First time Steam user - how do I play a demo?

mrochester · 17 Jul 2010 at 22:35

Hi all

I've downloaded the Colin McRae Dirt 2 demo using Steam. When I click the shortcut to start the game, all it does it load up Steam, and take me to the CMD2 page. How do I actually start the game? I can't seem to find anything from this point to actually load the demo. I may just be missing something since I'm a first time Steam user, but it's not very user friendly so far!

Many thanks

Michael.

thecremeegg · 17 Jul 2010 at 22:40

Is it in your games list in steam? If so when you right click does it say install game or play game?

mrochester · 17 Jul 2010 at 22:46

thecremeegg said:
Is it in your games list in steam? If so when you right click does it say install game or play game?

It's in the games list, and a right click gives me a play game option. The instructions even say to play the game, click the play game button, but all that does it take me to the game page! Still a bit stuck and confused...

HangTime · 17 Jul 2010 at 22:46

Select it from the "library" tab, could be an option to Play Now.

Gimpymoo · 17 Jul 2010 at 22:48

Not to sound patronising, but has it fully downloaded?

mrochester · 17 Jul 2010 at 22:50

Gimpymoo said:
Not to sound patronising, but has it fully downloaded?

Yep. I downloaded it a couple of weeks ago but I've only got around to trying it now. There's definitely no activity on the downloads page.

mrochester · 17 Jul 2010 at 22:54

Right I've dug out the colinmcrae.exe and it gives me an error saying xlive.dll is missing from my computer. Apparently, Steam should have installed all the necessary programs required to run the game (it did install something called Rapture3D) but completely missed out Games for Windows Live for some reason.

666_Pounder · 17 Jul 2010 at 23:13

Right Click -> Properties -> Verify Integrity of Game Cache. Usually sorts things like this.

Gimpymoo · 17 Jul 2010 at 23:30

Aye, definitely seems like the download did not complete fully.

The post by 666_Pounder above should help.

Ahleckz · 17 Jul 2010 at 23:39

mrochester said:
Right I've dug out the colinmcrae.exe and it gives me an error saying xlive.dll is missing from my computer. Apparently, Steam should have installed all the necessary programs required to run the game (it did install something called Rapture3D) but completely missed out Games for Windows Live for some reason.

You need to go and download Games for Windows Live.

http://www.microsoft.com/games/en-us/live/pages/livejoin.aspx

That'll fix it.

snowdog · 18 Jul 2010 at 00:13

It usually installs 3rd party requirements the first time you start the game from your library, starting the .exe circumvents this and if the pre-reqs aren't installed it obviously won't run...

mrochester · 18 Jul 2010 at 07:48

snowdog said:
It usually installs 3rd party requirements the first time you start the game from your library, starting the .exe circumvents this and if the pre-reqs aren't installed it obviously won't run...

Yeah, it only installed one of the 3rd party requirements (the Rapture3D thing) and completely missed GFWL.

Dark_Angel · 18 Jul 2010 at 10:50

Off topic, but I'm amazed some people are yet to try out steam!

mrochester · 18 Jul 2010 at 10:51

Dark_Angel said:
Off topic, but I'm amazed some people are yet to try out steam!

Looking around it doesn't reslly have that many games that interest me. There's just a glut of FPSs which don't interest me at all.

Dark_Angel · 18 Jul 2010 at 11:32

mrochester said:
Looking around it doesn't reslly have that many games that interest me. There's just a glut of FPSs which don't interest me at all.

You're not looking hard enough then. Mass Effect, Batman and so many other quality games... plus, indy games if you're into them.

mrochester · 18 Jul 2010 at 11:33

Dark_Angel said:
You're not looking hard enough then. Mass Effect, Batman and so many other quality games... plus, indy games if you're into them.

I like things like SimCity, The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon, etc etc, and there's doesn't seem to be that many around.

ic1male · 18 Jul 2010 at 12:21

Yes and even Quantum of Solace has been reduced to £9.99 now from £29.99! Get it immediately!