This latest Steam Sale hit me pretty hard, I must admit. I couldn’t resist the siren call as almost every game in my wish list came up on sale at some point or another. Now, my Steam library is full of even more fantastic games, and I finally played some that I’d wanted for a while. However, one developer argues that Steam Sales might not actually be such a good thing.
Jason Rohrer, the developer of Inside a Star-filled Sky, is launching his new game, The Castle Doctrine. However, he has had a long, hard think about launch pricing and sales, coming to the conclusion that “sales screw your fans”:
Your fans love your games and eagerly await your next release. They want to get your game as soon as it comes out, at full price. But they are foolish to do that, because a sale is right around the corner. Even in economic terms, the extra utility of playing the game early, at release, is not big enough to offset the extra cost for most people . It makes more sense to wait, unless they love you and your work so much that they’re willing to throw economic reason out the window. It’s nice to have fans that love your work that much. And these are the fans that you kick in the teeth when you put your game on sale.
Rohrer argues that rampant sales have led to a culture of waiting. Just look at the comments on this site on articles and reviews – most people who are interested in a game will add it to their wish list and wait for the next sale to pick that game up at a reduced rate. While revenue may last longer over the life of a game, Rohrer believes that it limits your initial player base and weakens the perceived value of a game. He does acknowledge that the system can be balanced out, though:
To balance this out, we would need a whole lot of people who will buy random games just because they are on sale—games that they had no intention of buying otherwise. Maybe there are enough of these people, and I’ve certainly met some of them: people who have a backlog of 50 unplayed games in their Steam library. Maybe they’ll never play them. But even if there are enough people doing this, it’s not a good thing. It’s just people being tricked into wasting money on stuff they don’t want or need. Better that they spent that money on one full-price game that they really want rather than four 75%-off impulse buys to add to their backlog.
I have mixed feelings about this. I have certainly bought games on impulse because they were so cheap I felt that I simply couldn’t pass them up. Sure, my backlog grew as a result, but it also means that I have some excellent games in my library, just waiting for me to have a holiday or time to play. Often, these are games I simply wouldn’t have bought otherwise, so I’m giving a developer some of my money that they only receive due to the massive sale.
There’s no doubt that sales are an important staple on Steam now. Just look at these stats coming out of dev days:
Holiday sale items did PRETTY WELL. #SteamDevDays pic.twitter.com/ECPIxXRTAe
— El Oshcuro (@DaveOshry) January 16, 2014
That’s a lot of traffic and tons of purchases. With that level of community engagement, people were able to talk about games coming up on sale and probably spend more money than they planned. I know that I personally chatted with a bunch of community members over the holidays to discuss if a game on sale was worthwhile, and to trade snow globes so I could craft that badge. Was this bad for developers? Maybe Rohrer is right – it certainly hurts sales during launch, but there is no denying that it boosts purchases over a much longer period of time. Have sales made PC gamers cheap and unwilling to purchase games at launch? Or has it made them savvy consumers?
Last Updated: January 16, 2014
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 09:19
Savvy customer, you savvy?
Kensei Seraph
January 16, 2014 at 09:34
I read that in Captain Jack Sparrow’s voice.
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
January 16, 2014 at 09:39
We all did 🙂
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 09:46
😉
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 09:20
Spoken like a true executive sales douche
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
January 16, 2014 at 09:20
ARE Steam Sales ARE bad for people?
Arrrr me hearties!
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 09:22
Arrrrrrrrr
DrKiller
January 16, 2014 at 09:28
I won’t lie, I was also very confused about it 😛
R1ker
January 16, 2014 at 09:29
Talk like a pirate comes early this year 😛
Rainman
January 16, 2014 at 09:23
Is it Flamebait friday already?
DrKiller
January 16, 2014 at 09:28
Its not bad for developers.. There are a few games I would NEVER have considered buying for $9+, but because they go on a 75-90% sale, then why not? If he thinks Steam Sales hurts them, then what about Humble Bundle? 🙂
Uberutang
January 16, 2014 at 09:29
Maybe if games did not release broken, people wont wait…>?
These days most games is only optimal 6 – 12 months after release, and way cheaper… so why the hell would anybody pay full price then?
Then you add DLC… if you wait you get all the dlc with you discounted game, instead of paying full price.
Lastly steam sales are optional to the publishers. They do not HAVE to sell stuff at a discount.
Sageville
January 16, 2014 at 09:36
So that you can play the multiplayer before peeps lose interest.
Uberutang
January 16, 2014 at 09:39
Not really true for PC games though. People still play age of empires and CS online! Games on PC just have a longer tail. Esp those with user mod support.
BF4 and Cod G was the last 2 games I have pre-ordered in my life.
From now on it is wait and see and wait for sales.
GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness
January 16, 2014 at 09:39
Witcher 3….
Uberutang
January 16, 2014 at 09:40
Steam Sale 2014.
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 09:39
Waiting for all the DLC makes a lot of sense, but then publishers are intentionally hurting their sales depending on the amount of people that waits for the complete game before buying. I am very tempted to do this when Borderlands 3 and it’s slew of DLC comes out.
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 09:56
I will wait for Borderlands 3. The way they’ve absolutely milked DLC has pissed me off. This coming from someone who pre-ordered Borderlands 2 & the season pass.
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:00
At least the DLC provided a person with hours of content unlike other games who throws in a couple of maps and guns. So I don’t mind the borderlands DLC so much but what I do mind is that we have to wait for the DLC and I can’t stop playing Batman or Far Cry just to stay up to date with their release schedules and just to jump back into Borderlands. When I start playing a game I want to concentrate on that game only.
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 10:07
I love the game & the season pass DLC, I was even happy to wait because I had other characters to play while waiting.
A level cap increasing DLC though, two of them? I remember seeing an interview with Randy Pitchford before Borderlands 2 was released going full hype & one of the things he specifically said was how easy it would be in 2 to add additional content, increase levels, etc because of the way they made the game compared to 1. A year later his story is completely different & it’s so tough & people need to pay because it’s a lot of work & provides great value. Respect lost.
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:34
*Insert Le Sigh here*
Gareth L (That Guy)
January 16, 2014 at 09:59
I missed the GOTY for Borderlands 2 by like two weeks. Was quite annoyed, could’ve got all the DLC included for like R40 more.
Haven’t played too much of the game though…
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 10:00
Borderlands 2 GOTY doesn’t include ALL the DLC. That pissed me off too – a GOTY edition should include everything.
Gareth L (That Guy)
January 16, 2014 at 10:01
Oh, my mistake then. Thanks dude, I feel a bit better then, for what it’s worth. 😛
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:08
It’s really addictive with the looting and the awesome gunplay.
GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness
January 16, 2014 at 10:09
Never played it online yet? worth it?
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:34
I prefer co-op with my brother on the couch next to me.
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:34
Me too!
Gareth L (That Guy)
January 16, 2014 at 10:10
I enjoyed it quite a bit, the writing was damn funny. 😀
Gareth L (That Guy)
January 16, 2014 at 10:00
Company of Heroes 2 was R400+ at launch and buggy. I bought it in a far better state for R130. 🙂
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:00
THIS I agree with.
mazz
January 16, 2014 at 09:31
99 problems and steam sales ain’t one.
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 09:33
I agree, the games are either so old or it’s games I wouldn’t want to play. Even if it’s free.
Kensei Seraph
January 16, 2014 at 09:32
To my mind the biggest motivator for waiting for a game rather than buying it immediately is the GotY edition which comes with most (if not all) of the dlc.
FoxOneZA
January 16, 2014 at 09:33
Nope. Like with any product, consumers will go where they get the best deal. Also,new games aren’t always the best games to throw a wad at.
El Capitan del Blade
January 16, 2014 at 09:34
Steam sales don’t hurt, If theres a game I really want as soon as it comes out, I Pre-order. This is why I have a pre-order for Stick of Truth, and am waiting for the Witcher 3 Pre-orders to go online.
I do love me some budget purchases though, I mean, I picked up War for Cybertron for $3 on sale. totally worth it, Ended up pay like $20 for FALL of Cybertron.
i.e. getting the first game on the cheap, helped seal the deal on the sequel purchase.
Sageville
January 16, 2014 at 09:35
Stick of Truth? Nooo , do people want to play that?
VampyricSquirrel Monk
January 16, 2014 at 09:38
Why yes, yes I do! Lol!
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 09:40
I do too. Sad thing is, it will probably be a better RPG than the latest FF game.
Rikus
January 16, 2014 at 09:50
Oh yes! Can’t wait for the release
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 09:51
Same here man!
TiMsTeR1033
January 16, 2014 at 09:55
me too!
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 09:54
I do. It looks funny.
GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness
January 16, 2014 at 09:37
Amen.. Got some games on Pre-order, but then there are those games that i will not pay $60 dollaz for…. even if it is 8+ months old… for those i shall wait for a sale. At the end of the day, he still forgets that the one game can lead you into a franchise as a whole…
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 09:35
I Just don’t get Steam sales. I think most people indulge in the sales just to build a library of games they probably won’t have time to get to and because it costs next to nothing. I went over a couple of the sales and there was almost nothing that grabbed my attention.
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:40
Yes. My brother does that. He has been buying games every sale for the past year and has yet to touch even 10% of them. To me it leads to not appreciating a game as much as someone who has waited with antici…. and spends a week playing just that game. Like the Witcher 2, I have been waiting to play that for ages, and now I cannot sleep for want of more. If I saw it on a steam sale, along with 15 other titles I also wanted, I am not sure what I would end up doing. http://i.imgur.com/xd3QoCE.gif
RockMossel2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:52
Same here with Witcher 2! Ask the Admiral, I played that game into the darkest hours of the night on a weekday!
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:54
It is so damn good. It is one game that I think I may start replaying straight after I finish just so I can see what happens when I make other choices (apparently they make a HUGE difference).
RockMossel2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:56
Yeah I took the “less conventional” path if you can call it that. But it turns out awesome! And it apparently gives away much more lore and background.
TiMsTeR1033
January 16, 2014 at 10:14
The witcher 2 that good? hmmm may need to get this after finish Dark souls!
GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness
January 16, 2014 at 10:17
It is awesome… BUT… you have to install the COmbat rebalance Mod..
http://redkit.cdprojektred.com/?c=mod&m=show&p=77
makes the combat faster, more fluid
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:19
When I have time again, I am jamming W2 with the CRM
TiMsTeR1033
January 16, 2014 at 10:23
will get it for Xbox..
TiMsTeR1033
January 16, 2014 at 09:57
looks like he is saying passion… just saying!
Sageville
January 16, 2014 at 11:00
My Spelling Nazism kicked in too
frikkenator
January 16, 2014 at 09:42
I suspect you weren’t looking hard enough… There was everything from AAA games to indies at about 75% off this summer… Bioshock Infinite, Max Payne 3 are two that come to mind, which you could pick up for around $10 a pop.
CS:GO for 75% off, Left 4 dead 2 for free, there was a LOT on offer.
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 09:46
I saw those and I’ve already played Bioshock Infinite and Max Payne 3. I tend to play most of these games on console first. I get 10% of BT Games with my advantage cards plus every time I trade in a game or two. Also I hover around the second hand bin looking for bargains. All in all I play most games I want to play months before they end up on a Steam Sale
RockMossel2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:53
That Bioshock Triple Pack for $14.99! If I didn’t already own all 3 I would buy it again!
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:14
LOL, I actually owned Nr1 and Nr2, but now own all 3 on steam!
RockMossel2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:16
So how does that work then? Can you gift your extra copies?
GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness
January 16, 2014 at 09:43
Recently picked up Brutal Legend on a Sale… thought it could be cool (and was only $5), and man what an awesome little game…
The point is, sometimes the sales are a nice way to get a new game or 2, without risking 60 dollars on a dud (COD)
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:47
Agreed. But people go mental on them, end up with a library of 100 that they don’t play. It;s like Hoarders!
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 09:49
Well, I have 105 in steam, and quite a few of them are humble bundle extras. If I had to pay AAA price for them, I would not have been able to afford food. In terms of completion out of them, probably 30% completed tbh
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:52
So do you wait for them as the article is suggesting? I know my brother does. He hasn’t paid for a AAA game ever I think. He is quite happy to amass a huge collection and play games from last year as he does so. Which is what the article is saying I think?
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 10:16
Nope, I think the point behind his babble is that prices should never come down so he makes more money.
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:16
Aye, its all about the bottom line for those scumbags
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:22
Not sure about that. Make money yes, MORE? If you put a value on something based on what you put in; programming time, rent of space, computers etc, then add say 15% for profit, making a game around $20 if your expectations of numbers sold are close enough, and no one buys it because they want to get it on sale, you don’t break even. To say that everyone does this is of course not correct, but a LARGE group (going by comments on this article) do.
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 10:29
Which is bad for him, not bad for customers like he was saying.
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:31
Yes, agreed. But if that is the case you cannot dismiss his concerns just because the customer is getting a great deal. Pirates get a great deal by not paying for things, doesn’t mean it is a positive thing.
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 10:51
Of course I can dismiss it (after reading it), because I’m a customer & he’s framing his argument around customers. I have no obligation to pay more because it’s good for him. None whatsoever. This whole thing is very similar to the reasoning EA used when releasing Origin.
Pirates are irrelevant to this topic because they’re not paying customers in the first place.
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:58
I use pirates as a comparative to highlight how there is a natural tend to pay less and in some cases nothing at all, and if that means potential customers wait, then they will in many cases, which is why he is pissed. If the sales were not there in the first place he’d be shitting rainbows 😛
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 11:12
I think he’s equating all the people who buy on a sale as people who would have bought it at full price if it was never on sale in the first place. Which is not accurate.
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 11:15
Ah, well if that is what he is implying then I agree with you. GATE 1 OPEN
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:16
There are a few reasons, but some of them include: Price, bug fixes, extra DLC included, and PRICE
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:24
Yes. Price. That is what he is talking about. Not DLCs etc. Price. I wonder how long it will take for these ‘scumbags’ to just stop producing games because they know they won’t break even?
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:27
Are you on your period or something or just overly effing sensitive?
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:29
Eh? Fuck you on about? We are having a discussion here.
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 09:52
Oi get out of my kitchen!
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:52
Hahaha!
Skyblue
January 16, 2014 at 09:54
I have over 200 titles on Steam with a completion rate of around 50%. I have also bought several games I finished a long time ago for nostalgia.
TiMsTeR1033
January 16, 2014 at 10:00
that is one fucked up picture!
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 09:47
Amen
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 09:48
Brutal Legend is another game that’s old and that I have played. Now I get that it’s cheap and that I can play it again. But there are new games out almost every week these days. If I am going to play the new Infamous come March I wouldn’t be able to get to my Steam library much less clear any backlog I build up.
GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness
January 16, 2014 at 10:06
True true… that just means less sleepy time, more playing time.
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:35
Agreed
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
January 16, 2014 at 10:32
If you are a rock fan you MUST get Brutal Legend!! You MUST! MUST I SAY!!
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:48
What you said! So much win!
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:48
Needs five sequels at least.
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 09:50
Also with the internet it’s pretty easy to see a dud coming a mile away. Lagz,Angry Joe and countless other people on Youtube informs us ages in advance.
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 09:50
Aye, and Metacritic rating also helps with detection process
GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness
January 16, 2014 at 10:05
To a point. Certain games get high scores, and that is good for them, I get bored easily with some of the “higher scoring, copy and paste games”
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:15
Look, I use the Metacritic rating only when I have not heard about it, or read about it on Lagz
Willem Swanepoel
January 16, 2014 at 10:48
Didnt help to check out Lagz when they reviewed Skyrim… they didnt see the dud …
Trolololololol
😉
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 11:12
hehe
RockMossel2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:40
If I had to pay full price for all my games I would probably only buy 2-4 games per year. And atleast one of those would have to be a multiplayer game that I can jam for many hours. With the sales I buy 10-20 games per year.
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:42
And how many do you actually finish? 😛
RockMossel2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:49
Let’s see…I have 42 games. 15 of those are multiplayer only type games, so I can’t really finnish those. That leaves me with 28. I already finished 16 of those, so that gives me a 57% completion rate. OK that looks quite bad. But I started almost all of them!
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:50
Not bad! A lot more than others I know 🙂 But you get my point I am sure!
Skyblue
January 16, 2014 at 09:52
I also buy a lot of the older titles which I have already completed even if for a bit of nostalgia occasionally. These games have padded out my collection to a slightly ridiculous level but but but… “I needed them”
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:52
See hoarding picture below 😉
RockMossel2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:57
At least it is digital hoarding! So it doesn’t take up space. Not even HDD space, you dont need to download it!
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
January 16, 2014 at 09:46
“Even in economic terms, the extra utility of playing the game early, at release, is not big enough to offset the extra cost for most people .”
True but also so wrong. Gamers will buy early. End of story. There are people that HAVE to buy Day 1 just like there are people that HAVE to wait for it to go on sale.
The majority of gamers who wait for sales are those that are sick and tired of spending huge amounts of money on a game early and then being dissapointed because of poor quality control/server issues/broken gameplay/broken games in general etc.
Sales don’t hurt and it doesn’t create a “let’s wait mentality”. You see, we as humans, especially in the gaming world, have the fear of missing out. We don’t want to wait actually. We want the game as soon as possible so that it isn’t spoiled by the rest of the world playing and then talking about it.
The only reason most of us wait is because we honestly would not have bought the game in the first place or we are simply tired of poor quality products.
Sales, in my view, help publishers and games. It boosts that games sales beyond what it would have been. It’s kind of like a mid-life boost for games.
I can understand where he is coming from, but I think he forgot to take in to account that we as gamers are not particularly a patient bunch and would rather splurge now than wait.
RockMossel2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:59
That’s my greatest concern when waiting: Accidentally reading something that spoils the story for me!
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
January 16, 2014 at 10:05
Precisely! Hence why we don’t risk waiting for sales unless it’s a game we wouldn’t buy otherwise.
We may wait a month or so for serious game breaking glitches to be fixed but after that it’s make or break time man
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 10:14
Not wanting to wait & fear of missing out is what’s made DLC so successful. Despite so many people not liking it.
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
January 16, 2014 at 10:30
Know your customer.. He seems to have forgotten that rule.
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 09:47
Look, I can probably finish off my backlog if I leave out the RPGs and stop with my Planetside 2 addicion
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 09:56
But you can’t, can you? I flew with a squad in galaxy and we did a high altitude drop. But while we were flying as I looked down I just started to appreciate the vastness of Planetside even more. It’s just amazing how big the continents really are. AS we dropped and were being attacked by NC we were about fifty guys on a cliff trying to hold out against I’s say about 20 tanks and a lot of NC aircraft with their games scaling the cliff walls. I’m sorry but if COD or BF can pull the scale of that Planetside does I might actually be bothered to pick those games up.
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:03
Agreed. Attack and defense have a WHOLE new meaning in Planetside
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:07
I hate VANU so much. Nothing more satisfying than dropping C4 on a Magrider. Also there’s a lot of low level fresh meat these days. Easy sniping targets.
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:14
You said it, my K/D has CONSIDERABLY raised.
You know its fresh meat when a light assault tries to shoot a MAX head on
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:33
I broke the 2.00 avg mark this holiday. Now if only I can carry my skill over to console. Oh wait……… no mouse.
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:35
Hahaha
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
January 16, 2014 at 10:28
STOP MAKING ME WANT THIS GAME MORE
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:30
Dude, you are missing out
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:32
hehe
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 10:35
SA SERVER!!!
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:48
Would be HEAVEN!
RockMossel2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:01
That’s true! I discovered this awesome website (http://www.gamelengths.com/#) where you can check the lengths of games. When I saw the numbers of Fallout:NV reaching the 200h territory I got quite sad that I don’t have more time.
Kensei Seraph
January 16, 2014 at 10:03
How to cure Planetside 2 addiction.
-Step 1: Remove all RAM except for 2 gigs.
-Step 2: Play Planetside 2 for 20 minutes before the game crashes due to insufficient memory.
-Step 3: Give in, put the RAM back in and accept that you will never actually succeed at giving up Planetside 2.
Hammersteyn
January 16, 2014 at 10:06
LOL!
TiMsTeR1033
January 16, 2014 at 10:04
What kinda Rig you need to play Planet side 2 looks amazing!
Kensei Seraph
January 16, 2014 at 10:07
System Requirements
Minimum:
OS:
Windows XP
Processor:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 or higher / AMD Phenom II X2 or higher
Memory:
4 GB RAM
Graphics:
nVidia GeForce 8600 series or higher / AMD or ATI 4850 series or higher
DirectX:
9.0
Hard Drive:
15 GB HD space
Sound:
DirectX compatible Sound Card
Other Requirements:
Broadband Internet connection
Recommended:
OS:
Windows 7
Processor:
Intel i5 processor or higher / AMD Phenom II X6 or higher
Memory:
6 GB RAM
Graphics:
nVidia GeForce 540 or higher / AMD HD 6870 or higher
DirectX:
9.0
Hard Drive:
15 GB HD space
Sound:
DirectX compatible Sound Card
Other Requirements:
Broadband Internet connection
It’s what led me to realize that I had less RAM than I thought.
TiMsTeR1033
January 16, 2014 at 10:08
damn I need a new pc!!
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
January 16, 2014 at 10:26
I remember you recommended this to me. It’s coming to PS4! 😀
Willem Swanepoel
January 16, 2014 at 10:46
hmm interesting … maybe I should try it out this Planetside 2 … hmmm
Eric
January 16, 2014 at 09:49
If it wasn’t for the autumn and holiday sales my Steam Library would of been about 17 games poorer…
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 16, 2014 at 09:51
Aye, you said it. And I don’t regret it at all
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 09:54
Have some cheese with your whine.
Sales have led me to buy *cough* 1 or 2 *cough* games I otherwise would never have bothered with. There’s also been more than enough stories from smaller devs about how a single daily Steam sale made them more money than a few months of sales after release. There’s a very simple reason why I won’t buy games at launch any more – unknown quality & DLC. So I wait for proper reviews & for the DLC lifecycle to be done so I can play the entire game at once. A pleasant side effect from the latter for me is that’s usually around the time the game goes on sale.
This guy is essentially complaining that his customers don’t value his game as much as he does & doesn’t like it. Ag shame. You set the value of your game, and subsequently the price, to $20 (random number), that’s perfectly fine. But from your customers POV you’ve set a price not a value – THEY determine the value. If the two don’t match people won’t buy it, that’s how it works. He clearly doesn’t really understand the concept that a sale (price) drives sales (quantity) & is sitting there thinking about how much more money he’d make if his sales (quantity) stayed the same if he hadn’t had to reduce the price for a sale. It’s the customers fault this happens? Please.
Sales don’t screw your fans. Fans are happy to pay full price. I’ve never complained about buying a game at full price on release when it goes on special later. I’m a fan of CD Projekt Red – guess what games I’m buying day one at full price.
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:56
Don’t agree (surprise). I know people *cough, who are more than happy to ‘stream’ movies, no matter if their value is high or low. It is because it is cheaper in the end. People have grown up and are willing to wait for something if it means it is a lot cheaper.
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 10:11
Yes, well.. YOU’RE WRONG. Also, shut your pie hole! *run*
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:13
Sunday lunch?
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 10:26
Can do. Same procedure as last year Miss Sophie?
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:28
Indeed Miss Daisy. Anything at cinema that looks interesting?
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 10:36
Well I want to see Wolf of Wall Street, but I’m not keen on sitting in a cinema for 3 hours to do so heh.
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 10:45
Not even with Jason? *RUNS
Anon A Mouse
January 16, 2014 at 10:19
I partially agree with you. The only part I don’t agree with is price vs value. With backlogs the way they are, a perceived value may well outstrip the price, but since you know that the price is going to fall anyway, and you will not be able to play the game on day one, you end up delaying the buy until you have a lower backlog or the price is so low you can’t afford not to buy it. I’m sure a lot of pirates (not the sea faring ones) place a lot of value on the games, yet they still want it for free. That is unfortunately the world we live in.
It’s a huge balancing act, because there are a few games that I would not have bought if they were still selling at the release price. If that happens, then I’ll rather use my money on a new release than buying the older one. I think developers must realise that the return of investment is no longer going to be within the first month after release anymore (unless it’s a AAA+ game like GTA). It sucks for them because the expenses had to be paid already and that also means that you’re cash strapped longer for developing a sequel or new IP, but they are going to short sell their product if they keep prices unnaturally high just to try and squeeze out the extra buck or because they somehow feel that that will show then the true value of their product at release.
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 16, 2014 at 10:24
That’s true. I was only really thinking about release price when waffling about value vs price, not further down the line.
I think what pisses me off the most when I read these kinds of articles is the impression i get of how people think that we’re somehow obliged to buy their games in the first place, simply because they made one.
Willem Swanepoel
January 16, 2014 at 10:44
up voted for having CD Projekt Red and buying at full price in the same sentence 😉
TiMsTeR1033
January 16, 2014 at 09:59
steam sales are only bad for 1 thing in the ever growing pc gaming world. ADDICTION! Its like being in a Btgames store where all the games you want are on sale, except you don’t have to go to the store instead you can be in your boxers and buy away.. Yes steam is a great thing but as I have said before how many of the games people buy on steam do they actually play??
Lizzard
January 16, 2014 at 10:08
Personally there are very few games a pay full price for. So yeah, in my mind, the sales work otherwise I would never buy them. Even with BTgames there are titles I only buy when the sale is on. Title such as a assassins creed I only by at BTgames when on sale for 100 bucks. Otherwise I will only pay full price for a Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3.
Warren Ross
January 16, 2014 at 10:09
When you’re getting games at prices that are sometimes as low as the cost of a 2l bottle of Coke, who gives a shit if you have a pile of them in your backlog?
For me, the Steam sales are a great way for me to check out games that I didn’t want to pay $20 for, but was happy to give it a go for $5. The risk is negligible: if you don’t like it, you’ve blown your Niks Naks money for the day. Boo hoo.
HvR
January 16, 2014 at 10:11
Actually is shows how broken the economy is of the gaming industry where all games are fixed in price at launch regardless of the content value. This is due to publishers having monopolies over certain segments.
Gamers get screwed in the start because the game is new it must cost R699+ and then after 6 months it is old and cost less. Where as the something like 6 months should have no impact on the value of the game and not all games are created equal and should cost the same arm and leg on day 1.
That is why so few games like GTA lives up to their sales expectations because these games’s content and the effort to create the content is actually worth its R799 to most gamers you will also see that these games hold there value better.
And yet we keep seeing gamer developers bitching about this but willing to take the week one release pay check and continue supporting and using the problem in the industry the big game publishers.
Brady miaau
January 16, 2014 at 10:53
Well said, SiR HvR
Tea is priced by experts on quality, the price paid to the farmers each crop that is
Perhaps game prices should be linked to aggregated critic scores, on regulated sites, perhaps like Metacritic. Yes, yes, there is much wrong with what I said and much, much, that can go wrong. Think the RIAA for music but for games
Gareth L (That Guy)
January 16, 2014 at 10:29
The strong point of the sales for me is not necessarily when game is $5, it’s when it’s two months old and half-price.
I’ve grabbed a lot of titles that I wouldn’t have been able to afford for half the price a month or two later, and in a better patched state. 🙂
Anon A Mouse
January 16, 2014 at 10:37
I must be honest here. The last time I’ve purchased a game at full price was probably a PS1 title. I don’t have a lot of time to play games anymore and it gets less and less every day it seems. (I wonder what will happen if someday I have a significant other.) I might buy a game if I see it somewhere in store for cheap but I usually only buy games when I have time to play it. Like I said previously my backlog is only two and a half games but my wishlist is pages long. So either I see a game on my wishlist for a cheap amount and buy it because it’s super cheap and can lay in my house staring at me for a few months or I just don’t buy it and the developer is out of a sale. (Ok I’m rambling now I’ll stop.)
General JJ Raven (John)
January 16, 2014 at 11:49
I think the Steam sales have afforded me the ability to try out more games than I could’ve before. Some were bad and I learned my lesson while others were really good. Sure, I have a backlog, but I’ve never bought what I’d never play.
MakeItLegal
January 16, 2014 at 12:37
Steam is literally the reason I am sold my ps3 and currently building my pc , good prices , exposure to games , pretty much keep the games for ever and play them when Eva I want … Sold
Warren Lombard
January 16, 2014 at 12:42
Your article made me open steam to see what daily sale is on. Uhm.. Thanks?
64bit
January 16, 2014 at 13:42
Considering almost all AAA titles are still incomplete at launch and cost +- R800 on consoles and R500 on pc
Now compare that to steam early access and sales. You get a access to games that are incomplete at a fraction of the price, and because of the community and steam eco systems devs are forced to listen to players and fix issues immediately.
64bit
January 16, 2014 at 13:44
“hurt sales during launch” that is CEO speak for we have been caught launching incomplete and over priced games or with always online DRM crap forced on the users.
Kromas
January 16, 2014 at 14:14
Steam Sale and at the same time DayZ hit the metaphysical shelves.Guess what! Dayz was the top seller and hit 1 million sales in its first month. this is proof that financially stable gamers are willing to pay full price for the games they love.So if you whine about steam sale screwing your title it is most likely not a good game or has no marketing around it at all. that can be fixed by sending a copy of the game to all the top “let’s players” and reviewers.
tl;dr I call BS.
iAmWeasel
January 16, 2014 at 14:28
I mostly agree with this guy. Think about all those games which have been bought which will never be played. Just about every Steam user complains about their backlog. The perpetual sale is designed to drain consumers, and as a result no one really cares about games. During my teenage years things were very different. Games were expensive and there was no such thing as a sale in gaming. I used to work and save up for 2-3 months to be able to afford to buy 1 game. That game would get played over and over, and OVER. I practically worshiped the game because it was so hard to obtain. Nowadays we live in a world of indulgence and excess. I think it’s sad for gaming.
John Gardner
January 16, 2014 at 14:51
There have been games I have pre-purchased, there have been games I’ve bought on or shortly after launch day and games I’ve waited for until a sale. Steam sales generally have me buying games I was kind of interested in but wasn’t willing to pay full price for (AC Black Flag immediately comes to mind) or games so cheap I couldn’t pass them up. It totally depends on the game.
Oh, and you’re not throwing out economic reason if you buy a game at full retail knowing the game will go on sale eventually… you’re obviously getting some utility beyond the marginal price difference between full retail and the (unknown) sale price.
Brian Murphy
January 16, 2014 at 17:29
Haha, yeah, any developer who wants to start crying about steam sales, can seriously go fuck themselves. You will hear not an ounce of pity from any PC Gamer, over this. Go back an focus on more console-centric games, we’ll sit back and wait until it goes on sale 🙂
Charl van der Merwe
January 17, 2014 at 08:40
This is bullshit, I will buy my favourite releases instantly, when the new Dragon Age comes out! Immediate purchase. When GTA 5 comes to PC, instant Purchase! I bought Rust and DayZ the other day at full price too, and they are only in Alpha.
That’s the thing about passionate gamers, there’s no way in hell they will wait for thier favourite games and why would they purchase games that are not really their favourite ?, Steam Sales serve to draw in those gamers who were originally NOT that enticed by a title at full price, but were convinced at 50 % or more discount.