Steam sale

[Fallschirmjager]

For those of us who actually like Steam and don't have a schizophrenic fear of it [;)] Steam is having an awesome summer time sale that started today and is going on until July 4th. Most all of the big name publishers have marked down games quite a bit and even some like new games are getting mark downs. I got Bioshock 2 for 9.99 and the expansion pack for Tropico 3 for 6.79

Steam is turning into an addiction Too many games at too great of prices.
One thing to be warned is that this sale must be attracting a lot of buisness because the servers are slooooowwwww

[Hertston]

Agreed there are some impressive bargains; I'll certainly be spending a little at least. Haven't decided what on, yet; probably the Ironclads games, Penumbra and Cryostasis.

[GaryChildress]

I've never been on the Steam website. Do they offer combination physical and download of their PC games like Matrix does? I like to be able to DL a game to play immediately and I like the fact that you don't need a disk to play them and then with the physical shipment arriving later I have a kind of collector's item that I can also use as a backup just in case. [8D]

[EDIT: Also, why do people not like Steam? I'm not very familiar with the whole debate.]

[Arctic Blast]

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

I've never been on the Steam website. Do they offer combination physical and download of their PC games like Matrix does? I like to be able to DL a game to play immediately and I like the fact that you don't need a disk to play them and then with the physical shipment arriving later I have a kind of collector's item that I can also use as a backup just in case. [8D]

[EDIT: Also, why do people not like Steam? I'm not very familiar with the whole debate.]

No physical copies...it's purely digital.

As for how Steam works, you buy whatever from their catalog via either the client on your system or the website. the client then does all the downloading and installing, and automatically updates software as updates are released. You also delete/uninstall from within the client.

-Any Steam purchase has to be run through the Steam client, though there are a few exceptions in the older games (The X-Com games, for example).
-Any mods that alter the game's .exe can be problematic. Also, if official mod tools aren't being issued, every time the game is updates the mods will 'break', since they're essentially hacks. This is true of any version of a game, but with the auto-updates it's more noticeable on Steam.
-Much like with any client based system (Impulse comes to mind), if for some reason your account gets shut down, you lose game access.


As for this sale...goodbye, bank balance. Good grief. For those who don't have it and use Steam, the first Birth of America can be had for the whopping price of $1.50. All Paradox stuff is 50% off. For 50 bucks US you can buy the THQ collection, comprised of 20+ full games...there are similar collections for a number of other publishers. AI War and the expansion for about ten bucks. Good grief! [X(]

[GaryChildress]

Yuk. I don't think I want to get anything with Steam. Other than the good prices it doesn't sound worth it.

[PunkReaper]

I've had no problem with steam and like the "not needing a disc" and the low prices. Bought some great bargains. But having read this post can't even access the website.... must be some REAL bargains there.....[:@][:@][:@]

[Scott_WAR]

Actually Gary, steam is about the best way to buy games now in my opinion. Any game I have bought at steam is always there ready for me to install and play. Many games I have bought on CD/DVD over the years are damaged, have been lost, or their developer vanshed/stopped supporting the game and it wont play on any modern OS. This is never an issue with steam.
Many games I have downloaded and saved on CD/DVD end up with the same fate, damaged , lost, or end up unplayable.

The auto update feature can be turned off so the client notifies you that there is an update but you dont have to install.
You do NOT have to have an internet connection to play any game you have installed from steam UNLESS it is an online only game in which case you would need a connection anyway.

Not a single game I have bought from steam has had any problems working with any mod I have tried. Most mods work fine with steam, and those that dont usually have an alternate install for steam since it has become so popular.

[Fallschirmjager]

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

I've never been on the Steam website. Do they offer combination physical and download of their PC games like Matrix does? I like to be able to DL a game to play immediately and I like the fact that you don't need a disk to play them and then with the physical shipment arriving later I have a kind of collector's item that I can also use as a backup just in case. [8D]

[EDIT: Also, why do people not like Steam? I'm not very familiar with the whole debate.]

No there is no physical copy but there is really no point in having one. Any computer with internet access has access to your entire library and Steam is financialy stable to the point where if they went under the entire games industry would probably be in trouble anyways.
I guess I can understand having a physical copy but no Steam does not offer them.

Most of the criticism of Steam I see seems to stem from older gamers and on the wargame forums I visit. Most mainstream game forum goers see to like the service. Most of the criticism on this bored seems to come from the fact that technically you don't really own the game but simply pay to use the game through the service.
Kind of like the iTunes store or Amazon Kindle.
Secondly among the more conspiracy minded people out there they don't like that Steam collects user information and is always on your computer from the moment you start it up and must be activated and on whenever you play games.
Finally among the more batshit crazy segment of gamers I have actually heard some people accuse Steam of being used as a Trojan and virus distribution outlet and selling information collected from buying habits to the government and finally accusing the service of uploading rookits to your PC that collects information about your internet activities. Hence my joke in my opening post

I like the service for the prices and the ease of getting games. And even though today is an exception the servers are usually lightning fast and very reliable.

[Fallschirmjager]

ORIGINAL: Punk Reaper

I've had no problem with steam and like the "not needing a disc" and the low prices. Bought some great bargains. But having read this post can't even access the website.... must be some REAL bargains there.....[:@][:@][:@]

Yeah I feel kind of embarrassed praising the service today. The entire day today the speeds and service have been terribly slow and has timed out on me multiple times. The Steam forums are blaming it on greatly increased sales.


Edit: The THQ collection for 49.99 is an amazing deal just for the Dawn of War games alone. If I didn't already have them I would be all over that.

[joeblack1862]

ORIGINAL: Scott_WAR
Actually Gary, steam is about the best way to buy games now in my opinion. Any game I have bought at steam is always there ready for me to install and play.

I just feel the need to balance things a bit Scott. That is your experience, this is mine:

1. 26 Mar - Tried to buy a game, process failed, message to contact Steam support. Account debited, Paypal showing money gone, no game. I logged a dispute with Paypal but only at "Talk to Seller" level.
2. 28 Mar - Late on Sunday before any contact. Steam support told me the money had been refunded. Not great as I had lost the weekend, but at this point I thought it had been resolved.
3. 28 Mar - I buy the game from Gamers Gate via Paypal as I want to play it now with the refunded money, didn't want to risk a repeat of 1 above.
4. 03 Apr - Saturday morning of an Easter weekend, account disabled, money still missing from bank account but no goods provided. I now escalated the dispute on Paypal AFTER the account had been disabled.
6. 09 Apr - 6 days to contact me, account disabled all this time. Account enabled, only after I pm'd one of the moderators on the steam forum when I managed to spot him on line. Money still missing. I had told them I had bought the game elsewhere but as a sign of regret they added the game I had tried to pay for earlier to my account claiming it was freebie. At this point they still had my money so it was in fact not free and not wanted.
7. 12 Apr - Steam claim I have been refunded, but no evidence so I pursue this providing evidence to paypal and steam.
8. 14 Apr - Paypal contact me, finding in my favor, and force a refund from Steam.
9. 15 Apr - Steam then let me know a day later they have refunded me.....
10. 16 Apr - Steam then contact me explaining the refund and apologising. Can't fault that. They did then remove the free game because I said I didn't want it as I had bought it elsewhere, but without my agreement.

My Experience:
1. 3 weeks to resolve. Two weekends disrupted, one with the loss of all games.
2. Sporadic contact with minimal information during this time.
3. To raise a dispute with Paypal should never disable a customers account, especially if it is only "Talk to Seller" level. However, the account was disabled 8 days after the dispute was raised. It was still at "Talk to Seller" level which means Paypal take no action, nada. It is all between you and the seller.
4. I have heard so often that raising a dispute will get your account disabled, rubbish. Disabling my account caused me to escalate the dispute, not the other way round.
5. 6 days with a disabled account, yet I had done nothing wrong.

It did not sit well with me, the attitude towards my account (and myself indirectly). Disabled it, added a game, then removed it. All without notifying before taking such action. So who's account is it?

So what I have ended up with was frustration, lost time, loss of money from bank account for a couple of weeks and nothing else. I personally believe the only reason I got my money back was because Paypal took it back.

They were polite (when they finally contacted me) and I believe were regretful; although I still find it odd that they only offered compensation of the game I had attempted to buy. Once they found out I had been refunded and I had bought it elsewhere, they removed it and offered no substitute.

Take from this what you will, I can back it up with the support ticket and the emails between all parties concerned.

My personal experience means I quit Steam and have not regretted it. I even had them delete my account (they have only disabled it but it makes no difference to me). I have lost my games, but I don't care. The companies I buy from now are fine and in my opinion provide a better service, I like owning my games.

As for backups and availability? Digital downloads and Acronis True Image (an absolutely fine product; and cheap) along with one of those backup drives. It takes about 3 mins to install most games and get playing, anywhere. And if I don't want to carry a drive then there is Dropbox via the internet. I might add, all this installs faster than Steam and is a lot more available.

Scott's opinion and experience is just a valid as mine and I am not knocking what he says. I just wanted to show him and others there is another experience that can be had. And, in my opinion, there are other ways of getting the same, if not better service than Steam.

No more from me after this. I am not here to send this off topic, but felt as people were promoting Steam it was okay to offer an alternative view.

Signing out , enjoy your sales everyone [:)]

[e_barkmann]

Never had any problems purchasing through Steam. Got quite a few games too.

cheers

[LitFuel]

I used to think the whole STEAM thing was a bad idea but after I got past my fears about it I'm a regular customer now. I have never had a problem and the prices are unbeatable and I like the auto updates. I have been able to get twice as many games than I ever would have with their sales. I'm sure as stated above some do have problems but that can be said about any game purchasing system....I mean heck I've had to battle Digital River here a couple times now over screw ups on my Matrix order...it happens sometimes no matter where you go eventually.

[Scott_WAR]

Joe, you used PayPal. They always seem to have problems when I tried to use them, so I gave up and just use a debit card.

But yeah, everyone will have an issue occasionally, and you have every right to post the experiences you have had. In the end we have to let or own personal experience guide us more than the experiences of others.

[boatrigm]

I have used Steam since it started and never had a problem. It's great!

[htuna]

I have two Steam accounts and about 50 games.. never had a problem.. Never had a problem with Matrix or Gamers Gate either.. had issues with getting paypal to work on Direct2Drive.. but Credit Card worked fine there...

[V22 Osprey]

Oh Gosh....please not another steam thread...

simple philosophy:
If you don't like Steam, DO NOT REPLY ON A STEAM THREAD. A person was just trying to show us steam users a heads up. Again, If you don't like steam, PLEASE DO NOT CLICK ON ANY THREAD WITH STEAM IN IT.....PLEASE. Sorry for the CAPS, but I hate how every time someone even mentions steams, the steam haters just HAVE to make some kind of comment about how they don't like or use steam. Just accept the heads up and move on, every time steam is mentioned it doesn't have to be a debate....it just gets annoying after awhile....damn.

[Fallschirmjager]

ORIGINAL: cmurphy625

I have two Steam accounts and about 50 games.. never had a problem.. Never had a problem with Matrix or Gamers Gate either.. had issues with getting paypal to work on Direct2Drive.. but Credit Card worked fine there...

Direct2Drive is the only download service I refuse to use. Like you I have had both problems with payment and then the actual downloading of the games. And once the download begins I find their servers to be slow.

[Greybriar]

I can't agree to the terms of the Steam Subscriber Agreement, part of which reads:

....9. DISCLAIMERS; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; NO GUARANTEES....

C. NO GUARANTEES.

VALVE DOES NOT GUARANTEE CONTINUOUS, ERROR-FREE, VIRUS-FREE OR SECURE OPERATION AND ACCESS TO STEAM, THE STEAM SOFTWARE, YOUR ACCOUNT AND/OR YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS(S)....

[Fallschirmjager]

ORIGINAL: Greybriar

I can't agree to the terms of the Steam Subscriber Agreement, part of which reads:

....9. DISCLAIMERS; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; NO GUARANTEES....

C. NO GUARANTEES.

VALVE DOES NOT GUARANTEE CONTINUOUS, ERROR-FREE, VIRUS-FREE OR SECURE OPERATION AND ACCESS TO STEAM, THE STEAM SOFTWARE, YOUR ACCOUNT AND/OR YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS(S)....

I would be shocked if they did. If they promised no errors or viruses from their service they would be opening themselves to some pretty serious lawsuits.

[Greybriar]

ORIGINAL: Fallschirmjager

I would be shocked if they did. If they promised no errors or viruses from their service they would be opening themselves to some pretty serious lawsuits.

They don't even honor consumer rights. I won't give them a blank check.