Bargain Thread 2013

[Spoit]

It sounds like it was done on the request of the publisher (Square Enix)

[Starlight]

It sounds like it was done on the request of the publisher (Square Enix)

And? It’s so illegal under EU law it’s not funny. But yes, this belongs in another thread.

[KaoFloppy]

Steam’s deal of the day is The Binding of Isaac for $0.99 (80% off). Its soundtrack is also on sale, but not the DLC.

Also noticed in the newly released list, Topware Interactive has released 5 oldies onto Steam today for 50% off until October 4. Check the publisher’s page to see the 5 games:
[ul]
[li]Septerra Core
[/li][li]World War II: Panzer
[/li][li]World War III: Black Gold
[/li][li]Knightshift
[/li][li]Gorky 17 (AKA Odium)
[/li][/ul]

[Starlight]

How much does the DLC add to The Binding of Isaac? (should I hold off for a general discount?)

[Jab]

It adds a new basic item type in the form of trinkets, but other than that, most of the additions are added bosses,characters and levels that make the game harder. If you never played BOI before, the retail game should provide enough content if you then decide to pick up the expansion later.

[BrianRubin]

Odium is such an awesome game, but it’s a better deal on GOG because you get the excellent soundtrack as well.

[Murbella]

Odium is such an awesome game, but it’s a better deal on GOG because you get the excellent soundtrack as well.

I will add the warning that this game got slammed in reviews when it was released and was not popular.

I however also really liked it. I remember it could be a little repetitive at times, but was a great game.

I was noticing all of these old games being released a couple days on steam too. Some of them i enjoyed a lot back when they came out.

I would not recommend septerra core to anyone who hasn’t played it. I remember thinking the game was great in almost every way, except that it was massively repetitive to such a degree that i couldn’t finish it. This one would have been bad even among the old days where jrpgs had tons of random encounters. This has CONSTANT CONSTANT CONSTANT random encounters. CONSTANT.

[Nightgaunt]

Odium is no Shadow Watch.

(Dang, something’s broken with the link to Brooski’s old Geryk Analysis on Odium vs. Shadow Watch. Taunting fail.)

[KaoFloppy]

Looks like old feature articles got lost by QT3’s recent redesign. Google web cache has some of it. I grabbed this from the conclusion page:

Odium has game design in spades. Shadow Watch has art design.

[triggercut]

Oh, please! It’s outrageous. Nothing less. And you are wrong. It was a paid for module.

So, yes, the thing that was removed from accounts (a first, two previous and corrected “mistakes” notwithstanding) is the MP component. It was given away free to owners of the main game. They can’t really complain, much. Here’s the nasty part. That very same MP module was also sold for $9.99 to those who did not have the core game and only wanted the multiplayer. So it was a proper commercial game. It cost money. Again, owners of the SP game got it free. They too should bitch, but meh, okay - “easy come easy go”. But those who paid for it? Are you dense? That’s outright theft. The only legally valid reason for Valve to remove a game from a user’s library would be for fraud. Dead games (until now that is) are not removed. There are several completely dead games. Games that install but upon launch do absolutely nothing. Black screen or black screen that gives “server not found error”. Crasher and Fray do that. I have them. There are more such dead games out of the 250+ removed from sale games. Whilst it’s a shame that the games are dead, people who bought them still have them - as they should. Yes, they can’t do shit with them but so what? That is not the point.

Now, in an unprecedented and highly illegal move, Valve is complicit in outright theft. (Hey, Chet still around? /rolleyes)

I was going to link the actual Steam store page via that way back archive site, but when it started loading Russian pages I buzzed the fuck out of there. Anything Russian and I’m out. Anyway, you can just Google it and see that it was a $10 MP-only game. I am even providing a picture right here to save anyone the bother.

Look.

Square asked Steam to remove it from libraries.

I don’t know exactly what the contractual legal argument was that made Valve decide to do that, but they complied.

I’d like to think that’s an incredibly isolated incident, and it appears to be the case.

It’s a small price to pay to live in my happy world, and not your shitty one.

[sangkancil99]

Rachel is right. And I don’t why we’re giving Valve a pass for this. If this was EA doing it on Origins, the words “shitstorm” and “ceiling fan” will be bandied about in no time.

Deactivating the game that you’ve paid for is no different from going to your house and snatching away your game DVD, and just because one game publishers requested it.

Look I have 300 games on Steam and I like the service as much as anyone. But to believe that this action has no impact at all on your digital gamin g or on the perception of Valve as a reliable service provider is just going into denial. Valve will and had put profits over principle and gaming rights.

[rhinohelix]

Valve will and had put profits over principle and gaming rights.

If by “profits” you mean “contractual agreements” and by “principle and gaming rights” you mean “something not worth going to court over”, you would be more accurate.

I certainly understand this is the Internet and no hill is too small to die on but do you really think that this is the horn that signals the end of rights on Steam? Come on.

[sangkancil99]

What about Steam’s “contractual agreements” with the customer? Oh yeah, that isn’t worth the toilet paper it was written on.

I certainly understand this is the Internet and no hill is too small to die on but do you really think that this is the horn that signals the end of rights on Steam? Come on.

For you, since its Valve that’s doing it then of course not. Since Valve is soooo good and kind and sweet and so trustworthy. But if EA is involved…

[Starlight]

I certainly understand this is the Internet and no hill is too small to die on but do you really think that this is the horn that signals the end of rights on Steam? Come on.

They deny you have any in the first place. I believe the German case on that is heard soon, and in light of the ECJ ruling of a right to resell software…

( http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2012-07/cp120094en.pdf / http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/july/downloadable-software-can-be-re-sold-by-purchaser-but-not-for-different-number-of-users-than-originally-licensed-ecj-rules-/ )

[Murbella]

Rachel is right. And I don’t why we’re giving Valve a pass for this. If this was EA doing it on Origins, the words “shitstorm” and “ceiling fan” will be bandied about in no time.

Deactivating the game that you’ve paid for is no different from going to your house and snatching away your game DVD, and just because one game publishers requested it.

Look I have 300 games on Steam and I like the service as much as anyone. But to believe that this action has no impact at all on your digital gamin g or on the perception of Valve as a reliable service provider is just going into denial. Valve will and had put profits over principle and gaming rights.

This is true, but this is some multiplayer game that no longers work, right? I find that somewhat less troubling than if it was a game that actually worked still.

we can never trust valve or game publishers to be on our side, because like any business, they aren’t. The only thing that keeps them honest is a mix of the carrot (return customers) with a threat of the stick (if they push their reach too far customers will just turn in to pirates). Digital distribution certainly does give them much more power post purchase though, and yes it is very open to exploitation and immoral behaviors with absolutely nothing gamers can do about it.

I’ve always said that digital distribution was based solely on the trust system. In a way it is similar to kickstarter in that they can just take your money and run and you’re out of luck. The day Steam loses that trust is the day it dies. For me, that point is not yet.

[RickH]

What about Steam’s “contractual agreements” with the customer? Oh yeah, that isn’t worth the toilet paper it was written on.

If you took the time to read the contract, you’d realize that Steam was within its rights. What you buy from them is a terminable license, not a perpetual ownership.

[Murbella]

If you took the time to read the contract, you’d realize that Steam was within its rights. What you buy from them is a terminable license, not a perpetual ownership.

Which is one of the major problems that digital distribution will have to deal with some day, probably when one if these companies massively screws a large number of customers.

[LockerK]

Can you guys take it to another thread already?

In bargain news, IndieGameStand has 99 Levels to Hell today, a platformer that describes itself as a rogue-like-like. I picked this up in a Groupees bundle a while back and have enjoyed my time with it. PWYW (min $1) for Desura and GOG keys.

[flyinj]

Odium/Gorky13 has major bugs on my 660ti. The characters don’t show up at all.

[BrianRubin]

In bargain news, IndieGameStand has 99 Levels to Hell today, a platformer that describes itself as a rogue-like-like. I picked this up in a Groupees bundle a while back and have enjoyed my time with it. PWYW (min $1) for Desura and GOG keys.

99 Levels to Hell it’s a lot of fun. It’s no Spelunky, but what is? ;) I had a good amount of fun with it.