Odd issue with publisher/game : looking for suggestions

Games
1

So recently I bought a sealed retail copy of Terminator Salvation for PC for a song off Ebay. I open the game and try to install and discover that it’s one of the early retail copies that apparently had an error at the duplication stage and won’t install at all.

Setting aside the fact that I actually bought Terminator Salvation (feel free to heap scorn and ridicule upon me), I’d like to get a working copy. The publisher, Evolved Games, had a replacement program in place. I tried contacting them through the email addresses at their website, but have received no response after several days. Given that the website doesn’t look like it has been updated since late 2009, I’m wondering if Evolved Games even exists anymore. But given that Terminator Salvation still sells for $20 on Steam and other digital distribution sites, someone somewhere is still making money off the game. That someone would be who I would want to contact about a replacement, even if it’s just a digital distribution serial number I could use to register the game with Steam or something similar.

Anyone here know if Evolved Games is still a working entity? If so, how do I contact someone there? If not, suggestions on who might be pulling in the money from digital distribution of the game (and thus perhaps would be willing to honor the replacement program) would also be helpful.

EDIT : I do not want to go back to Ebay and get into a fight with a seller about a game that cost less than $6 shipped. If I can’t find a solution on my own I will simply write it off.

2

Probably not a popular suggestion, but since you have already purchased the game (albeit used) why not just find a download some place and use that to run the game. Or, if its just a problem with the installer, and not the rest of the game data, I suppose there’s always the option of troubleshooting it and finding a way to manually install it. Try using ORCA or other installation editors (WISE, etc…) (assuming they using .msi) to fix the issues with the installer.

Other than that, its a physical copy. Try taking it to a Gamestop/EB and see if you can get it replaced.

3

You have already tried to enter the CD-Key in steam? if thats works, you can dump the disc.

4

I have not tried that. I thought that only worked for games like Empire Total War and Counterstrike that require Steam registration to play.

5

There are a handful of other games it will work for, but Terminator Salvation is not one of them.

6

I hear it makes a better coaster than a game anyway. You could try selling it on to some other sucker?

7

It was published by Warner Bros. Did you try contacting them?

8

I have not, since Evolved Games was handling the replacement program back in late 2009 I started with them. Good suggestion, thank you.

9

UPDATE:

So I got nowhere with this. It’s been nearly a week since I sent Warner Brothers Games a couple of emails (to different adresses) through their website and there has been no response. I know WB is still publishing, so I have to assume they simply don’t give a rat’s ass about Terminator Salvation issues 2 years after the fact.

I suppose I could go on the hunt for a less-than-legitimate copy of the game off the interwebs since that’s technically not piracy if I already paid for a brand new copy that’s simply not workable. I could also screw around with the MSI files and see if I could get them to run using a downloaded installer. I’m not sure what the problem with the duplication of the DVD was though, and how much of the data could be corrupted (or if it’s just the installer executeable and/or script).