The STEAM Sales and Releases Thread

[TripJack]

I've heard the opinion thrown around that the sales exist not so much to make money as they do to give people a strong incentive to stick around.

how is one different than the other

 

[sea]

how is one different than the other

It's hard to say if the sales are even directly profitable. They definitely sell higher volumes during them, but even so, publishers sure as hell aren't making much back when their year-old game goes on sale for $5. I'm sure they'll take any money they can get, but if it wasn't for the whole "keeping up with the Jonses" bit I highly doubt most would actually offer up their games so cheaply and so often. Meanwhile, Valve continue to reap the benefits of an audience that is for the most part too happy to even consider leaving, and who are entrenched by their massive Steam catalogues.

 

[Metro]

Most publishers know that they rake in the rubes with pre-orders and game sales within the first couple of months of release. After a year it's pretty obvious sales stagnate unless the price is drastically reduced. Especially if the game turns out to be mediocre/terrible. Digital downloads also have little to no cost other than the storefront's cost. Hell, Greenman Gaming has Deux Ex 3 available to preorder at around 25% off or around $35. About a week ago there was a 15% off deal where you could stack that with the preorder discount and get it for $28. Yep, a highly anticipated AAA title that hasn't even been released for $28.

 

[Admiral jimbob]

Right, to those who know Steam; I'm moving out in a week, and god knows how long it'll take to set up internet in my new flat. I'll be able to steal wifi from a cafe or something for my netbook, but my main desktop won't have access until we get it installed. How long will Steam's offline mode last? I remember reading that it asks you to check in every few days. I got Shogun 2 and Call of Pripyat with my new graphics card, and they're Steam-activated, so I'm assuming I won't be able to go into their directory and play them without going through Steam like you can for some non-Steam-based titles.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

I'm FAIRLY sure Steam doesn't have a hard limit on offline mode, but here are some protips to try to ensure it keeps running for you while your internet is down.

Make sure you've launched everything you wanna play in offline mode at least once in online mode. Games have to activate once online before offline mode works.

Make sure you have Steam set to remember your password. This is important, as there's apparently a bug at the moment where if this isn't set, offline mode will get fucked up.

Before you lose your internet, manually switch Steam to offline mode. You might not NEED to do this step, but things will probably go smoother if you do it.

 

[sea]

My father used my Steam account in offline mode for well over a year. I don't think it's an issue. The only problem is if you log in online, it will force you to update all your games before it lets you play them again.

 

[kingcomrade]

I actually recently had this problem. I was without internet and could not log on in offline mode. It told me I did not have existing login information on my computer.

 

[Secretninja]

I tried to get steam running the other day without internet. I clicked start in offline mode, and a box popped up saying that this action cannot be performed in offline mode. I had to get internet to my computer in the basement and start steam, restart in offline mode, and then turn off my internet to get it to work consistently.

 

[Excidium]

You just have to set Steam to login automatically BEFORE you lose your internet connection.

 

[kingcomrade]

Duh. Which I had already done.

 

[Grunker]

When I attempt to start in offline mode, Steam says "an error occurred" and that "the feature cannot be used."

It does so on both my laptop and my PC.

 

[Metro]

Not sure what's up -- I've never had an issue using offline mode.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Bloodlines for $5 weekend Steam deal. Buy it immediately if you don't already own it. One of my favorite RPGs of all time, up there with Fallout. Then again I'm a popamole.

Also make sure you grab the latest Wesp fan patch.
http://www.patches-scrolls.de/vampire_bloodlines.php

 

[Excidium]

Don't give you money to activision.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Bloodlines for $5 weekend Steam deal. Buy it immediately if you don't already own it. One of my favorite RPGs of all time, up there with Fallout. Then again I'm a popamole.

Also make sure you grab the latest Wesp fan patch.
http://www.patches-scrolls.de/vampire_bloodlines.php

 

[TripJack]

Don't give you money to activision.

 

[BLOBERT]

BRO THANK YOU FOR THE BLOODLINES HEADSUP ONE OF THE FEW GAMES I STILL WANT

IF GAMERSGATE OR DIRECT2DRIVE I FORGET EVER HAS A PATHOLOGIC SALE THEN I WILL SIGN UP FOR THERE SHIT

BROS ALSO ISNT WESPS PATCH MUCH BETTER THAN THAT TESSERA WOMANS I HEARD SHE LIES AND SAYS IT IS JUST A PATCH BUT CHANGES ALL KINDS OF GIRLIE SHIT

LOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLOOLOLLO

 

[Admiral jimbob]

According to the very loud proclamations of the author, Tessera's patch is only bug fixes, which is why it adds random nude skins everywhere, entirely rearranges levels and changes enemy inventories (because "poor balance is a bug"). Wesp's patch, which comes with two installers - bug fixes only and additional content - sucks because Wesp is German, therefore a Nazi, and he's also immature.

For some reason I ended up going with Wesp's

 

[Gragt]

IF GAMERSGATE OR DIRECT2DRIVE I FORGET EVER HAS A PATHOLOGIC SALE THEN I WILL SIGN UP FOR THERE SHIT

GG often do discounts on Pathologic. You missed one a month or so ago but it's sure to come back. That said the game is mostly interesting for its potential and what it could have been than what it managed to be in the end. There is still a lot of quality that should suck you in for a few hours but the more you keep going and the more clusterfucky it gets. In the end it's a bit of a failure but it's the kind of failure I'd like to see more often because it is one caused by ambition. The Void on the other hand is a better game and you can tell that the guys at Ice-Pick Lodge learned from their experiences with Pathologic. Actually it's not simply a better game but a masterpiece.

 

[Metro]

Civ 5 -- Steamworks title -- is $12 at Green Man Gaming. Still think I'll probably pass on it.

 

[Gragt]

Why get Civ5 when you can have Civ4 or Alpha Centauri?

 

[sser]

$12 for Civ5 aint bad. The game is much improved since its awful launch. I still think the foundation of the game will carry it to greatness. I think Civ4 had a far worse launch than this new one and look how it turned out by the time BtS came around.

 

[sea]

$12 for Civ5 aint bad. The game is much improved since its awful launch. I still think the foundation of the game will carry it to greatness. I think Civ4 had a far worse launch than this new one and look how it turned out by the time BtS came around.

This is how I feel too. Civ IV may not have been quite as unbalanced and broken in its initial state, but everyone remembers Beyond the Sword and all the updates, not the version at launch. Civ V still needs some tweaks to the late-game, research, and overall game pace (it's still a bit too slow-going for me), but it feels much more like a finished product these days, and its smaller selection of leaders with unique units and abilities actually makes for a more fun and diverse game than Civ IV's trait-based system. It's just a shame you need all the DLCs to get interesting scenarios.

 

[Metro]

Gamer's Gate is having week one (of four I think) of a huge sale right now. I'd say 70% of the games are crap but there are a few good ones.

 

[Azalin]

All Paradox strategy games are 75% off on Steam now on midweek madness.Also Anomaly Warzone earth is 67% off it's a Polish reverse tower defence game so the potato people around here might be interested

BTW is Victoria 2 any good?