This thread will attempt to provide a place to discuss past/present/future PC gaming deals. While mainly focusing on Steam games, any standout sales may also be presented. I will not be updating every Daily/Weekly/etc. sale. The tools to help individuals become a smarter shopper will be provided below.
See this POST for links to store sale pages, threads of interest and other tools to help you become a more informed PC game shopper.
The 'GTA style' genre hasn't progressed much over the years. Missions are mostly the same as are the side activities. All the improvements are either graphical or silly stuff like buying more property which is fairly useless. Only new one I plan on checking out is Watch_Dogs because of the hacking angle (if only for the lulzy jokes on the pedestrians and their fetishes).
Watch Dogs works because the multiplayer is so fun. I always appear offline and sneak into my friends' games to hack them or sometimes just with them. They don't know you are in their game until they attempt to start a mission or you start the hack. I like to kill and blow up stuff around them before initializing the hack that tells them I'm in their game.
Every game is currently free at Big Fish Games if you use the code FREEGAME86966. Note that the code only works once per account. I think it was intended to only work on Collector's Editions, but it works on everything.
Where's Motoki when you need him? I didn't want to post this!
Every game is currently free at Big Fish Games if you use the code FREEGAME86966. Note that the code only works once per account. I think it was intended to only work on Collector's Editions, but it works on everything.
Where's Motoki when you need him? I didn't want to post this!
Every game is currently free at Big Fish Games if you use the code FREEGAME86966. Note that the code only works once per account. I think it was intended to only work on Collector's Editions, but it works on everything.
Where's Motoki when you need him? I didn't want to post this!
Since our resident grandmother expert isn't here right now I did a little research as to which games over there at Bigfish are worth taking a look at and here is what I came up with. I make no promises. These were just what I came up with after a little bit of googling and reading/watching some reviews/gameplay.
Time Management: Monument Builders: Cathedral Rising, Royal Envoy 3, Fable of Dwarfs, Gardens Inc. 3: A Bridal Pursuit, Farm to Fork, Delicious: Emily's New Beginning.
Hidden Object: Myths of the World: Black Rose, Dark Parables: Ballad of Rapunzel, Dark Realm: Queen of Flames
If the GS preorders get cancelled, it'll be a tossup to see which Steam forums topic gets more threads: Saints Row Is Now The Worst Franchise Ever, or Let's File a Class Action Lawsuit Against Gamestop. Maybe some My Rights Were Violated in there for good measure.
I think you also forget the other threads of "Volition Are The Worst Dev's Of All Time" + "Deep Silver Is The Worst Publisher Ever."
If they cancel it - hell, they cancel it. No big deal. If we do get keys + charged; and they do revoke them + refund us, then they do. We been through this cancelling and/or revoking madness before w/ other digital stores - just ask AshotP. We'll just have to wait until it really does hit 75% off numerous months down the line inevitably, whenever it actually does.
Anyway, I finished Wolfenstein: The New Order tonight and would give it a B+. Great shooter, lots of Nazi killing, great graphics, ran well on my system, soundtrack was excellent and the story and game world were both pretty good.
[Syntax's Wolf TNO Review]
My main complaints are a slow ramp up in the action (don't judge the game by its first hour) and some inexcusably slow tedious parts that bog down the pace. No one needs their Nazi-killing delayed to pilot a little boat through some sewers, open a gate, open another gate, turn a valve, etc. You spend twenty minutes never seeing another soul, just jacking around with your little boat. There's also multiple sequences that have you running some ridiculous task like fetching a welding torch that, again, have very little action and are mainly just you wandering around.
Those shouldn't be enough to keep anyone from playing the game but they did keep me from giving it an "A" since the pacing could have been tightened up by their removal and I find it hard to believe anyone finds them "fun". But if you're into shooters, I'd give this one a go and just grind through the poorly paced beginning and wait for it to shine.
As someone who's also been playing Wolf: TNO game for numerous hours in a row + unable to put this thing down in many instances - those "ridiculous tasks" (as you put it) are what have kept me from actually taking more breaks away from the actual game here. These tasks have keep me immersed into the actual game-world, doing things other than shoot Nazis + dog-robots. Those tasks feel like my breaks: got me relaxed + immersed into just being in the game-world - which is normally what I'd expect out of a 50 hour RPG or some kind of adventure game, when the action decides to take a break for a bit. If those tasks were gone - this game would be a non-stop action-packed shooter like a CoD or a DICE-made BF game - and I'd probably have to take a break away from the actual game.
Regardless - the game's fantastic itself. The level design & the gun mechanics + shooting are great. Also, the story + character development is easily the best that I've seen in a Wolfenstein game (certainly better than RTCW + Raven's Wolfenstein 2009 had going on). All of the little posters, articles, and audios that you can find - they can get one immersed into this. They do set the scene for certain characters + also give some detailed how the alternative scenario set-up in this game-world turned out (i.e. how the Nazis took over the world, in this alternative + fictional world). When the game offers any opportunity to find, look, or listen to this stuff - yes, I certainly do! I need a break, from the usual intense pace of the action.
On my rig (i7 950; 1 GB VRAM GF 560 Ti; 16 GB RAM) - while the game runs at 60 FPS with what I have it set on, for a brand-new game in 2014 to have basically a repeat of the RAGE issues b/c of the way the MegaTextures work + lack of PC optimizations - i.e. muddy textures in the game-world for objects when up very close to something + looks like this game needs some AA settings in-game in the actual game-menus (not just hidden in the game's config files): that is probably my major complaint here. Things looks great, out in the distance. Character models look great. When you're close, it looks fine + really nice - but when you're ultra-close to objects (like posters, articles w/ writing, etc): this is where things can get muddy, blurry, or anything of that sort. I can't run the game well at all here and it goes all over the place, when turning certain things on. It gets much worse especially by disabling the VT Compression (think single-digit frames of 2-5 frames per second + tons of texture popping going on) - which is probably built for much better hardware-users.
I've also been messing around w/ the NVidia Panel, trying to get some better quality on the images while trying to keep something near/around 60 FPS performance here - I've got both FXAA + VSync from NVidia Panel overriding what the Id Tech 5 Engine got going on here; and some other things jacked-up. Looks a bit better, but not where I'd like them to be namely when things are up ultra-close.
Here's what I got the game set on in-game, on my rig:
I actually didn't mind most of the things in GTA 4. I could ignore most of the negatives if not for that blasted driving that was central to everything you did. If I wanted real world driving physics, I'd buy a racing game. Spinning out every time you take a turn at more than 20 miles an hour isn't fun at all.
I seriously don't get the whole DERPDYDERP IT MUST BE REAL BECAUSE THEY LEFT IT UP THIS LONG. No it doesn't. Gamestop is incompetent and prioritizes taking out the trash over PC games.
Every game is currently free at Big Fish Games if you use the code FREEGAME86966. Note that the code only works once per account. I think it was intended to only work on Collector's Editions, but it works on everything.
Where's Motoki when you need him? I didn't want to post this!
For you guys? If ya'll want to be all schiesty Madjoki style then something from Viva Media that's on Steam and then request a key from Jason the Viva Media rep. Though all their stuff will be bundled sooner or later anyway so that's kind of a waste.
I really do like the Best in Show Solitaire because, hello, DOGS but it's made by one of the dudes that runs IGS so if he's smart he'd run it there. Plus like everything else on Greenlight it will probably get on Steam at some point.
I know Utopian Machine is all about some Wandering Willows. It's sort of a poor man's Animal Crossing. It's on Steam but never goes on sale anymore, though some of you may have it if you bought that old Strat 1st pack from Jake. It's under Playfirst now though so unless something major changes don't expect anymore sales.
I'll have to go look through a list I have bookmarked and what I already own there. Their site is kind of a PITA to find stuff just throw browsing if you don't really know what you are looking for.
Since our resident grandmother expert isn't here right now I did a little research as to which games over there at Bigfish are worth taking a look at and here is what I came up with. I make no promises. These were just what I came up with after a little bit of googling and reading/watching some reviews/gameplay.
Time Management: Monument Builders: Cathedral Rising, Royal Envoy 3, Fable of Dwarfs, Gardens Inc. 3: A Bridal Pursuit, Farm to Fork, Delicious: Emily's New Beginning.
Hidden Object: Myths of the World: Black Rose, Dark Parables: Ballad of Rapunzel, Dark Realm: Queen of Flames
Those seem like decent recommendations. The Emily stuff is decent. Like I said, I'll have to dig for some recommendations. Just waking up and I want to make sure I at least get a free game into my real account (and yes Spoder I did buy a bunch of stuff with money there but they do have deals at least) before it hits SD and they DDoS Big Fish.
I think you also forget the other threads of "Volition Are The Worst Dev's Of All Time" + "Deep Silver Is The Worst Publisher Ever."
If they cancel it - hell, they cancel it. No big deal. If we do get keys + charged; and they do revoke them + refund us, then they do. We been through this cancelling and/or revoking madness before w/ other digital stores - just ask AshotP. We'll just have to wait until it really does hit 75% off numerous months down the line inevitably, whenever it actually does.
What? that! They made the cult classic Summoner games which I know hardly anyone but me appreciates but they're awesome. Plus more recently they could have pulled the same shit everyone else is doing and released their super mega ultra slight upgrade for the next gen consoles version on PC with some minor tweaks as a quick cash grab but they didn't. They're just doing Gat because that's all we need. We don't need higher res SRIV because we already have it.
They're okay in my book. though I'd love a Summoner sequel or remake even though it will never happen.
What? that! They made the cult classic Summoner games which I know hardly anyone but me appreciates but they're awesome. Plus more recently they could have pulled the same shit everyone else is doing and released their super mega ultra slight upgrade for the next gen consoles version on PC with some minor tweaks as a quick cash grab but they didn't. They're just doing Gat because that's all we need. We don't need higher res SRIV because we already have it.
They're okay in my book. though I'd love a Summoner sequel or remake even though it will never happen.
I thought my line followed with the wink at the end was pointing out that I was making a joke + using sarcasm - as to how people will react to what's going on w/ the GOOH situation for $5 w/ GameStop + Deep Silver. I should've used Yellow Comic Sans there...
I also thought my 2nd paragraph pointed out that it's no big deal if they cancel orders - as we've been through it before. It ain't the end of the world.
Yes, I'm a big fan of what Volition has put out - so, don't get things twisted. SR2 was pretty good; SR3 was excellent; and SR4 was tons of us. Way back in the day, I liked the original Red Faction. Haven't touched RFG, RFA + yet. I have Summoner - ain't got to it yet.
Oh - plus Freespace games, which I have not finished: from what I did play...they're pretty damn good, too.
I was half interested in this, I may pick up a 4-pack (because I have a fever) to pass out the extras to others that I'll never play with because people annoy me.
As someone who's also been playing Wolf: TNO game for numerous hours in a row + unable to put this thing down in many instances - those "ridiculous tasks" (as you put it) are what have kept me from actually taking more breaks away from the actual game here. These tasks have keep me immersed into the actual game-world, doing things other than shoot Nazis + dog-robots.
[...]
On my rig (i7 950; 1 GB VRAM GF 560 Ti; 16 GB RAM) - while the game runs at 60 FPS with what I have it set on, for a brand-new game in 2014 to have basically a repeat of the RAGE issues b/c of the way the MegaTextures work + lack of PC optimizations - i.e. muddy textures in the game-world for objects when up very close to something
My complaint isn't entirely that I'm not shooting anyone, but how pointless the tasks are. At least in the Metro games when you spend ten minutes wandering through a station, you are being immersed in the world of the Metro with conversations to overhear, things to see, little details and all that. Riding through a sewer, you don't get any additional feel or immersion in the game world. I think you overhear one brief conversation through the tunnels? -- Actually, I think that's in the lost welding torch bit -- Maybe there's one newspaper clipping? It's sort of funny because there's more to see and feel about the game world when you're shootin' Nazis than there is during those downtime events.
That's why I singled out those events. There's stuff to see in the Resistance hideout but when you have a task that dumps you (literally) outside the hideout to spend five minutes solving mini-puzzles in a nondescript sewer pipe to get back in, what's the point of that? Collecting toys for Max might be a little fetch quest but at least it's adding to the world and in a semi-interesting place. "Swim through three pipes, shoot a drone then wander some halls back inside" is just filler that dropped the ball.
But, again, that was a minor complaint so my time spent on it now might make it sound worse than it is. I just wanted to say I'm not against plot sequences or "free time" parts where you poke around and see what's in the world. I just noticed multiple occasions where they dropped the ball on "free time" and made it something typical and dull (yay, more sewers...) over using it to show you something cool.
The game played well for me, at least well enough that I didn't notice any tearing, texture pop-in, etc. I have a beefier card than yours though (i7-860 3.6GHz, 12 GB RAM and a Radeon 7950 3GB card) or maybe I just notice those things less. Pretty sure I had my settings on High but the numerous splash screens make me not want to check right now. Agreed about the muddle on some stuff up close. Overall the game looks great but you'll see a newspaper clipping on a table and it looks like someone messily painted it there.
For you guys? If ya'll want to be all schiesty Madjoki style then something from Viva Media that's on Steam and then request a key from Jason the Viva Media rep. Though all their stuff will be bundled sooner or later anyway so that's kind of a waste.
I really do like the Best in Show Solitaire because, hello, DOGS but it's made by one of the dudes that runs IGS so if he's smart he'd run it there. Plus like everything else on Greenlight it will probably get on Steam at some point.
I know Utopian Machine is all about some Wandering Willows. It's sort of a poor man's Animal Crossing. It's on Steam but never goes on sale anymore, though some of you may have it if you bought that old Strat 1st pack from Jake. It's under Playfirst now though so unless something major changes don't expect anymore sales.
I'll have to go look through a list I have bookmarked and what I already own there. Their site is kind of a PITA to find stuff just throw browsing if you don't really know what you are looking for
Motoki, since you will have to take your time looking through the list, could you recommend me any game based on Ghost/Spirits/Mystery, please? I see a lot of them and is hard to choose only one to see if I like it.
So Big Fish, quick list of some stuff to consider. I'll try and edit and add to it. I slanted it a bit toward somewhat more obscure stuff because I figure the ghostly hidden object stuff they already plaster all over the front page.
Antique Road Trip USA Battle Slots (Sort of Puzzle Quest with slots; don't think about it too hard) Best in Show Solitaire Build a Lot games Burger Island (for Sunasun; it's sort of like Cook, Serve, Delicious) Dammit, removed Chocolatier Games Removed, ugh, this is the problem with having an old ass list. Anyway Half Price books may have boxed versions of it cheap
Ciao Bella (a rare romance sim/visual novel that's not Anime. Yes it's girly but it's quite good for the genre and unique)
Coconut Queen (if you aren't one of the 50 people I gifted it to; it NEVER goes on sale on Steam anymore and it's awesome) Cute Knight (By Hanako, sort of VN/RPG-lite)
Motoki, since you will have to take your time looking through the list, could you recommend me any game based on Ghost/Spirits/Mystery, please? I see a lot of them and is hard to choose only one to see if I like it.
I was half interested in this, I may pick up a 4-pack (because I have a fever) to pass out the extras to others that I'll never play with because people annoy me.
My complaint isn't entirely that I'm not shooting anyone, but how pointless the tasks are. At least in the Metro games when you spend ten minutes wandering through a station, you are being immersed in the world of the Metro with conversations to overhear, things to see, little details and all that. Riding through a sewer, you don't get any additional feel or immersion in the game world. I think you overhear one brief conversation through the tunnels? -- Actually, I think that's in the lost welding torch bit -- Maybe there's one newspaper clipping? It's sort of funny because there's more to see and feel about the game world when you're shootin' Nazis than there is during those downtime events.
That's why I singled out those events. There's stuff to see in the Resistance hideout but when you have a task that dumps you (literally) outside the hideout to spend five minutes solving mini-puzzles in a nondescript sewer pipe to get back in, what's the point of that? Collecting toys for Max might be a little fetch quest but at least it's adding to the world and in a semi-interesting place. "Swim through three pipes, shoot a drone then wander some halls back inside" is just filler that dropped the ball.
But, again, that was a minor complaint so my time spent on it now might make it sound worse than it is. I just wanted to say I'm not against plot sequences or "free time" parts where you poke around and see what's in the world. I just noticed multiple occasions where they dropped the ball on "free time" and made it something typical and dull (yay, more sewers...) over using it to show you something cool.
The game played well for me, at least well enough that I didn't notice any tearing, texture pop-in, etc. I have a beefier card than yours though (i-860 3.6GHz, 12 GB RAM and a Radeon 7950 3GB card) or maybe I just notice those things less. Pretty sure I had my settings on High but the numerous splash screens make me not want to check right now. Agreed about the muddle on some stuff up close. Overall the game looks great but you'll see a newspaper clipping on a table and it looks like someone messily painted it there.
I agree w/ you that Metro games did a much better job w/ those "Free time" events b/t the main missions, if you're talking immersion factor. I also don't think many linear-shooters are as immersion as the Metro + STALKER games, as well.
Also, it's worth noting - some of the things you do in Metro games during "Free time" - those can also have an impact on how the game might actually end. I don't think a lot of what Wolf: TNO has going on really can change the way the game plays or turns out, either.
Wolf TNO spoilers
In Wolf TNO, there's one major decision early on...but that looks to be about it here for decision-making in Wolf: TNO. Not that I'd really expect much or any of that kind of stuff in a Wolfenstein game.
The Plant Tycoon, Fish Tycoon, and Virtual Villagers games are good. That developer is pretty done with Steam sales, and nothing of his has been on sale for years now.
What? that! They made the cult classic Summoner games which I know hardly anyone but me appreciates but they're awesome. Plus more recently they could have pulled the same shit everyone else is doing and released their super mega ultra slight upgrade for the next gen consoles version on PC with some minor tweaks as a quick cash grab but they didn't. They're just doing Gat because that's all we need. We don't need higher res SRIV because we already have it.
They're okay in my book. though I'd love a Summoner sequel or remake even though it will never happen.
Plus they are from what I claim as my hometown (ok not really but I lived in the country and never even attended school with those from the town closest to where I grew up). The city itself only has about 80,000 people so it's small for such a well known developer. Hell it takes that city and two more next to it and the student population University basically connecting one city to the other before it hits a quarter million.
Til Morning’s Light is a creepy action-adventure game set in a haunted mansion afflicted with a 200-year-old curse. Locked inside by bullies, Erica, the game’s high school heroine, will need to discover how to break the curse and escape by morning. Using Dynamic Perspective to aid in her investigation of the mansion and its artifacts, guide Erica through a single frightful night of exploration, puzzle-solving, and creature encounters.
Told through Erica’s blog posts, The Private Blog of Erica Page is the audio prequel to Til Morning’s Light. Listen for free at Audible.
Plus they are from what I claim as my hometown (ok not really but I lived in the country and never even attended school with those from the town closest to where I grew up). The city itself only has about 80,000 people so it's small for such a well known developer. Hell it takes that city and two more next to it and the student population University basically connecting one city to the other before it hits a quarter million.
I would imagine, at least for now. I'd assume that the Fire TV and possibly the Fire TV Stick would be supported as well.
I bought a FTVS on releases due to the 50% offer. Not sure why I bought it as I also have a Roku, which I'm not sure why I own, since I have a HTPC. Would be nice to actually use some of these totally intentional purchases.
I said they were from my home town not that they liked randoms coming in off the streets to ask questions. They do have help wanted ads for play testers about once a year though. I interviewed for technical support once when the economy really sucked balls. There were only ten other people present that day for the same solitary position. I did not get hired unfortunately and I know they have NDAs.
I got Plant Tycoon from the Big Fish promo. Been wanting that game for years, the iOS version is filled with in-app purchase crap, and it hasn't been on sale for at least 2 years on Steam.
Only sane way to navigate the Big Fish site is to go to their search page (edit: it's under the PC Games tab at the top of the page) and then just scroll through the alphabetical listings. It's the only way to find the hidden gems like Dress Up Pups.
Only sane way to navigate the Big Fish site is to go to their search page (edit: it's under the PC Games tab at the top of the page) and then just scroll through the alphabetical listings. It's the only way to find the hidden gems like Dress Up Pups.
Oh and for you Nancy Drew completionists out there (and I saw some of ya'll buying that Nancy Drew pack on Steam so I know you exist!) the publisher stopped releasing on Steam after The Ghost of Thorton Hall, but Big Fish has Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy which came out after that and isn't on Steam.
Also, if you get a free regular game you get one stamp but if you get a free collector's edition you get 3 stamps. Halfway to a free game. And their games are half off this weekend. Yes, yes, it's a trap Spoder thinks I'm nuts etc etc but I'm going to buy something half off to get enough stamps for a free game since I already have 3 now cuz why the hell not?
Maybe I'll pull a Drabes and take a couple of shots first. If I throw in a drop of tomato juice I can justify it this time of day.
But yeah, Big Fish is kind of a nightmare to navigate if you don't know exactly what you are looking for.
I was half interested in this, I may pick up a 4-pack (because I have a fever) to pass out the extras to others that I'll never play with because people annoy me.
lol...talk about ups and downs. Read the title and think "this sounds promising." Look at the cover art and think "this looks crappy." Then look at the screenshots and left completely confused:
On a whole, it seems like it needs polish and certainly wasn't marketed well enough to garner much attention. So, crap. Still bought it.
Also, when did GG institute this must wait 24 hours before self-activating gift keys thing? Guess I haven't bought a pack in while. Probably should have just gifted it to myself.
Every game is currently free at Big Fish Games if you use the code FREEGAME86966. Note that the code only works once per account. I think it was intended to only work on Collector's Editions, but it works on everything.
Where's Motoki when you need him? I didn't want to post this!
On a whole, it seems like it needs polish and certainly wasn't marketed well enough to garner much attention. So, crap. Still bought it.
Also, when did GG institute this must wait 24 hours before self-activating gift keys thing? Guess I haven't bought a pack in while. Probably should have just gifted it to myself.
It's Big Fish client so sorta kinda like the capsule I guess in that it's a one time quick net activation on install and then you can play it offline as much as you want while it's installed.
I mean if you want to freak out about DRM or other clients (it's really small) then go for it but it's free so eh.
Ugh... walking away for a week and coming back... wtf... new thread and everyone is bowing to Big Fish Games... what good crap did I miss? I don't think I'm gunna go back and read 1500 posts..
Ugh... walking away for a week and coming back... wtf... new thread and everyone is bowing to Big Fish Games... what good crap did I miss? I don't think I'm gunna go back and read 1500 posts..
It's Big Fish client so sorta kinda like the capsule I guess in that it's a one time quick net activation on install and then you can play it offline as much as you want while it's installed.
I mean if you want to freak out about DRM or other clients (it's really small) then go for it but it's free so eh.
with them. They don't know you are in their game until they attempt to start a mission or you start the hack. I like to kill and blow up stuff around them before initializing the hack that tells them I'm in their game.
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