Until this weekend, I hadn't bought a new computer game in years. When I worked for Electronic Arts, I had every game every made at my fingertips. I think the only game I bought when I was working there was Quake III, but I had to have it because we played together online after work all the time.

Anyway, the original Half-Life was such a sweet game (Game of the Year back in 1998) that when I saw Half-Life 2 for 40 bucks at Best Buy, I snapped it up. I've been waiting for this one for a long time. It was supposed to come out a few years ago, but has been delayed for various reasons. Now that's its here (and on sale) I had to have to it.

Well, if game play is the only measure, HL2 was certainly worth the wait. The graphics are beautiful. The environment is rich. The storyline in compelling. Everything about the game is fantastic. Except the setup. And first impressions are everything, right?

Electronic entertainment companies have been burned so badly by piracy that they are taking whatever measures necessary to ensure that their games are not duped and resold. If you buy a game from Valve, which means Half Life 2, then you have to deal with Steam.

Steam is the engine that is used to verify and run the game. In a word, it sucks. The first problem is that you have to be online to verify the game. I installed it, but I couldn't play until I managed to get online. This was such a disappointment. Long gone are the days of bringing home a game, opening the box, installing and playing in a matter of minutes. HL2 has 5 disks. Which means it took forever to install. That's okay because that means more game for me.

However, I don't (or didn't) have an account on my notebook at home, so I had to get an account (Netscape) and register online. Only a minor pain. Then I had to install Steam. Then I had to verify the game and download god knows how many files which took hours. There's a message on the website:

Product Authentication Delay When Installing Half-Life 2
Some consumers may experience delays in authenticating Half-Life 2 during the installation process. This is due to the high volume of consumers who have purchased Half-Life 2 and are installing the game, which is causing high traffic on the Steam authentication servers. Please inform any Half-Life 2 customers that encounter this situation to keep trying, as this is a temporary delay.

That's helpful. I don't know when they put that message up on their site (it's undated), but the game has been out for a few weeks so depending on your definition of temporary this is either not a big deal or a big deal. I tend to think the latter.

Anyway, then and only then could I play, but only when I was online. I can't play the fucking game unless I'm attached to the Net. I try to start the game and get this infuriating message that says, "The operation cannot be completed when Steam is in offline mode." Well, fuck you, too. There's a way to do it and I talked for a long time with a nice young lady in tech support (an Indian, big surprise) who told me what to do, but, alas, it did not work.

There's no information about it on the so-called Half Life 2 Knowledge Base

Now, I'm pissed because I can't take the game back. The stores won't accept it because once the game has been installed once, you cannot install it on another machine. Which also means that I can't sell it. That's seriously fucked up. That's always one of the things that I can tell myself before I buy a game. I'll buy it, but if it sucks, I'll turn around and throw it up on eBay. That is no longer an option.

I honestly don't know what to do about this. I can write a letter to , but what's the point of adding another email to huge digital pile that must be amassing on their servers? At some point I'm sure I'll be able to figure out how to play offline but what a enormous fucking hassle this has turned into.

Welcome to Vivendi chat.
The session has been accepted.

{Agent20} Welcome to our live chat service. Hello, this is Vijay. How may I help you?
{Andrew} Hi
{Andrew} I'm having problems playing HL2 offline. can you help?
{Agent20} hello?
{Andrew} umm, Vijay, are you there?
{Agent20} Yes,
{Agent20} Go ahead
{Andrew} I can't play HL2 offline. What can you do to help me?
{Andrew} Are you there?
{Agent20} yes
{Agent20} Have you register the product the under steam?
{Andrew} Yes
{Agent20} So steam & game are updated?
{Andrew} Yes
{Andrew} It runs perfectly when I am online
{Andrew} But i want to play it offline.
{Agent20} Ok ,
{Agent20} which operating system do you have?
{Andrew} XP
{Andrew} Vijay?
{Agent20} 1. go to network properties 2. right-click on your internet connection "local area connection" 3. disable it 4. start Steam - it only takes about 2 seconds to pop up to the start in offline mode. 5. then re-enable your connection and you can play on LAN.

One warning, XP might get upset if you disable your NIC and think that you are changing the hardware in your computer (happens when you re-boot, so enable the NIC before rebooting!).

{Andrew} Done

{Andrew} it still will not let me play in offline mode

{Andrew} I click on the icon to play HL2

{Andrew} and I get a message that says:

{Andrew} "This operation cannot be completed when Steam is in offline mode"

{Agent20} Have you click on HL2icon & cd was in the drive?

{Andrew} Yes

{Agent20} Just enable the internet connection.follow the same steps has above.

{Andrew} I want to play offline. I don't have an available internet connection at the moment on the computer where the game is installed.

{Andrew} Steam is completely installed

{Andrew} HL2 is completely installed

{Andrew} The CD is in the drive.

{Andrew} What is the problem?

{Andrew} When I click on "properties" for HL2 in the Steam browser

{Andrew} It says:

{Andrew} Status: Ready to Play

{Agent20} Double click on "Steam Icon" go to properties & under " play games" you can find "My games" Just right click on " half life 2" - go to properties , there you can see " Status" Screen. in that options like :
Status: Let me know
Amount A quire:Let me know
Off Line Mode: Let me know

{Andrew} Amount Acquired: 100%

{Andrew} Offline Mode: Ready

{Andrew} got it?

{Agent20} But your able to play on line.right

{Andrew} Yes

{Andrew} Vijay?

{Agent20} While registering the product it ask for the Account information where you need to put your Account & Password .right
Under that you can see a option called "Remember my password" have you check that option.

{Andrew} you mean the one that says:

{Andrew} "don't save account information on this computer"

{Andrew} (recommended for public computers. Note that this will disable "Offline Mode")?

{Agent20} have you check that option?

{Andrew} If that's what you mean, the answer is NO

{Andrew} I'd have to be a moron to check that box, Vijay

{Andrew} When it clearly says it will disable "Offline Mode".

{Andrew} I don't understand how Steam can tell me "Offline Mode: Ready" and it doesn't work.

{Agent20} Just try to log & log in Once.

{Andrew} What?

{Andrew} I have no idea what that means

{Agent20} Just try to log out & log in Once from the steam

{Andrew} Ok

{Andrew} It still does not work

{Andrew} Is there anyone there who has any clue what the problem is?

{Agent20} How did you do that?

{Andrew} You seem like a nice guy, Vijay, but I want to get this fixed before the sun sets, if you know what I mean

{Andrew} I right-clicked on the Steam icon in the tray and chose "Exit"

{Andrew} Then I double-clicked the Steam icon on my desktop

{Agent20} Does it say its updating.

{Andrew} No

{Andrew} Should it? The computer is not online.

{Agent20} Enable the internet connection.

{Agent20} Just try to log out & log in Once from the steam

{Andrew} I can't. I'm at my office and I don't have an available internet connection on the computer where HL2 is installed

{Andrew} I thought I had explained that before.

{Agent20} No

{Andrew} I think it would help us both if you read what I am writing to you.

{Agent20} Just enable the internet connection.follow the same steps has above.

{Andrew} I want to play offline. I don't have an available internet connection at the moment on the computer where the game is installed.

{Andrew} I don't want to argue with you. I just want this problem fixed.

{Andrew} Can you please hand me over to someone who knows the solution.

{Agent20} if you are not at your computer i can provide you with the information to make steam work in offline mode and you cab try that out when at your computer.

{Andrew} I am at my computer

{Andrew} It's sitting right next to one that I am communicating to you on

{Andrew} However it is not hooked up to the Internet because I do not have access to the Internet on that computer where I am at the moment.

{Andrew} But I shouldn't have to be online. Because I want to play the game offline. My game is updated. Steam is updated. It says offline mode is enabled. So what I want to know is, what is the problem?

{Agent20} Yea there is offline mode available fro steam and to do that launch steam and then disconnect the internet connection. Steam will fall back in offline mode for more information check the following link.

{Andrew} But I've already set it up.

{Andrew} Are you telling me that I have to go online. Start Steam. Close Steam. Go offline. To play offline. Is that what your saying?

{Agent20} No after you have done this once there is no need to go online again and again .

{Agent20} okay. so what is the problem now?

{Andrew} I've already done it.

{Andrew} How else could the game, according to Steam, be updated, enabled, and ready for offline play?

{Andrew} For some reason Steam is not "falling back" into offline mode and I want to know why and what I can do to fix it.

{Andrew} And if you can't tell me the answer, that's fine.

{Andrew} Just find me someone who can.

{Agent20} It will give you any kind of message that you are working in offline mode.

{Agent20} After disconnecting try launching the game.

{Andrew} I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean by "It will give you any kind of message that you are working in offline mode."

{Agent20} I am sorry i meant was it would no t ggive you after disconnecting you can try launching the game.

{Agent20} I don't understand what the means either.

{Andrew} Look. I just want someone to explain to me, in simple, what is going on with this game.

{Andrew} Tell me why Steam says "offline mode: enabled" and it doesn't work.

{Andrew} That's all I want at this point.

{Andrew} Well

{Agent20} I will explain it once more
Launch steam
Disconnected your internet connection
Now try launching the game .

{Andrew} Vijay. You're not listening to me. I don't have an internet connection on the computer where the game is installed.

{Andrew} I don't believe you when you say, get online, launch Steam, and everything will be fine.

{Andrew} That was the answer I received from one of your collegues last night.

{Andrew} Obviously it did not work

{Agent20} Well are u able to launch steam on that system.?

{Andrew} So please find me someone who can explain what is going on with my game. Someone who understands game. Someone who is not reading off a script. Maybe, your supervisor.

{Andrew} Get someone else, please. I beg you.

{Agent20} Well i can try that but can not be sure about it please wait let me see if i can find some one else.

{Andrew} Thank you

{Agent20} It was my pleasure assisting you. Thank you for using the service. Have a great day!

{Andrew} Is someone else coming to help me?

{Andrew} Hello?