The Steam Deal Thread V6. We're all pumped for CAG 3.0!

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Welcome to the Steam Deal Thread V6! You can find link to past threads at the bottom of this post. Read post #2 of this thread for Steam FAQs and more.

With the V6 Thread, we're trying a slight formatting change. We used to list every possible Steam deal in the OP, but they change too frequently for anyone to keep up with (even in the Wiki format). So now, we'll leave regular minor sales out of the OP. This post will keep track of major sales (Winter sale, etc.), Steam deals available through other sellers (like Amazon), Preorder deals, and Group Buys.

I would still greatly appreciate help from you folks at home in keeping this smaller-scale OP up-to-date. This is a Wiki post so anyone can contribute. Wiki instructions:
Thanks for your help! If you notice a sale has ended, feel free to delete its line from the sale list. Of course, if you see something does need to be added, then kindly add it to the list.

Make sure your changes match the thread's format! For example, every game that's on sale is part of an unordered list. When adding a game to the list, copy an existing line and update the link, title, and prices. That way, the format stays correct. Do not list percentages off! We list the original price and the sale price here. If you have any suggestions for major changes to the post/thread, PM me (EastX) about them.

Steam Sales - Updated 1/22


CAG Threads Featuring Steam Games on Sale Elsewhere - Updated 1/9


Preorder Deals - Updated 1/10
Group Buy Deals - Updated 1/9/13
Several multiplayer Steam games are available in 2-packs or 4-packs. These packs offer a discount over buying multiple copies of a game separately. We also maintain group buy trade threads for several games, so please use those threads if you're interested in setting up a group buy.


Free Stuff - List needs updating with F2P games!
There are several free games and mods on Steam. These are a few choice ones; you can find a full list here. Note that free games are not permanently attached to your Steam account like actual purchases would be. You'll need to manually download a game again from the website if you uninstall it.


Steam around CAG

If you are interested in joining the Steam CAG Community or participating in a trade or group buy with fellow Cheap Ass Gamers, please do so in the dedicated threads and not in the deal discussion thread. In the dedicated threads you will find CAGers with the same specialized interest who will be much quicker (and happier) to respond than in the Deals thread.

Past Special Sales

Visit www.steamgamesales.com to check previous sale prices on Steam games. We do keep track of some older sales here though:

Steam Retail Key List

What is a CD key and where can I find it?

Steam's explanation and list of Steam-activatable keys

The CD Key is a serial number with a combination of 13, 18, or 25 letters and numbers - it can be found on a sticker inside your game's case or printed on the game's quick reference card. The CD Key acts as your proof of purchase for the game - Steam Support may ask for it if you need to establish your ownership of an account. It is recommended that you keep your CD Key in a safe place to ensure the security of your account.

Other Keys that can be redeemed on Steam (CAG tested & verified)
11.gif

  • The Ball (bought @D2D, tested by voken)
  • Supreme Commander Forged Alliance (gives both FA and original, bought @amazon, tested by vism)

Indie Bundles thread on Steam forums (link)

Past CAG Steam Deal Threads
 
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[quote name='Idiotekque']Steam is obviously okay with their keys being sold. The keys COME from Steam and go to companies who are selling those keys. Steam is likely making a cut (I'm not sure on that, but it seems pretty obvious).

It's just a dick move, plain and simple. Valve can do whatever the hell they want and they will still crap $1000 bills. It honestly doesn't matter what they do.[/QUOTE]

I've seen mention from several developers that Valve issues an unlimited number of game keys to them as a perk for having their game on the Steam platform. The "cut" that Valve gets is that they're able to sell and market those games on Steam (on their page, in the client, etc) and that they get a percentage of those sales, but not sales of the keys.

So yes, it's a dick move.
 
[quote name='jshackles']I've seen mention from several developers that Valve issues an unlimited number of game keys to them as a perk for having their game on the Steam platform. The "cut" that Valve gets is that they're able to sell and market those games on Steam (on their page, in the client, etc) and that they get a percentage of those sales, but not sales of the keys.

So yes, it's a dick move.[/QUOTE]
Alright, so does it say in the publisher contract that they can't sell their game keys elsewhere? Clearly not, since they give them the keys to sell elsewhere. That's the point. So they put the hammer down on their customers for taking part in a system that Valve CREATED themselves?

Never heard of anything this asinine in a long time. There needs to be some serious backlash for Steam because of this. Is there anything going on on the Steam forums about this?
 
I predict that, within the next year, you'll see Valve charging a retail key activation fee to the publisher.

Funny thing is that a lot of people are convinced that this already happens and will gloat that Valve is "winning" whenever you buy a game off Amazon, et al and activate it on Steam. They don't take kindly to being informed about the truth.
 
Valve is letting the power get to their heads. The steam drm is often praised as a good thing, valve must have thought nothing could change that and then this happened. No matter how you put it, steam is drm. A drm that (for the most part) has more pros than cons but the tables are turning.
 
We really cant be angry about them closing deal groups really.

Look at it like this. You have people using your software to promote purchasing games from your competitors instead of you.

Can you really say anyone else would have acted differently?
 
[quote name='KaOTiK']We really cant be angry about them closing deal groups really.

Look at it like this. You have people using your software to promote purchasing games from your competitors instead of you.

Can you really say anyone else would have acted differently?[/QUOTE]
Yes.

Do you think Origin would shut down people talking about buying Origin keys on Amazon? Tell me when it happens.
 
[quote name='KaOTiK']We really cant be angry about them closing deal groups really.

Look at it like this. You have people using your software to promote purchasing games from your competitors instead of you.

Can you really say anyone else would have acted differently?[/QUOTE]

I get what you are saying but it would have been nice if valve had said "Stop all talk about deals at any place other than the Steam store or your group will be deleted."
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']Is there anything going on on the Steam forums about this?[/QUOTE]
Are you kidding? Post about this on SPUF and you'll get a thousand howling Corporate Paladins bitching at you about how dare you use Steam to talk about another company and if you don't like Steam's sales you should shove your mouth full of shame and shut up :roll:

Also, at some point you'll be called "entitled".
[quote name='KaOTiK']We really cant be angry about them closing deal groups really.

Look at it like this. You have people using your software to promote purchasing games from your competitors instead of you.[/QUOTE]
Alternately, you are using their software to promote sales of other games using the Steam DRM platform.

It's all about perspective. The muddling comes from Valve wanting "Steam" to be both store and universal platform.
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']Yes.

Do you think Origin would shut down people talking about buying Origin keys on Amazon? Tell me when it happens.[/QUOTE]

If Origin had a community feature in their client and people were promoting buying games that activate on Origin from its competitors you can be damn sure they would shut that down, EA of all is not one to want to share. Their actions have proven that over and over.
 
[quote name='aShufflinZombie']I get what you are saying but it would have been nice if valve had said "Stop all talk about deals at any place other than the Steam store or your group will be deleted."[/QUOTE]

I totally agree, they should have given a warning telling people to stop it otherwise the groups would be shutdown. They did handle it poorly and I wont argue that.
 
It's not software though. Steam pushes itself as a game playing client, not a store. It lets you add outside games, chat with friends, etc. It's supposed to hold itself neutral in that respect, but that's obviously not the truth. They want you to use their client no matter what game or even software you use, but now they don't want you talking about buying games outside of their client, etc. So things are changing and it is a dick move.
 
[quote name='KaOTiK']If Origin had a community feature in their client and people were promoting buying games that activate on Origin from its competitors you can be damn sure they would shut that down, EA of all is not one to want to share. Their actions have proven that over and over.[/QUOTE]
The point is that Steam and Origin keys being available in places other than Origin and Steam are EA and Valve created systems. THEY instituted this system, and now they are punishing their customers for talking about it.

You honestly think that's hunky dory? Alright man.
 
One of the admins of Trader's Guild posted this: "We've already talked with Valve support and they said that advertising sales from authorized resellers, listing the ones you mentioned (Amazon etc.), was not an issue. The problem is likely that the ones that are disabling our groups have not communicated with the ones who said that it's fine and are doing so out of precedence/procedure. We'll see what they have to say about it."

So it's likely some misfire, or something else is off about it.
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']The point is that Steam and Origin keys being available in places other than Origin and Steam are EA and Valve created systems. THEY instituted this system, and now they are punishing their customers for talking about it.

You honestly think that's hunky dory? Alright man.[/QUOTE]

You know, the way you come off in your posts, I can see why so many people dislike/have/had issues with you.
 
[quote name='Corpekata']One of the admins of Trader's Guild posted this: "We've already talked with Valve support and they said that advertising sales from authorized resellers, listing the ones you mentioned (Amazon etc.), was not an issue. The problem is likely that the ones that are disabling our groups have not communicated with the ones who said that it's fine and are doing so out of precedence/procedure. We'll see what they have to say about it."

So it's likely some misfire, or something else is off about it.[/QUOTE]
Interesting. With how Steam support is, we'll see who actually is doing the "right" thing.

[quote name='KaOTiK']You know, the way you come off in your posts, I can see why so many people dislike/have/had issues with you.[/QUOTE]
I'm mad at Steam, not you. ;)
 
Well, my suspicion was they were cracking down on "trading" because they are going to make all trades go through their marketplace or whatever, but if that's the case groups like CAG are clearly not trading groups.
 
Steam's a business, first and formost. You guys are forgetting the one key business lesson that we all should've learnt by now:

tumblr_m6k37s2PaA1r96br0o1_500.png


Now, out of genuine interest, can people tell me the last time they got something useful from the Steam CAG group? Really, I'm genuinely curious. Did you hook up a trade? Did you spot a deal? What?

I'll start:







Nope. Nada. Nish. :)
 
[quote name='Flowette']Steam's a business, first and formost. You guys are forgetting the one key business lesson that we all should've learnt by now:[/QUOTE]
I assume you're just posting to use the picture since one of the foremost lessons of business is keeping a happy and placated customer base ;)
 
[quote name='Syntax Error']I assume you're just posting to use the picture since one of the foremost lessons of business is keeping a happy and placated customer base ;)[/QUOTE]
Apple charge inflated prices for standard stock. They make plenty of cash.

We're one of those pesky "informed" customer bases who represent a minority of Steam's income stream. Anything that takes cash away from Valve is a threat, I can see why they're doing it.

Now, if you think this is bad, imagine how pissed you'd be if Steam charged a monthly fee for using their servers...

...

Premium Steam ;)
 
Groundhog's Day Birthday tomorrow lol. I get to predict the winter tho I don't want to get any older

I srsly buy all these games and still end up playing 2K13
 
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[quote name='Flowette']Apple charge inflated prices for standard stock. They make plenty of cash.

We're one of those pesky "informed" customer bases who represent a minority of Steam's income stream. Anything that takes cash away from Valve is a threat, I can see why they're doing it.

Now, if you think this is bad, imagine how pissed you'd be if Steam charged a monthly fee for using their servers...

...

Premium Steam ;)[/QUOTE]

No need for a voice of reason here, sir. This thread is for getting all hot and bothered about something that we are ill informed to get hot and bothered about.
 
[quote name='CheapLikeAFox']Well, my suspicion was they were cracking down on "trading" because they are going to make all trades go through their marketplace or whatever, but if that's the case groups like CAG are clearly not trading groups.[/QUOTE]
Is Steam going to have a RMAH?

EDIT:
[quote name='Flowette']
Now, out of genuine interest, can people tell me the last time they got something useful from the Steam CAG group? Really, I'm genuinely curious. Did you hook up a trade? Did you spot a deal? What?

I'll start:







Nope. Nada. Nish. :)[/QUOTE]
Naw, I do most of my posting on CAG forums.
I show up on Steam's new forums or power-user forums, from time-to-time.

I'd say CAG Steam Group is how probably some CAG users found each other over Steam...if they didn't already decide while on CAG Forums they need to become Steam Friends and go on to exchange Steam UserNames.

I find a lot of deals on games from CAG here itself (obviously);
from actually just jumping on actual 3rd party seller's sites (Amazon DVG, Gamestop PC App, Gamersgate, GOG, etc);
Shacknews when they decide do "Weekend PC Deal" round-up posts like these and other sites that sometimes do these (like Joystiq does sometimes like this);
etc etc.

Hey, I go where the best price goes for what I want. Steam got it - I want in. Amazon got it - I want in. GOG got it - I want in. I don't care - if you're cheapest, I want in.
Give me my games cheap & take my $! :p
 
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I'm going to assume that they searched for certain keywords (such as, well, "TRADING") and generated a list of Steam groups, and that they then either auto-nixed the larger groups or had some peon eyeball them and make a 3-second yay/nay based on the more recent / most popular posts within said groups. If there were a big trading thread immediately visible within the group, I can guess that it would have gotten a nay with little to no scrutiny involved.

Any method that suggests any more human interaction than this toward shutting down what I would guess to be hundreds of groups among millions total, I wouldn't see as plausible.
 
[quote name='Idiotekque']The point is that Steam and Origin keys being available in places other than Origin and Steam are EA and Valve created systems. THEY instituted this system, and now they are punishing their customers for talking about it.

You honestly think that's hunky dory? Alright man.[/QUOTE]

As far as I know the only keys that activate on Origin are EA keys, so this would never happen with Origin because EA is making their cut on the keys no matter where you buy it.
 
[quote name='Flowette']Did anybody ever actually use the CAG Steam group?
It was full of people I'd never heard of and the chatroom (on the few occasions I had the misfortune to use it) was full of people begging for Skyram.

It was symbolic, and nothing else, for me at least. If I want to look for deals, I come here. The unmoderated, heavily-swollen CAG Steam group is the last place I'd look.

On the plus side, today's the start of a three day weekend. Grump over! :D
[/QUOTE]


Never, I had no clue if/what the CAG steam group was about when I accepted the invite a little while after joining CAG. I just hadn't had a use for it. It was swelling badly because of the steamgifts mania.

[quote name='Idiotekque']So Steam killed the groups because they were advertising deals elsewhere? Wow. Just wow. Pretty soon it will be a bannable offense to say "GMG", "Amazon", etc.[/QUOTE]


We'll just adopt codewords for them the same way the intelligence community does: Nancy (NSA), Fred (FBI), Charlie (CIA), etc. Less awkward though since we don't need to communicate about organizations that don't officially exist.

[quote name='jshackles']
I have to say, I'm really not happy with Valve's decision to close down these "deal" groups. I mean - Valve issues keys to Game Company X in exchange for having their game available on the Steam platform. Game Company X sells said keys on a competing site (GMG, Amazon, etc). Then Valve gets upset when people post links to sites selling at a lower price than what Valve offers.

From my understanding, Game Company X is the one SETTING the price both on Steam and on said other site.
So if anything, Valve shouldn't be shutting down the customers (bad PR) but should be stipulating to the game companies that either it is against their TOS to sell their Steam keys on competing sites, or that if they do sell them on other sites, they cannot be sold for lower than what they're sold on Steam.

Punishing the end users for this behavior is just... bizarre.[/QUOTE]


That legally borders on price fixing (to be decided in court).

[quote name='KaOTiK']We really cant be angry about them closing deal groups really.
Look at it like this. You have people using your software to promote purchasing games from your competitors instead of you.

Can you really say anyone else would have acted differently?
[/QUOTE]


We can be angry at them for making a community-hostile move. I haven't seen anyone argue against "it's their board and they can censor whatever they want."

[quote name='aShufflinZombie']Valve is letting the power get to their heads. The steam drm is often praised as a good thing, valve must have thought nothing could change that and then this happened. No matter how you put it, steam is drm. A drm that (for the most part) has more pros than cons but the tables are turning.[/QUOTE]


It's a lot like voting. Steam-DRM is the lesser of DRMs, being just account based, not limited activations (and the sometimes invasive software approach to that -- remember Sony's rootkit fiasco?) Being able to quickly and reliably re-download your games from a company you are sure is going to be around in a few years is a major plus for Backloggers. Some of us bought games from D2D, they went under. While Gamefly allows us to re-download some of our D2D games, we don't have access to everything we bought.

[quote name='Syntax Error']Are you kidding? Post about this on SPUF and you'll get a thousand howling Corporate Paladins bitching at you about how dare you use Steam to talk about another company
and if you don't like Steam's sales you should shove your mouth full of shame and shut up :roll:

Also, at some point you'll be called "entitled".
Alternately, you are using their software to promote sales of other games using the Steam DRM platform.

It's all about perspective. The muddling comes from Valve wanting "Steam" to be both store and universal platform.[/QUOTE]


There are other companies? ^_~ Seriously, one of the bigggest pluses for getting newer games on Steam is the ability to pick up DLC later on sale, from many places, but since Steam has the broadest holiday sales, I often pickup DLC on steam.

[quote name='KaOTiK']You know, the way you come off in your posts, I can see why so many people dislike/have/had issues with you.[/QUOTE]


Actually, I think he's mellowed out in the past few months. IRL you have a reasonably good idea of the age of someone talking. Based on this we give them different leeway and response. Your reaction to identical actions/speech of a 13 year old and a 26 year old are different. Once you have an idea of someone's age, you are able to put their actions into better context.
 
While maybe not the best for PR, I'm not at all surprised they shut down trading/deal groups. Not only are they paying to host groups that drive business away, there is also a not so small subset of people who try to prey on the uninformed in those groups and scam them out of games. I imagine that was a CS headache for Valve.

As for the CAG group, I never really used it. All of the deals were posted way after they had been posted here on the site, and it was too big to be of much use socially.
 
[quote name='asheskitty']Actually, I think he's mellowed out in the past few months. IRL you have a reasonably good idea of the age of someone talking. Based on this we give them different leeway and response. Your reaction to identical actions/speech of a 13 year old and a 26 year old are different. Once you have an idea of someone's age, you are able to put their actions into better context.[/QUOTE]

So you're saying he aged 13 years in a few months? Wow, he's like a backwards Benjamin Button!
 
[quote name='Genocidal']While maybe not the best for PR, I'm not at all surprised they shut down trading/deal groups. Not only are they paying to host groups that drive business away, there is also a not so small subset of people who try to prey on the uninformed in those groups and scam them out of games. I imagine that was a CS headache for Valve.

As for the CAG group, I never really used it. All of the deals were posted way after they had been posted here on the site, and it was too big to be of much use socially.[/QUOTE]

Those are good points, and I understand Valve's position. What bothers me most is that Valve created the community aspect of the service to allow external communities to plant their digital flags there, and they just shit all over ours, in a broad sense. I never got much use out of the group either, but it's the principalities of the whole thang.
 
[quote name='SeymourGams']Steam keeps resetting itself and asking me to install an update from December 19th... the hell?[/QUOTE]

I'm hacking you and that's my decoy while I buy up a crap load of games on your credit card.
 
[quote name='stupidproz1']I'm hacking you and that's my decoy while I buy up a crap load of games on your credit card.[/QUOTE]

The only reason I know this isn't true is because I work for an awful cheap asshole, so my paycheck bounced, and there isn't that much money to buy games with... trust me, I missed out on Lucius. :cry:
 
[quote name='Seraphym']Another BL2 Shift key to celebrate The Angel's B-day:
C3WBT-C6F5C-HCRTJ-3J3BT-C96ZW[/QUOTE]


Thanks! =) That isn't up on orcz yet.

[quote name='SeymourGams']Steam keeps resetting itself and asking me to install an update from December 19th... the hell?[/QUOTE]


When does the Winter Sale start? ^_~
 
[quote name='SeymourGams']December 10th, 1942.[/QUOTE]


One of several significant days in the approval of the Manhattan Project. What a random reference.

You could have made 1 Feb 2003 -- ten years ago today STS-107 ended tragically.

Or even an, I'm not sure, I got this new 2013 Mayan Calendar -- but it's blank!
 
quick question guys...

i accidentally redeemed a game code that i already own in steam...
steam then noted that i already own the game... does that mean that the code i accidentally entered is wasted already or can i give it to a friend and he can redeem it still?
 
[quote name='CAGkrazy']quick question guys...

i accidentally redeemed a game code that i already own in steam...
steam then noted that i already own the game... does that mean that the code i accidentally entered is wasted already or can i give it to a friend and he can redeem it?[/QUOTE]

No.

It means you already own that game and the code remains unredeemed.
 
[quote name='Seraphym']Another BL2 Shift key to celebrate The Angel's B-day:
C3WBT-C6F5C-HCRTJ-3J3BT-C96ZW[/QUOTE]

Starting to see alot of people with the same birthday. Thought I was special :(
 
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[quote name='Eldredpe']No.

It means you already own that game and the code remains unredeemed.[/QUOTE]

thanks for the quick reply... good to know. i thought i lost $15 bucks already.
 
[quote name='asheskitty']One of several significant days in the approval of the Manhattan Project. What a random reference.
[/QUOTE]

A mouth-less Japanese cat holding a bomb... how random indeed. :cool:
 
[quote name='SeymourGams']A mouth-less Japanese cat holding a bomb... how random indeed. :cool:[/QUOTE]


Atomic bomb*

ashes-kitty ...see?

Edit: Avatar at the time of posting:
ak_cag_hello_kitty_1.png
 
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We all have access to Wikipedia and can correct each other insignificantly! In your face, science!

Here's your new avatar:

1071780-1267565871-11032731203566373PCMasterRace2.PNG
 
[quote name='Blade']We all have access to Wikipedia and can correct each other insignificantly! In your face, science!

Here's your new avatar:

1071780-1267565871-11032731203566373PCMasterRace2.PNG
[/QUOTE]


Hmm, I just tried, it's still loading.

Edit: Avatar at the time of posting:
Wait_Cursor_300p.gif
 
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Bought the Wukong DLC for Sleeping Dogs. Awesome game. I love the combat and getting different fighting styles like the Monkey king and Drunken Fist pack. Those are the 2 best packs I think besides the story DLC for Sleeping Dogs.
 
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