The NON-Steam Bargain Sale Mega Thread of Savings

[Pegultagol]

Yes...I guess it'd be okay to give it a whirl just to try it out. Hmm, maybe all they would like is for you to try the service out, just once, even if it is only for sampling that free game they threw in.

But I suspect that this promotion originated from a survey done by EA by Origin subscribers in North America region anyway, so it is screwing or sparing rest of the world once again.

 

[Gragt]

I hope that those who do not want to install Origin also refuse to install Steam, else there is a contradiction somewhere.

 

[dragonfk]

Pegultagol

Yeap. Just for fun I'd checked if I can get a free copy of the most horrible game under the sun named Dragon Age and I can't. So no love for non-Americans. Screw you EA.

Gragt:

And where do you see the contradiction? From what I know Origin snoops much more in your computer than Steam ever did. Also I trust more Gabe than whoever governs EA.

 

[Konjad]

Use code OS3874XVC to get any $20 or less EA game on Origin for free.

looks like it doesn't work for poland.

EDIT:
Oh, I didn't see previous posts.

 

[Konjad]

I hope that those who do not want to install Origin also refuse to install Steam, else there is a contradiction somewhere.

Nope. Steam might be sometimes clunky and annoying a little bit (like when offline mode doesn't work when it should), but it's not much of a bloatware that eats your CPU, RAM and scans your whole HDD for everything, since as far as i know it scans only steam folder. Software like Origin or Impulse are shit that should never been created, because people who made it knew nothing about optimization. Steam is a minor annoyance at worst, Origin is much worse.

This is why I don't buy games on Impulse anymore - it was so bad few years back that it made me stop using it. Steam on the other hand is fine, because I can trade being annoyed a tiny bit from time to time for great sales. Impulse or Origin gave me nothing back for using their shit, Gabe did

 

[Gord]

Meh, somehow Impulse is something I don't notice either, the games I bought on it don't need it to run, so I just have to start it up occasionally to check for updates or buy/dl games on it.

 

[Kitako]

I hope that those who do not want to install Origin also refuse to install Steam, else there is a contradiction somewhere.

Horrible bloatware, tried it for the ME3 demo time ago, and I am not going to install it ever again.
Beside, EA taint.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Something I forgot about Origin, it doesn't download patched versions of games. So here I am IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2012 manually downloading a patch for a videogame like a common ruffian. How deliciously barbaric.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Something I forgot about Origin, it doesn't download patched versions of games. So here I am IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2012 manually downloading a patch for a videogame like a common ruffian. How deliciously barbaric.

It does since the release of Battlefield 3, not games that have been releases before.

Gotta say Origin has imporved tremendously within the last 12 months. It's now sleak, reliable and keeps getting better.

However, there's almost nothing worthwhile to download since most EA games are shit anyway. Still, I rather keep Origin around than some piece of shit bloatware like Impulse or Uplay or whatever the fuck those losers are using.

 

[Gragt]

I'm highly skeptical of the bloatware claims. For one, while I did notice that Origin tended to eat a bit more memory at the start, Steam could also do it after a while. But it's fine in both cases since I got memory and it's there to be used and none impacted the performance. Same for CPU usage which is rather negligible when it comes to both. That said Origin gets an edge over Steam for a more responsive UI while Steam's feel sluggish by comparison, and of course the possibily to play games you installed with Origin without having Origin running, while Steam always needs to be on, in which case the so-called bloat is nonexistent — and yes I am aware that some more recent games require Origin to be running but a good number of them do not. Of course since Steam is also turning into a social network not quite entirely unlike Facebook, it can be attractive to have Steam on by default so your friends can contact you, but in case of a misanthrope like me, it's something I can do without. But I understand that the social aspect is a very strong pull.

Even more dubious are the claims that Origin scans your whole PC to check what you are doing, since that has already been debunked and I have yet to see some concrete evidence of that sort of activity other than some kids who can't properly analyse the results given by Process Monitor. Good mark for whoever said that Steam does it but it's ok in their case because it isn't as bad and Valve is trustworthy, or the comment on the "EA taint". Steam will scan your system to help you add game and let you connect while you play, but Origin on the other is a mean for EA to get access to your secrets. As I said before in a similar discussion, this is simply a bias in favour of one big company and not another. Gaben is marketable and Valve simply gets popular by doing many sales and allowing people to connect while they play their games. That's simply what Valve did, just like Apple and other companies or groups before: develop a culture around themselves. Now, I don't have a problem with fans and everyone is certainly free to use what they want, but the lack of critical thinking is a concern. In the end, Valve and EA are simply companies that wants your money, the difference is that one worked hard to win your heart because it's the direct key to your wallet.

Edit: on the subject of patches, I actually like to chose what patch version to install even if I'll almost invariably go for the latest one. It also goes for custom patches which can be a problem with Steam. For instance I've read reports of people having trouble patching some game executable to be LAW, like Dragon Age: Origins, since Steam wouldn't allow the game to be launched after that. You need to use a specific program that would patch the executable in memory and launch it that way. On my copy of DA:O, which I installed through Origin, I simply needed to patch the main executable and launch it. There is some beauty in simplicity.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Well this is a shame. Looks like Bioware doesn't have DLC for Dragon Age 2 easily listed and downloadable so it can be not removed from an inventory from them. Bummer.

 

[sea]

Edit: on the subject of patches, I actually like to chose what patch version to install even if I'll almost invariably go for the latest one. It also goes for custom patches which can be a problem with Steam. For instance I've read reports of people having trouble patching some game executable to be LAW, like Dragon Age: Origins, since Steam wouldn't allow the game to be launched after that. You need to use a specific program that would patch the executable in memory and launch it that way. On my copy of DA:O, which I installed through Origin, I simply needed to patch the main executable and launch it. There is some beauty in simplicity.

You can just use a cracked executable with the Steam version, it's what I do after I downloaded the GOTY version with all the DLCs etc.

 

[Turjan]

But I suspect that this promotion originated from a survey done by EA by Origin subscribers in North America region anyway, so it is screwing or sparing rest of the world once again.

Yup. "My friends at Origin" (as they like to call themselves) yesterday sent that survey link to my email address. They claimed I had already bought something at their store, which I'm not aware of.

 

[Metro]

I would use this if there were actually an EA game I was interested in playing.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Use code OS3874XVC to get any $20 or less EA game on Origin for free. Apparently earlier it was bugged and was infinite use so people plundered Origin viciously, but by the time I heard about it it was down to just one game and one use.

Huh cool. Thanks for the code. There wasn't a whole lot from EA that I'm interested in, but I picked up free C&C 4 to see if it's the trainwreck described. Morbid curiosity I guess.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Use code OS3874XVC to get any $20 or less EA game on Origin for free. Apparently earlier it was bugged and was infinite use so people plundered Origin viciously, but by the time I heard about it it was down to just one game and one use.

Huh cool. Thanks for the code. There wasn't a whole lot from EA that I'm interested in, but I picked up free C&C 4 to see if it's the trainwreck described. Morbid curiosity I guess.

If you're so inclined, there is a new way to exploit that for multiple use. The trick is as follows:

1. Buy stuff from the browser, be logged out of your Origin account
2. Add game you want to your cart (Almost any EA published game for $20 or less) and use the code to knock the price to $0
3. Remove the game from your cart
4. Log in to your account
5. Add the game to your cart, it should still be showing as $0 and you can finalize the order without giving credit card information
6. Repeat until you realize you now have the complete set of Sims 2 and all expansions and wonder what the fuck you're doing since you're probably not going to play all this shit but you're picking it up anyway
7. Drink whiskey

 

[mediocrepoet]

6. Repeat until you realize you now have the complete set of Sims 2 and all expansions and wonder what the fuck you're doing since you're probably not going to play all this shit but you're picking it up anyway
7. Drink whiskey

Nice but isn't this part basically your approach to Steam?

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

6. Repeat until you realize you now have the complete set of Sims 2 and all expansions and wonder what the fuck you're doing since you're probably not going to play all this shit but you're picking it up anyway
7. Drink whiskey

Nice but isn't this part basically your approach to Steam?

Yeah only this is free!
Truly, Origin is a blessing.

 

[Excidium]

Don't you need Origin to run all those games?

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Don't you need Origin to run all those games?

To download them. Don't need it to run 99% of them.

 

[Excidium]

I see.

 

[Ulminati]

6. Repeat until you realize you now have the complete set of Sims 2 and all expansions and wonder what the fuck you're doing since you're probably not going to play all this shit but you're picking it up anyway
7. Drink whiskey

Nice but isn't this part basically your approach to Steam?

Yeah only this is free!
Truly, Origin is a blessing.

So would you say you like John Riccitiello more than Gabe Newell?

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

6. Repeat until you realize you now have the complete set of Sims 2 and all expansions and wonder what the fuck you're doing since you're probably not going to play all this shit but you're picking it up anyway
7. Drink whiskey

Nice but isn't this part basically your approach to Steam?

Yeah only this is free!
Truly, Origin is a blessing.

So would you say you like John Riccitiello more than Gabe Newell?

What kind of a question is that Ulminati?

 

[mediocrepoet]

Yeah only this is free!
Truly, Origin is a blessing.

So would you say you like John Riccitiello more than Gabe Newell?

What kind of a question is that Ulminati?

Question seems legit. Or are you more of a pantheist?

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

I don't think I can stand the heresy in this thread!

 

[Turjan]

Use code OS3874XVC to get any $20 or less EA game on Origin for free. Apparently earlier it was bugged and was infinite use so people plundered Origin viciously, but by the time I heard about it it was down to just one game and one use.

Huh cool. Thanks for the code. There wasn't a whole lot from EA that I'm interested in, but I picked up free C&C 4 to see if it's the trainwreck described. Morbid curiosity I guess.

If you're so inclined, there is a new way to exploit that for multiple use. The trick is as follows:

1. Buy stuff from the browser, be logged out of your Origin account
2. Add game you want to your cart (Almost any EA published game for $20 or less) and use the code to knock the price to $0
3. Remove the game from your cart
4. Log in to your account
5. Add the game to your cart, it should still be showing as $0 and you can finalize the order without giving credit card information
6. Repeat until you realize you now have the complete set of Sims 2 and all expansions and wonder what the fuck you're doing since you're probably not going to play all this shit but you're picking it up anyway
7. Drink whiskey

Well, this yields a "Code invalid". Which is nice. As I haven't used the code at all. So far for the "promotion".

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Use code OS3874XVC to get any $20 or less EA game on Origin for free. Apparently earlier it was bugged and was infinite use so people plundered Origin viciously, but by the time I heard about it it was down to just one game and one use.

Huh cool. Thanks for the code. There wasn't a whole lot from EA that I'm interested in, but I picked up free C&C 4 to see if it's the trainwreck described. Morbid curiosity I guess.

If you're so inclined, there is a new way to exploit that for multiple use. The trick is as follows:

1. Buy stuff from the browser, be logged out of your Origin account
2. Add game you want to your cart (Almost any EA published game for $20 or less) and use the code to knock the price to $0
3. Remove the game from your cart
4. Log in to your account
5. Add the game to your cart, it should still be showing as $0 and you can finalize the order without giving credit card information
6. Repeat until you realize you now have the complete set of Sims 2 and all expansions and wonder what the fuck you're doing since you're probably not going to play all this shit but you're picking it up anyway
7. Drink whiskey

Well, this yields a "Code invalid". Which is nice. As I haven't used the code at all. So far for the "promotion".

Looks like EA finally caught on. Just tested it again on my end and getting code invalid too.