Amazon PCDD - Important Update New Community Manager Incoming!

[Amazon DVG Deals]

Hey CAGS,

I’ve got some news I’m both excited and sad to share with you at the same time. I’ll be leaving the Digital Video Games team in Mid-March to join the marketing team for Amazon.com’s Loyalty and Rewards program, Amazon Coins. My boss and I have talked extensively about how to maintain and continue our presence here and across the other communities we’ve created in the past couple of years. To that end I’d like to introduce you to Josh, who take over monitoring, updating, and responding to this thread. Josh will be ramping up over the next couple of weeks, he  will be posting shortly to introduce himself.

Now that the “what’s going on” part of the message is out of the way I want to tell you all how much I love CAG and the posters here. This was the first community I joined when I started this job (anyone still remember that first thread?) and all of you have had a huge hand in shaping how we think about and execute Community Development and Management here at Amazon, which has in turn shaped my career these last two and a half years.

I started to write out a section calling out the regular posters and realized the list would be both overly long and incomplete at the same time. Instead I’d like to thank you all again, you all have my deep and sincere gratitude. I’ll still be around and my gaming accounts aren’t going anywhere so feel free to hit me up anytime you want to chat. I’ll probably still hang out in the thread too .

Thanks again everyone, let me or Josh know if you have any questions!

The Indie Store has launched!
Amazon.com is launching a storefront dedicated to supporting and promoting PC/Mac/Web-based Indie Games. Our Digital Video Games team is a small group of passionate gamers and we’re all really excited to help Indie developers reach more customers quickly by providing a quick and simple process for bringing their games to market. Additionally we’ll be supporting the Indie Store with a ton of promotions, both at and after launch. Many of these promotions are designed to give the developer the opportunity to maximize their revenue. For example, Amazon is forfeiting all royalties from bundle sales and passing them along directly to the developer, we’ve also created an “Indie Spotlight” program to help customers learn more about the games and developers they love. We view the Indie developers as some of the most creative in the industry and we want to help them continue to create new and innovative experience for customers.

Why we are doing this:

• Allow customers to discover an entirely new category of games on Amazon.com
• Help developers reach new customers quickly. Our onboarding process is straightforward and we want to sell every Indie game available
• We want to leverage our strengths to support and help the developers who are driving forward innovation and creativity in the games industry

General Information

Hi CAGs,
I'll be posting deals we're running on Digital Games (PC/Mac, Free to Play, Sony/Microsoft Points/Subs).

I'm also here to answer questions you might have, get you closer to the developers by hosting Q&As, setting up podcasts, live streaming gameplay etc. If I don't respond to a question you have in thread please send me a PM. These ping my email address and make it more likely that I will see your question and respond more quickly.

Cheers,
Tony


FYI. EA Games sold by Amazon will not activate on Steam.
F.A.Q.S.:

1. Does the game I'm buying from Amazon Activate on Steam/Origin/Uplay? What DRM does the game use?

There are two places to identify DRM on a digital video game detail page:

At the top of the page, below the title:

In the "Product Description" section:

2. Note on Electronic Arts Games - For the most part, EA games sold on Amazon do not activate on Steam. Most activate on Origin.

3. Note on DRM with limited activations:

Our Policy



4. Sometimes I'll do giveaways.

5. I work with developers and publishers to get fun (or at least what I think is fun) content to share with you all. Here are some examples:

a. Check out the Pax Gameplay videos here: Xcom: Enemy Unknown I played Xcom with Jake, the Creative Director for the game, a few months before the game came out Also, on this page, check out the Q&A, also a community driven event.

b. Check out the interview on this page: Borderlands 2 we did this interview at E3 with Randy Pitchford this year.

c. We've partnered with the ++GoodGames Podcast to feature many of the games we carry. They talk to the developers about the game development process, how the games are conceptualized and managed, all kinds of fun stuff. I'm working on putting together full link list and will update when I have it.

What else do we sell?

Xbox Live Points and Subscriptions:

1600 Microsoft Live Points
4000 Microsoft Live Points
12 Month XBOX Live Subscription
3 Month XBOX Live Subscription]
12 Month + 1 XBOX Live Subscription

PSN+ Subscriptions and PSN Points:

$20 PSN Points
$50 PSN Points
12 Month PSN+ Subscription
3 Month PSN+ Subscription

We also have a Free-2-Play store supported by our GameConnect technology. Gameconnect allows you to link your Amazon.com account with free-2-play and MMO accounts so that you can buy things like in game currency, premium game time/subscriptions, in game items, etc. on Amazon.com using your Amazon.com payment options and have this content delivered directly into your game.

5. Price Matching notes: Generally we do not match international retailers (GMG, Gamersgate, etc) or physical retailers (Best Buy, Newegg.com, etc.)
To check out the Free-2-Play games we offer you can visit our storefront here: Free-2-Play Store

 

[MysterD]

Can't read none-too-good either. (How do toasters read?)

Diablo 1 HD Mod - Features

Check my Edit in that post.

 

[tjs09]

ouch, y u no like me?

he no liek me ether. idky.

 

[Thermopyle]

Suddenly I'm wishing I hadn't thrown out my old WC1 and WC2 discs. And Diablo1+Hellfire and Diablo2. And Starcraft. Literally 3 weeks ago. 

And yes, I had both the DOS and Windows versions of WC1+2. Ah, the good old days, pre-Battle.net, of using Kali to emulate a LAN for playing WC2 online. Fun days, those.

 

[asheskitty]

Check my Edit in that post.

 

[MysterD]

Suddenly I'm wishing I hadn't thrown out my old WC1 and WC2 discs. And Diablo1+Hellfire and Diablo2. And Starcraft. Literally 3 weeks ago.

And yes, I had both the DOS and Windows versoins of WC1+2. Ah, the good old days, pre-Battle.net, of using Kali to emulate a LAN for playing WC2 online. Fun days, those.

OMG - CAG's are pack-rats and don't throw away game discs!

EDIT:

he no liek me ether. idky.

Tebow, is that you?

EDIT 2:

Didn't you realize that I'm constantly editing my posts?

Especially so I don't constantly double-post, triple-post or more.

And especially so I can fix something, add something, proofread a post, or do God knows what to a post.

 

[asheskitty]

Suddenly I'm wishing I hadn't thrown out my old WC1 and WC2 discs. And Diablo1+Hellfire and Diablo2. And Starcraft. Literally 3 weeks ago.

And yes, I had both the DOS and Windows versions of WC1+2. Ah, the good old days, pre-Battle.net, of using Kali to emulate a LAN for playing WC2 online. Fun days, those.

Seriously, get a CD Binder, they're awesome at holding old game discs and the sort... organized, tidy and far far less space.

 

[asheskitty]

OMG - CAG's are pack-rats and don't throw away game discs!

EDIT:

Tebow, is that you?

EDIT 2:

Didn't you realize that I'm constantly editing my posts?

Especially so I don't constantly double-post, triple-post or more.

And especially so I can fix something, add something, proofread a post, or do God knows what to a post.

I edit my posts too, but to improve clarity, or add a URL, not substantially change the content.

So... you're a single slice toaster then?

 

[The Singularious]

Something about it being old and not supporting modern systems well. It ran on 3DFX IIRC. I guess it doesn't run so well anymore and Blizzard are too lazy to fix it.

I owned stock in 3DFX. Did not end well. Helped me offset some gains BC, when I had money, though.

Now, it would just offset losses.

 

[MysterD]

Seriously, get a CD Binder, they're awesome at holding old game discs and the sort... organized, tidy and far far less space.

The other thing I do - is if it has manuals and stuff, I'll flatten-out a game box (if it's cardboard) and stuff multiple jewel cases within another retail game-box. Usually, I do that for a game series.

Example:

-> I have my old Diablo 1 jewel-case sitting there within Diablo 2 retail game-box. It fits.

Another thing I do - is I'll take those plastic cases that give me enough room and ain't got enough discs sitting on its CD-pole, and put multiple game series or versions within that box and on the pole.

Examples:

-> I have Fable TLC Retail Box. It has like 4 CD's. I also have a Steam-version, which I cut onto one DVD and put that on the pole.

-> I have Res Evil 4 PC retail box. It has a bunch of CD's on its pole. I also put my Steam back-up folder of RE5 on a few DVD's on that pole.

-> I have Retail copies of STALKER: SOC + Clear Sky. SOC came in a nice DVD retail box case w/ multiple discs on a pole, while Clear Sky's just came in a slim DVD case w/ room to put one disc on its pole. I put Clear Sky DVD in the SOC box. I pulled the Clear Sky cover off its cases and used that blank slim DVD case for some other 1 DVD-disc game.

EDIT :

Also, sometimes - the game-cases I have, they have an empty place in the jewel case. I'll put more discs there.

Example:

-> Retail copies of Vampire: Bloodlines comes in a quadruple CD jewel-case. Game came w/ 3 CD's, while 4th slot is completely EMPTY. I filled that case - I cut a disc there w/ a fair deal of data in there (patches, unofficial patches, save files from multiple play-throughs, etc).

 

[Sepioth]

ouch, y u no like me?

Sorry missed you .. i'll get right on fixing that

he no liek me ether. idky.

And you're in there .. need to look harder

 

[asheskitty]

LOL Sweet avatar Sepioth!

 

[MysterD]

I edit my posts too, but to improve clarity, or add a URL, not substantially change the content.

So... you're a single slice toaster then?

Are you asking me if I'm single?

I've been single for a while.

 

[asheskitty]

Are you asking me if I'm single?

I've been single for a while.

 

[syde1020]

Where did this josh character go? I'm beginning to question his existence lol

 

[walkonshadows]

So, after you plug in your cd key for Warcraft III at Blizzard, and they give you digital versions, then you download said digital versions and attempt to install said game, it ask you to insert the game cd. WTF? Why did I go through all this effort if I still have to have the CD, and had to have a valid game key to download it?

 

[asheskitty]

So, after you plug in your cd key for Warcraft III at Blizzard, and they give you digital versions, then you download said digital versions and attempt to install said game, it ask you to insert the game cd. WTF? Why did I go through all this effort if I still have to have the CD, and had to have a valid game key to download it?

Weird. Diablo 2 (Mac & PC) don't have this issue (never did, never needed the CD to play back in the day either -- things you're sure of when you game on a laptop).

 

[MysterD]

So, after you plug in your cd key for Warcraft III at Blizzard, and they give you digital versions, then you download said digital versions and attempt to install said game, it ask you to insert the game cd. WTF? Why did I go through all this effort if I still have to have the CD, and had to have a valid game key to download it?

I can't speak if new version work this way (ain't DL'ed them)...

...but I think some of the older Blizz legacy games, there are actual way to bypass the DRM.

EDIT:

You have to take the game's INSTALL.EXE; copy it to game-folder; and rename to [gamename].MPQ.

{actually checked patch files + notes I had laying around on one of my external HDD's}

That's instructions for SC + Brood War.

D2 + LoD work a little different.

 

[Sepioth]

LOL Sweet avatar Sepioth!

Thanks .. noticed some changed their pics to Homer and I wanted to too

sunasun ... your in there now

 

[walkonshadows]

Weird. Diablo 2 (Mac & PC) don't have this issue (never did, never needed the CD to play back in the day either -- things you're sure of when you game on a laptop).

I can't speak if new version work this way...

...but I think many of the older Blizz legacy games, there are actual way to bypass the DRM.

You have to take the game's INSTALL.EXE; copy it to game-folder; and rename to [gamename].MPQ.

apparently the game installer was reading the "empty" virtual cd-rom drive I had running on Virtual Clone Drive, to mount and run ISO's.

 

[MysterD]

apparently the game installer was reading the "empty" virtual cd-rom drive I had running on Virtual Clone Drive, to mount and run ISO's.

I still got the files and instructions I took long ago from Blizz's site on my external HDD.

Here's how you did it w/ disc-versions of SC + Brood War & D2 + LOD..

Starcraft - Have to take the game's INSTALL.EXE (from SC disc); copy it to game-folder; and rename that file to Starcraft.MPQ.

Brood War - Take that game's INSTALL.EXE (from BW disc); copy it to game-folder; and rename that file to BroodWar.MPQ.

Diablo 2 + LOD - Install D2 base; Take game's d2xvideo.mpq + d2xmusic.mpq (from LoD disc); copy those files to game-folder; install D2: LOD expansion; run the LOD patch you want to use; boot game.

 

[tjs09]

Thanks .. noticed some changed their pics to Homer and I wanted to too

sunasun ... your in there now

Finally found myself up in the corner there!

I'm totally a respected member of the CAG communty now!

 

[MysterD]

Finally found myself up in the corner there!

I'm totally a respected member of the CAG communty now!

Me too!

Well, I think...

 

[pasports31]

Are you asking me if I'm single?

I've been single for a while.

eww...this is like porn for mysterd.

don't want to know how he reacted to this pic.

 

[Sepioth]

eww...this is like porn for mysterd.

don't want to know how he reacted to this pic.

Edit -- New Pic

 

[MysterD]

eww...this is like porn for mysterd.

don't want to know how he reacted to this pic.

 

[Idiotekque]

This thread gets weirder and weirder.

the waitress there is extremely flexible

How many orders can she take at the same time?

 

[MysterD]

Where did this josh character go? I'm beginning to question his existence lol

I'm beginning to think Tony, Josh, and LN3000 are all the same person w/ alternate accounts.

With this break-through in the case, I feel like I'm turning into this guy...

 

[Sepioth]

Finally found myself up in the corner there!

I'm totally a respected member of the CAG communty now!

HAHA .. nice avatar switch .. I was like Ashes is not in the corner .. hah

 

[Sepioth]

Where did this josh character go? I'm beginning to question his existence lol

See it's the weekend.

When that happens Josh and Tony are no longer on the clock and being paid to try to sell us games. All we are are customers to them .. nothing more .. it's just business

 

[walkonshadows]

For those of you redeeming keys on Blizzard's site, the original Blackthorne is available to download for free (and it's keyless) when you click "Game Client Downloads", it's under Classic Games.

 

[60fps]

So, after you plug in your cd key for Warcraft III at Blizzard, and they give you digital versions, then you download said digital versions and attempt to install said game, it ask you to insert the game cd. WTF? Why did I go through all this effort if I still have to have the CD, and had to have a valid game key to download it?

Stuff like this would annoy me to no end even if I would eventually put up with it. I abandoned my WoW account after they made the switch to Blizzard.net. It didn't work so I just said screw it.

 

[MinDRIoT]

See it's the weekend.

When that happens Josh and Tony are no longer on the clock and being paid to try to sell us games. All we are are customers to them .. nothing more .. it's just business

 

[MysterD]

See it's the weekend.

 

[tjs09]

I left my games back hooooooooome

I don't love them no more

 

[Sepioth]

the waitress there is extremely flexible

A good waitress is always flexible .. If I ask for no ice in my soda I want here to say "Sure, No Problem".

 

[MysterD]

I left my games back hooooooooome

I don't love them no more

...

And they'll never know that

This monitor that I'm staring at

Let me see that Titan card

Overlock it, push it hard

Process all them pixels

SLI another card

Let it sing, let it sing

Like a Tale from a Bard

[Chorus]

Bring your games, baby

I can bring my crew

Bring your crew, baby

I can bring mine, too

I got my backlog right there

All up on Steam, yeah

We can network and LAN (land).

Bring your network and we can LAN (land).

Understand - that's my text, boo.

 

[josgba2002]

Spoiler

Thanks .. noticed some changed their pics to Homer and I wanted to too

sunasun ... your in there now

sunasun is my hand! I'm going to eat a hamburger!

 

[pasports31]

sunasun is my hand! I'm going to eat a hamburger!

you mean...a handburger...

lolololol

 

[Neuro5i5]

Deals.

We need them.

 

[taylort3]

Deals.

We need them.

New week. New bundles.

Humble will have a couple, groupees and Bundlestars should set off at least one each, Gala may introduce something + HH for Supreme, and Blink bundle will come back! Maybe even steam will have a good set of weeklong's.

And I get to fly home on friday.

It's gonna be a good week.

Edit: Oh, and Amazon may do something

 

[eulogywerd21]

New week. New bundles.

Humble will have a couple, groupees and Bundlestars should set off at least one each, Gala may introduce something + HH for Supreme, and Blink bundle will come back! Maybe even steam will have a good set of weeklong's.

And I get to fly home on friday.

It's gonna be a good week.

I know this is the wrong thread, but a little game called Infamous: Second Son also comes out. Good week + 1.

Feel free to hate on me now, all you... haters.

 

[MysterD]

Deals.

We need them.

/LIKE.

Reached my "like" quota today.

 

[pasports31]

I know this is the wrong thread, but a little game called Infamous: Second Son also comes out. Good week + 1.

Feel free to hate on me now, all you... haters.

i need to get the infamous games for my ps3. they're on my list of exclusives i need to try

 

[tjs09]

Deals.

We need them.

Now you're talkin' my laaanguage, now you're talkin' my language.

 

[taylort3]

I know this is the wrong thread, but a little game called Infamous: Second Son also comes out. Good week + 1.

Feel free to hate on me now, all you... haters.

Gonna be so good when I buy a ps4 in…oh…2-3 years.

i need to get the infamous games for my ps3. they're on my list of exclusives i need to try

Do it, they're really fun. First one might feel a bit dated, though.

 

[Motoki]

Deals.

We need them.

I'm kind of thinking of taking one for the team and getting Night of the Rabbit for $6, after which it will surely be in a bundle next week.

Speaking of Night of the Rabbit, while searching for it on Amazon, I came across a review by this odd creature about the boxed retail version, which you have to import from the UK where box retail for any PC game outside of Blizzard stuff is still a thing.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Night-Rabbit-Premium-Edition-DVD/product-reviews/B00FMLZEV2/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

I was excited to find a DVD copy of The Night of the Rabbit (even if I had to import it from the UK to the US) so I ordered it. What I got was a nice DVD case with the TNotR DVD inside...or so it seemed. What I really got was a DVD with STEAM installation files that required me to join Steam and only then offered me the opportunity to download the game (a 9+hr download). I detest STEAM (intrusive crapware/malware that forces you to join their club). I don't/won't buy digital download games!

At the least I'm a victim of the old bait-and-switch but I feel more like the victim of OUTRIGHT FRAUD perpetrated by Amazon, the retailer in UK and STEAM.

Are you a member of Steam's club? If not join today for intrusive crapware/malware!

Also, where the hell does he live that he's getting a 9 hour download for an adventure game, a time vortex leading to 1995?

 

[MysterD]

Now you're talkin' my laaanguage, now you're talkin' my language.

She likes to backlog and play PC games, too.

I said, "Girl, that's all we do."

 

[tjs09]

I'm kind of thinking of taking one for the team and getting Night of the Rabbit for $6, after which it will surely be in a bundle next week.

Speaking of Night of the Rabbit, while searching for it on Amazon, I came across a review by this odd creature about the boxed retail version, which you have to import from the UK where box retail for any PC game outside of Blizzard stuff is still a thing.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Night-Rabbit-Premium-Edition-DVD/product-reviews/B00FMLZEV2/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Are you a member of Steam's club? If not join today for intrusive crapware/malware!

Also, where the hell does he live that he's getting a 9 hour download for an adventure game, a time vortex leading to 1995?

His speedtest results page is just a .gif of a dial-up modem weeping softly into its pillow.

She likes to backlog and play PC games, too.

I said, "Girl, that's all we do."

Mixed-DRM in the air tonight, I can tell.

I will never understand that, but oh well.

We don't play our games, I don't know about you.

She just wanna idle and sell I said "Girl that's all that we do."

 

[eulogywerd21]

Gonna be so good when I buy a ps4 in…oh…2-3 years.

I'd like to lie and say I bought a PS4 in anticipation/just for the new Infamous, but I'm just a slut for new tech/toys/gaming headaches/pleasures.

 

[tjs09]

I'd like to lie and say I bought a PS4 in anticipation/just for the new Infamous, but I'm just a slut for new tech/toys/gaming headaches/pleasures.

I'm afraid to buy new stuff now, it seems like a much better version of it comes out a year later.

I'm staring at my original Vita in disappointment as I type this.