K you win. <3

That's also why I prefer retail version, and manual update downloads, so I can install the game to any particular version I want anytime.

Lol @ your avatar. A friendly lol to be exact.

The updates are still handled by steam, whether you digital downloaded or went retail. Read the top sticky thread about skyrim and steam. You wont be able to manually manage your updates.

Doesn't matter with Skyrim. From the http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1242199-skyrim-and-steam/:

The odd thing to me is that this thread seems to be full of people who think that the retail version and the DD version are somehow different. Its a Steamworks game. What that means is that what you buy in the store is basically just an unlock code and install disc for Steam software.

If the DD version "screws up" or "fails" somehow, the same thing's going to happen to your physical copy. They all go through the same client and same authentication server. This Steam scaremongering is ridiculous, not only because its baseless but because all versions of Skyrim are Steam versions. >.>

In short, if you're worried about the DD version getting "lost" in a "site crash" you should be just as worried about the same thing happening to your physical copy since it will have to register and auth on the exact same server as the DD version.

Furthermore, all versions will have the same online activation and will all require their updates through Steam, there will be no "manual" updates for Skyrim. This is all covered in the sticky at the top of the forum. @_@

I'm not trying to be condescending but there seems to be a lot of misinformation regarding Steam around here >.>

I think you misunderstood me.

The sticky just say that Steamworks would allow for automatically updating to the last version. While I want to be able to install any version, any time, not necessarily the last version, for the reasons I explained in my previous posts in this thread. That's furthermore useful when using modded game when one not up-to-date plugin you want to use might not be compatible with the last version.

Yeah, guess I did. My bad

The "That's also why I prefer retail version" through me off. 'Cause you can hold off installing a certain patch with the downloadable version as well.

Steam's DRM does work, as its intentional is to prevent pre-release piracy. Steam games cannot be cracked before they're officially released because they're encrypted with some files withheld until the release date and time. Normal disc CP games are cracked ahead of their release date, but Steam protected games are normally not cracked until a couple days after their release, up to a week, as crack groups cannot even start work on cracking it until the release time has arrived.

I don't think it's scaremongering, ridiculous or baseless. My brother has had two bad experiences with Steam through no fault of his own, each time losing close to ￡100 worth of games linked (read locked) to his respective accounts. Valve have done sweet FA to rectify this. Earlier this year it happened to a friend of mine, too, although I believe the latest is that she will be refunded. I was always going to buy a console version of Skyrim because I just don't like playing games on PC, but now my brother and my friend are buying it for consoles too. So we'll be getting Xbox 360/PS3 versions and will actually own our copies. Sure, we won't have mods and such, but we will have rights.

And what caused his account to be locked?

Is that to me? I don't believe it was 'locked', I think it was some kind of technical problem that rendered the account unuseable. He did explain it to me at the time but having never used Steam myself it went over my head a bit and I don't remember.

If I had to guess, the reason people buy physical over digital is:
90% don't have computers
5% want an actual copy
5% want to let their friend(s) try it out

Lets put it this way: When the zombie apocalypse hits and you are cramped in a small bunker somewhere or on the road evading those who must not be fed, would you rather A. Have purchased the digital copy and remain content with only fond memories or B. Have purchased the collectors edition and have an actual physical disk you can hold on to and smell and the statue of Alduin to keep on warm on what will probably be your last nights on earth and filling you with the hope that within all that chaos you will someday run into a functioning X-box? B. Obviously. Why pass up the opportunity to bust some zombie skulls with Alduin's statue?

I want the map!

Console only get physical copies, so this "VS" thread makes only sense for the computer version. 100% who have to make a choice between the two options have computers.
(But I know what you meant including the console, even if I don't agree with your % guess. I just mean that's not related to what we are talking about in here

I will personally be getting a physical copy, but that is only because I am getting the Collector's Edition, and because it is a Steamworks game. I do not buy physical copies of PC games that can't be linked to Steamworks, it just doesn't make any sense to me. When I want to play a game on the PC I don't want to have to go searching for a disk, and then manually make sure the game is up to date. Steam is the best thing that has happened to the game industry in the last ten years, and I feel sorry for those that refuse to use it, because that is the direction that the entire industry is going to be going in within ten years.

The only reason Consoles don't use a Steam like structure is because of the amount of people that still don't connect their systems online, but that audience is shrinking every year. If it were up to the game publishers the industry would already be 100% digital distribution, as they make significantly more money off of a digital copy. That alone is another reason to buy games digitally, as I would personally rather give my money to those that make the games than all of the middle men.

I'm either buying it on Steam if I get the PC version for the convenience, or buying a physical copy online if I get the PS3, because it's half the price. I'd buy a physical copy of the PC version too, but waiting 2 weeks for the game to arrive isn't really my first choice. If I could download either version of the game for the price I can buy it online, I would.
I generally shy away from brick and mortar game stores nowadays, because they're really not worth it.

They don't pass a single cent of their distribution savings onto the customer with the purely download versions. I'm not into charity for companies. No thanks.

This is how the world works...

Online distributers could easily undercut retail stores because they aren't paying for shipping, for in store employees, higher building rent and utilities. However if they did then no retail store would carry games because they couldn't compete. That is how the world works. Same principle applies to any other commodity.. example buying a Nokia phone from their website versus 3rd party retailers. Nokia could easily undercut them all instead of selling at the same price... but then no one would carry Nokia phones in their stores. So they have sell at retail as well. This isn't charity.

Now as an additional education point, when you purchase a game in a store most of the money goes to the publisher, not the developers who slaved for years to make the game. Online distribution has changed the playing field where the developers are getting paid better for their work. That is a big plus that should appeal to any gamer.. to send money where you would think it should have been going all along.. to the devs.

Lastly, from time to time online distributors will have sales at prices you will never see in a store. Stupid sales. I have games I have purchased on Steam sales I have yet to install and play because I bought so many. I would have never bought them otherwise. It's almost like reverse piracy.. instead of playing a game I didn't pay for I paid for a game I haven't played yet.

Physical copy, or both. Depends on when the physical copy arrives on time or not. If it doest arrive on the 11-11-11 when I wake up, I will start downloading the Steam version.

Let me revise what I meant. I would never buy a *new* game online, and yeah part of the reason was to buy from stores but Best Buy snubbed PC gamers by having a preorder deal for only console games so that's the only reason I'm getting it from Amazon.

For me in Europe, a physical copy is 20 euros (27,5 dollars) cheaper when ordered online from amazon.co.uk, compared to a digital copy straight from Steam. So it's cheaper, I get a nice map and box, and I don't have to download the whole game in order to play it.

There is a lot of lame reasons in here listed for not downloading it such as:

1) Going to the store at midnight is faster than downloading it and installing. - Pre-Loading is our friend!
2) If you format your computer you have to redownload the files - backup files onto a disk/hdd. I've reinstalled steam backups(dragon age origins) in a few short minutes, much faster than installing the game from dvd.
3) 9gb of files is a lot to download, especially if your connection isn't super duper fast - uh, preloading? You'll have a few days before release to download the files. Even if you at download 100kb/s, you will get all the files in a day.

Even if steam dies and closes its doors, owning a physical copy won't help you since steam is required to play Skyrim.

The only really good reasons for not downloading is if you want the map/statue, have a wicked slow internet/no internet, some crazy tiny bandwidth limit or you can get it else where for way cheaper(not the case afaik in Canada/USA).

The steam store doesn't reset till 10am and makes it so you can play skyrim, that's why people are going to go into the store.