy a box game, why can't I install it, register it, then go? Surely the unlock is just for people who pre-download the game from Steam?

And it's worse for us in Europe, 7pm unlock. That's a whole day wasted almost. Why not just put 23rd as the release date and be done with it?

Well the Pre-Load files on the PC actually have to unlock. They are encrypted. I seriously doubt they would install encrypted files from the disc, so it would make sense that you would be able to register it. The thing is, that even though it makes a lot of sense, I have no way of knowing.

Technically, that 7pm unlock is the same as their 1pm unlock.

You've lost me.... :sadvaultboy:

Uh, why? Time zones, that is all. We in Europe just have the bad luck to see our clock showing 7pm when the fine people at Steam press that big, red "Release New Vegas in Europe!!!" button after their lunch break. ^_^

so the reason it's at 7pm in Europe is because we have to wait for the Steam people in the US to get out of bed and activate it?

I would swear but it's unladylike....

Yeah, you'd think that somebody would be willing to press the big red button at 9 O'clock their time (12 Eastern) to release the game.