Steam's Big Picture Sale Offers Big Discounts on Witcher 3, XCOM 2 and More Until Monday
//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1353/1353187.jpgSteam is offering some big deals on some great games this weekend.
Steam has kicked off their Big Picture sale for this weekend. It features a number of Big Picture friendly titles. Big Picture is the Steam mode that is controller-friendly for those of you who have your PC hooked up to your television.
Also on sale are all of Steam's hardware products, including the Steam Controller and the Steam Link.
Some of the deals that might catch your eye include:
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for $30 Doom for $30, or the game with a Steam Controller for $60 Rocket League for $15 Civilization V for $7.50 Cities Skylines for $7.50 Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition for $20 XCOM 2 for $33
You can see all the deals, both hardware and games, on the Steam Store [http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamhardwareaccessories/]. The sale ends on Monday, Oct. 3 at 1 PM ET.
Gosh darn it, why do I always buy things just before they go on sale?
I find it amusing they're still pushing the Steam Controller. Granted I don't believe the controller was a total flop, but it doesn't appear to have been the runaway industry-changing success they and the media were expecting.
Gosh darn it, why do I always buy things just before they go on sale?
I find it amusing they're still pushing the Steam Controller. Granted I don't believe the controller was a total flop, but it doesn't appear to have been the runaway industry-changing success they and the media were expecting.
Think Sim City as we remember it (not the monstrosity it has become) with substantial upgrades to all the mechanics and a very responsive feedback system as well as a excellent progression mechanic that naturally introduces mechanics and complexity as your city grows.
I highly recommend it while bingewatching something, especially at less than $10.
Gosh darn it, why do I always buy things just before they go on sale?
I find it amusing they're still pushing the Steam Controller. Granted I don't believe the controller was a total flop, but it doesn't appear to have been the runaway industry-changing success they and the media were expecting.
I want them to keep working on it. I think they should make it so you can switch the 4 face areas with different things. Mostly cause fuck the touch pad. I get its purpose, but the only thing preventing me from using my Steam Controller to play Morrowind on PC is my inability to move the camera cause of the touch pad. Everything else works perfect, and as a person who prefers controller, Steam Controller in theory is an awesome thing.
As much as I want Witcher 3, I need to get through Dark Souls 2 & Dragon's Dogma to make space for it. Guess I'm waiting till the Winter sale at the earliest.
I want them to keep working on it. I think they should make it so you can switch the 4 face areas with different things. Mostly cause fuck the touch pad. I get its purpose, but the only thing preventing me from using my Steam Controller to play Morrowind on PC is my inability to move the camera cause of the touch pad. Everything else works perfect, and as a person who prefers controller, Steam Controller in theory is an awesome thing.
But if you swapped out the touchpads for something else, like say some sticks, you've more-or-less just created a standard xbox controller. At which point, why not just use an xbox controller? The major unique point of the Steam Controller is the touchpads and the general consensus about them on the internet seems to be a resounding "meh".
I want them to keep working on it. I think they should make it so you can switch the 4 face areas with different things. Mostly cause fuck the touch pad. I get its purpose, but the only thing preventing me from using my Steam Controller to play Morrowind on PC is my inability to move the camera cause of the touch pad. Everything else works perfect, and as a person who prefers controller, Steam Controller in theory is an awesome thing.
But if you swapped out the touchpads for something else, like say some sticks, you've more-or-less just created a standard xbox controller. At which point, why not just use an xbox controller? The major unique point of the Steam Controller is the touchpads and the general consensus about them on the internet seems to be a resounding "meh".
I want them to keep working on it. I think they should make it so you can switch the 4 face areas with different things. Mostly cause fuck the touch pad. I get its purpose, but the only thing preventing me from using my Steam Controller to play Morrowind on PC is my inability to move the camera cause of the touch pad. Everything else works perfect, and as a person who prefers controller, Steam Controller in theory is an awesome thing.
But if you swapped out the touchpads for something else, like say some sticks, you've more-or-less just created a standard xbox controller. At which point, why not just use an xbox controller? The major unique point of the Steam Controller is the touchpads and the general consensus about them on the internet seems to be a resounding "meh".
Well, yes, actually it does. It requires the translation/configuration layer built in to Steam, and you could achieve the same functionality with other controllers and other software. But I appreciate that most people wouldn't consider it to be an "outside program" since if you're a PC gamer there's a 99% chance you have Steam installed anyway.
I want them to keep working on it. I think they should make it so you can switch the 4 face areas with different things. Mostly cause fuck the touch pad. I get its purpose, but the only thing preventing me from using my Steam Controller to play Morrowind on PC is my inability to move the camera cause of the touch pad. Everything else works perfect, and as a person who prefers controller, Steam Controller in theory is an awesome thing.
But if you swapped out the touchpads for something else, like say some sticks, you've more-or-less just created a standard xbox controller. At which point, why not just use an xbox controller? The major unique point of the Steam Controller is the touchpads and the general consensus about them on the internet seems to be a resounding "meh".
Well, yes, actually it does. It requires the translation/configuration layer built in to Steam, and you could achieve the same functionality with other controllers and other software. But I appreciate that most people wouldn't consider it to be an "outside program" since if you're a PC gamer there's a 99% chance you have Steam installed anyway.
When was that ever the case? Most gaming news outlets were rife with negative articles, and Valve never talked about it as if they were hoping for it to represent some sort of paradigm shift in the industry. I've no idea where you got that impression.
But if you swapped out the touchpads for something else, like say some sticks, you've more-or-less just created a standard xbox controller.
Except that the standard (or even the Elite) Xbox controllers don't have anything even remotely near the level of customization the Steam Controller does.
At which point, why not just use an xbox controller?
Maybe some find the Steam Controller more comfortable? I know I do. The Xbox controller is actually unwieldy for someone like me. I have large hands and long fingers, so the Xbox controller's general design doesn't suit my grip well. And, I've never been a fan of the type of analog sticks they use. Too loose and ungainly, and too prone to wear and tear.
The major unique point of the Steam Controller is the touchpads
No, that was the thing everyone kept concentrating on when attempting to bad mouth the thing before it even came out. The primary selling point Valve was pushing was the controller's ability to be reprogrammed and adjusted at any level. That users would be able to adjust everything from button mapping to trackpad behavior to pad and stick deadzones to button press behavior.
and the general consensus about them on the internet seems to be a resounding "meh".
From the vast majority who've either never touched the thing or tried it once for a few minutes and signed it off as "too weird". The general reaction from those who've taken the time to learn the controller and experiment with it's capabilities seems to be a resounding, "This is pretty amazing."
Actually, it doesn't. The controller has built in memory storage that, when coupled with the onboard firmware, allows the controller to store settings locally. This means you can use the Controller on any PC, even those that do not have Steam installed.
Steam only offers expanded functionality, primarily in the form of profile swapping, setting adjustments, and community-made profiles. Otherwise, it functions however you set it to without Steam running in the background.
Saelune said:
I want them to keep working on it. I think they should make it so you can switch the 4 face areas with different things. Mostly cause fuck the touch pad. I get its purpose, but the only thing preventing me from using my Steam Controller to play Morrowind on PC is my inability to move the camera cause of the touch pad. Everything else works perfect, and as a person who prefers controller, Steam Controller in theory is an awesome thing.
Have you tried adjusting the trackpad settings? Or, have you tried any of the top community-made settings profiles? Quite often you'll find some fantastic profiles that readjust just about everything on the controller to make it better suit specific games. That sort of community driven adaptations led to users discovering that making use of the trackpads and the tilt sensors in the controller allowed for a MUCH greater degree of control and accuracy when aiming in a first or third person game.
Like I told the other poster: You don't need Steam running to use your Steam Controller. Just set a "default profile" in the settings and it'll default to that profile whenever it runs without Steam in the background processes.
Like I told the other poster: You don't need Steam running to use your Steam Controller. Just set a "default profile" in the settings and it'll default to that profile whenever it runs without Steam in the background processes.
Running it with Steam isnt the issue. Really the only issue I have is the track pad. It claims to be able to work like an analog stick, but I dont think thats the case. Maybe I will give it another go later, but the resistance of a physical object will likely never be recreatable with mere rumbling of a flat surface.
A side note to your comments to the other guy, Ive learned first-hand that you cannot judge a controller until you hold it. The Steam Controller looks crazy but it handles fine. The Wii U gamepad also looks insane but I like it for what it does.
I still hope that Valve keeps working on the Steam controller. Customization is what they should focus on. Everyone is different, both in preference, and hand size (unlike you, I have very small hands and find most controllers slightly too big honestly).
When was that ever the case? Most gaming news outlets were rife with negative articles, and Valve never talked about it as if they were hoping for it to represent some sort of paradigm shift in the industry. I've no idea where you got that impression.
Clearly you and I read different corners of the internet. Most of the articles I read, particularly at the time of launch, were praising the controller. Infact I cannot remember reading any article that was worse than "neutral". As to paradigm shift, the Steam Controller was part of their Steam Machines push - something very definitely intended to upset the industry by replacing both Windows and Consoles. A noble goal in itself, but it fell very short in execution.
Vigormortis said:
But if you swapped out the touchpads for something else, like say some sticks, you've more-or-less just created a standard xbox controller.
Except that the standard (or even the Elite) Xbox controllers don't have anything even remotely near the level of customization the Steam Controller does.
As I said before, customization can be achieved on other controllers - even to the level of the Steam Controller, You just need appropriate software to do the job. Its like Apple Macs and the GUI - they did not invent the GUI, but they were the first to "get it right" and popularise the concept.
Vigormortis said:
At which point, why not just use an xbox controller?
Maybe some find the Steam Controller more comfortable? I know I do. The Xbox controller is actually unwieldy for someone like me. I have large hands and long fingers, so the Xbox controller's general design doesn't suit my grip well. And, I've never been a fan of the type of analog sticks they use. Too loose and ungainly, and too prone to wear and tear.
And that's fine - ergonomic comfort is a perfectly valid reason to prefer a particular input method / controller. If you like the Steam Controller, I'm not stopping you from using it. Or you could use one of the myriad other controllers, like a Logitech. I mentioned said "xbox" meaning "standard", because lets face it the xbox controller is the defacto standard PC controller; I suppose I should have said "other brands are also available". Incidentally, I personally dislike all controllers I've ever tried and I don't normally use them unless the setup of the game demands it.
Vigormortis said:
The major unique point of the Steam Controller is the touchpads
No, that was the thing everyone kept concentrating on when attempting to bad mouth the thing before it even came out. The primary selling point Valve was pushing was the controller's ability to be reprogrammed and adjusted at any level. That users would be able to adjust everything from button mapping to trackpad behavior to pad and stick deadzones to button press behavior.
Go read its Steam page. The Trackpads are literally the first enumerated feature, and they split it into two parts (Dual Trackpads and HD Haptics); by comparison the customization features are barely mentioned.
Vigormortis said:
and the general consensus about them on the internet seems to be a resounding "meh".
From the vast majority who've either never touched the thing or tried it once for a few minutes and signed it off as "too weird". The general reaction from those who've taken the time to learn the controller and experiment with it's capabilities seems to be a resounding, "This is pretty amazing."
That doesn't really make sense. Obviously people who've never tried to talking smack don't count and I try to ignore those voices, but dismissing people who have tried it but didn't like it isn't fair. Particularly with things like ergonomic comfort, a few minutes can be all it takes to know something isn't for you - the length of time reaching that opinion doesn't make it invalid. The argument you're making is similar to saying that the DOS Command Prompt is extremely powerful and intuitive if you work with it long enough, and anyone who disagrees hasn't used it long enough. Its a tautology: If you do anything enough you'll get used to it; that doesn't make it inherently superior.
Also you'll note that when I said the consensus is "meh", I was refering to the Trackpads in particular, and not the controller as a whole. I have yet to personally read an article that isn't luke-warm about the trackpads.
Actually, it doesn't. The controller has built in memory storage that, when coupled with the onboard firmware, allows the controller to store settings locally. This means you can use the Controller on any PC, even those that do not have Steam installed.
Steam only offers expanded functionality, primarily in the form of profile swapping, setting adjustments, and community-made profiles. Otherwise, it functions however you set it to without Steam running in the background.
A fair point and one I was not aware of, however you still need Steam to setup the profile in the first place, so saying that Steam "only offers expanded functionality" is disingenious - you literally cannot use what you're arguing is the controller's primary unique selling point without Steam.
Saelune said:
I still hope that Valve keeps working on the Steam controller. Customization is what they should focus on. Everyone is different, both in preference, and hand size (unlike you, I have very small hands and find most controllers slightly too big honestly).
And I don't disagree. The world is full of different people with different preferences, and we should nurture and cherish these differences. I have never said that the Steam Controller should be discontinued and/or never used by anyone ever; rather I expressed interest/surprise that Valve is still pushing it as heavily as they are - given that it hasn't been a runaway success, I would think at this point most people interested in it would already posess it, or at least be aware of it.
Okay, the actual word I used was "amusing", but thats in reference specifically to the fact that Valve rather hyped the product, so when it inevitably failed to live up to the hype, I am amused in a "serves you right" sort of way. Therefore my original comment was more a jab at Valve than the merits of the controller itself.
Clearly you and I read different corners of the internet. Most of the articles I read, particularly at the time of launch, were praising the controller. Infact I cannot remember reading any article that was worse than "neutral".
We clearly do. I recall quite a mixture of positive and negative articles on the controller prior and shortly after launch.
As to paradigm shift, the Steam Controller was part of their Steam Machines push - something very definitely intended to upset the industry by replacing both Windows and Consoles. A noble goal in itself, but it fell very short in execution.
Again, I'm left wondering where you got that info. Valve never once talked about the Steam Machines as something designed to 'replace' consoles nor Windows. SteamOS and Steam Machines were intended to be nothing more than an alternate option. Hell, on their website the core tagline is: "Bring PC Gaming to Your Living Room. Presenting a collection of hardware designed to expand the Steam gaming experience to your TV."
Don't see anything about "Toss out your consoles and old PCs. Steam Machines are here." That all came from click-bait websites.
As I said before, customization can be achieved on other controllers - even to the level of the Steam Controller, You just need appropriate software to do the job. Its like Apple Macs and the GUI - they did not invent the GUI, but they were the first to "get it right" and popularise the concept.
Not really. The customization options for the Steam controller occur at the software and firmware level. What you're talking about would occur at a secondary software level. So not only do those sorts of software programs often not offer the breadth of options available on the Steam controller, you're also adding one or two layers of input lag.
Go read its Steam page. The Trackpads are literally the first enumerated feature, and they split it into two parts (Dual Trackpads and HD Haptics); by comparison the customization features are barely mentioned.
The haptics aren't exclusive to the track pads and are unrelated. The HD haptics are essentially a progression of 'rumble' motors. Their a combination of gen-3 and gen-4 haptic tech.
For comparison's sake, the Xbone and PS4 controllers use gen-1 haptic tech.
And the first thing they list, depending on which part of the page you look, is either:
A different kind of gamepad.
We?ve improved upon the resolution and fidelity of input that?s possible with traditional gamepads. Built with high-precision input technologies and focused on low-latency, wireless performance, the Steam controller enables you to experience your games in powerful new ways.
Compatible with 1000s of Steam Games
What you were looking at was the hardware overview, which would not include firmware and software-related features. Regardless, we were talking about the primary selling point Valve was playing up prior to launch, of which was the customization, moddability, and community profile sharing.
That doesn't really make sense. Obviously people who've never tried to talking smack don't count and I try to ignore those voices,
When did I say I did that? I never said people can't dislike the controller. That would be stupid. I said a great many negative reviews that I've seen were from those who tried using the controller for a very short amount of time, found it odd and different, and deemed it as terrible. Conversely, I've found that many of those who've put in the time to learn it often end up liking it, with a smaller number still not liking it. The Steam review pages are indicative of this.
Particularly with things like ergonomic comfort, a few minutes can be all it takes to know something isn't for you - the length of time reaching that opinion doesn't make it invalid.
The argument you're making is similar to saying that the DOS Command Prompt is extremely powerful and intuitive if you work with it long enough, and anyone who disagrees hasn't used it long enough.
Also, conversely: Just because it may take time to change your natural inclination to something you're not inherently familiar with doesn't mean that new thing is inherently inferior. Many people viewed analog sticks as odd, awkward, and unintuitive when they were first introduced. Many saw no reason to use them over the standard d-pad. Nowadays, analog sticks are ubiquitous on almost all controllers.
Also you'll note that when I said the consensus is "meh", I was refering to the Trackpads in particular, and not the controller as a whole. I have yet to personally read an article that isn't luke-warm about the trackpads.
When were those articles published? Many of the early reviews were a mixture of negative and lukewarm. However, a number of them were updated to change the review to positive, even glowing, after the author had put in time to learn the controller. You'll find similar responses in the Steam review pages.
A fair point and one I was not aware of, however you still need Steam to setup the profile in the first place, so saying that Steam "only offers expanded functionality" is disingenious - you literally cannot use what you're arguing is the controller's primary unique selling point without Steam.
How was I being disingenuous? You argued that the controller would not function without Steam. I said that wasn't true. (which it isn't) The other portion is unrelated to that.
And even then, my statement about the expanded functionality still isn't disingenuous. You can plug in and use the Steam Controller without ever installing Steam. It will simply default to a mixture of X-input defaults and default settings created by Valve. The customization of the default profile(s) is very much a part of that "expanded functionality".
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