Blink Bundle Megathread | 12/09 - 12/16: Hidden Gems Bundle 3

plus10charisma

plus10charisma

CAGiversary!
Feedback
55 (100%)
​
 
steam.png
Games.​
 ​
 ​
 ​
 ​
 ​
$1.45+​
7053da06f412cf1bf70adc78d52c7e2d.jpg
81352457a1b387021e20ac97857126c3.jpg
8c5e83672c16d67d3efcd3115f7a0d22.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Upvote 0 Downvote
BigShowB3 said:
I don't think it makes business sense to announce the dates of a large sale like that a month in advance. Would it make things easier on publishers? Possibly, but the majority of people that Steam cares about are already in that inner circle.

By announcing the Steam sale date to everyone else, they could potentially lose a lot of sales because of it. Granted at this point, most people are familiar that the Summer and Winter sales are happening, especially on CAG. However, we're savvier than most Steam users, and are always looking for deals. Most users likely don't remember an approaching sale until it pops up on the home page. I know this firsthand because I've just reminded at least a couple people of the impending sale recently. By announcing the sale ahead of time, everyone's aware of it, and now no one would be buying any games at full price. Sales would halt to a complete stand still the weeks leading up to a sale. It just doesn't make business sense for them to announce something like that ahead of time.

That being said, I'm rooting for you guys to be right.
Click to expand...
Except that there's Black Friday which works pretty well for most businesses. Granted, it comes right before the holiday shopping season, but still, there's a way to make these things work if you market it right. Steam has already moved away from making the appeal of the sale be low prices and has turned it into a silly event of collecting digital nothing and badges and being by your computer 24-7 to not miss a thing. If they marketed it right, they would lose little in sales. People are still going to buy the new releases and buzz-worthy games rather than wait a month for a Steam sale.

 
Waggles said:
1044.gif
Click to expand...
I got nothing better to do. A longer break due to things we can't control just means more time to plan. And we want to make sure when we launch in the new format it's done in a dramatic fashion.

Plus it means I can take a break and rewatch the entire Reboot series before it makes its return. And I'll fully nerd out and do it while wearing my Reboot hockey jersey.

 
Cheaplikeafox 3.0 said:
Except that there's Black Friday which works pretty well for most businesses.
Click to expand...
Even that has been changing over the last few years. Retailers have tried to start things up even earlier and the best deals have not always appeared on Black Friday. That single day is not the sales monster that it was, historically speaking.

 
caseyblink said:
That's definitely the downside of set dates. This is why I noted that I don't think it's a good idea to promote the sale is coming. But taking fairly extreme steps to prevent leaks (this is one of the reasons why everyone in that inner circle are given such short notice) is also not a good idea. It doesn't have to be one extreme or another. If the sale date is leaked the majority of Steam users are not going to become aware of it (unless Steam announces it themselves). The people that will be aware are more along the lines of the deal hunters, and most of those people have a general idea of when anyway so it's unlikely to affect their regular spending habits on Steam. They might even increase their sales some, since if people know of a date they might be less likely to spend their extra cash on one of other online stores doing their summer sales early.
Click to expand...
That's kind of my point though. Us, as deal hunters, can already speculate when the sale is going to begin so our spending habits have already decreased accordingly. Steam has nothing to gain or lose from letting the date out for us, leaked or official because we're already in wait mode. However, anyone that didn't know, could possibly get wind of it and act accordingly.

I do think your next sentence is a valid point though, and a concern for them. If Amazon, GMG, GameFly, etc. start a sale earlier then them, it's possible that people will buy from them first. However, card money has now sort of convinced people they'd rather buy from Steam because why pay for the game elsewhere, when I can get it for "free" from Steam? How many times on CAG have you read, "eh, I'll wait for Steam sale because gaben bux?"

I guess I'm coming from the perspective that if Steam thought it was in their best interest to release the start of the sale date early, they'd be doing it.

Cheaplikeafox 3.0 said:
Except that there's Black Friday which works pretty well for most businesses. Granted, it comes right before the holiday shopping season, but still, there's a way to make these things work if you market it right. Steam has already moved away from making the appeal of the sale be low prices and has turned it into a silly event of collecting digital nothing and badges and being by your computer 24-7 to not miss a thing. If they marketed it right, they would lose little in sales. People are still going to buy the new releases and buzz-worthy games rather than wait a month for a Steam sale.
Click to expand...
hal said:
Even that has been changing over the last few years. Retailers have tried to start things up even earlier and the best deals have not always appeared on Black Friday. That single day is not the sales monster that it was, historically speaking.
Click to expand...
What hal said. Black Friday is undoubtedly the biggest retail sale day of the year, however it's become increasingly less important over the years. Most large retailers open up their doors on Thanksgiving now. Honestly, I've found that if you pay attention over the course of the year, you're going to find a similar price on the products offered during Black Friday. I think people just throw themselves in a tizzy over it because "OMG, BF, let's camp out over night so I can get a $99 720p TV".

I'd be interested to know if your point is true. Has the whole concept of badge frenzy taken away from sales? Or is it just as likely to increase it? Are people more likely to buy a game from the sale if it has cards, so that they can get the cards, craft the badge and get a globe? No clue, but it seems like one is just as likely as the other.

It's an interesting topic though. I'm sure businesses have thrown countless money into figuring out the spending habits of consumers to figure out what the right and wrong answer is in a situation like this.

 
BigShowB3 said:
However, anyone that didn't know, could possibly get wind of it and act accordingly.
Click to expand...
Eh, casual buyers probably wouldn't pay attention anyway. It would have to be like Total Biscuit Humble Bundle mainstream for them to notice. Also they don't have the attention span to wait more than a couple of weeks max if they really want something. Trust me I know several people like this. They don't check deal sites or comparison shop, buy very few games but tend to buy ones they actually want to play now (what a concept!) and aren't necessarily too fussed about the price.

If I tell them a sale is coming up it had better be soon or else they will say they don't feel like waiting that long and buy the game they want anyway. Every time I see it pop up on my feed that they bought some game at full price it's like nails on a chalkboard to me, but they simply will not be converted to fussing over pricing, or buying mass quantities of games they'll never play for that matter.

I don't think these people are a minority either. The Steam best seller list is always populated with a few popular full price games, sometimes even when those games are cheaper elsewhere.

Anyhow the whole secrecy thing at this point when everyone and their brother has some half baked crappy flash or block or pixel or WTF game on Steam these days and there's some developers who are, um, less than professional is a bit nuts. You're asking all those throngs of people that you decided not to screen or quality control when you opened the floodgates to keep your secret? Right. Good luck with that.

 
BigShowB3 said:
What hal said. Black Friday is undoubtedly the biggest retail sale day of the year, however it's become increasingly less important over the years. Most large retailers open up their doors on Thanksgiving now. Honestly, I've found that if you pay attention over the course of the year, you're going to find a similar price on the products offered during Black Friday. I think people just throw themselves in a tizzy over it because "OMG, BF, let's camp out over night so I can get a $99 720p TV".
Click to expand...
I have kind of an insiders point of view, and I can tell you that it's been a few years now since Black Friday was the biggest day of the year. The Saturdays leading up to Christmas have surpassed it in terms of volume. People still make a big deal about Black Friday though because it has become something of a shopping event. But retailers have taken notice and now offer items that are purchased specifically for that time (read: cheap) and the majority of items you'll see for sale have margin built in (read: cheap versions of popular items). You're not always getting an amazing deal.

Furthermore, retailers are now competing to make the pre-emptive strike. As you mentioned, many are starting on Thanksgiving. Some are starting the weekend before. It's an interesting dynamic from a retail perspective.

 
Waggles said:
I can't believe Casey was right on the money with the steam summer sale, I really didn't expect it until early july.
Click to expand...
I was pretty sure he was right when he mentioned the coupons. I got one quite a while ago and one very recently, and they both had the same June 16th date on them.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Motoki said:
Eh, casual buyers probably wouldn't pay attention anyway. It would have to be like Total Biscuit Humble Bundle mainstream for them to notice. Also they don't have the attention span to wait more than a couple of weeks max if they really want something. Trust me I know several people like this. They don't check deal sites or comparison shop, buy very few games but tend to buy ones they actually want to play now (what a concept!) and aren't necessarily too fussed about the price.

If I tell them a sale is coming up it had better be soon or else they will say they don't feel like waiting that long and buy the game they want anyway. Every time I see it pop up on my feed that they bought some game at full price it's like nails on a chalkboard to me, but they simply will not be converted to fussing over pricing, or buying mass quantities of games they'll never play for that matter.

I don't think these people are a minority either. The Steam best seller list is always populated with a few popular full price games, sometimes even when those games are cheaper elsewhere.

Anyhow the whole secrecy thing at this point when everyone and their brother has some half baked crappy flash or block or pixel or WTF game on Steam these days and there's some developers who are, um, less than professional is a bit nuts. You're asking all those throngs of people that you decided not to screen or quality control when you opened the floodgates to keep your secret? Right. Good luck with that.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I have friends like that too. While they spend a lot of money on games.. at least they play them. Sometimes I wish I could be a fake CAG.

 
Waggles said:
I can't believe Casey was right on the money with the steam summer sale, I really didn't expect it until early july.
Click to expand...
Well just looking at his avatar I'm guessing his brain has to be absolutely huge. No doubt there's some massive smarts and deductive reasoning in there.

 
hal said:
No Humble... we need a good Blink Bundle! C'mon, you can do it!
Click to expand...
I asked Casey the other day about the new bundle, he said they weren't planning to launch it immediately after the summer sale, as it will be a "reformat launch". Doesn't seem to be ready to launch yet.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yeah, w0t t3h hell, m8?  He saw the Steam Sale coming a mile away so the bundle should have been prepped and ready to go.  Is it going to be another, 'well, you know, we gotta look at da metrics and we're doing something with non-feature bundles and the price of tea in China and blah blah bLAH BLABHA WHERES MY BUNDLE BLOATED BABY HEAD!??!!

 
spoderman said:
Casey responds super fast on Steam.
Click to expand...
Unless I'm playing Fieldrunnners 1 or 2, which is often.

We're back next week with another trading cards bundle. Another bundle may actually follow that one before the trading cards bundle is over. Then the first of our special promotions bundle should follow. We had to rearrange things due to the earlier than usual Steam sale. Plus, we've been busy planning some expansions to the Blink network that aren't directly linked to the bundle, but will likely enhance it.

 
caseyblink said:
Unless I'm playing Fieldrunnners 1 or 2, which is often.

We're back next week with another trading cards bundle. Another bundle may actually follow that one before the trading cards bundle is over. Then the first of our special promotions bundle should follow. We had to rearrange things due to the earlier than usual Steam sale. Plus, we've been busy planning some expansions to the Blink network that aren't directly linked to the bundle, but will likely enhance it.
Click to expand...
So is next week here yet?

patience-quote.jpg


 
caseyblink said:
Did you add me? I have 186 friend requests right now, and I think I cleared it two weeks ago.
Click to expand...
I did, but it might be Steam then. I have you at the bottom in the "Invitations Sent", but your profile still has "Add Friend".

You and the Fatshark rep are my white whales.

 
dfg said:
I did, but it might be Steam then. I have you at the bottom in the "Invitations Sent", but your profile still has "Add Friend".

You and the Fatshark rep are my white whales.
Click to expand...
That's normal for an unaccepted friend invite.

caseyblink said:
We're back next week with another trading cards bundle. Another bundle may actually follow that one before the trading cards bundle is over. Then the first of our special promotions bundle should follow. We had to rearrange things due to the earlier than usual Steam sale. Plus, we've been busy planning some expansions to the Blink network that aren't directly linked to the bundle, but will likely enhance it.
Click to expand...
A completely repeat-free trading card bundle, right? One possibly preceded by another bundle that's lacking any previously-bundled games? Sounds great! :p
 
Last edited by a moderator:
New bundle is live.

1.99

A Virus Named Tom

Love

Not the Robots

Ring Runner

$4.99

Go Home Dinosaurs

Fate

Chip

Retro/Grade

Secret of the Magic Crystals + DLC

Circuits

Canyon Capers + DLC

+ Bonus game

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I told you guys in advance it was another trading cards bundle. The last one had 15 previously bundled titles. This time it's down to 12 games + 2 DLC with a couple games and a DLC that hasn't. With the trading cards themed bundle it will always feature a lot of previously bundled games, but never repeats of games we've already featured in previous trading cards bundles. Just the way this themed bundle is set up. It allows us to work with a lot of developers that we want to work with, but might not be able to feature in other bundles.

 
I like it. It actually has a couple things I wanted in it, plus some stuff that was in previously undesirable bundles.

Even your repeat bundles are pretty great, Casey, so I'm looking forward to seeing your new themes over the next few weeks.

I'm buying for ponies and dinosaurs.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't mind the trading card bundles.. but I feel like Blink should've ran another normal bundle before doing a trading card bundle again. I think even the last regular bundle had too many repeats for me.

 
spoderman said:
I don't mind the trading card bundles.. but I feel like Blink should've ran another normal bundle before doing a trading card bundle again. I think even the last regular bundle had too many repeats for me.
Click to expand...
We had one scheduled that ended up conflicting with the Steam sale, so we postponed it. We are working it out with each of the participants to reschedule it soon.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top