What's the use of adding non-Steam purchased games on the Steam client?

For example, I have Deus Ex. I did not buy it on Steam, but if I added it to Steam through this option would I be able to have Steam download updates and patches for it like I did? I know you can buy Deus Ex on Steam anyway.

If the answer is yes, what about a game that I want to add to Steam that can't be bought on Steam, like Torment. Would Steam download all the official patches for me?

Well, I don't know about getting patches, I've never tried that. And for some reason, Steam doesn't like to hold on to shortcuts when I add them. It just deletes them the next time I start up Steam.

But there is a community advantage, in that it lets your friends see what you're playing.

There are two different ways to add your boxed games to steam that do two different things. For a select few games, including all of Valve's catalog, you can put in your CD code and tie that (permanently) to your steam account, and get the download version of the game as if you paid for it over Steam. If you do it this way, you'll get all the updates automatically and be able to play it or install it without the CD.

The other way is just basically adding a shortcut to the game into your My Games list. This works for any game, but it won't find updates for you or anything, it'll just add the shortcut. The advantage to doing this is that when you launch a game through Steam it will load up the Steam friends list overlay in-game when you press Shift-Tab, and your friends will be able to see what you're playing.

It also clears up my desktop. This way I don't have half a dozen icons on there for my games, I just have a steam icon and all the others hidden inside it.

But yeah, otherwise like Switchbreak said. No real functionality beyond Steam community.

bnpederson wrote:

It also clears up my desktop. This way I don't have half a dozen icons on there for my games, I just have a steam icon and all the others hidden inside it.

But yeah, otherwise like Switchbreak said. No real functionality beyond Steam community.

I was doing this as well, but went back to just using xfire to launch all my games.

jmdanny wrote:

I was doing this as well, but went back to just using xfire to launch all my games.

I'll tell you, having the WoW shortcut has increased my steam score by leaps and bounds.

Steam score is the most important function of adding games. It's helped me earn the coveted Eagles Scream rating for the last 2 weeks

As some said, it enables you to launch the game through Steam. Also, your friends will see that you're playing a game even if it's not a Steam title - handy for those who like to keep Steam and the Friend List running in the background all the time, but would prefer to not get any messages while playing some game.

I added wow to my steam but it is not counting my hours opr showing my status.

You can also access the steam chat ability and notification in game, and not close out the current game. Very helpful for WoW, to see who's on. But it doesn't work for Sins of a Solar Empire. It loads and plays alright, but none of the text will show up.

Switchbreak wrote:

There are two different ways to add your boxed games to steam that do two different things. For a select few games, including all of Valve's catalog, you can put in your CD code and tie that (permanently) to your steam account, and get the download version of the game as if you paid for it over Steam. If you do it this way, you'll get all the updates automatically and be able to play it or install it without the CD.

I tried for a good half an hour to get Steam to accept my Titan Quest CD key - with no luck. Either I'm missing something completely, or Steam hasn't quite perfected this process

derekrap wrote:

I tried for a good half an hour to get Steam to accept my Titan Quest CD key - with no luck. Either I'm missing something completely, or Steam hasn't quite perfected this process

Not all games that are for sale through Steam support retail CD keys, only a select few.

Grenn wrote:

You can also access the steam chat ability and notification in game, and not close out the current game. Very helpful for WoW, to see who's on. But it doesn't work for Sins of a Solar Empire. It loads and plays alright, but none of the text will show up.

I really dont know what i am doign wrong but that wont work in wow for me.

I have to alt tab out to see who just immed me.

WiredAsylum wrote:
Grenn wrote:

You can also access the steam chat ability and notification in game, and not close out the current game. Very helpful for WoW, to see who's on. But it doesn't work for Sins of a Solar Empire. It loads and plays alright, but none of the text will show up.

I really dont know what i am doign wrong but that wont work in wow for me.

I have to alt tab out to see who just immed me.

You have to launch the game via the Steam client, using the shortcut you added. Just adding the game to the list doesn't give Steam control of all of the shortcuts you use to run WoW. Assuming that's what you're doing wrong.

Well by default the WoW icon launches the World of Warcraft Launcher program that checks for patches and displays news and patch notes and stuff. That program launches the actual WoW client. There's a setting in WoW that tells it not to use the launcher, but even then I think it still runs for a split second before the actual client comes up. So that's one possible point of failure for Steam not working with WoW.

The other possibility is Warden, the anti-hacking spyware that runs alongside WoW, does something to screw with Steam.

You're a day late. Things were supposed to arise from the grave yesterday.

Necro'd by a spammer who has since been trimmed out.

Bah I was suckered in by the necro. Raised from the dead I was.

Elycion wrote:

You're a day late. Things were supposed to arise from the grave yesterday. :lol:

Switchbreak wrote:

There are two different ways to add your boxed games to steam that do two different things. For a select few games, including all of Valve's catalog, you can put in your CD code and tie that (permanently) to your steam account, and get the download version of the game as if you paid for it over Steam. If you do it this way, you'll get all the updates automatically and be able to play it or install it without the CD.

Viagra has helped me make better use of my favourite game distribution service and social network. Sometime you say things you never thought you might utter.

I tried to add AutoCAD to steam so a friend might see that I was working if steam was on in the system tray while I was actually working. ...Caused crashes sadly.

The spammer got me thinking along weird lines for the future of video games. Valve are at GDC saying how they're researching physiological sensor and psychological feedback for their games, how long is it before you do get drugs to help you cheat or manipulate the game in some way?

Now there actually is one very good reason for using Steam to play non-Steam games:

Screenshots!

Adding non-Steam games to Steam gives you access to their new screenshot system, right?

Quintin_Stone wrote:

Adding non-Steam games to Steam gives you access to their new screenshot system, right?

Yep.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

Adding non-Steam games to Steam gives you access to their new screenshot system, right?

It also makes you more attractive and virile.

It also prevents Steam from downloading updates for your Steam games while you're in a non-Steam game.

jollyeskimo wrote:

It also prevents Steam from downloading updates for your Steam games while you're in a non-Steam game.

Now that is a useful function. When I was playing WoW on a regular basis that was a big frustration at times.