XBL Deals - Jan 6 - Sep 4, 2014

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Recent Updates

  • 9/2 - Deals with Gold, Spotlight Activision, Misc Markdowns
  • 8/28 - Sept GwG announced, Misc Markdown
  • 8/27 - NFS Rivals XB1 added to Deals with Gold, Ascend server shutdown
  • 8/26 - Deals with Gold, Summer Binge, Spotlight Shadow Complex, Misc Markdowns
  • 8/23 - Castlevania: LOS2 Misc Markdown
This thread will maintain a list of all current and upcoming sales and markdowns on the Xbox Live Marketplace / Xbox Games Store for the USA.  YMMV in other regions.  If non-US sales are listed, they will be marked with their applicable region(s).
 
Please note:

  • You cannot currently buy any Xbox 360 content on xbox.com using your account balance, you can only use an active credit card or PayPal. To use your balance, you must make purchases on your console.  Unfortunately, even "purchasing" free content through the web site like trials requires an alternative method of payment tied to your account, though adding an empty MasterCard / Visa gift card that is registered for online purchases will work.  Xbox One games can be purchased on the web site with your account balance, but DLC cannot.
  • Some sales are intended for Gold subscribers only, as noted within each section.  This requires being a paid subscriber or within a console-activated "1 month complimentary Gold trial" account.  Neither 48 hour trials, 14 day trials nor free weekends qualify.
  • All known sales and information on sales should make their way into the OP. Major Nelson usually updates his blog with new sales information every other Tuesday.
  • ALL OFFERS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! No information within this thread can or should be construed as accurate (or still valid), therefore ...
  • Always verify Xbox Live Marketplace prices before your purchase!
  • Spend wisely, have fun, and enjoy!
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Deals with Gold
Gold subscription required
 

9/2 - 9/8 - Misc


[*]Persona 4 Arena - $9.98 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Resident Evil 4 - $6.59 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Resident Evil Revelations - $13.59 - 66% off - xbldb
[*]Rock of Ages - $4.99 - 50% off - xbldb
8/26 - 9/1 - NFS Rivals DLC / KI Sabrewulf


[*]Need for Speed Rivals - $19.79 - 67% off - xbldb - base game part of Summer Binge Sale below

8/19 - 8/25 - Call of Duty / Trials Fusion

  • XB1 - Trials Fusion - $13.39 - 33% off (free price on web site is a trial version)
  • XB1 Call of Duty: Ghosts (console only)
    Season Pass - $24.99 - 50% off
  • Legend Pack - CPT Price - $1.99 - 50% off
  • Legend Pack - Makarov - $1.99 - 50% off
  • Snoop Dogg VO Pack - $1.49 - 50% off
  • Squad Pack - Extinction - $1.99 - 50% off

[*]Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - $14.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - $19.99 - 60% off - xbldb

[*]Call of Duty: Black Ops - $19.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Call of Duty: Black Ops II - $29.99 - 50% off - xbldb

[*]Call of Duty: Ghosts

8/12 - 8/18 - Square Enix, Fight Night

8/5 - 8/11 - Misc


[*]Terraria - $4.94 - 67% off - xbldb
7/29 - 8/4 - EA sale

  • XB1 - Battlefield 4 DLC - console only purchase
    Premium - 33% off
    China Rising - 33% off
  • Naval Strike - 33% off
  • Second Assault - 33% off

[*]Ultimate Shortcut Bundle - 33% off

[*]Battlefield 4 DLC

[*]Ultimate Shortcut Bundle - $33.49 - 33% off - xbldb

[*]2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil - $17.99 - 70% off - xbldb
[*]FIFA 14 - $29.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Madden NFL 25 - $24.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]NHL 14 - $24.99 - 50% off - xbldb
7/22 - 7/28 - Superhero sale


[*]Marvel vs. Capcom: Origins - $7.49 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Mortal Kombat vs. DCU - $9.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - $19.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Young Justice: Legacy - $4.99 - 75% off - xbldb
7/15 - 7/21 - PvZ: Garden Warfare XB1, BioShock


7/8 - 7/14 - Titanfall XB1, Serious Sam and various DLCs


[*]The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[*]The Walking Dead: Season Two - Season Pass - $7.49 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]WWE 2K14 Season Pass -  $9.99 - 50% off - xbldb
7/1 - 7/7 - Thief XB1, Ubisoft XBLA and others

6/24 - 6/30 - Ryse / Diablo / Fable / Payday

  • XB1 - Ryse: Son of Rome - $49.99 - 17% off
    Season Pass - $9.99 - 50% off - console only

[*]Diablo III - $29.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Payday 2 - $12.94 - 63% off - xbldb
[*]Fable II - $4.99 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Fable III - $4.99 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Fable Heroes - $3.39 - 66% off - xbldb
[*]Fable Anniversary DLC

6/17 - 6/23 - Rockstar Sale, part Umpteen, plus Deadfall & XB1


[*]Midnight Club: LA - $3.74 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Red Dead Redemption - $7.49 - 75% off - xbldb
6/10 - 6/16 - Hodgepodge, Part II, or "Oh shit, we forgot to schedule a sale"


[*]Forza Horizon - $10.19 - 66% off - xbldb
[*]Resident Evil Revelations - $13.59 - 66% off - xbldb
[*]Terraria - $4.94 - 67% off - xbldb
________________________________________________________________________
 
Games with Gold
Gold subscription required, Xbox One games are only playable while Gold is active, but can be added to your account with a Gold trial
 
Free Games


[*]Sep 1-15 - Monaco: What's Yours is Mine - xbldb
[*]Sep 16-30 - Halo: Reach - xbldb
[*]Sep XB1 - Games can be purchased without requiring an Xbox One console


[*]Jul 1-15 - Gotham City Impostors - xbldb
[*]Jul 16-31 - BattleBlock Theater - xbldb
[*]Jul XB1 - Games can be purchased without requiring an Xbox One console
Related sales ** END DATES UNKNOWN **

________________________________________________________________________

Sales & Specials

[customspoiler=Note]If the start & end dates are not well-defined, ACT FAST! since these "sales" could end anytime. However, they may also be permanent markdowns.[/customspoiler]

Spotlight Activision Sale - 9/2 - 9/8

Spotlight Shadow Complex- 8/26 - 9/1

Summer Binge Sale - 8/26 - 9/1 - Both Gold only and Silver discounts


[*]Far Cry 3 - $9.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon - $4.94 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Forza Horizon - $9.89 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Guardians of Middle-earth - $4.94 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Left 4 Dead - $4.99 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Lego The Lord of the Rings - $4.99 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga - $14.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Mafia II - $3.99 - 80% off - xbldb
[*]Murdered: Soul Suspect - $29.99 - 40% off - xbldb
[*]Need for Speed Rivals - $19.79 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]NFL Blitz - $4.94 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Plants vs. Zombies - $4.94 - 67% off - xbldb

[*]Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare - $20.09 - 33% off - xbldb
[*]Rayman Legends - $13.19 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Ridge Racer Unbounded - $4.99 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Sniper Elite 3 - $26.79 - 33% off - xbldb
[*]SoulCalibur V - $3.74 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Spec Ops: The Line - $4.49 - 85% off - xbldb
[*]Star Trek - $7.49 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]State of Decay

[*]Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows - $4.94 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Twisted Pixel Games Bundle - $9.89 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]The Walking Dead: Season Two - Season Pass - $10.04 - 33% off - xbldb
[*]The Wolf Among Us - Season Pass - $10.04 - 33% off - xbldb
Spotlight Rockstar - 8/19 - 8/25


[*]Grand Theft Auto V - $29.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]L.A. Noire - $7.49 - 75% off - xbldb

[*]Max Payne 3 - $4.99 - 75% off - xbldb

[*]Midnight Club: LA - $3.74 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Red Dead Redemption - $7.49 - 75% off - xbldb

[*]Rockstar Table Tennis - $3.74 - 75% off - xbldb
Spotlight Just Dance - 8/12 - 8/18 - Gold only


N64 Banjo Bundle - 7/9 - 8/8


Spotlight XB1 Ghosts (aka, the new Risk Factions) - 8/5 - 8/11

Spotlight Capcom - 8/5 - 8/11


[*]Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - $5.09 - 66% off - xbldb
[*]Dustforce - $4.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Final Fight: Double Impact - $3.99 - 60% off - xbldb
[*]Lost Planet 2 - $4.99 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Lost Planet 3 - $13.59 - 66% off - xbldb
[*]Mega Man 9 - $4.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Mega Man 10 - $4.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Puzzle Fighter HD - $4.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]Remember Me - $9.99 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Resident Evil Code: Veronica X - $6.59 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Resident Evil 4 - $6.59 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Resident Evil 5 - $6.59 - 67% off - xbldb

[*]Resident Evil 6

[*]Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City - $11.59 - 71% off - xbldb
[*]Resident Evil Revelations - $13.59 - 66% off - xbldb
[*]Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix - $5.09 - 66% off - xbldb
[*]Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition - $3.74 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Street Fighter X Tekken

Spotlight Splatters - 7/29 - 8/4

Spotlight Deep Silver - 7/22 - 7/28

Spotlight Nordic - 7/22 - 7/28


[*]Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon - $3.99 - 80% off - xbldb
[*]Frontlines: Fuel of War - $3.99 - 80% off - xbldb - Unobtainable achievements (servers offline)
[*]Jeopardy! - $7.49 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]MX vs. ATV Alive - $4.99 - 75% off - xbldb
[*]Painkiller Hell & Damnation - $5.99 - 80% off - xbldb

[*]The Raven - Legacy of a Master Thief Episode 1 - $2.49 - 75% off - xbldb

[*]Red Faction: Armageddon - $7.49 - 75% off - xbldb

[*]Red Faction: Guerrilla - $9.99 - 50% off - xbldb

[*]Zombie Driver HD - $4.99 - 50% off - xbldb
Spotlight Bethesda QuakeCon Sale - 7/17 - 7/20

Ultimate Games Sale - 7/8 - 7/14
Same DLC also on sale on XB1 through console with same discount


[*]July 9

[*]July 10

[*]July 11

[*]July 12

[*]July 13

[*]July 14

[*]All week

[*]The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition - $9.89 - 67% off - xbldb
[*]Trials Evolution - $5.09 - 66% off - xbldb
[*]Trials Fusion - $13.39 - 33% off - xbldb

Spotlight Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag DLC - 7/1 - 7/7
Same DLC also on sale on XB1 through console with same discount


Spotlight Pro Evolution Soccer - 7/1 - 7/7


FIFA World Cup Brazil - 6/26 - 6/30

Spotlight Sega - 6/24 - 6/30

Spotlight Lego - 6/24 - 6/30

Spotlight? - 6/17 - 6/23 - Saints Row passes & KI Sabrewulf

Pseudo Deals with Gold - 6/10 - 6/16 - GTA


[*]Grand Theft Auto V - $29.99 - 50% off - xbldb
Xbox One Sales

  • XB1 Xbox Fitness - FREE until January 2015
  • Feb 27-? - Zoo Tycoon - $39.99 - 33% off (360 version also, see below)
Skullgirls characters

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Misc. Markdowns / Recently Reduced
[customspoiler=Notes]May be permanent mark downs, may be temporary pricing errors. Items marked with a * have been confirmed as permanent reductions either on the console dashboard, on Xbox.com's Recently Reduced page or corroborated from other sources (PSN, dev/pub, etc)[/customspoiler]
 
September 2014

August 2014


[*]8/5 - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - $19.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]8/5 - NHL 14 - $39.99 - 20% off - xbldb
[*]8/5 - Madden NFL 25 - $29.99 - 40% off - xbldb
[*]8/5 - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil - $39.99 - 33% off - xbldb
[*]8/5 - NCAA Football 14 - $29.99 - 40% off - xbldb
[*]8/5 - NBA 2K14 - $39.99 - 33% off - xbldb
[*]8/4 - South Park: The Stick of Truth - $39.99 - 33% off - xbldb
[*]8/4 - Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag - $29.99 - 25% off - xbldb
July 2014


June 2014

May 2014
April 2014

March 2014

February 2014
[/customspoiler]
[/customspoiler]

[*]2/10 - Far Cry 3 - $19.99 - 33% off - xbldb
[*]2/6 - Ruby Soho by Rancid - $0.99 - 50% off - xbldb - Guitar Hero World Tour
[*]2/6 - Death Blossoms by Rise Against - $0.99 - 50% off - xbldb - Guitar Hero World Tour
[*]2/6 - Guitar Hero Track Pack 4 - $3.49 - 44% off - xbldb - Guitar Hero II
[*]2/4 - XB1 - Lococycle - $9.99 - 50% off * - Confirmed permanent by Major Nelson
[*]2/4 - Armored Core: Verdict Day - $19.99 - 33% off - xbldb
[*]2/3 - Metro: Last Light - $39.99 - 20% off - xbldb
[*]2/3 - Zumba Fitness Core - $29.99 - 25% off - xbldb * Confirmed on Dashboard

January 2014

[*]1/21 - Borderlands 2 - $19.99 - 33% off - xbldb  *
[*]1/21 - BioShock Infinite - $29.99 - 25% off - xbldb *
[*]1/21 - The Bureau: XCOM Declassified - $29.99 - 50% off - xbldb *
[*]1/17 - Warlords - $4.99 - 50% off - xbldb - Previously delisted, relisted at lower price, unknown if it will remain
[*]1/16 - Rayman Origins - $14.99 - 25% off - xbldb
[*]1/14 - Armored Core: Verdict Day - $29.99 - 40% off - xbldb
[*]1/9 - Aqua - $4.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]1/8 - Phineas and Ferb: Quest for Cool Stuff - $19.99 - 50% off - xbldb
[*]1/7 - Assassin’s Creed IV Illustrious Pirates Pack - $6.99 - 30% off - xbldb
[*]1/6 - Saints Row IV - $39.99 - 33% off - xbldb
[*]1/1 - Hydrophobia - $2.99 - 40% off - xbldb *

December 2013
________________________________________________________________________
 
Misc. Promotions

________________________________________________________________________
 
Xbox Live Rewards
________________________________________________________________________
 
Cross Buy Promotions
 
Between Xbox 360 and Xbox One :

________________________________________________________________________
 
Microtransaction Deals [customspoiler=Note]Not tracked by xbldb, use playXBLA for blog updates for these deals.[/customspoiler]


________________________________________________________________________
 
Delisting / Server Shutdown Watch


[*]Capcom Gamespy server shutdown - expected 5/31
  • Age of Booty - 2 achievements become unobtainable with loss of online play
  • Flock! - level editor sharing disabled, no achievements affected

[*]Rockstar games affected by Gamespy server shutdown - expected 5/31

[*]Ubisoft online server shutdown - expected 8/8
  • America's Army: True Soldiers
  • James Cameron's Avatar
  • Motionsports Adrenaline
  • PowerUp Heroes
  • Pure Football
  • Shaun White Snowboarding
  • Tom Clancy's EndWar
  • Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent

[*]Rock Band tracks - expected 8/26
  • Fleetwood Mac - "World Turning"
  • Fleetwood Mac - "Don’t Stop"
  • Spinal Tap Pack 01 - $1.00 - 71% off - xbldb
    Back From The Dead
  • Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare
  • Saucy Jack
  • Warmer Than Hell

[*]Spinal Tap’s Tap Ten - $1.00 - 89% off - xbldb
  • (Funky) Sex Farm
  • (Listen to The) Flower People (Reggae Style)
  • America
  • Big Bottom
  • Cups and Cakes
  • Gimme Some Money
  • Heavy Duty
  • Hell Hole
  • Rock N Roll Creation
  • Stonehenge
  • Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight

[*]Official forums announcement

[*]Doritos Crash Course 2

[*]Ascend: Hand of Kul


[*]Rock Band Track - Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" - expected Apr 30, gone Apr 28

[*]BurgerTime World Tour - $4.99 - 50% off - xbldb - expected Apr 30

________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to reddjoey, tylerh1701, BobbyTastic and Necrozilla for maintaining prior versions of this thread, and to all those who have posted deals and made Wiki edits.  This thread is truly a collaborative effort built from the contributions of the community.
 

 
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Upvote 0 Downvote
Sath666 said:
yeah, other regions are getting better offers lately. Japan just get their free Bangai-o HD. I have that, but it's hell a lot better than Dungeon Defenders.
Click to expand...
I am sure most of the dozen people of so in Japan that own a 360 already had that game, and they're complaining....just like us.

 
bob101910 said:
I've been finishing up 24 to prepare for Metal Gear. I hope he isn't yelling the whole time. He is supposed to be stealth man.

Titanfall 360 delayed for 2 weeks.
Click to expand...
I've never seen 24, but I always think of the Disney version of, The 3 Musketeers, when I see him. That movie is still awesome. He does a really good job voicing Naked. I don't think I heard him yell once to be honest. I'm guessing that's a running theme in 24 though? Haha

Edit: The Titanfall delay. That sucks, but its probably a good thing. If something in the game isn't working right, there is no reason to release it.
 
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Indignate said:
Oh, so opinion.

Got it.
Click to expand...
It's not an opinion that one game is full-length and the other is essentially a paid demo. And that the Metacritic scores between the two are huge. The opinion is that a more niche title like Yaiba got the shaft releasing on the same day as Ground Zeroes, and that the scores for Ground Zeroes are inflated due to fanboyism. I don't think the scores for Yaiba should be that much higher but the gap should be MUCH closer. But it's not, so most people who read review sites are going to skip a decent title because of it.

Basically go back to the argument people were making earlier about how games like Titanfall and PvZ: Garden Warfare were getting flak for being MP-only, and compare it to the praise GZ is getting.

/rant

the Gooseler said:
Alex and Bobby related? Both Tastic?

Damn wish Ground Zeroes was longer would have def gotten it but seeing as Mgs5 is so long away I guess I will wait and let out drop in price.

Also if you guys have Shop your way memberships check your emails. I just got $15 which expire today.
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No, I have never met/interacted with Alex in my entire life. I don't even have a family member named Alex, but it's definitely interesting to see a similar moniker.

Will check my e-mail, thanks for the heads-up.

 
BobbyTastic said:
It's not an opinion that one game is full-length and the other is essentially a paid demo. And that the Metacritic scores between the two are huge. The opinion is that a more niche title like Yaiba got the shaft releasing on the same day as Ground Zeroes, and that the scores for Ground Zeroes are inflated due to fanboyism. I don't think the scores for Yaiba should be that much higher but the gap should be MUCH closer. But it's not, so most people who read review sites are going to skip a decent title because of it.
Click to expand...
Since I suspect you haven't played either game, this post is pretty asinine.

 
I picked up MGS yesterday because I was bored and needed a new X1 game.  Ultimately it has a demo feel to it but it's fun and there's a bunch of replayability.  By the time I'm done with all the achievements I'll have 8 hours of play into it maybe more.  $15 or $20 would have been nicer but I've payed more for less before.  If you're only gonna run through every level once you probably won't think it's worth it though.

 
mpaullin said:
Since I suspect you haven't played either game, this post is pretty asinine.
Click to expand...
I played Yaiba on a friend's PS3 yesterday (doubt the Xbox version is any worse). And watched a stream of Ground Zeroes because I'm not supporting Konami's greed. Way to make assumptions just because I disagree with the majority of review scores. (It's not the first time I've disagreed with reviewers, most recent example being when Tropical Freeze got a 5/10 from GameSpot because it was "too hard").

I never said it was a bad game while it lasts, just that it was unacceptably short and that it should not get a free pass in reviews because Metal Gear. But apparently I'm not allowed to think that inflated review scores for a paid demo treated as a full game is unacceptable without being treated as some sort of pariah.

 
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Sony is developing a virtual reality headset. Thats so great news. It means console gamers will have a full operative VR system in next-gen (ps5 and xbox 1-2 1-2), cos thats where gaming experience should naturally evolve, towards full inmersion.

 
BobbyTastic said:
Way to make assumptions
Click to expand...
I mean, that's what you've been doing this entire time. You keep saying that reviewers are being swayed by the Metal Gear name, but maybe they just like the game enough to not let its short length really kill it for them? Maybe they actually found the supposed replay value to actually be of value?

No, not even. They are definitely drones just feeding the Kojima legacy and will tear down every other niche title that gets in their way. They've all been activated. La-li-lu-le-lo

 
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BobbyTastic said:
I played Yaiba on a friend's PS3 yesterday (doubt the Xbox version is any worse). And watched a stream of Ground Zeroes because I'm not supporting Konami's greed. Way to make assumptions.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you've spent enough time with each to know better than the dozens of reviews aggregated by Metacritic then :roll:.

I'm not trying to be mean but the only thing those two games have in common are that they are released on the same day. It is ridiculous to compare them. It is doubly ridiculous to think that that MGS' review scores are inflated by fanboyism because you watched a streamed video of it. The general consensus seems to be that the time spent playing Ground Zeroes is great, it's just too bad there isn't more of it and it isn't a little cheaper. The consensus on this Yaiba game (I've never even heard of it) seems to be that it is frustrating and boring. Is it so hard to believe that critics would rather play a game that is great and too short than a game that is shitty and longer (let's not forget Yaiba is priced twice as much as MGS to boot).

 
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These damn Guitar Hero and DJ Hero songs should be massively discounted by now. Hardly anyone plays that now-defunct franchise anymore. Make them all free already, instead of shitty 4X% discounts.

 
Blade said:
These damn Guitar Hero and DJ Hero songs should be massively discounted by now. Hardly anyone plays that now-defunct franchise anymore. Make them all free already, instead of shitty 4X% discounts.
Click to expand...
If they were discounting all Rock Band songs before removing them, I'd be buying stuff left and right, but since it's Guitar Hero, I don't really care.

 
"The Touch" by Stan Bush is a free Guitar Hero download. Transformers fans might want to pick that one up before it's delisted. I know it works at least with World Tour and Warriors of Rock.

 
Indignate said:
I mean, that's what you've been doing this entire time. You keep saying that reviewers are being swayed by the Metal Gear name, but maybe they just like the game enough to not let its short length really kill it for them? Maybe they actually found the supposed replay value to actually be of value?

No, not even. They are definitely drones just feeding the Kojima legacy and will tear down every other niche title that gets in their way. They've all been activated. La-li-lu-le-lo
Click to expand...
I don't know what corners of the internet you frequent, but Kojima apologists absolutely do exist, and a lot of people (and a lot of reviewers) are definitely massive fans of MGS. There's a bias, to deny it is silly. But there's a lot of bias in professional review sites, and part of that's an industry issue due to the overlap between marketing and reviewing (see the story regarding Jeff G and GameSpot to see what I mean). If this were any a game of a smaller series, it would absolutely not be tolerated. It doesn't take a genius to realize this.

How nice, more condescending garbage that completely misses the point. YOU asked why Yaiba was related, I answered and then you responded condescendingly/dismissively. and apparently my opinion (which I always claimed was my opinion) hit enough nerves that it got people to respond. Never said the reviewers/MGS fans were purposely screwing Yaiba with low reviews/low sales, it's an unintended effect from an unconscious bias. I was frustrated over the undeserved praise so I resorted to hyperbole, so shoot me. Never claimed it was some sort of conspiracy. It's just unfortunate, so I was annoyed so I said ONE sentence which then led to this trainwreck of an argument.

mpaullin said:
Sounds like you've spent enough time with each to know better than the dozens of reviews aggregated by Metacritic then :roll:.

I'm not trying to be mean but the only thing those two games have in common are that they are released on the same day. It is ridiculous to compare them. It is doubly ridiculous to think that that MGS' review scores are inflated by fanboyism because you watched a streamed video of it. The general consensus seems to be that the time spent playing Ground Zeroes is great, it's just too bad there isn't more of it and it isn't a little cheaper. The consensus on this Yaiba game (I've never even heard of it) seems to be that it is frustrating and boring. Is it so hard to believe that critics would rather play a game that is great and too short than a game that is shitty and longer (let's not forget Yaiba is priced twice as much as MGS to boot).
Click to expand...
I played enough to know the majority of negative reviews are off the mark in several areas. And actually, there s a decent amount of positive/mixed reviews on there. It's just some have opted to give it unnecessarily bad scores because niche/Japanese-focused/not Metal Gear/not worth marketing (going back to my previous comment of the industry problem).

You're correct, it's NOT fair to be compared to Metal Gear but due to the shared release date, in the minds of most consumers it is when it comes to which game they should buy yesterday/this week. It is also played around the same time by the reviewers as GZ so it's only natural to make comparisons subconsciously, that is what I am talking about.

Exactly, you never heard of it and you immediately dismissed it because of those bad reviews. See why they are so damning?

The game is occasionally frustrating, but it's not boring and it's not "shitty". Just mostly mediocre. When it comes to what I buy, I would rather have a fleshed out mediocre game than a overpriced paid demo, and I think what Konami did sets an unacceptable standard. Simple difference of opinion.

I didn't appreciate you assuming I hadn't touched EITHER game, but at least you gave me an actual argument. You're right, I'm not an expert because I never touched the game, but you don't need to play it to see how short it is. I even said that it was probably good for the duration.

Either way, let's drop it before this turns into more shitflinging.

 
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I'll let you have the last word on this one, Bobby. I generally think you're a cool guy. I just can't help but picture you locked in a room wearing a tinfoil hat for this debate. But I'll drop it.

 
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weeman43302 said:
It's not hard to guess which ones you do though.
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Oh, really? Care to enlighten me as to where and how you know? Since you're so smug about it and all.

mpaullin said:
I'll let you have the last word on this one, Bobby. I generally think you're a cool guy. I just can't help but picture you locked in a room wearing a tinfoil hat for this debate. But I'll drop it.
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Appreciated, you have a good argument but we've reached an impasse. For what it's worth, I never thought that either of you would agree with me, just defending my opinion after a smug comment or two that got under my skin.

Thank you for the compliment, even if coupled with an insult.

Edit: I suppose I should mention that I've always found you to be a cool guy too, and I hold no grudge against you simply for disagreeing with me, because at least you tried to be civil about it.

 
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mpaullin said:
Sounds like you've spent enough time with each to know better than the dozens of reviews aggregated by Metacritic then :roll:.

I'm not trying to be mean but the only thing those two games have in common are that they are released on the same day. It is ridiculous to compare them. It is doubly ridiculous to think that that MGS' review scores are inflated by fanboyism because you watched a streamed video of it. The general consensus seems to be that the time spent playing Ground Zeroes is great, it's just too bad there isn't more of it and it isn't a little cheaper. The consensus on this Yaiba game (I've never even heard of it) seems to be that it is frustrating and boring. Is it so hard to believe that critics would rather play a game that is great and too short than a game that is shitty and longer (let's not forget Yaiba is priced twice as much as MGS to boot).
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:bow:

BobbyTastic said:
I was frustrated over the undeserved praise so I resorted to hyperbole, so shoot me. Never claimed it was some sort of conspiracy. It's just unfortunate, so I was annoyed so I said ONE sentence which then led to this trainwreck of an argument.
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"Undeserved praise"? You stated you haven't played Ground Zeroes, so your opinion that reviews are biased sounds like they are 100% based on the length of the game alone? Could there be a reason people in general, including reviews like for a Metal Gear game are because they have enjoyed and think the games do deserve praise... Na, it has to be that they are Kojima apologists as you called them.

BobbyTastic said:
I played enough to know the majority of negative reviews are off the mark in several areas. And actually, there s a decent amount of positive/mixed reviews on there. It's just some have opted to give it unnecessarily bad scores because niche/Japanese-focused/not Metal Gear/not worth marketing (going back to my previous comment of the industry problem).

You're correct, it's NOT fair to be compared to Metal Gear but due to the shared release date, in the minds of most consumers it is when it comes to which game they should buy yesterday/this week. It is also played around the same time by the reviewers as GZ so it's only natural to make comparisons subconsciously, that is what I am talking about.
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"I played enough". How much of Yaiba would you have played to say it unjustifiably is being reviewed and given lower scores? I have had games that WOW me in the first hour or two, but after 6-8 hours, I hated the game. It happens. Did you finish it? I game's length should be considered, but that can be both a positive and a negative. Can GZ be given lower socres because it is indeed a good game, but it is to short and the reviewer wanted more. Sure it can, thats a valid argument to make.

I will take your word that Yaiba is not boring and not "shitty" (now I want to try it based on your feedback, see), but would you also take someone elses word that Metal Gear GZ, although short and a completely justifiable complaint, could be a better game and thus reviews as such.

When I read reviews of RPGs, if it says the game has 100-200 hours of content, thats could be a negative thing if its just artificially inflated with content. It depends on the game of course, Skyrim or Dark Souls I will take 200 hours easy, but a game like Cross Edge or Enchanted Arms, no please. GZ being short for me isn't a bad thing, I want it to be longer, but don't hold it against it until I play it (its at home waiting for me to play it!)

 
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alextastic said:
I think Tastic might actually be his last name, where as mine is more of an adjective.









Also, I did it first.
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Actually, it's not my last name. It's a name I made for the DC++ server chat I used at college. I had a different name up until that point, but I was too embarrassed to use it while conversing to schoolmates so I came up with it on the fly. After that, it just sort of stuck.

I'd be surprised if you actually did it first, that was back in 2008. How long have you been a CAG? I'm surprised I haven't seen much of you then (I've been on here since early '11).

nightmare452 said:
:bow:

Na, it has to be that Kojima apologists as you called them.
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Oh relax, "apologists" is a joke. Every popular series has them. MGS isn't some sort of exception. You keep making it sound like I called it a bad game. To me it's a good demo, but a meh full game. Never called it bad.

"Undeserved praise" is more in reference to the higher scores it got. To me, it's a 5/6 game. I think reviews scoring it 8 - 10 are the ones that are inflated because of the fanboyism.

The flak that I'm getting for having a dissenting opinion is just proving my point further. You don't see me quoting people who really enjoyed it and telling them their taste is bad, do you? Every reply has been to someone who has called me out on what I think. I just tried to drop it, and here you go, bringing it up again because I insulted a game that so many people on here seem to love.

 
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BobbyTastic said:
Thank you for the compliment, even if coupled with an insult.
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No problem, it's kind of my thing. I was hoping to make a comment that might steer us towards on-topic, but I just can't come up with anything for Rockstar sale part 8. Microsoft's lackluster sales are tearing us apart!

 
Picked up Max Payne 3 and LA Noire.

Is it just me or is Red Dead Redemption even at that price a horrible deal if you're interested in the DLC since you can get a new physical copy of the GOTY edition for 20 or less.

 
BobbyTastic said:
Actually, it's not my last name. It's a name I made for the DC++ server chat I used at college. I had a different name up until that point, but I was too embarrassed to use it while conversing to schoolmates so I came up with it on the fly. After that, it just sort of stuck.

I'd be surprised if you actually did it first, that was back in 2008. How long have you been a CAG? I'm surprised I haven't seen much of you then (I've been on here since early '11).
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I figured as much, it was just a joke. That would be a great last name though, it could make anyone sound exciting.

Prepare to be surprised, but I've been using this username pretty much everywhere since 2000.

I used to just lurk here, but I made an account in 2009, and have been posting more as of late.

 
Fjaschler said:
Picked up Max Payne 3 and LA Noire.

Is it just me or is Red Dead Redemption even at that price a horrible deal if you're interested in the DLC since you can get a new physical copy of the GOTY edition for 20 or less.
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Thanks for going back on-topic. You're correct, it's odd of them to leave it and the LA Noire DLC out of the sale.

I got the GotY version for $15 from Wal-Mart on BF '12, I think. Definitely worth asking price. I'm sure it can be found relatively cheap at this point. Right now it's $20 (and eligible for Super Saver Shipping) on Amazon.

For those of you who want it on 360 (which is supposedly the better performing version because no PC port), the GotY version is the best version because it includes all the PS3-exclusive content that never saw a separate release as DLC on the marketplace (much like LA Noire and the Consul's Car).

alextastic said:
I figured as much, it was just a joke. That would be a great last name though, it could make anyone sound exciting.

Prepare to be surprised, but I've been using this username pretty much everywhere since 2000.

I used to just lurk here, but I made an account in 2009, and have been posting more as of late.
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I'm considering having my last name changed now. :p As it stands currently, it's a German word for some kinda fish.. pretty boring.

Also, wow. You've definitely got me beat then. I made my first username in 2001.. (it was the embarrassing one). I know this site has a lot of lurkers and it can take a while to feel comfortable enough with a community to post, so I guess I'm not surprised. We always appreciate new blood though, so thanks for joining in.

 
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To all defending GZ just because is a kojima game... Please be objective, this demo for this price is unacceptable, and not only that a bad indicator for future games (as it was not enough with overpriced DLC).
The demo itself for a demo is not bad at all but it is also not great nor ground breaking, but I've paid less for 2 hours games that were far better than this (journey)... So please as a gamer since the 80's don't encourage this in the game industry and don't let the fanboysm blind you.
Yes, I have played all of the metal gears... Even the Acid
 
bardockkun said:
It's Wednesday anyways, being on topic is now forbidden.
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This is especially true when it's the most boring of sales (can't say it's a bad sale as if you don't have these games then it's a steal but I'd reckon that 90% of people who use this site have most if not all of the games).

I hate second-guessing reviews but I will say this having known a few professional reviewers and having read a number of review articles about how some reviewers would love to change their original feelings on a game because sadly they didn't play the game to the end and it got worse along the way. A lot of reviewers do review a lot of games at any given time and some do not receive early copies of the game. Sometimes that means not being able to have the time to play more than a few hours of a game before you have to get a review out. Therefore a lot of reviews are based on just that first few hours experience which, as someone mentioned above, can even be brilliant in a bad game because often that's where the budget and ideas went, just into those first few hours. I'm sure in a number of reviews that Ground Zeroes did benefit in being a 2 or 3 hour experience that was fairly decent.

Also, considering that many reviewers do not personally pay for the games they review, the notion of the price itself for the experience mightn't have resonated as deeply with the feeling of having paid for something with your own hard earned dollars as a customer would. Lastly aggregates of subjective materials does not create objective data. There have been some harsh reviews of Ground Zeroes (Jim Sterling's for example) so it's not all universal praise.

Again I haven't played the game but I am criticizing the overall concept of what the game is. When you can complete something in 10 minutes (yes I know that's by skipping cut scenes, but that's all the gameplay you actually have in the game if you just play it quickly and to completion) and it costs $20-30 there is something wrong. It doesn't matter how much you can actually spend playing the game to get achievements or fooling around. This game is not Goat Simulator - it's Metal Gear Solid. A game that is all about its story. I'm against the concept of paying so much for a demo, even if it's a brilliant demo, because a demo should be part of a game's promotional/marketing budget. It's not for end users to fork the bill for it. Konami explained this game as a tutorial for the new game mechanics and for the Fox Engine. That should have been given to us for free or for an extremely low cost. It is completely wrong from a moral standpoint to release this and stamp a $20-30 price tag on it and call it a complete game. It's not. And for those saying that it's an 8-10 hour experience that doesn't mean that it's a 8-10 hour game. Replayability does not add hours to a game, it just means a 1 or 2 hour game has replayability. Yes you can 8 hours running around and dicking around with the engine and the level but I remember spending 100 hours in Zelda bombing every single wall in the game looking for secrets back in the NES days, that didn't make it a 100 hour game. That just made me a freak and possibly, without getting the NSA involved here, a mad bomber.

 
skonson said:
This is especially true when it's the most boring of sales (can't say it's a bad sale as if you don't have these games then it's a steal but I'd reckon that 90% of people who use this site have most if not all of the games).
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I... don't own any of them, and I'm don't plan to get them... ever. Maybe if they offer them through GwG I would consider downloading them, but I'm not sure. Never played a GTA title either. I kind of enjoyed Farcry 3 though, is it comparable?

 
E.Nich said:
I... don't own any of them, and I'm don't plan to get them... ever. Maybe if they offer them through GwG I would consider downloading them, but I'm not sure. Never played a GTA title either. I kind of enjoyed Farcry 3 though, is it comparable?
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That's like comparing oranges to bowling balls.

 
ludwigfrech said:
To all defending GZ just because is a kojima game... Please be objective, this demo for this price is unacceptable, and not only that a bad indicator for future games (as it was not enough with overpriced DLC).
The demo itself for a demo is not bad at all but it is also not great nor ground breaking, but I've paid less for 2 hours games that were far better than this (journey)... So please as a gamer since the 80's don't encourage this in the game industry and don't let the fanboysm blind you.
Yes, I have played all of the metal gears... Even the Acid
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It's a matter of value and opinion. It was worth $30 for the fun I have with the franchise and the fun I've had playing so far. Just because it's different from a scope and price perspective doesn't make it automatically bad and a rip off. To each his own.
 
BobbyTastic said:
Actually, it's not my last name. It's a name I made for the DC++ server chat I used at college. I had a different name up until that point, but I was too embarrassed to use it while conversing to schoolmates so I came up with it on the fly. After that, it just sort of stuck.
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DC++ server!! It's been a while, and I completely forgot about it. I definitely remember my DC name...It was NeoMOD.

Sorry, got off topic, but I had to say it :)

Back to the topic..I might get LA Noire as I never got a chance to finish it...

 
Bercelak said:
DC++ server!! It's been a while, and I completely forgot about it. I definitely remember my DC name...It was NeoMOD.

Sorry, got off topic, but I had to say it :)

Back to the topic..I might get LA Noire as I never got a chance to finish it...
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get it....that game was really neat. The driving takes some getting used to, but solving cases like an old timey detective rocked.
 
skonson said:
Again I haven't played the game but I am criticizing the overall concept of what the game is. When you can complete something in 10 minutes (yes I know that's by skipping cut scenes, but that's all the gameplay you actually have in the game if you just play it quickly and to completion) and it costs $20-30 there is something wrong. It doesn't matter how much you can actually spend playing the game to get achievements or fooling around.
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skonson said:
A game that is all about its story.
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Cut scenes are a part of story, so you cannot exclude them when saying 10 minutes. There are supposed around an hour of cut scenes (I'll find out this weekend hopefully thanks to that Newegg deal). Although I would argue that the series is not all about story anymore. Konami wants it to be a little more about how you play the game meow. The game was made to be played multiple times. I won't know if your choices (choosing which character to save first) will have an impact on story or if collectibles (like cassettes) provide more information about the story until I get a chance to play it myself.

Metal Gear games are very high quality. I am expecting amazing audio (both voice and soundtrack), characters, detailed graphics, story, and, most importantly, funsies.

 
As someone said above... It is not a 10 hours game just because you replay it, it is still a 1 hour and a half game (I beat it in 1:26) if this is true I could say that dark souls is a 120 hours game because that is how long I've played it.
Again it is not a bad demo... but is not good for gamers when you see demos being sold for $30, MP only games for $60 (TF) and day one DLC for $15.
I'm a long time fan of the franchise... And I felt this was unacceptable and should not happen again, it could be less worse if they offer this demo with the final game when the game releases.
 
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tylerh1701 said:
Wow walls of text in here. I'm definitely not reading any of that.
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Definitely for the best you avoid 'em. Got way too heated.

Bercelak said:
DC++ server!! It's been a while, and I completely forgot about it. I definitely remember my DC name...It was NeoMOD.

Sorry, got off topic, but I had to say it :)

Back to the topic..I might get LA Noire as I never got a chance to finish it...
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I think you're the first person since I left school to even know what it was. It was great because we all had wired connections in the dorms that were on a network shared throughout the school so downloads from other users in the hub were insanely fast. Was before I knew jack shit about torrents either (which are still a pain in the ass to this day). Doesn't hurt that since we were P2P sharing, there was never any legal trouble or viruses either. Definitely one of the biggest things I miss about school.

Your off-topicness is forgiven, I needed an excuse for a nostalgia trip.

defgufman said:
get it....that game was really neat. The driving takes some getting used to, but solving cases like an old timey detective rocked.
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Yeah, there really isn't any other game quite like it out there. Detective games these days turn out to be mediocre point and clicks (for the most part), LA Noire really brought some much needed life back to the genre with its own spin on the formula. Really deserves a spiritual successor, it's a shame Team Bondi got the axe.

Speaking of, I was hoping Murdered: Soul Suspect would be another LA Noire-level AAA hit.. but the hands-on previews are less than favourable. What a waste of potential.

 
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Added a link to the OP to a TrueAchievements blog post about Guitar Hero DLC that can be helpful for achievements.  It lists the Metallica pack that was mentioned earlier for a couple scoring achievements, plus the My Chemical Romance pack for GH2 has a song for a thousand note streak in co-op that doesn't require either player to be higher than medium.

Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock also has an achievement that requires having 115 songs of any type.  The achievement can be obtained between the base game and free tracks.

 
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BobbyTastic said:
Yeah, there really isn't any other game quite like it out there. Detective games these days turn out to be mediocre point and clicks (for the most part), LA Noire really brought some much needed life back to the genre with its own spin on the formula. Really deserves a spiritual successor, it's a shame Team Bondi got the axe.

Speaking of, I was hoping Murdered: Soul Suspect would be another LA Noire-level AAA hit.. but the hands-on previews are less than favourable. What a waste of potential.
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That game screams for a sequel. They could have done other cities in other decades....Chicago during the crack crazed 80's fighting El Rukn's would have been bad ass, or San Francisco in the 70's with some Manson family like cults to investigate.

 
Bloomy said:
Added a link to the OP to a TrueAchievements blog post about Guitar Hero DLC that can be helpful for achievements. It lists the Metallica pack that was mentioned earlier for a couple scoring achievements, plus the My Chemical Romance pack for GH2 has a song for a thousand note streak in co-op that doesn't require either player to be higher than medium.

Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock also has an achievement that requires having 115 songs of any type. The achievement can be obtained between the base game and free tracks.
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Thanks Bloomy! I asked on here earlier, but was going to ask TA by week's end. It seems they saved me the trouble.
And that's why I still visit TA. :)

defgufman said:
That game screams for a sequel. They could have done other cities in other decades....Chicago during the crack crazed 80's fighting El Rukn's would have been bad ass, or San Francisco in the 70's with some Manson family like cults to investigate.
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Oh man, stop making me wish for things that could have been. ;_; In terms of Rockstar games that deserve sequels it goes:

1) Bully

2) LA Noire

and 3) Red Dead

But luckily as I said earlier, Bully is pretty much confirmed to have a sequel in the works.. so that's something?

 
E.Nich said:
Really? Ok, then. Sleeping Dogs is more similar?
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It's much more similar to Sleeping Dogs in that it is an open world game with cars and such and you play a character who really has no regard for the safety of others unless it's an escort mission. Though GTA is much more simpler in that it's grounded with just shooting and driving. Honestly it's hard for me to recommend GTA to anyone who hasn't played it before in this landscape of open world games that came after, mostly because at the time it was a pretty big deal, but now gameplay wise it's just an "okay" type of game with many chores that get annoying quickly (hanging out with your cousin constantly).

 
bardockkun said:
It's much more similar to Sleeping Dogs in that it is an open world game with cars and such and you play a character who really has no regard for the safety of others unless it's an escort mission. Though GTA is much more simpler in that it's grounded with just shooting and driving. Honestly it's hard for me to recommend GTA to anyone who hasn't played it before in this landscape of open world games that came after, mostly because at the time it was a pretty big deal, but now gameplay wise it's just an "okay" type of game with many chores that get annoying quickly (hanging out with your cousin constantly).
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Hmmm, aaaalright. Thanks for the explanation. My friends, who formerly loved the GTA saga (specially that one where you are an italian guy from the mafia? it was like a videogame version of scarface though it had it's own game, and San Andreas), were bored very quickly with GTAIV, to the point that they still haven't played GTAV.

defgufman said:
You must play sleeping dogs...free or not that game was phat.
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Yeah, everybody who played Sleeping Dogs loved it. I will play it. Though it's not high in my list, it's a sure thing.

 
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E.Nich said:
Hmmm, aaaalright. Thanks for the explanation. My friends, who formerly loved the GTA saga (specially that one where you are an italian guy from the mafia? it was like a videogame version of scarface though it had it's own game, and San Andreas), were bored very quickly with GTAIV, to the point that they still haven't played GTAV.

Yeah, everybody who played Sleeping Dogs loved it. I will play it. Though it's not high in my list, it's a sure thing.
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I also found GTA4 and 5 boring. At least 5 looks pretty.

 
Sleeping Dogs is basically what happens if you put Batman Arkham's combat into a open world Hong Kong action game with a great story and cast of characters that knows when to not take themselves too seriously.

 
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