Do you use PC or Console version? Did you buy your game through Steam, at a retail outlet like Wal-mart, or on the internet with a service like Amazon/Ebay?

Reason I ask is there seems to be a misleading as to how much power Steam has over Skyrim V. I want to settle this now and for good that you do not have to buy all your PC games through Steam. I believe Steam has acquired to much control of the gamer's market and has some people COMPLETELY CONVINCED they cannot get games any where else legally.

Walmart, PS3 version.

Amazon, Anthology (PC version).

I bought Skyrim (base game) from Steam and then each of the DLC's as soon as you could pre-purchase them from Steam.

I love Steam.

You can buy the game anywhere, in any store selling video games but you cannot play it without Steam. That makes Steam in total control of the game, yes.

People often buy through Steam simply because it's more convenient.

They don't have to go out to the shops, they aren't bound by the occasional vagaries of the postal and delivery services. Steams sales mean you can often get the game at a pittance for what it is in the shops.

Steam hasn't got anyone 'convinced'. If anything those people themselves have convinced themselves of that fact.

Also, whats this Skyrim V? I must have missed Skyrim 1-4

I play on 360 and bought my copy at the Walmart in Florence, Alabama.

I'm astonished how people answer any question without giving it a second thought...

Pretty much this. No one is convinced that you can't buy games in any other way. You can play without steam but that's not really legal.

I bought my vanilla PC version in a retail shop, and will soon get a copy of Anthology that friend from the US sent me, also bought in a retail shop.

Don't hate on Steam, please. It's super convenient buying and managing your games. I loathe, LOATHE physical copies of games and there is no other service as good as Steam, in my opinion (note: opinion).

I'm not someone who "likes" Steam but I do with it. I use their screen capture feature because it's practical; I also publish my mods on the workshop; beside this, it's just another thing that runs in the background, like all the stuff Windows runs and I have no idea what they are for. I'm appalled when I take a look at the community section and the rest...

Bought the game brand new for $60.

Sold it for $20.

Bought it on Xbox Marketplace for $60.

Bought Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn afterwards.

It is true. Maybe Valve isn't getting a cut if we purchase it elsewhere, but we're still forced to use their service. For the record, I don't hate Steam, it's relatively user-friendly and has a few useful features. But I prefer to have a choice...

I pre-ordered Skyrim from a local video game store. At the time of release it was region-locked on Steam, so I couldn't have bought it there even if I'd wanted to (which I didn't, I like boxes).

I bought it from Gamestation.

My first copy was for the Xbox 360 and I got it at Gamestop (No, I don't care what problem people have with gamestop).

Second copy was the Anthology for mah (At the time) New gaming PC (I got it for Christmas from my GF).

Amazon - Collector's Edition

Best Buy, but all of My DLC has been purchased through Steam.

The thing with Steam or all these "Cloud" type things becoming more popular for movies and music is if the company goes bankrupt or if for a reason they have major server malfunctions, etc. you're basically screwed. Always take a physical copy. At least with most Cloud system you can do both. Steam is more intrusive.

You won't settle anything. The people who post in this forum are only a tiny sliver of the total number of people who play Skyrim. And they are not necessarily a representative demographic, either.

We talk to each other to pass the time in these forums. Do not expect anything to be proved by posting here and do not ever expect anything to change by posting here.

Don't worry, people hating Gamestop or EB Games usually run off to Wal-Mart to buy games. Oh the irony.

Steam and all the DLCs from it.

Most likely Steam still gets a cut even if bought through other channels - I would think they get paid by the number of serials are registered with their service not on how many copies they actually sell - and companies are more than happy to pay them because they also make it impossible for you to sell the used game since the serial is tied to the user account it is initially installed on and can not be transferred and the game can not "legally" be played without entering the serial to an account.

A poll might make it easy to see. I bought a console copy used at GameStop. Then bought HF and DG at xboxlive, half price.

Seems like your question might be directed at PC players?

Bought the base game in retail shop a day before release. Two weeks ago I bought Legendary through Steam especially for DLCs.

Pre ordered from Game UK, xbox 360. Purchased all 3 DLC on release day.

I bought my Xbox version of the basic game at Gamestop and got the DLCs through Xbox Live. For PC, I bought the Legendary Edition at Best Buy.