I decided i wanted to complete Doom 3 before buying Half Life 2. So now complete, phew, im in the market for Half Life 2 second hand from e-bay.

Is this possible? I dont quite know how the whole regestering process works and dont want to be lumbered with a copy of the game i cant play?

So realy my question is- Can i play a second hand copy of Half Life 2? Will i be able to register it under my name?

Thank in advance

Hmm
to buy Half-Life 2 from ebay I am not sure.
When you buy the retail version from the stores it comes in 4-5 cds (I Think).
After you install Half-Life 2 on your computer you have to create a account with Valve's Steam Service.

This service allows you to fully activate the game so you can play it.

I checked on ebay and the majority of the auctions for Half-Life 2 are to sell you a CD-KEY so you can download Half-Life 2 from Value's Steam Service.

This all you would really need to have. I'm sure the sellers are trustworthy.

If you decide to do this you have to download the steam service from www.steampowered.com

Create a account and use the CD-KEY to register Half-Life 2.
Once registered you can download the game and play it.

Just buy it though steam you get alot more for your money!

Iv bought both the standard retails only to find no back catalog of Valve products unlike Silver or Gold and the same with the Retail Collectors Edition.

I wish I had bought it from Steam & would have gone for Gold in the end.
much safer bet!

Well you have two options. You can buy thru steam; if you do not own any version of half life at all I would recommend you buying the silver version because you get everything. If you buy on eBay it has to be an account. The cd keys that come with the cds from retail stores you need to have the cd in the drive to play. With the steam account once a cd key is entered it is owned by a specific steam account so unless they give you that account you can’t activate it. Just go get tit thru steam

Dont Buy HL2 off Ebay or 2nd Hand , the CD key be already used and it be pointless buy it cuz mur need to active it thru Steam

Actually, this is not quite the case anymore. The retail versions that you buy in the store do come on media, but the media is not required to install or play half-life 2. Steam was updated months ago to match retail with online offerings. If you use the media that came with the retail package, you will not be required to have a CD in the drive to play. In otherwords, buying retail will give you the exact same thing as buying off Steam. One note is the silver and gold versions are not available at retail, so if the additional games and features offered buy those versions are important to you, purchase off of Steam.

As far as buying off of ebay, note that you are not buying a key, but rather somebody's old account. Be very careful, as there has been many problems with people auctioning off their accounts, only to report to VALVe that their key has been stolen. To date, VALVe has always sided with the scammers, as reselling your account is not allowed.

It would be in your best interests to read the Steam forums for further information, specifically http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/show...threadid=267303

I know EB Games is selling HL 2 collectors edition for 29.99. I was there today and they had it on sale. That is definatly your best bet.