Steam Purchase on vintage XIV PC account

[JaxPalion]

This is not going to be resolved at a player level this is at a corporate level and database level.

Here is how this played out. I am a former XIV player before the re-boot. Right Before HeavenSward became available Steam had a sale on the game. So I purchased both copies on steam. I was able of course to access XIV immediatly and started going through the main quest with very little knowledge of the issues that would occur just a few days later.

On early access I tried to gain access by following every bit of information I could find and I received the "Code not Valid" Of course contacting Square at this time is crazy as its release time but after TWO days I did get help and they said contact Steam.

Here is the Issue. I have a PC account and you CAN NOT activate Heavensward on a PC account with a Steam Code, even if you purchased both from Steam. Its because the original account is PC.

So contact Steam is the resolution and ask for a refund. Their reply is sorry you have been playing for over 3 hours. YES but only the original game not the expansion. Sorry no dice.

The only way I could correct the issue was to Create a entirely new account for Steam, this obvisouly did not transfer my old character or anything from the past.

To keep my old stuff I had to re-purchase Heavensward for PC and that allowed me to keep my old character.

So now I have two accounts one for steam and one for PC. Only one obviously is on a monthly charge the other is a wasted copy of the original game and Heavensward.

I wish I could tell you I was the only person to have this issue, but on the Steam forums there are swarms of people having this issue, most are just walking away.
They wont pay for the game twice to play it.

I hope this explains in detail the issue. I think the resolution in simply on the database side between you both. Keys should be universal between Steam and Square. Its the same game...why they are not is a corporate issue and then a code issue getting all those codes activated on old accounts.

Anyway hope this helps! I dont want the company to lose players over a really dumb database error between two great companies.

I have an extra copy of the game that I can do nothing with. #WastedMoney

[worldofneil]

Sorry, but it does actually say in the Steam description:

This version of FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward is only compatible with the Steam version of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn.

You said yourself your account was from XIV 1.0 so you didn't actually need to buy it again. All 1.0 players were able to just download 2.0 for free so unless you gave away/used the code you got from buying the Steam version that version is still unused/didn't need to be bought either.

Although we don't know exactly why the Steam and non-Steam accounts are treated different, for whatever reason they are and both the Steam and SE stores say about the Steam/non-Steam issue in their descriptions.

[JaxPalion]

Thanks for checking in World

From my understanding originally 1.0 had to purchase the new version when they shut down the old game. They might have changed that but when I left thats the last news I had heard.

I purchased the Steam version of the game and the Steam version of Heavsward: So with that in mind, I did exactly what was required. I purchased two like products from steam however. One of them the expansion. will not activate on either account.
Like i said the original steam version activated on my account no issue at all. It was the Expansion that did not activate.

I am pretty certain this is not user error but a database incaptablilty error, as I have said several people i know from 1.0 who tried to get a steam version of both the game and then the expansion could get the game to work but not the expansion. Most of them got the refund immediately and just purchased the game through steam. I was quick to catch a few. I know of two other people who simply got mad and didnt play, and just left. They felt ripped off. Which I dont blame them.

If you purchase an item and you buy both from steam, it should just work on your account. The person whom purchases the item shouldnt have to do anything but enjoy the game. Anything past that is wrong. Period end of discussion.
Same for if I buy both items from Square it should just run, Bugs in game are one thing. Account issues are something else. These are simple database activate issues. Something that should at least be looked into for 1.0 players.

I dont really care at this point, I am enjoying the game and I am out 35.00, but I think the warnings should say if you EVER have had a XIV account any purchases from Steam will not work.

If I think you need to spend the 19.99 and then purchase the upgrade you can bet others do as well from 1.0. Thats math. Of those people how many people use steam. Of those people how many people are going to be mad. Thats how many people you lose as users. It adds up. Thats profit and its a simple fix. Square needs to simple work with them to have universal codes. Its the same game. Or at least a system for refunds for 1.0 players. Because right now Steam does not recognize this as an issue for refund. It clearly is. The Havensward codes do not work for either account. PC or Steam. You are purchasing a key that will not activate. That can not be refunded. Thats bad.

[JaxPalion]

Well can be refunded, as long as you catch it within the first three hours of playing. Most people wont if they are trying to get their character up to get into new content.

[Nadirah]

Sorry, but it does actually say in the Steam description:

This version of FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward is only compatible with the Steam version of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn.

You said yourself your account was from XIV 1.0 so you didn't actually need to buy it again. All 1.0 players were able to just download 2.0 for free so unless you gave away/used the code you got from buying the Steam version that version is still unused/didn't need to be bought either.

Although we don't know exactly why the Steam and non-Steam accounts are treated different, for whatever reason they are and both the Steam and SE stores say about the Steam/non-Steam issue in their descriptions.

Because Valve wants money.

They get a percentage of purchase price when the game is bought on Steam. To ensure you make all later purchases through Steam, it's considered a separate platform.

Which is annoying as hell, because I have Dragonborn for Skyrim as well as Dawnguard and neither of them were Steam purchases. They installed *just fine*.

[JaxPalion]

Thanks everyone! Hopefully just talking about it brings awareness to the issue.

[TheFirstKel]

All legacy 1.0 players should have received a "welcome back" email when 2.0 released. Did you not get that? Anyhow, 2.0 is a free upgrade to all 1.0 (as you found out) and this was communicated across the site and before the 2.0 beta as well. It is unfortunate that you didn't get the right information. :-(

[JaxPalion]

Yeah, If I did, it wasnt noticed. Like I said, the standard addition loaded up ok, np and I dont mind the loss of the 19.99 for me being silly and not needing to buy a XIV again. It is the buying the two versions of XIV expansion that is not so pleasant.
But either way enjoying the game, outside of down time for game fixes.