I'm worried games might be getting too inexpensive

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FrozenLaughs

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Never viewed it as a bad thing. Games go on sale when either:
Market is so saturated with a popular product you have to put it on sale to push more sales

Or

Game is so poorly received you have to put it on sale to move product.

Both are examples of "anything is better than nothing". If 100 people will buy it at $60, you can bet 300 will buy it at $30, and 1000 will buy it at $15. In the end they still make more money than if they had done nothing.
 

Saelune

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The same flawed logic that says sales hurt....sales. A good chunk of games Ive bought on sale I would never have bought otherwise. People spending money means money is being made. Its when no one is spending that the issues arise.
 

KarmaTheAlligator

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Naeras said:
KarmaTheAlligator said:
Twenty Ninjas said:
Gorfias said:
I'm mostly worried about Steam going out of business.
So I'm the only one here who finds this completely ridiculous?

There is no possible way Valve can go out of business in the foreseeable future. They're an industry giant that is popular and has little competition in what it does.
Nope, I agree with you. The fact that they have so many sales means they're doing well, since they can afford to drop the prices so often.
Correction: they're not holding sales to be nice [http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/07/16/steam-deals-dont-cannibalise-sales-says-valves-director-of-business-management/], they're holding sales because it earns them ridiculous amounts of money [http://www.shacknews.com/article/57308/valve-left-4-dead-half] =p

And, no, they won't go bankrupt anytime soon.
I never said they held sales to be nice, I just said they can afford it: i.e. they're not going to go out of business any time soon. And it also is very profitable for them, yes.
 

gorfias

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Vigormortis said:
While they won't be able to provide the ability to download the titles indefinitely, should Steam close down, they can provide that ability for some period of time after. ...There is also Big Picture mode, should you prefer a more "console-like" UI. And, you can adjust which windows are prioritized by selecting your favorite "tab" in the options menu.
Good to know this stuff! Thanks! I'll play with the back up utility some more too. Though I was over-writing stuff before. I'd want to be able to remove something from the PC, have it backed up, and add to that back up without over-writing as I get new games. Can I restore only to the machine I backed up?

Zachary Amaranth said:
I have all my games installed to an internal 2 TB HDD added after I created my computer. I'm not sure what the problem would be.
That may be a way easier fix if the above works fine. I think 3TB externals are out now.

You can't imagine paying full price for a game. Unless you can. Which you have. Or will...Is GTA V even announced yet for PC?
GTA, I got it for the PS3. I haven't heard about a PC version. My boy has a gaming class PC I built for him in his room, access to my game accounts, but insists on only playing PS3 and he (18) really wanted GTA5 so I got it for him. It is hard to write what PS3 game I've paid full price for since then. (PC: Bioshock Infinite... PS3? Before GTA5, might have been Black Ops 2).

I love the PS3 as well, but it can't keep up with my PC in terms of graphics and game sales. And ease of use (no disc swapping). My office chair is not as comfy as sitting on a recliner in my family room. PS3 has that on the PC.

PS3 sales can be nuts too, just not as crazy as Steam and Humble Bundle or occastional Gamestop download (which shows up on Steam). In buy 2 get 1 sales at Gamestop, I'm picking up some pretty good stuff, often 3 games for $10 total (Just picked up 2 Red Faction games. They're new to me, so, I don't care the games came out some time ago).

Yet, 2 days till PS4. As I wrote earlier, I am nuts. I'll likely get it soon and be paying $60 for at least a few titles to make use of it. Because PS3 games are going to keep getting cheaper for a while, I'll likely be doing a lot of buying in that area as well.

RhombusHatesYou said:
If you think games are being sold too cheaply move to New Zealand. That'll cure it right fast.
How is your internet there? Do you get the same prices as the US on Downloads? Are you able to download there?

OlasDAlmighty said:
This thread a joke?
Nope. As I've written above, I buy games from a number of places but they show up in Steam. If Steam goes out of business, inspite of its own sales, that could be trouble. Many Gamestop and humblebundle downloads are from there. Steam goes, those downloads go too.

Do you think they charge so little out of charity?
Oddly, www.humblebundle.com is at least in part, for charity! I do think Steam gets a taste, however small though. I doubt they set the pricing though. I've paid as little as 20 cents for some stuff. That's a big part of what has me worried about the viability of the game industry in general and Steam in particular. Is there too much content, getting cheaper all the time. Will it crowd out new content?

In the long run though, this thread has convinced me that:

I better get a bigger drive (either internal, external or both);
Download and back up ASAP;
I should be able to edit my list to see only what I want to see and unhide as needed;
Steam is doing well. Don't worry so much;
As many people are as crazy as me, while I keep buying up bargains, I do think there's always going to be a title or two I can't stop myself from buying new. Others in my shoes won't resist either.
 

Something Amyss

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Gorfias said:
PS3 sales can be nuts too, just not as crazy as Steam and Humble Bundle or occastional Gamestop download (which shows up on Steam). In buy 2 get 1 sales at Gamestop, I'm picking up some pretty good stuff, often 3 games for $10 total (Just picked up 2 Red Faction games. They're new to me, so, I don't care the games came out some time ago).
Several of the recent Sony sales were in line with the Steam prices.

Again I point to the rather deceptive marketing of Steam as one of the big reasons people still seem to think it's this super deal.

Yet, 2 days till PS4. As I wrote earlier, I am nuts. I'll likely get it soon and be paying $60 for at least a few titles to make use of it. Because PS3 games are going to keep getting cheaper for a while, I'll likely be doing a lot of buying in that area as well.
To bring this back around to the topic, stores are expecting the biggest console launches ever to hit this month. That's part of the thing. Even if you're going to go for the cheapy PS3 games, the PS4 is going to sell like hotcakes. So's the Xbone. and games. Even PC games.

Do you get the same prices as the US on Downloads? Are you able to download there?
Steam charges them on par with the physical copies, which are overpriced as fuck. The main reason for this is that Steam doesn't have to be a competitive service.

Nope. As I've written above, I buy games from a number of places but they show up in Steam. If Steam goes out of business, inspite of its own sales, that could be trouble. Many Gamestop and humblebundle downloads are from there. Steam goes, those downloads go too.
There's no legit reason to suspect Steam will go down. Also, Humbe Bundle mostly offers DRM-free versions. Some do require Steam (or Origin) but most do not.

Oddly, www.humblebundle.com is at least in part, for charity!
Yes, but Steam doesn't run Humble Bundle. Steam gets good PR out of it, which means they probably take very little, but it's still PR.

Is there too much content, getting cheaper all the time. Will it crowd out new content?
I don't know, was there five years ago? Ten years ago? I mean, there's been a ton of content for a long time. And if you want older games you can get them with pocket change. Why isn't the industry dead yet?

People want new stuff. They want shinier graphics and new maps and all that stuff.

and, I mean, people will always want older stuff, too. There's a reason backwards compatibility is an issue, why remakes and ports are desired/demanded, etc. It's not going to harm the current gen any more than sales are. The things that harm new games are numerous, but these are not an issue.

Keep in mind Saddam Hu...I mean, Gabe Newell claims exponential growth every year. Since he's not accountable to anyone, I suppose he could be lying (The Americans have NOT taken Baghdad!), but it seems odd they'd try and expand more if they weren't at least doing well. Steam Machines are a risky venture, something you would expect a solvent company to do. Not something you would expect someone who is being ruined by their own sales undercutting their profits to do.

Download and back up ASAP;
Steam is doing well. Don't worry so much;
Those seem at odds with one another.

As many people are as crazy as me, while I keep buying up bargains, I do think there's always going to be a title or two I can't stop myself from buying new. Others in my shoes won't resist either.
Which is part of their model. You buy up dozens fo games, many of which you may never play. Even my more moderate purchase habits leave me a couple of games behind my list most of the time, though honestly, I prefer to have a couple more games than I've played as it gives me something to move to.
 

Someone Depressing

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If corporations, develops or publishers aren't able to take care of themselves, then really, they shouldn't be in the industry.

I wouldn't worry; it anything, it'll root out develops who can't handle their money against the ones who can.
 

Pink Gregory

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http://hitboxteam.com/dustforce-sales-figures

This here might be of interest to this thread.

EDIT: to do with the reinvigoration and sales spikes that deep-discount sales bring to games.
 

gorfias

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Zachary Amaranth said:
Download and back up ASAP;
Steam is doing well. Don't worry so much;
Those seem at odds with one another.
"Trust but verify". Steam is likely fine, but I shouldn't be in idiot: ensure I have backups just in case.


As many people are as crazy as me, while I keep buying up bargains, I do think there's always going to be a title or two I can't stop myself from buying new. Others in my shoes won't resist either.
Which is part of their model. You buy up dozens of games, many of which you may never play. Even my more moderate purchase habits leave me a couple of games behind my list most of the time, though honestly, I prefer to have a couple more games than I've played as it gives me something to move to.[/quote]

I like variety too. I have about 15 pinball games. Fun to jump on one for a bit. Then jump back into an FPS. Then play some Skyrim. Then Limbo.

What isn't finished far out numbers what I have finished.
 

Atmos Duality

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If developers and publishers really were losing money on Steam due to sales (ie, being too inexpensive), you can bet nobody would distribute through Steam.
Which is to say nothing of Valve themselves, who are doing just fine.

Pink Gregory said:
http://hitboxteam.com/dustforce-sales-figures

This here might be of interest to this thread.
That actually is worth reading.
You really should have elaborated on it yourself though; bring some of the points to the fore.

Like the major boosts to their revenue due to sales after launch.
(which completely flies in the face of sales devaluing software)
 

Vigormortis

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Gorfias said:
Good to know this stuff! Thanks! I'll play with the back up utility some more too. Though I was over-writing stuff before. I'd want to be able to remove something from the PC, have it backed up, and add to that back up without over-writing as I get new games. Can I restore only to the machine I backed up?
You don't create a single backup of your Steam account. The backup utility built into Steam makes individual backups for each game. It essentially creates a disc image of the game files from which you can reinstall.[footnote]You may, however, have to create your own backups of settings and saved game files. But a simple copy/paste job of the requisite files is all you need.[/footnote]

Once you have the backup, you can store it wherever you want. And, when you're ready to install it in the future, you can install it to any computer. Provided you can either login to your account online or the computer in question has your account credentials stored locally.
 

Vigormortis

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Strelok said:
Actually that is incorrect, Microsoft apparently loses billions due to the entertainment division made up for by Android patent royalties apparently.

http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-earns-2-billion-per-year-from-android-patent-royalties-2013-11

In fact one of the investors that wants to dump XBox and Microsoft games was just given a seat on the board.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/08/31/microsoft_valueact_ballmer/

The new CEO candidate Stephen Elop is rumored to not exactly be an XBox fan as well.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/8/5080192/microsoft-ceo-candidate-stephen-elop-bing-xbox-rumors
I was actually already aware of much of that. However, I take issue with the first article you linked.

A lot of the assertions made by Mr. Sherlund include a few too many instances of "probably".

Not that I'm of a mind that those assertions are impossibly false, I'd just prefer more solid evidence than a 3rd party analyst saying, "probably".

[sub]As a side note, it really doesn't surprise me that the Android division is making them the most money.[/sub]
 

Rariow

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I'm pretty sure Valve's swimming in cash right about now. These sales just mean more people buy the game, generating income that never would have been generated otherwise. These guys are huge corporations, they know what they're doing, and if Valve was leaking money because of Steam sales, they'd cut them out in an instant. As much as I like Valve, they're not putting on these crazy sales out of their kindness of their heart like most people seem to believe, they're doing it because it gives them Scrooge McDuck levels of money.
 

gorfias

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Vigormortis said:
Gorfias said:
Good to know this stuff! Thanks! I'll play with the back up utility some more too. Though I was over-writing stuff before. I'd want to be able to remove something from the PC, have it backed up, and add to that back up without over-writing as I get new games. Can I restore only to the machine I backed up?
You don't create a single backup of your Steam account. The backup utility built into Steam makes individual backups for each game. It essentially creates a disc image of the game files from which you can reinstall.[footnote]You may, however, have to create your own backups of settings and saved game files. But a simple copy/paste job of the requisite files is all you need.[/footnote]

Once you have the backup, you can store it wherever you want. And, when you're ready to install it in the future, you can install it to any computer. Provided you can either login to your account online or the computer in question has your account credentials stored locally.
Awesome! I can probably burn a back up of each game to DVD (or blank bluray) if necessary, per game! Worth it!
 

Vigormortis

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Gorfias said:
Awesome! I can probably burn a back up of each game to DVD (or blank bluray) if necessary, per game! Worth it!
Just bare in mind, like I'd said before, that you will likely need to create your own backup of your saves, settings, custom content, etc. Essentially, anything that wouldn't normally be a part of the game install and possibly anything that wouldn't be stored "in the cloud[footnote]Steam does have the capability to store saves, settings, etc to their servers. Not all games use this feature but those that do will often automatically download and restore your saves/settings once you reinstall the game.[/footnote]".
 

Flutterguy

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So much virtual entertainment exists, way too much. Any successful game spits out a sequel and 30 developers try to make their own version. Like the movie and TV industry it has become bloated and filled with fluff and alot of unnecessary things are done trying to fool us out of money. Whenever a company fails their schemes they go bankrupt and 70-90% sale the good titles they released.

Seeing as I research general opinion, reviews and gameplay videos before investing time and money on a game the current downfall is nothing but good news, man i used to get one new game a month with no online gameplay. This is AWESOME.
 

Do4600

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Tuesday Night Fever said:
I just don't see most modern games as being worth their $60 price tags. I remember a day when I never paid more than $40 for a brand new PC game, and typically got 20+ hours out of nearly all of them on the first playthrough. These days I find paying $60 for a 6-hour game to be insulting to me as a consumer.
There's something you must remember, a game that cost $40 in 1994 would cost $63 dollars now. I bought Fallout 2 in 1998 for $50; it would cost $72 now, most often, the publisher is getting paid less now than they were before, but they are relying on a larger number of sales to recoup the cost. This means that the price of gaming has been going down, not up.
 

Do4600

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Gorfias said:
I'm mostly worried about Steam going out of business.
I wouldn't worry about that, at least not right now, they are in a huge period of growth, they are like Microsoft in 1995, they practically have a monopoly on digital distribution. Yes, I know other companies have services, like GoG, but they don't do the many billions of dollars worth of business that Steam does. They have grown so big that they feel confidant enough to directly compete with Sony and Microsoft.
 

gorfias

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Do4600 said:
Gorfias said:
I'm mostly worried about Steam going out of business.
I wouldn't worry about that, at least not right now, they are in a huge period of growth, they are like Microsoft in 1995, they practically have a monopoly on digital distribution. Yes, I know other companies have services, like GoG, but they don't do the many billions of dollars worth of business that Steam does. They have grown so big that they feel confidant enough to directly compete with Sony and Microsoft.
I'll have to look up this GoG. Thanks!
 

Geoffrey Francis

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Gorfias said:
Vigormortis said:
RhombusHatesYou said:
If you think games are being sold too cheaply move to New Zealand. That'll cure it right fast.
How is your internet there? Do you get the same prices as the US on Downloads? Are you able to download there?
The internet in NZ is pretty bad (there is a single fibre optic cable running from the top of the North Island to Australia to connect to the rest of the world), you can download there but it is going to take a bit longer. The price for a new digital game (ie a $US60 game) in NZ is $NZ120, which at todays exchange rate is $US99.98.

Also you have to hang on to the floor/ground with your toes to keep from falling off the earth, you'll be living in the future and Christmas is a day to go to the beach because it's so hot and sunny.