Why not add pre-TU keys to Steams activation list?

Trollwut · April 2015

Hi folks!

This is a little issue that makes me a little upset.

Steam is my primary program running on my PC. Except a little exceptions I run every game from there. So I was glad reading that ESO:TU will come to Steam, too.
Oh, plus trading cards and so on - nice.

But why can't I activate my key in Steam, which I bought on the former release of ESO.

I wrote the support if this will be supported in future. They declined.
But they didn't give a reason why.

AFAIK Steam has lists of possible keys - so why not just add the former keys there?

If this is not a "we want our customers to again buy the full product", I would like to hear another explanation.

Echo_Silence · April 2015

Are you saying you bought the game on the site and you want to redeem it on steam? If so I heard this problem before. But the reason why they are not letting people use two of the same codes on multiple products (Steam, And ESO site), is probably because it would make it so people can play on multiple accounts at the same time. I'm not really sure but good question.

~Echo_Silence

Midnight_Rose · April 2015

No, you wouldn't get two accounts for the price of one game. A steam version still needs to be registered via the ESO site.

This is an old issue. Since ESO became available on Steam last July there have dozens of topics and hundreds of posts. Look through some of those posts and you'll see all the explanations, theories etc.

Here's an example from the first page of the first post that the search function spit out:

ZOS_AmeliaR wrote: »

We won't be providing Steam keys to current ESO players, as Steam utilizes ESO's launcher and patcher, as well as our billing and account systems. Instead, if you'd like to play via Steam, you can add the existing title to Steam.

To do this, head to "Games" option within Steam and select "Add Non-Steam Game to My Library." Then, select the checkbox next to "The Elder Scrolls Online" and click "Add Selected Programs."

Trollwut wrote: »

AFAIK Steam has lists of possible keys - so why not just add the former keys there?

Personally I'm glad they haven't done that. I wouldn't want a penny of the money that I paid ZOS to go to Steam just so that I have the opportunity to use a feature that I won't use.
I understand it's probably frustrating for those who like using Steam for playing MMOs, especially with the crown packs now there too, but they didn't change their minds about this 9 months ago, so I doubt they will now.

Trollwut · April 2015

TBH I don't mind where I buy crowns as long as I get them. And even with a Steam version I would like to buy my crowns in the ZOS store (what is not possible yet, AFAIK).

But I really like to have my sweet4ss Steam ingame. And with already using Steam, I would like to have it in my library so that others can see I'm playing ESO even if I'm offline/not currently playing.

I don't HAVE to possess the game in Steam... it just would have been a nice addition for me and I can't really explain why they don't provide those keys to the Steam store. (MAYBE it's not possible, I don't know, but there are many examples where you could activate your physical box to Steam afterwards.)