> When you buy a game via Steam, is it installed via the internet/steam service,
> or does it download an offline installer to your system so that you can back it
> up and install it at your leisure?
>

The first thing that happens when you choose to install a game via Steam is it downloads the GCF file containing the game. For Half Life 2 you could preload the entire game before it launched and then it'd decrypt/unlock when the game's official release date happened (blame Vivendi for that retardedness).

Steam comes with a built in backup tool (in your browser, type steam://backup to access it) that'll allow you to backup the games you've purchased to cds/dvds and reinstall anytime you want.

When you buy Half Life 2 in the store, you're only fucking yourself. It's the same as the Bronze package, costs $5 more, requires you to decrypt the GCF files before it'll complete installing, and includes a cd/dvd check. Regardless if you buy in a store or install over Steam, you're going to need to use Steam to install/play the game. Just cut out the middle man and give all of your money to the developer instead of the asshole publisher :)


> I assume that they give you a serial number to input during installation, but
> will each fresh install also require you to connect via the internet to unlock
> the game for play? Again, going back to the event they go out of business some
> day, I'd still like to play my game even if there server is no longer around to
> unlock/verify my copy.
>
> I'm sure the likelyhood of them going out of business anytime soon is slim to
> none, but I like to think ahead. I don't want to be like these people who
> bought things like Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast and then can't play it
> anymore because Sega no longer runs the server.
>

If you buy over Steam you're more likely to not run into the Phantasy Star Online problem, oddly enough.