Steam Purchase Addiction

Steam, with its digital distribution system, has surely in some ways revolutionized gaming.  It definitely has for the Mac users out there, turning the Mac back into a somewhat legitimate platform.

My experience with Steam has been very good, but unfortunately it involves lots of impulse sale purchases.  I don't even understand how digital copies go on sale, its not like there is a need to clear inventory.  But Valve is obviously onto something, as it sure spurs my credit card use.

I have been a longtime fan of Vinny Caravella, currently from Giantbomb.com, and previously from the Gamespot Hotspot Podcast.  He has, for as long as I can remember, discussed his own habit of purchasing Steam games on sale, and never even installing them.

This came up on the Giantbomb message boards, here are some interesting responses:

@RuinRunner starts off:

Listening to this week's Bombcast, I was reminded of an increasingly pervasive trend among gamers that I just can't seem to wrap my head around.  The guys were teasing Vinny for buying a bunch of games in the latest Steam sale that he'll never play (though they've all admitted to the same behavior at various points in the past).  While he laughingly acknowledged that he probably will never play most of them, it seemed not to require further explanation.  I frequently hear similar stories from friends and on other podcasts and see them on message boards as well.  As a Mac user, I am new to Steam.  But Microsoft have finally started to see the brilliance of this digital distribution pricing model and have begun offering time limited XBLA sales, and still I've managed not to buy a bunch of crummy arcade ports and tower defense clones I know I won't touch. 

However, it's not just fire sale priced digital content that is causing this effect on gamers.  One guy I know buys a new copy of pretty much every AAA title for all three of the main consoles at MSRP on the day of release and then consigns a large majority of them to permanent stacks of shrink-wrapped DVD cases on a desk (his gamerscore's in the 30,000s after 5 years of 360 titles).  That's an extreme case, sure, but how many games have you bought (on sale or otherwise) that you "just haven't gotten to yet"?  Just this morning I saw that GoGamer has Left 4 Dead 2 for $20.  I did want to play that one.  And that is a great price.  But I missed it.  And I know if I buy it now I won't be able to play it before something brand new is released that I want to play (nor will I be able to find co-op companions, for that matter). 

So what am I missing here?  Is it fun just to own a game beyond the enjoyment of actually playing it?  Maybe people think they will eventually "catch up" and dip into their back catalog, but if we're being honest this just isn't likely.  The frequency with which quality games are being released has never been greater.  And while that is essentially a good thing, I think it will necessitate a fundamental shift in our expectations of players' (and even critics') breadth of experience.  We can't really assume that every gamer has time for every game anymore.  So maybe it's time to stop fooling ourselves into buying all of them.

The first responses were mostly math equations, it seems people generally install about 75% of games, must who don't do so because of lack of hard drive space.

@Hitchinson

I install all of my games on Steam, I have 2TB of storage space, so that helps.

@Zidd

Theres only 1 game in my steam library that i havent installed and played and thats UT2K4 because I don't have space for it.

An interesting point was made about games being collectables, or the idea of building a "library" of games the way some people buy classic literature that they never read.  But of course, this can't apply to Steam, with no physical product, can it? Perhaps these Steam collectors are actually just years ahead of the rest of us.

@LetsRockBaby

My PC can't run half the games I have on Steam (yeah, I need to upgrade or build a new computer altogether) and some I have no interest in playing tbh (thanks to the abundance of diverse games in the THQ pack), so I have 11/39 (not including mods or demos) installed.

I thought this was a good, succinct, point.  First of all, getting games on sale means you have them for later, including when you have a better rig.  Maybe I should have taken advantage of the $5 Bioshock offer?  Also, I played And Yet It Moves briefly (read my thoughts here) but haven't gone back to it.  It was part of a sale pack with games I really wanted.

@rybrad took an economic approach:

I think it really comes down to price versus value.  When the price is significantly lower than the perceived value, people will be more inclined to buy something.  What Vinny said is a similar predicament of many Steam users based on their experiences.  I don't think many (if any) people purchase a game with the intention to never play it but there are times where the price to value relationship is so skewed that people view a game more favorably and thus purchase it.   Having this experience tends to make people joke about "losing money if you don't buy it" because if you play it, you definitely got your moneys worth.

 

With that being said, many people DO end up playing all the games they buy.  For example, last Christmas holiday sale, I bought a ton of games from Steam because the prices were so insanely low.  I have not even looked at some of those games yet but in the last two months I have come upon some free time that has allowed me to start working through the backlog voraciously.  I also bought several of the games based just on what friends/websites/forums had recommended to me which I imagine is the case for many other low price, impulse purchases that people make.   While VInny may not play the new games he bought right now, there is always the possibility that there will be a lull in game releases that will give him more time to spend with Mr. Holmes.

 

Long story short, I don't think buying a game and never playing it is a conscious decision that someone makes when purchasing a sale item.

And finally, my thoughts from the topic:

Installed? All of them. Played? All of them? 

 

Played for more than a few hours? Uh... 

 

I too have trouble passing up a sale price, but I think my problem is more like your friend with shrink wrapped AAA titles, and maybe less like Vinny.  I WANT to play all these games so badly, and honestly mean to.  The problem is that with a job, social life, and law school, I almost never have time.  So I get games when they are on sale, play 2-3 hours, and sometimes just never have a chance to go back.  I STILL want to play Okami, finish Super Mario Galaxy, etc.  I even have a classic Nintendo that I am trying to finish games on... 

 

But what makes Steam and similar digital distribution sales so great is that I have a chance to pick up games cheap, including older ones, and see how I do.  Take Half-Life 2, for example.  I missed it when it first came out.  It was on sale on Steam.  I picked it up, ran through it, had a great time.  I am now working my way through the two expansions.  So now I got to see the stories, and the games.  The only sad part is that I probably won't have a chance to go through again on higher difficulties, or even to pick up missed achievements. 

 

In a way, I am a little jealous of your friend with his shrink wrapped AAA titles.   At least, someday, when he gets some time, he can pop in that unopened copy of RE4, much like I did earlier this year, and discover an amazing gameplay experience.  Sure, it is fun to play games while the internet buzz is hot, and yeah, some stories do get a little spoiled (I am still hoping to one day play Bioshock, even though I know how it ends), and graphics do progress daily.  And yet, a good game, you can always go back to.  Civ V may be out for full price, but for $10, I have gotten my money's worth out of Civ IV a hundred times over. 

How do you use Steam? What games have you bought and never played, or never installed? Continue the conversation in the comments, or head over to Giantbomb and read the whole topic here

Taking Steam recommendations

For those of you who have steam, or any of you who want to go and look up the current sales, I am taking recommendations for purchases. The sales end July 4, so get them in soon!

Guidelines/Info
I play on Mac, so it has be Mac supported.

1. Its a MacBookPro, 2.2Ghz, Intel Core 2 Duo type. Has a GeForce 8600M GT. I take pretty good care of it, but it isn't brand new. Runs Half-Life 2 just fine, but struggles quite heavily with TF2...
2. Check my current library on GB's achievements page
3. I will also be posting both specific questions as well as accepting general recommendations.
4. Don't just link me to GB, Gamespot, MetaCritic, etc reviews, I can read those myself, thanks.
5. I don't want to just hear "This game roxxorz my soxxorz!"
6. If you have Steam, and are incredibly useful in your recommendations, I will gift you a game, limit of $15 USD.

Yep, let me know your thoughts!

Currently Playing

Currently Playing
Half-Life 2
Steam Mac/PC

Half-Life 2 celebrated the move to Mac with a decent discount, but honestly, I was buying this discount or not.  I am about 5 hours in, having just started the Ravenholm part.  I actually just got the Shotgun.

So far, the game is amazing.  Seriously, I am really, really enjoying it.  The environments are awesome, in my opinion, although at times a little lifeless.  The NPCs are very well done.  The weapons are fun, and I like that so far there are only 5.  The story is well told.  Also, the enemies are really cool.  I think the way the headcrabs and Civil Protection. React when getting shot and dying adds a lot.

So far, only one crash on my computer.  I am pretty excited to play more.  Currently, my only gripe is that a lot of the achievements aren't necessarily hard, they just require multiple playthroughs, since some require a choice and are mutually exclusive, while others you really have to know what you are looking for.  Nonetheless, I am currently playing on easy, but will go back for a normal, and possible hard, playthrough.

Currently Playing

Currently Playing
Madballs in...Babo:Invasion
PC/Mac/Xbox 360


I have been playing this game pretty regularly, after picking it up on sale, lured by the claims of strong multiplayer.  I have played through the first half of the campaign (it is divided into two factions) and found it to be passable, but nothing to write home about.  The AI is pretty boring, although the variety of weapons and character classes mean you can approach it however you want.

The multiplayer is a lot better, but still hampered by some major problems.  The first is the lack of support.  It is almost impossible to find, I kid you not, more than 12 people online at any one time.  If that server is in Europe, your ping will probably be too high to play, and you are out of luck.

The co-op, which was another selling point for me, is equally disappointing.  The only mode is to play through the ENTIRE CAMPAIGN in one sitting, ALWAYS STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING.  Why? This makes no sense, since the first two or three levels hardly have enemies.  It really is no fun rolling through a level with your friends without anyone to kill.  The only level I really want co-op for is the last one, but I don't want to have to spend a few hours clearing the game to play it.

Other issues include terrible design and balance choices.  For example, the speedy characters have so little health that they take one or two hits from ANY weapon.  The heavy characters can take damage all day, but struggle to roll up even the tiniest hill.  Also, the special abilities are not balanced at all.  They range from instant one hit kill to completely worthless.

Having said all that, the game does have some major redeeming qualities.  The persistent unlocking/level up system is nicely done.  It is shared across multiplayer and single player, so really you should spend some time unlocking in single player before jumping online, or you can just jump online at any time and play around.  Also, some of the unlocks appear for using specific abilities, some for using a specific character, some just for playing the game.   This system works well, the only problem is that you do need to spend time unlocking things before having a chance at playing online.  This is a small problem, as you can unlock most of what you need in about an hour.

My only hope is that I can continue playing this online, since I am enjoying the multiplayer.  I forgot to mention that the 4 player co-op survival is really fun, at least the two games I have played.  Maybe I can convince my brother to download the 360 version, as I am almost positive it supports cross platform multiplayer.

If you play this game, let me know your Steam ID or whatever other name you are registered under, I want to play with you.

Currently Playing

Torchlight
PC/Mac
View My Steam Achievements



Ah, Torchlight.  This game has been generating quite a buzz in the gaming community recently, or at least I feel I have been hearing a lot about it.  I picked it up on sale recently, as I do most of my Steam purchases.

First of all, a confession:  I never played, even once, Diablo or Diablo II. So I have little nostalgia for either game, or even really this genre.  The closest I have come to a real dungeon crawler loot fest is Dark Cloud for the PS2.  I enjoyed that game, but never really got into the deep grinding that was required just to clear the game, let along max characters and weapons.

But Torchlight was highly recommended, and it advertised a netbook mode settings, so I knew my computer would run it.  Needless to say, I have been devoting some serious time to this game as of late.

I have started off playing as a Vanquisher, which is basically a ranger.  There are only three classes, Melee, Caster, and Ranger, as it is.  There is some paper-thin story, that somehow I believe is unique to each class, but it really is no matter.  Fortunately, while the story is thin, it isn't annoying, awkward or childish.  It is just simple.  Personally, I think that is fine, the story is there but it never bothers you.

The gameplay is very similar to Diablo, you click enemies to attack them, but Torchlight allows for the holding down of the attack button to spare mice.  So far the gameplay is pretty good, I find the killing satisfying, the character movement fluid, and the spells and special abilities easy enough to access.  My only gripes here would be minor difficulties getting the running correct over elevation changes, and the way nothing is explained to you.  These game has almost no tutorial, which is fine, but is also lacking in in-game manuals.  To review the manual, you must exit out of the game, and then open the pdf file.

So far the loot gathering is fun as well, but again I don't always understand what I am looking for in the items.  They may be standard, have magical enchantments (like crit rate +2%), have slots for ember (which in turn gives stat boosts or added effects, like life drain), or they may be part of a set, (the more matching pieces, the bigger the bonuses) or they may be unique (haven't grabbed any yet).  My problem is that I do not yet fully understand the ember crafting system, whereby attaching gems is permanent, but later you can either destroy the item and get the gem, or destroy the gem and get the item.  So I am unsure if I should attach gems, and when I find a better item just destroy my current one to retain the rare ember, or if I should only use the lowest level gems, so that I could hopefully save better gems for end game items.

Anyone else playing this?  Let me know if you have any thoughts.

Currently Playing

And Yet It Moves
PC/Mac
View My Steam Achievements

I picked up this in the Steam Indie Games Pack that was available deeply discounted on the Mac steam release.  All the games are the play anywhere type, where you can purchase them once, and then play on PC or Mac.  I am pretty sure the entire pack was $20, although the total value was listed at $60.  It had World of Goo, however, which I have been dying to play for a long time, and Machinarium, which I had seen a quick look of on GiantBomb, and Vinny was pretty adamant that it was a good game, so I figured why not, I'll take the other three as freebies.

AYIM is so far, the most disappointing of all the games.  Although the art style is, quite simply, amazing, the rest of the game is so far lackluster.  The mechanics are cool, but there is a ton of trial and error, and the level design is uninspired.  There is a lot of guessing where to turn next (pun intended), although I will concede the checkpoints are very cool, and do provide some direction.

My real problem, at least early on, is that there are times when it makes more sense to reset the level because you hit a checkpoint, only to find out you need to go back four checkpoints earlier to grab a rock or bat you need for the next challenge.  In a game where moving through the level is the challenge, backtracking is an exercise in frustration.

I'll probably continue playing, however, as I only put in about a half hour, and the art is really something, plus there are steam achievements, but this is my early feedback.