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STEAM announcements & updates 2012 Thread 2 - Bad Rats Daily Deal for next 6 months

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RoadHazard

Gold Member
So any reason for the Aussie Tax? granted I hear it a lot but there must be a reason for it and why has no one tried to lobby against it in parliament?

It's not just an Aussie tax. It might not be quite as bad here in Europe, but it's not uncommon at all that games are priced as per the $1 = €1 model (which means we get ripped off hard).

My account's value (according to Steam Calculator) is almost exactly the same number in € as in $, which is obviously BS.
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
I had the PC version originally (never has a PS1). I liked it, though at one point all the CG scenes were upside down when they played. It was hilarious.

Must have been the Aussie version.

xzfNf.jpg
 

Twinduct

Member
The more I look at it, I honestly can't get excited for this sale. The constant barrage of unfinished and unplayed games I see, every time I go into my library is just a constant bleak reminder just how meaningless the whole affair is.

Getting all excited about lower priced games whilst not having played around 80% of the library that already exists. Which you bought with the same intent.

Maybe I'm just depressed or something :/
 

benjipwns

Banned
The more I look at it, I honestly can't get excited for this sale. The constant barrage of unfinished and unplayed games I see, every time I go into my library is just a constant bleak reminder just how meaningless the whole affair is.

Getting all excited about lower priced games whilst not having played around 80% of the library that already exists. Which you bought with the same intent.

Maybe I'm just depressed or something :/
Look on the bright side, you might be able to get that up to 85% or 90% you haven't played.

In school, were you fine with an 80% on a test? When you knew you could go for 90% or higher?
 

Blizzard

Banned
I always post about the backlog thing -- no one should be depressed about a backlog. You should think about it as a library instead. You wait until games go down to prices that you PERSONALLY think are reasonable. Okay, it's $5 and you're happy with $5, make that decision and don't regret if it ever goes for $2.50 down the road. If the $2.50 difference is a lot because you're broke, or if you don't really consider the game worth $5 to you, then DO NOT buy it!

Then, you end up with a big library of games that lasts forever, or at least a year or two until Valve is bought by Activision and robots take over the world. Instead of thinking about it as a backlog, think of it as a big room full of books and comfy chairs. You walk into it, think "Hmm, I'm in the mood for a Nancy Drew book game," and play it when the mood strikes. You have lots of options for lots of different moods.

If you build up a library full of books but don't think of anything but "Man I gotta read all these ASAP or I'm gonna be so depressed," you shouldn't be buying them in my opinion. :)
 
So any reason for the Aussie Tax? granted I hear it a lot but there must be a reason for it and why has no one tried to lobby against it in parliament?

The government is planning to investigate, but the real reason of course is "just because they can". If they charge relatively higher rates, and people still buy them then they would be dumb not to.

It kind of kills the sales hype a bit unless some kind soul is willing to buy for you. Between that pain, g4wl and games I already have it is hard to get excited.

I still really am, but it is hard.

I agree with the library post. I collect books and games. Strangely I only want digital games on steam, but will only buy "real books"
 

Megasoum

Banned
Is this FF VII news just Eurogamer recycling old rumors/fakes and turning it into news?

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-06-21-final-fantasy-7-coming-to-steam-leak-suggests

FFVII with Steam achievements for 10 bucks sounds a bit too good.

If you look at Eurogamer's source for this (the google cache of the Square website) it doesn't say Steam anywhere... It just list a bunch of features (including cloud saves) but that doesn't necessarly mean Steam.
 

AndyD

aka andydumi
This stupid thread, I keep checking it for news about the summer sale, but I keep forgetting the sale will get its own thread.
 

feel

Member
I'm beyond excited for this sale, since I'm very new to pc gaming and have almost no games.

This stupid thread, I keep checking it for news about the summer sale, but I keep forgetting the sale will get its own thread.
Which will be up for at least 7 hours before you notice it on the front page. So check check check this one :p
 

Snuggles

erotic butter maelstrom
It's normal to stop getting excited about Steam sales. The first two were amazing, but I was building my library then. I still have a healthy wishlist, but I already own pretty much everything I want badly. Plus, like everyone else in this thread, I'm still trying to catch up with games from previous sales. I'm more excited about the possibility of another Steam Sale metagame, the Xmas stuff was fun, even with the coal and shitty coupons.
 

kafiend

Member
Which will be up for at least 7 hours before you notice it on the front page. So check check check this one :p

I think this thread is going to be locked throughout the Summer Sale, so its a good idea to subscribe to this one now if you haven't already.
 

RetroMG

Member
My first Steam Sale since switching to PC Gaming! (Well, I was around for Winter, but I didn't have any money.) I've got $110 set aside, and the hardest damn thing is not going into the store right now and going nuts.

Breathe, Retro... Patience. Deals to be had.
 

Snuggles

erotic butter maelstrom
My first Steam Sale since switching to PC Gaming! (Well, I was around for Winter, but I didn't have any money.) I've got $110 set aside, and the hardest damn thing is not going into the store right now and going nuts.

Breathe, Retro... Patience. Deals to be had.

Only $110? Good luck getting past the first few days.
 

kafiend

Member
SteamGAF. I will be putting a new install of Win 7 on a SSD later today. I failed horribly at cloning my existing install to the new SSD.

So, when its done.

Steam installed on the SSD and use Seam Mover to shift games around after downloading and for playing etc?

Or Steam installed on a traditional drive and Steam Mover used to move games onto the SSD if required?
 

ShaneB

Member
It's normal to stop getting excited about Steam sales. The first two were amazing, but I was building my library then. I still have a healthy wishlist, but I already own pretty much everything I want badly. Plus, like everyone else in this thread, I'm still trying to catch up with games from previous sales. I'm more excited about the possibility of another Steam Sale metagame, the Xmas stuff was fun, even with the coal and shitty coupons.

I've said it before, but these big Steam Sales are more for the new users, to bring them in and keep them in. You'll have posts during the thread claiming "Sale sucks, I own all these games!". That's fine, and plenty of other DD services have really taken off in terms of offering incredible sales just as frequently as Steam, so there are lots of options, and people take advantage of that. I first really took notice of Steam during a christmas sale, and you can bet plenty of others do too..

My first Steam Sale since switching to PC Gaming! (Well, I was around for Winter, but I didn't have any money.) I've got $110 set aside, and the hardest damn thing is not going into the store right now and going nuts.

Breathe, Retro... Patience. Deals to be had.

... like this guy! :) I'll be putting in 100 dollars. It was easier when I knew my old laptop could hardly run anything, so I stayed safe in that way. But my current laptop handles pretty much everything new fairly well, so I'm now in the rabbit hole of buying more games I know I can run. lol And it'll likely get worse when I eventually get a full gaming pc again.
 

RetroMG

Member
You planning to blow more than $110? Seriously, how much do you guys spend during sales on average? I was at around 50 during the Winter sale.

I'm hoping to not, but I am also just really switching to PC gaming, so I know there are going to be a bunch of games I want to pick up. Plus I did get a few Gamestop/Steam cards for my birthday, so it's not like it's entirely my money.
On the flip side though, I'm not opposed to adding more money if I get halfway through the week and am running low. But I'm hoping not.
 

Dave Long

Banned
I'm going to buy one of those $20 or $50 Steam cards and just use that. I'll be much less likely to spend more if I do it that way.
 

benjipwns

Banned
I'm hoping to not, but I am also just really switching to PC gaming, so I know there are going to be a bunch of games I want to pick up. Plus I did get a few Gamestop/Steam cards for my birthday, so it's not like it's entirely my money.
On the flip side though, I'm not opposed to adding more money if I get halfway through the week and am running low. But I'm hoping not.
Setting tiers can make things easier.

For example: This (personal) GOTY title or that one = 50%. These games = $20 or less. These = $10 or less. Nothing else over $5.
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
I spent over $300 during my first Steam sale, and last year's bloody Winter achievements cost me over $100.
 
I'm going to buy one of those $20 or $50 Steam cards and just use that. I'll be much less likely to spend more if I do it that way.

This is what I did. I just got a $50 card and put it on my account, but because this is my first sale with a PC that can run everything I will most likely blow through that quite quickly. I don't plan on spending anything more than $100 though, and I think that's pretty reasonable for people enjoying their first or second sale with relatively empty libraries
 

DagsJT

Member
The more I look at it, I honestly can't get excited for this sale. The constant barrage of unfinished and unplayed games I see, every time I go into my library is just a constant bleak reminder just how meaningless the whole affair is.

Getting all excited about lower priced games whilst not having played around 80% of the library that already exists. Which you bought with the same intent.

Maybe I'm just depressed or something :/

I've got 212 games according to that Steam stats link. Granted, some of that is DLC etc. But the fact that I've actually finished the story of FOUR games in my Steam library means I should actually avoid the summer sale.

I know I wont know, and my wallet is ready :(
 

Derrick01

Banned
You planning to blow more than $110? Seriously, how much do you guys spend during sales on average? I was at around 50 during the Winter sale.

I've done 4 or 5 sales now and I've never spent less than $150. That will probably change now since I'm putting a $40 limit on myself for the 1st time and there's really nothing left that I want. I'm not going to buy any of those crummy indie games they put up as daily challenges, I'm just going to play the ones that I already have. My wishlist is about 20 games long but most of the top 10 are unreleased games in case I'm lucky enough to win one of those contests they do with the first 10 games on your list.

I'll echo the sentiment that the steam sales are the most exciting thing ever when you don't have much yet. My first winter sale took me over $200 but I ended up getting over 50 games, almost every one of them being something I wanted. It was one of my fondest gaming moments.
 
I spent over $300 during my first Steam sale, and last year's bloody Winter achievements cost me over $100.

Is there much left to spend on at that point? I'm not expect there to be much that I actually want this Steam Sale because I've purchased so much in the previous sales. I'm running out of good content to buy.
 

benjipwns

Banned
The one time I really went all out and above my limits on a sale was when there was that absurd Eidos pack for $50. Back when Arkham Asylum was still at $30 at cheapest, and you got that plus all the Tomb Raiders, Hitmans, etc.

And I said, well, okay...
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
For keeping the cycle of thread-memes going, I assume.

I missed the boat and wanted to catch it. :p

Is there much left to spend on at that point? I'm not expect there to be much that I actually want this Steam Sale because I've purchased so much in the previous sales. I'm running out of good content to buy.

Not really. After last year's Winter/Christmas sale, I decided to keep a list of games I'd like to buy during the Summer/mid-year sale so I don't have to examine each and every page of specials, and it's only grown to ~25 titles.
 

benjipwns

Banned
Not really. After last year's Winter/Christmas sale, I decided to keep a list of games I'd like to buy during the Summer/mid-year sale so I don't have to examine each and every page of specials, and it's only grown to ~25 titles.
I still think this is the way to do it, identify games you want, set a maximum price or ideal price.

And then each day you're only really concerned about if an incredible deal comes up to mull over, because you already know your price on anything you truly want.

Or be Joe and buy everything.
 

DagsJT

Member
Another thing is that I should avoid this site during the summer sale. I've got a wishlist and I'm pretty sure the 58 games on there are all that I'm aware that I want.

And then I visit this site, read people saying X & Y are fantastic games for the cheap price, and buy them based on recommendations. Add the games I want to those recommendations and I'll end up with twice the amount of games I'd intend to grab.

Damn you all!
 

iavi

Member
If you look at Eurogamer's source for this (the google cache of the Square website) it doesn't say Steam anywhere... It just list a bunch of features (including cloud saves) but that doesn't necessarly mean Steam.

It doesn't, but it's for PC and who beside EA would skip the biggest platform on it? It's pretty safe to say that if it's ever coming, it's coming to Steam. Plus, that definitely sounds like the features of Steamworks.
 

benjipwns

Banned
Another thing is that I should avoid this site during the summer sale. I've got a wishlist and I'm pretty sure the 58 games on there are all that I'm aware that I want.

And then I visit this site, read people saying X & Y are fantastic games for the cheap price, and buy them based on recommendations. Add the games I want to those recommendations and I'll end up with twice the amount of games I'd intend to grab.

Damn you all!
It's really insidious when they start talking about $2-4 games with no demo.

Those add up.
 

Semblance

shhh Graham I'm still compiling this Radiant map
I've done 4 or 5 sales now and I've never spent less than $150. That will probably change now since I'm putting a $40 limit on myself for the 1st time and there's really nothing left that I want. I'm not going to buy any of those crummy indie games they put up as daily challenges, I'm just going to play the ones that I already have. My wishlist is about 20 games long but most of the top 10 are unreleased games in case I'm lucky enough to win one of those contests they do with the first 10 games on your list.

I'll echo the sentiment that the steam sales are the most exciting thing ever when you don't have much yet. My first winter sale took me over $200 but I ended up getting over 50 games, almost every one of them being something I wanted. It was one of my fondest gaming moments.

Amen to all of this, but especially the awful indie games and their daily challenges. Never again.

I think there are four or five things I even really want this sale. I'll most likely gift some friends stuff more than anything. We'll see what the sales bring though.
 

rybrad

Member
Amen to all of this, but especially the awful indie games and their daily challenges. Never again.

I think there are four or five things I even really want this sale. I'll most likely gift some friends stuff more than anything. We'll see what the sales bring though.
The only good thing about the awful indie games challenges is most of the games come in various indie bundles now. I have picked up several potentially awful challenge games simply because I wanted other games in the bundle and it was cheap.
 

BioHazard

Member
I have a good percentage of the steam store and I still greatly look forward to the sales (there is still much to buy muahahahaha). Also, the challenges too! Even if they are kind of stupid at times...
 

Bentendo

Member
I bought Fallout 2 on GoG a while ago and wondered if it would be crazy to REBUY it on Steam so that I can track how much time I'm spending on it... So far I can't believe how much I'm enjoying the game.

A question though: how do I move my save file to the Steam version?
 
The gaben thing is from the fake gold announcement for HL2 that someone made on a HL fansite that Gabe posted at. They guessed his password and made a fake post saying the game had just gone gold. Gabe's password was "gaben" : /
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
So since everyone is just going to spam the thread with "lol countdown 2 summer sale" for the next while, we might as well to make the thread productive instead of being an IRC chat (if you want an IRC chat, go chat on IRC -- for example irc.gamecubecafe.com #ga).

I will try to set an example:

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One game that I have on my wishlist for the summer is Roller Coaster Rampage URL. It looks pretty low budget, but I'm really in the mood for a new coaster game. I like the idea of being able to do stunts and building coasters AS the coasters ride.

I think my favourite coaster game of all time is Disney's Coaster. It was cool because after doing a (very advanced at the time) 3D ride-through of your coaster, you got reviews from different judges who all valued different things in the coaster. The portrait art reminded me of then-contemporary adventure games too. Great building UI as well. Pity it's not possible to legally obtain at this point.

Has anyone played Roller Coaster Rampage? Or Disney's Coaster? Anyone else miss coaster games?

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Another game I have on my wishlist is A Valley Without Wind. URL. It's basically supposed to be a procedurally generated platformer. Frankly, I think it looks pretty shitty, but I'm interested in indulging the concept. One problem with procedural generation is that it makes it very hard to have "memorable" areas or experiences, unless you manually code them--and manually coding stuff destroys some of the diversity, because even if you have 100 different options, you're going to see all 100 during regular gameplay.

I think procedural content works well for stuff like roguelikes where the primary appeal of the game is not the content being procedurally generated, but rather than other mechanics--character building and combat. In a platformer, there's a pretty intrinsic link between the content of the level itself and the mechanics of traversal, so I feel like it's not likely to work well.

It's pretty much an ideal summer sale game, since the base price is really way too high to take a chance on it given my reservations above, but it's been out for a while and so has a great chance to be 50-75% off.

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Among retail games, I think I'm not alone in being an Xbox 360 Alan Wake owner who'd like to pick up the PC version but is waiting for a pretty steep sale. But the real retail star of the summer sale, to me, is gonna be Kingdoms of Amalur. I see two major possibilities--either the company being defunct means it doesn't go on sale at all, or the company getting desperate to raise revenue means it gets a pretty steep sale. Hopefully the latter. That's something that's unfortunate about a digital game. With digital games, only the developer/publisher have an incentive to change the price. This is normally a good thing, because the publisher wants to drive sales or extract a burst of revenue or promote subsequent games in the IP or whatever. But in the case of a defunct company, it's all autopilot. At retail, there's a second actor who has an incentive to discount--the retailer.

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I'm somewhat interested in the EU-exclusive Who Wants to be a Millionaire and a few of the DLCs (Star Trek at least, maybe a couple others). If it gets a good discount in the summer sale, I'll have to rig up a gifting thing with one of you fine Euros. A cool trade would be for me to give you You Don't Know Jack (US-exclusive trivia game) in exchange for it--I guess it depends on the prices.

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What have you all been playing recently? I've been working on Hitman: Blood Money, which I'm ashamed to say is my introduction to the franchise. It's going pretty well. I normally play games on higher difficulties, but I'm playing this on an easy difficulty. So much of your success depends on careful observation of the level and the timing of each enemy's "loop" through the level, so as a noob I appreciate that easier difficulties allow me to save and reload infinitely. I'm not going for Silent Assassin on every level, but I am going for pretty silent playthroughs. I decided to play "A New Life" (a level about half-way through) as though it were a shooter, which is pretty hilarious. I did manage to get Silent Assassin on the Opera level.

If I have one negative thing to say about the game, it's that it's basically a series of levels. The frame story of game is non-existent. It's just gibberish threaded together to make a game. It feels like I bought an RTS and instead of having a campaign, I just got a bunch of skirmish scenarios. I mean, each level is a labour of love, really great work by the team, but they don't really seem to be connected in any way at all.

Even if you're not a stealth fan, I think the game has a good balance of accessibility and depth. Play on easy, abuse saves. It's really fun and rewarding. It feels more like a puzzle game than anything else, trying to unpack how the levels are constructed and work your way through them.
 
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