Home Have Steam Sales lost their appeal?

Have Steam Sales lost their appeal?

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Steam broadcast

I used to love Steam Sales, much like all of you. It was so exciting to pick up a game I wanted for a fraction of its original price, and it felt almost frantic as I’d vote for flash sales or wait for an epic daily sale. It was a mixture of playing the odds and hoping for a great deal, along with seeing those 75-80% off icons that would make me feel like I’d really snagged a bargain. But this time around, I’m just not excited about the Steam Sale, and it seems I’m not the only one.

A quick chat around the office is showing some general apathy about the Steam Sale. Matty hasn’t bought anything, Alessandro is maybe going to pick up an indie game or two later in the sale, and Geoff was going to buy an indie game before realizing that he’d never play it. So far, I have installed a new free-to-play idle clicker game, but haven’t yet bought anything.

So what has changed this time? Are the sales just appearing less intriguing because we have switched to Rands? It was always so great to pick up a game for less than a dollar back in the day, and you can still do that now when you convert the Rand amounts back into USD, but somehow it doesn’t quite feel the same.

Checking out the top seller list on Steam, the best sellers are pretty much to be expected: GTA V (40% off), Doom (40% off), Fallout 4 (50% off), The Witcher 3 (50% off). One of the best deals I’ve seen is Civilization V: Complete for 92% off. Yup, that’s R1 624 worth of gaming for R134. That’s pretty incredible, unless you’re actually a Civ fan who has already bought all of the Civ V elements already. People are obviously happy with these discounts, picking up AAA titles for half price.

Have we just gotten spoiled? Are we too used to sales with ridiculous mark downs? I remember a couple years back, people discussed in the comments that they didn’t even consider buying a game unless it was a minimum of 75% off. Can we still expect those kinds of discounts?

While I’m missing the frenetic pace of the old Steam Sales, I am enjoying exploring my queue to get cards. Sure, many of the games in my queues are things I would never buy – they are only appearing because they’re popular and have nothing to do with my actual interests in games. However, I have started following a few more games in Early Access, and I’ve added a couple of titles to my wishlist as well.

Perhaps it’s a good thing that I’m more measured during this Steam Sale – at least my backlog isn’t growing. But is this just a pocket of cynicism? Are you enjoying the Steam Sale and picking up some great deals, or are you still waiting for something to strike your fancy?

 

Last Updated: June 27, 2016

55 Comments

  1. VampyreSquirrel

    June 27, 2016 at 11:13

    There’s a few games I haven’t been able to pick up that I’m really interested in getting during this sale, but I’ll see, especially seeing as I haven’t been paid yet. South Park The Stick of Truth is a definite get for me, but I’ll decide later if I get anything else.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      June 27, 2016 at 11:18

      That’s one of the problems right there – I bought all the games I really wanted on day one. I don’t need to go back to the store now, because nothing will change. The magic is gone.

      Reply

      • VampyreSquirrel

        June 27, 2016 at 11:23

        Yeah, I get where you’re coming from. I just can’t always afford to get games on day one of the sale, so I’m waiting for payday so I can actually get something I’ve wanted for a while.

        Reply

      • Pariah

        June 27, 2016 at 11:26

        Yes, exactly this.

        Reply

      • Ottokie

        June 27, 2016 at 11:27

        Also where the heck is our clicker heroes mini game xD

        Reply

  2. Jac7

    June 27, 2016 at 11:13

    For me the early days of the Steam Sales meant getting all those wonderful games I never had the chance of playing. Now all those wonderful games I never had the chance of playing are sitting in my backlog, never getting a change to be played.

    Reply

    • The Order of the Banana

      June 27, 2016 at 11:51

      ^THIS ^LOL^

      Reply

    • Deceased

      June 28, 2016 at 10:40

      Reality is a sad, sad place ( especially when Overwatch hits you and you’re like: “… but I still need to… Nope, Overwatch” )

      Reply

  3. Ottokie

    June 27, 2016 at 11:14

    I loaded on some cash into my steam wallet. Bought GMod so far and will figure it out someday 😛

    The only other game I have lined up ATM is Fallout 4 and I will make the final decision to buy or not later this week.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Maximum Effort

      June 27, 2016 at 12:15

      Still no server for us?

      Reply

      • Ottokie

        June 27, 2016 at 12:34

        Still looking about for a local steam group

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief Maximum Effort

          June 27, 2016 at 13:08

          I found one, but not active since 15 Dec 2015

          Reply

  4. Spy Master Tokashi

    June 27, 2016 at 11:15

    Where else on earth do you get a cheap sale for an AAA game?

    We are spoiled and it is actually sad how people are complaining about the sale even after games like Doom has already a 40% discount on it.

    Sometimes I just feel so embarrassed to say I am a gamer when I see how quickly gamers can bitch and moan.

    Oh by the way. EA also has an Origin sale. Games like Dragon Age Inquisition goes for R200, that is an awesome deal!

    Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      June 27, 2016 at 11:54

      I forgot that EA always times their sales to the steam ones.
      Thanks for the reminder.
      DA:I standard is available for R99 actually
      Never bought the last two DLC packs for it, even on special, theyr still a bit pricey at R99 a pop… same price as the game, lol. could actually just buy the full GOTY edition for R200 and it would still cost the same… lol

      Reply

    • Admiral Chief Maximum Effort

      June 27, 2016 at 12:15

      Thinking of buying Crysis 3 digital deluxe @ R75

      Reply

      • Aries

        June 27, 2016 at 12:26

        I also though of that, then remembered I got it on my ps3

        Reply

        • Viking Of Science

          June 27, 2016 at 13:04

          So you have it on the wrong platform, then? 😛

          Reply

          • Aries

            June 27, 2016 at 14:03

            yep

  5. Ottokie

    June 27, 2016 at 11:15

    I think the flash sales stirred up a lot of excitement, and now that it’s gone you have a lot more time to make up your mind.

    Reply

  6. Alien Emperor Trevor

    June 27, 2016 at 11:15

    Two things:

    1) Discounts are fixed from the beginning of the sale because they don’t want people requesting refunds for games they bought at -50% when a flash sale pops up with -75% – so that’s done away with.

    2) I’m also not that surprised Steam sale discounts aren’t that deep now after the switch to Rands, because in most cases we’re much better off to start with.

    That said, I’ve felt Steam sales have been lackluster for the last few years because they’ve just lacked any real excitement or surprises. Things like the 1-hour flash sales had me constantly checking the store for a great deal, and that just doesn’t happen anymore.

    Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      June 27, 2016 at 11:26

      5/6 years of steam sales, what other niknaks / old gems are left to buy?

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        June 27, 2016 at 11:28

        Plenty for me, I never buy day one, I’ve still got quite a few AAAs and assorted others on my wishlist.

        Reply

        • Matthew Holliday

          June 27, 2016 at 11:30

          multiplayer reliance makes waiting for most AAA games a waste, day 1 or forget about them.

          Reply

          • Pariah

            June 27, 2016 at 11:36

            This is sadly the case for almost all multiplayer games. And it’s the general tendancy of today’s era – buy now, forget later. It’s all about “the next best thing”. And if you buy later on sale – there’s this dual issue – you have both super noobs to the game, like yourself, and the elite old-timers. Nothing in between, generally. Which divides the community and almost always chases new blood away.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            June 27, 2016 at 11:48

            #foreverSP

          • Matthew Holliday

            June 27, 2016 at 11:49

            If you can find a game on local servers at all.
            We have a small online community compared to US and EU.

            When BF4 came out, BF3 died out, when BF1 comes out, BF4 will die out.
            Locally, CoD AW lost atleast 1/2 of its online players within a month. When Blops 3 came out, I imagine that AW completely disappeared.

            The same applies to the other franchises aswell.

          • Pariah

            June 27, 2016 at 11:52

            Well as far as shooters which update often, that’s true. But what about games like Doom, say, which don’t replace themselves but have a MP component? This applies to MMOs and MOBAs too. Non-franchise MP games will retain SOME of their playerbase over time – and this is generally where my MP experience lies. Franchised FPS games I actively avoid – for the exact reason that you’ve stated.

          • Matthew Holliday

            June 27, 2016 at 12:04

            Ive got a fairly wide MP experience with games, locally atleast, non-franchised games arent exactly exempt from the same issues.

            New games take away from our small player pool.
            Ive noticed that most of the guys I play Overwatch with have already disappeared and have gone back to Dota 2

            MMOs and mobas are sorta exempt though, you are right, but with the only 2 mobas worth mentioning being free to play, they dont really count when talking about the whole waiting for specials thing, do they? 😛

            MMOs generally have us playing on EU servers aswell, diablo, wow and path of exile(a free to play) etc

          • Pariah

            June 27, 2016 at 12:13

            Yes, fair on the F2P stuff.

            But games that aren’t F2P – WoW or GW2 for instance. These things have an ebb & flow. New content? 1 month, back to something else. Meanwhile only a few die-hards remain. Guilds change members constantly, with leadership sometimes changing too. Only a few people I know still play WoW on the same characters from all those years ago. I can count them on my hand. Counting the amount of people who played WoW that I know is an entirely different matter.

            And yes, I know WoW is a giant on its own, but that applies to other, smaller MMO’s. GW2, Wildstar, etc. And MOBAs are also one of those – you try the new one out – and only a few stay. It’s usually later on that new MOBA players who don’t come from others stay and grow the community to a point where it’s a viable MOBA.

            Either way, communities change over time – this is inescapable. Either they die out completely, or they shift & change. Which one is entirely dependent on the people though.

          • Pariah

            June 27, 2016 at 12:15

            And to finalise your point I think – buying well after release, you never know which one you’re buying into. And if it’s the former, then even on sale it’s a wasted buy.

        • Blogvader

          June 27, 2016 at 12:15

          Same here.

          No reason to anymore.

          Reply

    • Viking Of Science

      June 27, 2016 at 13:03

      On Point 2, an example:
      Metal Gear Rising Reveangence is Currently R77 on our Store, but in Dollars, It’s $7.50 (equal to about R115 today)

      So yes, completely true, we are better off, Mostly *Leers at Activision pricing*

      Reply

  7. Matthew Holliday

    June 27, 2016 at 11:25

    “That’s pretty incredible, unless you’re actually a Civ fan who has already bought all of the Civ V elements already.”
    Apply this to the rest of the franchises.

    Tie in to the fact that after like, 5 or 6 years of steam sales, Ive bought all the nik naks and gems I wanted, now that Im keeping up with most of the new games that I want, thanks to the hype train, the need for specials isnt there anymore.

    Reply

  8. Pariah

    June 27, 2016 at 11:29

    At least this is a good time to clear your wishlist. 33% of mine vanished, and I’m happy as can be. 😀

    The magic is gone, sure. But being more measured is good for your wallet (no more complaining about that) – and good for your backlog. No more “AKSHF OH *clicks buy* – oh GOD WHAT DID I DO?”

    Now just. “Do I want that? Can I afford it’s sale price? Yes? Buy.”

    Reply

  9. PsyKo

    June 27, 2016 at 11:40

    I took a look at the top specials on Day 1. Not a single game was advertised that I wanted and could afford. It might be because I have already purchased every cheap game worth buying (library is sitting at 183 games), but my money is on the extreme daily and flash sales. I waited for those bad boys err’ day and bought what I wanted without much thought (I only had a 24 hours to make up my mind) No more of that means that I haven’t spent a cent. Keep this up and I may be able to afford a house. Shot Steam!

    Reply

  10. Kromas GG

    June 27, 2016 at 11:41

    I bought MGS and Tales from Borderlands as well as some other things but I have stayed my hand a lot this sale just like last sale. Why buy a game if the chances of you playing it soon is really low? MGSV is a gem however and for R250 it is well worth it.

    Reply

    • ChronopandaZA

      June 27, 2016 at 12:12

      ^This, I see steam sales as a chance to pick up those AAA games I couldn’t grab at launch these days

      Reply

  11. Lizzard

    June 27, 2016 at 11:44

    I have found a few gems here and there, got the whole saints row pack for about R120 and completed the Xcom lot for about R80, however I find im completing collections rather than jumping into “new” games

    Reply

  12. The Order of the Banana

    June 27, 2016 at 11:51

    Purely from personal experience, I only buy what I want, and lately the pickings have been slim. 🙁

    Reply

  13. Caveshen Rajman

    June 27, 2016 at 11:53

    I mean, Valve could always bring back flash sales if you’re happy to give back the ability to refund games…

    I for one, greatly looked forward to the sale, and immediately bought the games I wanted to. I’m also collecting the trading cards, because the unlocks are usually awesome (last sale, I made a profit because of trading).

    Reply

  14. Peet Luckhoff

    June 27, 2016 at 11:55

    Already own all the games…

    Reply

  15. Guild

    June 27, 2016 at 12:00

    I spent a bit on this sale. Basically catching up on some games I missed out on.

    Reply

  16. Blogvader

    June 27, 2016 at 12:19

    Meh, a little. The flash sales had some excitement to them, but then again, you can get most games cheaper on G2A or cdkeys.com any time of the year anymore.

    I still enjoy the steam sales, but only really on days one and fourteen. On day one I pick up the ones I’ve been waiting on. On day 14 I pick the ones my friends bought that look like fun.

    Reply

  17. Jonah Cash

    June 27, 2016 at 12:22

    I have now had my PC for a year and a half and have never bought anything on a Steam Sale. And this one is worse than all the previous ones. Paying R500 for GTA V which is pretty much 3 years old doesn’t seem like a sale to me. PSN has better deals than Steam and that is just sad!

    Reply

  18. Aries

    June 27, 2016 at 12:24

    Bought two games, the discounts arent as good as the previous sale so Im disappointed

    Reply

  19. Raptor Rants

    June 27, 2016 at 12:50

    I bought one game. I am satisfied. Steam sales just don’t appeal to me as much anymore but they do allow me to pick up the smaller games that I felt shouldn’t be as highly priced as they are normally

    Reply

  20. Viking Of Science

    June 27, 2016 at 13:00

    I Picked Up Endless Legend, Dishonored and Metal Gear Rising Revengeance all for R250.

    Totally Worth it.

    And I’m glad the Flash sales are gone, Now I’m not distracted at work during this Holy Period.

    Hail GabeN

    Reply

  21. Johann

    June 27, 2016 at 13:46

    Never really bothered with Steam Sales, the amount of data I need to use was not worth it. But this time I did pick up Age of Empire II HD and Age of Empires III complete collection for next to nothing.

    Reply

  22. Frost

    June 27, 2016 at 14:39

    When they started with the Steam sales, every discount felt like a once in a lifetime deal. Looking at my backlog now I know I’ll have something to play while waiting for the next sale, when the games I’m looking at now will be cheap(or cheaper) again.

    Reply

  23. Dutch Matrix

    June 27, 2016 at 15:36

    Meh. Bought one game today. Half off. Pity it was on the Playstation store.

    Reply

  24. Dresden

    June 27, 2016 at 17:23

    Not to me. I bought The Witcher 3 + Expansion Pass at a fraction of the price and it is busy downloading at home as I’m typing this! 😀

    Reply

    • Murshid Raven

      June 28, 2016 at 09:17

      Say good-buy to your social life for a few months…

      Reply

  25. Murshid Raven

    June 28, 2016 at 09:16

    Some of the draw for me is expansions and DLC’s i wouldn’t usually buy. Though most of the time they aren’t reduced by much

    Reply

  26. Dane

    June 28, 2016 at 09:48

    You guys are tripping. It’s because you ALREADY HAVE all the freakin’ games. My wishlist is 22 strong and every item is on sale. A few at 20-50% but the majority at 66% and up. All those games I told myself “Oh man I want it but that price kills me.” Mad Max, Tales of Zestiria, Borderlands Presequel, Fallout 4, The Forest, The Park, so many more.

    Reply

  27. Deceased

    June 28, 2016 at 10:38

    Prolly bought around 25 Games this sale ( mostly indie-games that were cluttering up my whishlist )

    Only 1 AAA title bought: Far Cry Primal – and only because I need it to have the complete series ( Curse that OCD on collectionist/completionist mentality D: )

    Reply

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