So, what did you end up buying in the Steam Sale? And, how much did you spend?

[TheLazyKnight]

All I bought was the HL1 anthology and PB Winterbottom.
Was gifted L4D2, but can't play it on my current computer...

 

[lacktheknack]

Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a limited, terminable, non-exclusive license and right to use the Software for your personal use in accordance with this Agreement and the Subscription Terms. The Software is licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Software.

Well, I'm willing to accept that. I'm trusting Valve not to pull a massive dick move on me.

If you aren't willing, then it's your loss.

 

[Deadlock Radium]

Since I still haven't gotten my new credit card that allows me to buy stuff online, I got my friend to buy me Audiosurf because he was 1 euro short of the Indie Heavy Hitters Pack

Still, Audiosurf is quite fun n__n

 

[bodyguarddied]

Let's see.....

Spoiler

FEAR Bundle (10 Bucks)
Civ 5 (Full price as gift, but also got DLC later)
Empire-Napoleon Total War Bundle (37 bucks, got it before it went on the daily sale)
Kane and Lynch 2 ($10 bucks + some DLC, again day before the daily sale)
Arkham Asylum ($7.50)
Battlefield 2 (5 bucks)
Bad Company 2 ($6.80)
Doom Pack ($8.74)
Section 8 (5 bucks)
Fallout 3 ($22.49)
Fallout NV ($25, I already had 3 and NV on xbox, i just wanted PC version for mods)
Crysis Complete (Gifted to a friend, $10)
GTA IV Complete ($10)
The Witcher ($5)
Max Payne Bundle ($15)
Mideval II Gold ($7.49)
Shattered Union ($.49, any idea how to get this working on windows 7 anyone?)
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within/Two Thrones ($2.50 each)

I went a tad overboard with steam sales I guess....

 

[SomeBoredGuy]

Assassin's Creed 2
Audiosurf
Killing Floor
Serious Sam Gold Pack
Star Wars: Jedi Knight Pack
Super Meat Boy
Splinter Cell: Conviction

 

[Evil the White]

Nothing. Steam is all garbage in that it's a massive scam. Any price for a leased game is too much. Except if they priced it down to $0.01 / game...

Heh, enjoy the hate.

Anyway, the games are not leased because:

1. They do not require steam to be online or logged in to work.

2. They can be taken away on disk and played on a separate machine.

3. Steam jsut makes it easier.

 

[octafish]

Too much, I even bought GTA IV, STALKER Dragon Age (complete pack, I only owned the basic release no DLC other than the stone prisoner)and Mafia even though I have physical copies just because I'm too lazy to swap disks to play different games... I dropped over $100 but got a couple of games that I really wanted like Bad Company 2, New Vegas, F1 2010 and Mafia II.

 

[Chibz]

Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a limited, terminable, non-exclusive license and right to use the Software for your personal use in accordance with this Agreement and the Subscription Terms. The Software is licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Software.

Learn2readingcomprehension.

That part of the agreement specifies STEAM. So if you download Steam, you don't own it. The games you get THROUGH Steam are another matter entirely.

All offers to purchase Merchandise via Steam are made and accepted subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

That's why they say "The software". This applies to all purchases via stream.

That's because video games are essentially information, a collection of 1's and 0's. It's the same with most music and films, and many other industries such as lawyering and teaching. When you go into a shop and buy a game, you're paying a little for the tangible disc and packaging, but the bulk of your money is being spent on the right to use the intangible information on the disc.

When you pay for a solicitor, you're not buying the solicitor, you're buying the right to access and utilize his/her knowledge, you don't own the guy, you own the rights to access and use what he/she knows.

Similarly, when you buy a video game (downloaded or on disc), you aren't paying for the ownership of that knowledge, the creators still own it, you're just paying for access to the information, which can be used by your computer to make a game.

It's not unfair in any way, if ownership of the information were to transfer to you when you buy a game, the company would no longer own it and would no longer be able to make their money from it.

Cars and bread etc are different, you're buying a tangible object produced by the company that made it.

When I buy a console game (especially in hard copy) I'm buying that copy of the game. It's mine. All the legal rights in regards to the ownership of that copy of the game are exclusively mine.

When I buy anything on PC, especially off Steam, I have no rights. No legal recourse if they decide to take my game away. That is a scary concept.

You know this applies to ALL video games right? Even consoles and disk copies? I don't see how it's suddenly a scam when its distributed a bit differently.

Actually, hard copies of console games aren't leased. You have to explicitly agree to something like this for it to have any legal weight. I could bring up how the whole EULA concept is basically blackmail, but that's another topic. For another day.

Slipping a piece of paper into a case isn't legally binding. Nor is it explicitly agreed upon.

In the end, for a discount to be worth willingly giving up any sort of legal rights & the protections they bring the discount would have to be STAGGERING.

 

[ChaoticKraus]

Dead Rising 2

Can't really remember how much though. Wasn't much though, easily worth the money. Mindless but very satisfying.

 

[Geamo]

I got a few things:
Assassin's Creed 2 (broke under the pressure, glad I did so, damn fine game)
Left 4 Dead 2
Poker Night at the Inventory
Indie Clever Pack (World of Goo, Eufloria, Doc Clock and the Toasted Sandwich of Time, Iron Grip:Warlord)

And I got gifted Deus Ex:GOTY and I subsequently gifted them back with the Overlord pack.

 

[Thamux]

Killing Floor, 5, something
L4D2, 5...something
The Orange box!

 

[Shpongled]

Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a limited, terminable, non-exclusive license and right to use the Software for your personal use in accordance with this Agreement and the Subscription Terms. The Software is licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Software.

Learn2readingcomprehension.

That part of the agreement specifies STEAM. So if you download Steam, you don't own it. The games you get THROUGH Steam are another matter entirely.

All offers to purchase Merchandise via Steam are made and accepted subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

That's why they say "The software". This applies to all purchases via stream.

That's because video games are essentially information, a collection of 1's and 0's. It's the same with most music and films, and many other industries such as lawyering and teaching. When you go into a shop and buy a game, you're paying a little for the tangible disc and packaging, but the bulk of your money is being spent on the right to use the intangible information on the disc.

When you pay for a solicitor, you're not buying the solicitor, you're buying the right to access and utilize his/her knowledge, you don't own the guy, you own the rights to access and use what he/she knows.

Similarly, when you buy a video game (downloaded or on disc), you aren't paying for the ownership of that knowledge, the creators still own it, you're just paying for access to the information, which can be used by your computer to make a game.

It's not unfair in any way, if ownership of the information were to transfer to you when you buy a game, the company would no longer own it and would no longer be able to make their money from it.

Cars and bread etc are different, you're buying a tangible object produced by the company that made it.

When I buy a console game (especially in hard copy) I'm buying that copy of the game. It's mine. All the legal rights in regards to the ownership of that copy of the game are exclusively mine.

When I buy anything on PC, especially off Steam, I have no rights. No legal recourse if they decide to take my game away. That is a scary concept.

No they aren't. You own the physical disc and the packaging it came in, but you don't own the information on the disc. You have the rights to use the information, but you don't own it. If the owners of that information decided to remove those rights, you would be breaking the contract if you used the information on the disc (ie, you play the game).

The only legal difference between buying a physical copy and a digital copy is ownership of the disc, which on its own, is useless. The important part of the purchase, the copy of the information, is subject to the same legal conditions.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a limited, terminable, non-exclusive license and right to use the Software for your personal use in accordance with this Agreement and the Subscription Terms. The Software is licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Software.

That applies to every video game you ever buy whether it be physical or otherwise. Let me just quote you a few things from the back of the games manuals.

Spoiler: The last game I played will suit us nicely

Activision grants you the non-exclusive, non-transferable, limited right and license to use one copy of this Product solely and exclusively for your personal use. All rights not specifically granted under this Agreement are reserved by Activision. This Product is Licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in this Product and should not be construed as a sale of any rights in this product

Did you notice anything in there that was similar to the Steam one?

Spoiler: Well, what about another publisher? How about 2k?

Subject to this Agreement and its terms and conditions, Licensor hereby grants you the nonexclusive, non-transferable, limited right and license to use one copy of the Software for your personal non-commercial use for gameplay on a single computer or gaming unit, unless otherwise specified in the Software documentation. Your acquired rights are subject to your compliance with this Agreement. The term of your license under this Agreement shall commence on the date that you install or otherwise use the Software and ends on the earlier date of either your disposal of the Software or Licensor's termination of this Agreement. Your license terminates immediately if you attempt to circumvent any technical protection measures used in connection with the Software. The Software is being licensed to you and you hereby acknowledge that no title or ownership in the Software is being transferred or assigned and this Agreement should not be construed as a sale of rights in the Software. All rights not specifically granted under this Agreement are reserved by Licensor and, as applicable, its Licensors.

See that in bold there? That's direct from the Mafia 2 manual, it's 2Ks way of saying 'you only license this software' or, as you say, it's leased. Let's have one more, shall we?

Spoiler: Let's have one more, shall we?

Subject to this Agreement and its terms and conditions, Licensor hereby grants you the nonexclusive, non-transferable, limited right and license to use one copy of this Software for your personal non-commercial use for gameplay on a single computer or gaming unit, unless otherwise specified in the Software documentation. Your acquired rights are subject to your compliance with this Agreement. The term of your license under this Agreement shall commence on the date that you install or otherwise use the Software and ends on the earlier date of either your disposal of the Software or Licensor's termination of this Agreement. Your license terminates immediately if you attempt to circumvent any technical protection measures used in connection with the Software. The Software is being licensed to you and you hereby acknowledge that no title or ownership in the Software is being transferred or assigned and this Agreement should not be construed as a sale of rights in the Software. All rights not specifically granted under this Agreement are reserved by Licensor and, as applicable, it's licensors.

Oh, look at that, I could have copied and pasted that last one.

To put it simply, you're wrong and you're right. You're right in the sense that PC games are only licensed. But, you're wrong in that DRM is unfair and that buying from Steam is significantly different from a physical copy. As long as lackthenack can burn a copy of Audiosurf to a disk, the only differences is that you download through Steam instead of buying from a store.

EDIT: OT: Wow, I got so wrapped up in that I forgot to make my actual post. Sadly, I bought no games from Steam sale. Gladly, the only game I want off Steam wasn't in the sale so I neither lose nor win. Unfortunately, I can't get any more games for less than they would normally cost. Ah well, that's how the world works.

 

[Godhead]

Lost Planet 2 for my good friend, who in turn got me Fallout: New Vegas which I have been to lazy listening to the radio on it so I haven't even downloaded any mods for it. Also Amnesia, goodbye constipation.

 

[Chibz]

No they aren't. You own the physical disc and the packaging it came in, but you don't own the information on the disc. You have the rights to use the information, but you don't own it. If the owners of that information decided to remove those rights, you would be breaking the contract if you used the information on the disc (ie, you play the game).

The only legal difference between buying a physical copy and a digital copy is ownership of the disc, which on its own, is useless. The important part of the purchase, the copy of the information, is subject to the same legal conditions.

Read the licensing agreement that comes with most games or services like Steam. They reserve the right to take away your digital copy. For whatever reason they want. Don't even need one. Probably won't, but still. That shit's scary. Just the fact that they can, if they really wanted to.

The only way could relieve me of my copy of Splatterhouse would be an active home invasion. And I'd have legal recourse: They stole it.

Just because PC Gaming is a cluster fuck of having no rights and viable alternatives to Steam doesn't mean gaming in its entirety is.

 

[Burst6]

the witcher- enhanced edition, deathspank, and super meat boy. $17 baby.

 

[burgbrand22]

First purchase was Super Meat Boy for $3.75, which was ridiculously crazy, and worth it; a great special game, and I'm not even a fan of platformers. Funny to see people who purchased SMB for a higher price go on Steam forums complaining about the sale being so low. Also bought Amnesia (something different) and Civ IV Complete (6 bucks so that's cheap as heck.)

Tempted to buy some RPGs like Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age, but I think I've grown tired of rpgs asking me to be an errand boy.

 

[icame]

Half life Complete
Serious sam hd gold edition (both first and second encounter)
Civilization 4 complete
Deus ex 1 & 2

 

[Shpongled]

No they aren't. You own the physical disc and the packaging it came in, but you don't own the information on the disc. You have the rights to use the information, but you don't own it. If the owners of that information decided to remove those rights, you would be breaking the contract if you used the information on the disc (ie, you play the game).

The only legal difference between buying a physical copy and a digital copy is ownership of the disc, which on its own, is useless. The important part of the purchase, the copy of the information, is subject to the same legal conditions.

Read the licensing agreement that comes with most games or services like Steam. They reserve the right to take away your digital copy. For whatever reason they want. Don't even need one. Probably won't, but still. That shit's scary. Just the fact that they can, if they really wanted to.

The only way could relieve me of my copy of Splatterhouse would be an active home invasion. And I'd have legal recourse: They stole it.

Just because PC Gaming is a cluster fuck of having no rights and viable alternatives to Steam doesn't mean gaming in its entirety is.

Once you download a game from steam, the information is on your computer. You have full access to the information. Provided you know how to break through the games steam start-up checks, you could use the game as freely as before. This would be no different to continuing to use the game disc after rights have been removed, both break the contract.

Console games (and movies, and most music) are no different. It's all intangible information.

That said, game producers have no reason to remove your rights, it would be commercial suicide for no benefit whatsoever. It just would not happen. Ignoring the fantastic deals steam has for the sake of extreme paranoia is just silly.

 

[Freedomario]

I got 11 games this holiday season, 8 of which i bought with the steam sales:

Day of Defeat: Source
Super Meat Boy
Everyday Logic: Square Logic
Poker Night at the Inventory
DLC For Killing Floor "London's Finest"
the "Indie Music Pack" which included
BIT.TRIP BEAT
Chime
Beat Hazard
Rhythm Zone
Turba

All with a 25$ Card!
Still have 5 Cents left, lets see what i can buy with it!