Steam+ Deals Mega Thread (All PC Gaming Deals)

Neuro5i5

Neuro5i5

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This thread will attempt to provide a place to discuss past/present/future PC gaming deals. While mainly focusing on Steam games, any standout sales may also be presented. I will not be updating every Daily/Weekly/etc. sale. The tools to help individuals become a smarter shopper will be provided below.

See this POST for links to store sale pages, threads of interest and other tools to help you become a more informed PC game shopper.
 
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Master Miguel said:
This is a pretty good deal since cdcheese (which is about the only place to find decent prices on COD games) only has European keys for infinite warfare, so this is probably the cheapest you'll find this combo for who knows how long.
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I think this is a fantastic deal, for those who ain't bought COD: IW and COD: MW Remastered.

If I didn't buy COD: IW already, I'd be all over this deal in a heartbeat.

 
I've always been a huge supporter of Travis and Eric (the developers of RG and old Blizzard North guys) but this is a gut punch.  Travis is trying to justify it on his twitter as pro-consumer but that's a load of BS.  They obviously got paid a big chunk of money up front and these exclusive things are the same crap outfits like Microsoft (and now Bethesda) pulls.

It's ironic they mocked Star Citizen in their launch trailer and then pull a similar shill-type tactic with their own game.  I truly hope their sales tank as a result of this because it's some truly bush league bull____ they are pulling on their fans.

And yes, I was going to day-one-purchase this game to support Travis and Eric but now they can f' right off.

https://twitter.com/RebelGalaxy/status/1070908954807435264

 
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Mooby said:
What... the... f...
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It's that 88/12 split to skip Steam for 12 months. Money talks.

Who knows whatelse they (Epic) gave them (Double Damage) too.

They could always wait 12 months and toss it on Steam then.

Seems like Steam has a digital distribution war on their hands, as Epic's 88/12 is really going to appeal to the Indies especially...and who knows what other big pub's might like that split.

Epic now has SuperGiant with Hades; Double Damage w/ RGO; and ThatGameCompany with former PS3/PS4 exclusive Journey.

 
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And then you're going through a bunch of crap like... oh surprise it's 50% off on Epic Store one-year after launch but still 100% price on Steam because it's just newly launched.  Trust me when I say this was a game I was HIGHLY anticipating and you all know I never buy games day one.  The only way I can meaningfully express my distaste for this is to not buy it until it's on Steam or GOG and or heavily discounted.  In the grand scheme of things my few dollars won't make a difference but I really hope Travis and Eric feel the financial hit of this because it is awful for consumers.  They try to justify it by saying 'OH EPIC IS PRO STREAMERS' - newsflash: most gamers don't give a rat's ass about consumers.

 
In an era w/ exclusive games to certain stores (for a long-time or limited time); DLC's galore; Season Passes; Expansion Packs; Expansion Passes; quick price-drops/sales after release; games getting bundled quickly; Games wanting to be "Live" type of services - yeah, games can get devalued real fast in this era.

A lot of times, these days - it's just best to sit & wait for the right price of the game; right version of the game (w/ most content); right service the game's on (i.e. maybe better off w/ Steam version in one case, better off w/ GOG Store for another case); and whatnot.

A lot of times, it ain't even worth FakeyBro'ing games.

 
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shrinerr said:
okay i'll bite. what specifically makes you NOT want to buy the game off the Epic launcher?
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Here's a few:

- Entirely unproven.

- It's backed by Tencent

- So far they have questionable return policies (even more questionable than Valve's)

- Funding Epic supports crappy multiplayer games du-jour like Fortnite

- I really don't want to juggle half a dozen clients

- I don't buy into reasons like 'OH THEY ARE MORE HELPFUL TO CONTENT CREATORS/STREAMERS' (I don't give a rat's ass about e-panhandlers who have sadly taken over as the marketing arm for developers)

- I DON'T WANT TO BE TOLD WHERE I CAN BUY A GAME/SUPPORT THIS EXCLOOOOOOOOOOSIVE OUTLET CRAP

There's no reason -- other than a quick up-front cash-grab -- they couldn't have released on Epic as well as Valve and GoG at the same time.

 
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Mooby said:
Here's a few:

- Entirely unproven.

- It's backed by Tencent

- So far they have questionable return policies (even more questionable than Valve's)

- Funding Epic supports crappy multiplayer games du-jour like Fortnite

- I really don't want to juggle half a dozen clients

- I don't buy into reasons like 'OH THEY ARE MORE HELPFUL TO CONTENT CREATORS/STREAMERS' (I don't give a rat's ass about e-panhandlers who have sadly taken over as the marketing arm for developers)
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Aren't you already juggling multiple clients?

If you want to play many of EA's recent titles (since BF3), you have Origin.

If you want to play UbiSoft's titles - good chance, you might have a few games from Uplay; even the free ones they've given away before (i.e. AC4: Black Flag, The Crew, etc).

If you have Diablo 3, StarCraft 2, HearthStone, WoW, and/or Destiny 2 - you have Battle.Net already.

 
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Mooby said:
Here's a few:

- Entirely unproven.

- It's backed by Tencent

- So far they have questionable return policies (even more questionable than Valve's)

- Funding Epic supports crappy multiplayer games du-jour like Fortnite

- I really don't want to juggle half a dozen clients

- I don't buy into reasons like 'OH THEY ARE MORE HELPFUL TO CONTENT CREATORS/STREAMERS' (I don't give a rat's ass about e-panhandlers who have sadly taken over as the marketing arm for developers)

- I DON'T WANT TO BE TOLD WHERE I CAN BUY A GAME/SUPPORT THIS EXCLOOOOOOOOOOSIVE OUTLET CRAP

There's no reason -- other than a quick up-front cash-grab -- they couldn't have released on Epic as well as Valve and GoG at the same time.
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nobody is gonna argue that, it's all perfectly valid. however, i will say that making devs/Epic out to be the bad guys does not make Steam/GoG/uplay the good guys. they're all businesses that've done shady stuff in the past. non exclusivity is fine, but rest assured all those other companies would do the exact same shit if they were in Epic's position.

 
I think we all want our PC games to appear on every PC platform/store; that's definitely valid.

Choice is always important. Some people like their games on Steam. Some people like their games on GOG. Some people go where the best version goes. Some people go where the best price is at. Some take it all case-by-case.

Exclusive stuff only likely makes the game more expensive for a while at that one place, especially since it's at ONE store - i.e. look at how often and how crummy Microsoft's discounts on W10 Store versions of Forza Horizon series, Gears of War games, State of Decay 2, etc.

Putting a game on multiple stores, mean multiple places to buy the game and more chances for the stores to try to under-cut pricing on each other...if they want to move some (digital) units. That's a win for consumers/gamers, as they can go w/ the lowest price if they so choose to.

I would rather a game be exclusive for a limited-time somewhere than be stuck as a "forever exclusive" to a store/platform.

EDIT:

But, man; if I was a dev and all - that 88/12 split is much better than Valve normally offers. I do wonder if Valve will lower their splits, try to compete, and/or come close to that split.

Epic has a major platform here just w/ having the most popular game in the world, Fortnite (no matter what we think of the game itself). They can afford a weaker split like this, since Fortnite's raking in crazy $ and printing $ like it's nothing.

I'm sure Valve could afford a weak split, too - as they have the most popular PC digital platform. But, their service likely has a better chance to moving units b/c of their huge install-base, brand-name/recognition, history, and longevity as a PC digital platform. So, Valve can always leverage that too, saying their 30% or even if say they offered a lower 20% or 25% split is b/c they are a long-time proven commodity.

No matter how you cut it, this Epic and Valve war...it's gonna be interesting.

 
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MysterD said:
Aren't you already juggling multiple clients?

If you want to play many of EA's recent titles (since BF3), you have Origin.

If you want to play UbiSoft's titles - good chance, you might have a few games from Uplay; even the free ones they've given away before (i.e. AC4: Black Flag, The Crew, etc).

If you have Diablo 3, StarCraft 2, HearthStone, WoW, and/or Destiny 2 - you have Battle.Net already.
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I can't remember the last EA game I played aside from Mass Effect 1 which was available on Steam. Nothing EA has published in the last several years has even remotely appealed to me. Same goes for Ubisoft, really. And... well... same is starting to go for Blizzard, too. I've uninstalled Hearthstone, HoTS is probably dying soon, and WoW is falling off a cliff.

Anyway, it's not a good trend. It's like all of these movie studios having their own streaming services now that they figured out they can get a bigger piece of the pie by going exclusive. It's all anti-consumer choice.

 
shrinerr said:
nobody is gonna argue that, it's all perfectly valid. however, i will say that making devs/Epic out to be the bad guys does not make Steam/GoG/uplay the good guys. they're all businesses that've done shady stuff in the past. non exclusivity is fine, but rest assured all those other companies would do the exact same shit if they were in Epic's position.
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I could be wrong but I don't remember Steam enforcing exclusivity on anyone. Obviously since they're the biggest fish in the pond it really doesn't bother them but they don't try to prevent having the same games on GOG. And GOG even gives keys if you own certain games on Steam via GOG connect.

 
MysterD said:
I think we all want our PC games to appear on every PC platform/store; that's definitely valid.

Choose is always important. Some people like their games on Steam. Some people like their games on GOG. Some people go where the best version goes. Some people go where the best price is at. Some take it all case-by-case.

Exclusive stuff only likely makes the game more expensive for a while at that one place, especially since it's at ONE store - i.e. look at how often and how crummy Microsoft's discounts on W10 Store versions of Forza Horizon series, Gears of War games, State of Decay 2, etc.

Putting a game on multiple stores, mean multiple places to buy the game and more chances for the stores to try to under-cut pricing on each other...if they want to move some (digital) units. That's a win for consumers/gamers, as they can go w/ the lowest price if they so choose to.

I would rather a game be exclusive for a limited-time somewhere than be stuck as a "forever exclusive" to a store/platform.
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Limited time for like... three months is fine. A year = absurd.

 
Mooby said:
I could be wrong but I don't remember Steam enforcing exclusivity on anyone. Obviously since they're the biggest fish in the pond it really doesn't bother them but they don't try to prevent having the same games on GOG.
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no, Steam does not believe in exclusivity. in fact, with stuff like Steam direct, they're kinda the opposite. and while that doesn't matter to people like us, i KNOW it matters to people unfamiliar or just getting started with pc gaming, cuz it looks like the android or apple store. again, we don't care, but for others it's a bigger problem than exclusivity.

 
Mooby said:
I can't remember the last EA game I played aside from Mass Effect 1 which was available on Steam. Nothing EA has published in the last several years has even remotely appealed to me. Same goes for Ubisoft, really. And... well... same is starting to go for Blizzard, too. I've uninstalled Hearthstone, HoTS is probably dying soon, and WoW is falling off a cliff.

Anyway, it's not a good trend. It's like all of these movie studios having their own streaming services now that they figured out they can get a bigger piece of the pie by going exclusive. It's all anti-consumer choice.
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Yeah, I'm not a fan of exclusive-stuff. I can see why they're doing it, to keep themselves in business and have more $ - but yeah, it doesn't help consumers that want their game...wherever they want it.

Did you play Crysis 2: Max? Mass Effect 2? Those are also on Steam.

Origin exclusive stuff - BF1, ME3, Crysis 3, and DAI were all at least ranging from good-to-great, IMHO.

Most of Ubi's games do appear on Steam anyways, so...there's still a fair amount choice w/ them; even if Steam-versions are often more expensive in sale pricings than their own UPlay-only version (when sales happen).

 
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MysterD said:
Yeah, I'm not a fan of exclusive-stuff. I can see why they're doing it, to keep themselves in business and have more $ - but yeah, it doesn't help consumers that want their game...wherever they want it.

Did you play Crysis 2: Max? Mass Effect 2? Those are also on Steam.

Origin exclusive stuff - BF1, ME3, Crysis 3, and DAI were all at least ranging from good-to-great, IMHO.

Most of Ubi's games do appear on Steam anyways, so...there's still a fair amount choice w/ them; even if Steam-versions are often more expensive in sale pricings than their own UPlay-only version (when sales happen).
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Remember I'm still pretty anti-AAA barring a handful of exceptions. I typically play 75-80% indie/small studio games to 20-25% AAA titles (and usually then a couple of years behind the curve). It's troubling now that we are seeing indie developers embrace these crappy AAA developer tactics -- by doing so they are no better than the AAA developers they frequently mock. It is hypocrisy.

And, yeah, I'm particularly 'triggered' by RG:Outlaw because it was probably my #1 most anticipated game for years.

 
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Mooby said:
Limited time for like... three months is fine. A year = absurd.
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Hmmmm; where do you draw the line?

How would 6 months exclusive be to you? Acceptable? Not acceptable?

Thing is: a lot of games have Season Passes...and that often is a year worth of DLC's/extra content. Seems like many games after one Season Pass; they're done. I do wonder though, in the future and all - if more games will do more DLC's/Multiple Season Passes (like R6: Siege is doing).

I do think if a game is exclusive for a year somewhere like Epic Store and say later a re-release happens on Steam w/ all content - eh, I'd be fine with that. Easier to collect the Complete Edition all at once on Steam, much later...if that's the case.

 
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MysterD said:
Hmmmm; where do you draw the line?

How would 6 months exclusive be to you? Acceptable? Not acceptable?

Thing is: a lot of games have Season Passes...and that often is a year worth of DLC's/extra content. Seems like many games after one Season Pass; they're done. I do wonder though, in the future and all - if more games will do more DLC's/Multiple Season Passes (like R6: Siege is doing).

I do think if a game is exclusive for a year somewhere like Epic Store and say later a re-release happens on Steam w/ all content - eh, I'd be fine with that. Easier to collect the Complete Edition all at once on Steam, much later...if that's the case.
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Certainly better than a year. Again, a big issue is the whole 'sale, reset' cycle thing. That is, will Steam offer similar discounts compared to Epic store with the game being out a shorter time period relative to its storefront. When you're talking about a year, I get to the point where other games have come out and if I've waited that long then f'them I will wait longer, get it in a bundle, and be sure to set the developer cut to 0 just to spite them.

No joke, this was my reaction when I read the news today about RGO being an Epic exclusive: https://youtu.be/VykaQB4sRmE?t=135

If I had any video editing skills I would make a 'Double Damage betrays fans' subtitle over that video.

 
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Mooby said:
Remember I'm still pretty anti-AAA barring a handful of exceptions. I typically play 75-80% indie/small studio games to 20-25% AAA titles (and usually then a couple of years behind the curve). It's troubling now that we are seeing indie developers embrace these crappy AAA developer tactics -- by doing so they are no better than the AAA developers they frequently mock. It is hypocrisy.

And, yeah, I'm particularly 'triggered' by RG:Outlaw because it was probably my #1 most anticipated game for years.
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I still need to play RG (OG) myself; it's sitting in my huge growing backlog.

I can definitely see why you're pissed it ain't on Steam ASAP, as you wanted the game ASAP on Steam. Sometimes, it's tough to fight those FakeyBro feelings for game series/dev's/genres that you really-really like.

Having a big backlog and falling so far behind on that stuff, it's made stuff easier for me though...on the waiting process.

I know sometimes, I still have a tough time w/ RPG's (my favorite genre), on whether to buy sooner or way later. That damn Vampyr at $25 (50% off) on Steam right now is still staring at me, even though I do think it's still probably Humble Monthly material.

 
rcsample said:
Same guy as Fiddy-Cent.... Before he adjusted for inflation!
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giphy.gif


 
Mooby said:
I've always been a huge supporter of Travis and Eric (the developers of RG and old Blizzard North guys) but this is a gut punch. Travis is trying to justify it on his twitter as pro-consumer but that's a load of BS.
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I haven't seen/heard of an advantage yet that Epic offers me as a customer. Same price and another client that does less than Steam's. What's in it for me?

MysterD said:
Aren't you already juggling multiple clients?
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I haven't fired up Origin since we stopped playing Battlefield 1. Rockstar client is such garbage that I'll never buy another game requiring it again. It's literally "Steam or nothing" if Rockstar is my other option. Uplay I don't mind since the client actually provides some benefits and, if it really bothered me, I could buy the Steam versions anyway. Ultimately though, if it's not Steam or Uplay, I'll immediately forget that I even own it which greatly decreases the game value for me. I either need to play it immediately, keep the shortcut staring at me on my desktop or I'll never remember to play it. I have games via GOG, Twitch, Blizzard, etc that I'll realistically never play unless someone creates a universal game client.

This isn't about me thinking that Valve is the "good guys", it's just a failure on Epic's part to make themselves an attractive alternative.

 
Mooby makes some valid points.  I would like to chime in that yes, competition is good.  However, I am not convinced that Epic will be pro consumer.  Yes, Epic will fund giving away (for a limited time) a few games.  Subnautica should have been in a Humble bundle (not counting Yogscast) by now i.e. headlining even a monthly.  Supermeatboy; while a nice game, it is old and we already have it.  

The point was already mentioned by other CAGs but it is worth repeating;  another launcher with a better split for the dev does not mean that the consumer benefits.  Most companies will appreciate keeping more of the money for themselves.  If game weblowcrapup sells for $40 on Steam and Origin, what incentive does the company have to say buy it on Epic for $35 (unless Epic is paying them to discount it to drive traffic to Epic)?  I believe that if the dev is selling a game for $40, it will remain $40 across all launchers.

Supporting streamers is also not pro consumer.  As Mooby mentions, streamers are paid advertisers of a game or a part of the marketing division.  

I signed up for Twitch to get Tyrrany.  I have Ubi, Battlenet, Origin, etc for specific games.  However, having a game locked onto a launcher does not guarantee competition or lower prices for consumers.  

12 month exclusivity is silly and also does not help with consumers as it stifles competition.  I do not think that Microsoft nor Sony have been able to have that long of exclusivity on AAA titles that were on meant to publish on both platforms.  Yes, that example is not 100% comparable in relationship to launchers.

My main hope is that what comes from Epic coming into the fray is that Steam "wakes up" and treats the devs and the consumers better.  I believe that on the whole, PC gamers have been getting the short end of the stick when it comes to pricing lately compared to consoles.  I have posted several times about consoles having lower prices on the same game (also consider that PC games are generally bought via digital code). Steam could also learn from Origin that customer service does matter.  To be fair, Steam instituted a refund policy which I thought was ground breaking at the time.  However, their customer service overall leads a lot to be desired.

 
See this is why I liked disc games.  I don't want more desktop icons and I certainly don't want additional digital download storefronts.  I get so much junk mail already from all these stupid little services I've had to sign up for.   

 
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Syntax Error said:
I have games via GOG, Twitch, Blizzard, etc that I'll realistically never play unless someone creates a universal game client.
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I guess this is some kind of 3rd party Universal Game Client:

Playnite - https://playnite.link/

You can link Steam, Origin, Battle.Net, GOG, Twitch, UPlay, Bethesda Launcher, manually add other non-client 3rd party games, etc.

 
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MysterD said:
In an era w/ exclusive games to certain stores (for a long-time or limited time); DLC's galore; Season Passes; Expansion Packs; Expansion Passes; quick price-drops/sales after release; games getting bundled quickly; Games wanting to be "Live" type of services - yeah, games can get devalued real fast in this era.

A lot of times, these days - it's just best to sit & wait for the right price of the game; right version of the game (w/ most content); right service the game's on (i.e. maybe better off w/ Steam version in one case, better off w/ GOG Store for another case); and whatnot.

A lot of times, it ain't even worth FakeyBro'ing games.
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Yeah, I don't think that games have gotten better for consumers in this full-digital revolution for PC gaming. Humble Bundles are certainly cool. But I could live without them; I don't play ~98% of them. Early adopter purchases become devalued faster than ever. Games don't ship complete anymore, or anything near that really (some don't even leave early access). Always-on connections are required so you can't prevent your games from getting patched or changed. Steam is flooded with crap games.

There is no such thing as an 'expansion pack' anymore. Games are continuously incomplete and devs don't care. Every game is riddled with endless downloads, patches, updates, and worst of all for consumers DLC and microtransactions. These services have done nothing for us but monetize our fandom and playtime, and bolster revenue streams. Everything tries to be "games-as-a-service" now and it's fucking annoying as a consumer.

Everything has been done to benefit publishers. It has forced us to go to one singular place to buy a game.

 
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Nothing371 said:
Always-on connections are required so you can't prevent your games from getting patched or changed.
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Not with GOG.

With GOG, you don't get updates automatically if you don't use Galaxy (it's optional). Just sign into GOG account, download files from a web browser, install, and go.

Want an update from GOG, without using Galaxy? Go back to web browser, sign into GOG account, download patch, install it. Old school style.

If you are using GOG Galaxy - you can do downloads, installs, and updates from there. You can turn automatic updates off from game-to-game under the Settings for each game. Up to you.

 
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This is the official rationale by Travis:

Q) OK, maybe this is good for developers, but how is this good for customers? (still a monster)
A) From our standpoint as customers, a curated store with a more limited selection of quality games is a plus. Having the ability for you to share your emails with us (optionally) so we can communicate directly with you is hopefully also a plus for you. Competition for Steam is a plus. And in the longer term, achieving Epic’s goals on the royalty front means more developers succeeding and surviving and making more good stuff. That’s a longer play, but we think it’s still meaningful.

Moreover, it doesn’t remove Steam or other stores from the equation. We’ve all got big Steam libraries that aren’t going anywhere. Yes, this is exclusive right now, but that’s all sort of bound up in the store’s launch and this specific point in time.
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https://rebel-galaxy.com/rebel-galaxy-outlaw-launching-on-epic-games-store-qa/

In a nutshell: 'We want to aid consumer choice by restricting consumer choice.' It's a flimsy argument and entirely speculative. If the Epic Store were the big fish in the pond you know they'd increase their cut of sales just like Valve.

The whole 'communicate directly via e-mail' thing makes no sense, either. Especially in light of the fact that Double Damage doesn't even list their e-mail on their own site instead going through social media and forums.

 
I am getting free Subnautica.  A game I boycotted for years after they pulled that limited quantity key bullshit in a Yogcast bundle.  So, I don't know how you guys can say that free isn't good for consumers. 

 
The only thing they (Indie dev's like Double Damage) are doing is if actually enough Indies go for exclusive time-limited deals on Epic Game Store b/c of that 88/12 split (88 for dev's/pub's and 12 for Epic) and who knows what other $ Epic is tossing their way, it could make Valve re-think their 30/70 splits (for Valve's cut and dev's/pub's).

If there are say games being sold on both Steam and Epic (which probably will happen once games are done w/ their Epic Game Store exclusive) - it will be interesting to see if both stores try to under-cut each other to offer the best sale-price for the consumer.

EDIT:

BossKey_Fox said:
I am getting free Subnautica. A game I boycotted for years after they pulled that limited quantity key bullshit in a Yogcast bundle. So, I don't know how you guys can say that free isn't good for consumers.
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I think this (free games!!!) will be the thing that might attract consumers to install Epic's store (if they haven't already), other than the widespread of Fortnite's popularity.

 
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Mooby said:
In a nutshell: 'We want to aid consumer choice by restricting consumer choice.' It's a flimsy argument and entirely speculative. If the Epic Store were the big fish in the pond you know they'd increase their cut of sales just like Valve.
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Yeah, that's some really weak rationale. I don't want devs emailing me with their crap, that's what the "News" portion of the Steam entry is for. Or, you know, Dev blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc etc. "Competition for Steam" is meaningless for games that have an exclusivity agreement. "Boy, Valve better clean up their act or else I'll... uh... still buy this game from Epic since it's not sold anywhere else?" And even "competition for Valve" is overblown unless it means tangible benefits for me. Also not mentioned: Valve already has a primary competitor for game sales and it's... Valve. All those 3rd party keys you've bought from GMG, GG, CDKeys or wherever for less than Steam were generated by Valve free of charge for the publisher. Granted Valve does this in their own self interest (otherwise, publishers would likely sell DRM Free or make their own clients to sell 3rd party retail) but Valve does a better job of getting you cheap 3rd party keys than anyone else does.

BossKey_Fox said:
I am getting free Subnautica. A game I boycotted for years after they pulled that limited quantity key bullshit in a Yogcast bundle. So, I don't know how you guys can say that free isn't good for consumers.
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It's not good for THIS consumer who already owned it. You other consumers can go pound walnuts.

 
And again, I'll underscore Epic being 40% owned by Tencent: "Tencent acquired a 40% stake in the company in 2012, after Epic Games realized that the video game industry was heavily developing towards the games as a service model."

Games as service model, eh?  Sounds really pro consumer, right guys?  See, e.g., Microsoft Windows and Office 365.

 
Syntax Error said:
It's not good for THIS consumer who already owned it. You other consumers can go pound walnuts.
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If only Epic Games Store had a User Review portion on the game page, then they could get review-bombed like CS:GO is getting from owners that spent $ on the game already... ;)

Unfortunately, yeah - we can't win them all. You know, I bought Destiny 2 (base-game) for around $15 earlier in the year (early April) - yet, Activision gave it away for free recently. Meh. And, there's even that $25 Forsaken Collection w/ all the DLC's/expansions, but not the Annual Pass. Again, meh.

Yeah, we can't win them all.

 
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I am like MysteryD in that I miss having full, complete single-player game experiences.   Mass Effect 2 and Fallout: New Vegas were a couple of the last great examples.   That's kind of a bygone era now. 

Diablo 3 was a prime (evil) example of the beginning of the end.  These games that ship incomplete, online components add literally nothing of value to the game, and they're never finished, all while continuously getting weird updates and patches.  The game should have shipped as completed status in the first place.  Now they just rework it, rejigger things in order to sell several different "complete/ultimate editions" on consoles over the years.  Oh, like I'm supposed to buy it again bc it was never complete in the first place.  It's all ass-backwards now.

 
I think a lot of this stuff depends on your perspective though.  If you play mostly indies and don't mind your games being picked for you (bundles and monthlies) then the digital revolution has been wonderful.  So many cheap games.

But if you're like me and you are mostly interested in the occasional big budget release, well, it hasn't been so friendly and it never seems like a good time to buy. 

 
Mooby said:
And again, I'll underscore Epic being 40% owned by Tencent: "Tencent acquired a 40% stake in the company in 2012, after Epic Games realized that the video game industry was heavily developing towards the games as a service model."

Games as service model, eh? Sounds really pro consumer, right guys? See, e.g., Microsoft Windows and Office 365.
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None of that is pro-consumer.

Epic probably really hasn't been Epic Games since Cliffy B left anyways.

If you want to go back even further - Epic might not have been Epic since UT3.

The only thing that could be pro-consumer, is if Epic causes such a stir that it makes Steam be more competitive w/ its splits w/ dev's-pub's and any sort of price wars could occur over certain games that are on both services simultaneously - all which can cause consumers/gamers to get better sales again. Again, a lot of "if" scenarios there - so, who knows. [shrug]

Let's face it; Steam sales have sucked more & more since Bundle Sites been devaluing games and Steam Refunds arrived on the scene.

EDIT:

Nothing371 said:
I am like MysteryD in that I miss having full, complete single-player game experiences. Mass Effect 2 and Fallout: New Vegas were a couple of the last great examples. That's kind of a bygone era now.
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Was Mass Effect 2 ever really that Complete though?

Still waiting for that ME2: DLC Bundle to get cheap on EA Origin over here.

And ME2 DLC Bundle Pack still hasn't hit Steam either.

While FO:NV can feel complete b/c of its base-game length and whatnot - it doesn't feel entirely complete until you do the Final DLC Lonesome Road, which is about the other Courier.

 
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I agree that -- in theory -- it could cause Steam to re-evaluate their percentages but it's just a theory.  The moves by Double Damage and Super Giant and whoever are simply indie developers forming a 'union' of sorts to create some leverage/collective bargaining to rework their deal with Steam.  Any benefit to the consumer, even if successful under their theory, is extremely attenuated.

And a developer also has to consider whether the hit to their good will is worth this speculative gain.  Streamers don't care one way or the other because they are bribed with free keys and swag and special treatment at marketing events.  90% of your consumer base, however, doesn't get those perks.  Travis is playing economist when he should just stick to what he does best: develop games.

As I said, if you make a good game, it will sell in droves.  Steam's cut is overtaken by the volume of sales you get on their platform.  It's the same concept as offering discounts on games: developers take less but ultimately generate more revenue due to volume.

 
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Right, a lot of this is theory.

The Indie Dev's Union (looks to be SuperGiant, Double Damage, and Journey's dev's) over to Epic could help them make more money w/ less units moved much quicker - but that's still if prices don't drop; and if gamers/consumer actually do follow & make their way over to Epic Games Store.

That Indie Dev's Union could cause Steam to be competitive w/ dev's/pub's - they could match Epic's 88/12 split, get close to the 88/12 split, maybe meet in the middle somewhere w/ a split, go for a 20/80 split, 25/75 split, or whatever. A lot of "if scenarios"; who knows.

I will guess - yeah, a lot of people still love Steam...and those hardcore Steam-fans might just wait around for the game to hit Steam, or wait for Steam-version to get bundled, hopes it wind up free on Steam game-store, or whatever.

If RGO is great, it could drive a lot of people over to Epic Games Store...b/c for 12 months, there's no other place on the PC to get that game. But, whether that will actually happen - well, that's another different story entirely...especially w/ us knowing in a little over 12 months, RGO could possibly still wind-up on the Steam Store.

Again, there's a ton of "If" scenarios here. Who the hell knows what will happen.

 
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MysterD said:
If only Epic Games Store had a User Review portion on the game page, then they could get review-bombed like CS:GO is getting from owners that spent $ on the game already... ;)
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Obviously I was being tongue-in-cheek but, let's face it, I've gotten dozens of free games via Steam not to mention Ubi/EA/GOG so a couple give-aways from someone trying to get you on their new client (and of a previously bundled game) doesn't move the needle much.

 
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Obviously I was being tongue-in-cheek but, let's face it, I've gotten dozens of free games via Steam not to mention Ubi/EA/GOG so a couple give-aways from someone trying to get you on their new client (and of a previously bundled game) doesn't move the needle much.
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Hmmmm; I think I should positive review-bomb Steam when I get a game on Steam for free, which I didn't buy.

"Steam game +1. Free game during Steam giveaway. Worth the $0."

;)

EDIT:

I still wish Steam had a "Neutral" option for user reviews. Really would help, for games that are somewhere in the middle for whatever reason - too pricey; lack of content; lack of value; mediocre game; etc.

EDIT 2:

I'm all for free stuff to increase my client-game counts (if I don't own it there already), no matter where they are! :)

 
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MysterD said:
Was Mass Effect 2 ever really that Complete though?

Still waiting for that ME2: DLC Bundle to get cheap on EA Origin over here.
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ME2 was DLC done right. You got a fully fleshed out, complete single-player game experience before any DLC. DLC was optional icing on the cake for the rabid fans. Just like how how Borderlands 2 did DLC the right way. There are several instances of DLC done correctly. They are not required map packs or multiplayer components.

 
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Nothing371 said:
ME2 was DLC done right. You got a fully fleshed out, complete single-player game experience before any DLC. Just like how how Borderlands 2 did DLC the right way. There are several instances of DLC done correctly.
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But doesn't a lot of those ME2 DLC's actually needed to effect how certain things/events can pan out or even happen at all in ME3?

DA2 is not sold as a Complete Re-Package either, as its DLC's only recently got a DA2: DLC Bundle on Origin.

At least DAO and DAI had Complete Editions later.

 
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