10 Lessons Steam Sales Teach Us

1. New users will love the sales, but the more you build up your library of games the less the sales will interest you.

2. Never buy anything (at any day of the year) for more than 50% of the price (unless you want it badly).

3. Never buy anything (on a sale week) for more than 25-33% of the price (unless you want it badly).

4. Don't buy it just because it is cheap or it will end up being an eyesore on your games library list.

5. Once a game is discounted a certain percentage, it can't not go lower in the next sale. 

6. Even more valuable than money: Time.  You can afford a $5 game, but will you have time to play it (over your 50 other games).

7. Most week-long sales start out amazing, but then just degenerate into less interesting deals and repeats

8. If you make the main event of your day (or the main reason for your existence that particular week) the Steam sales, you will be disappointed.

9. Whatever you think you'll spend at the Steam sale, you'll spend over that.  Save up your money and expect to pump $100 into it.

10. Gabe Newell is an evil sociopathic game-delayer that makes us bankrupt, but he takes care of us and we love him.

1. New users will love the sales, but the more you build up your library of games the less the sales will interest you.

2. Never buy anything (at any day of the year) for more than 50% of the price (unless you want it badly).

3. Never buy anything (on a sale week) for more than 25-33% of the price (unless you want it badly).

4. Don't buy it just because it is cheap or it will end up being an eyesore on your games library list.

5. Once a game is discounted a certain percentage, it can't not go lower in the next sale. 

6. Even more valuable than money: Time.  You can afford a $5 game, but will you have time to play it (over your 50 other games).

7. Most week-long sales start out amazing, but then just degenerate into less interesting deals and repeats

8. If you make the main event of your day (or the main reason for your existence that particular week) the Steam sales, you will be disappointed.

9. Whatever you think you'll spend at the Steam sale, you'll spend over that.  Save up your money and expect to pump $100 into it.

10. Gabe Newell is an evil sociopathic game-delayer that makes us bankrupt, but he takes care of us and we love him.

drekula2

wise words. contact steam. this should be on their home page  ;)

The first point you made is the one I agree with the most.

I remember my first Steam sale and I was incredibly impressed. But the more sales that went down the line, the less interested I were in them since I already had most games I wanted. They arent bad, but I already built up most of my library. My friend who I sold my PC to last summer (to make him a PC gamer), has his first steam sale now and he is really impressed. Giving me a call like every day since there is something he wants (but the bank doesnt allow him to purchase).

Edit: Also, lol@point 2 and 3. Reminds me of this quote "Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game."

4. Don't buy it just because it is cheap or it will end up being an eyesore on your games library list.

drekula2

yeah... :cry:

I was agreeing with you all the way until point 9. I've never spent that much during a Steam sale. Even my first one. But I do realize that's the norm to drop a lot of money on these sales.

I was agreeing with you all the way until point 9. I've never spent that much during a Steam sale. Even my first one. But I do realize that's the norm to drop a lot of money on these sales.

Cwagmire21

Yeah the most I've ever spent is $40 on one holiday sale. It's easy to go overboard but its not logical to do it. You won't have the time to play it all

[QUOTE="drekula2"]

4. Don't buy it just because it is cheap or it will end up being an eyesore on your games library list.

feverberries

yeah... :cry:

I am having that problem right now.  Final Fantasy VII is on a flash sale but I am currently playing Final Fantasy Dimensions on my galaxy note, Final Fantasy III on my galaxy tab, probably going to get Final Fantasy XIII-2 next week, Final Fantasy XIV: ARR comes out next month, not to mention I am currently playing Resident Evil 6, Tomb Raider and Guild Wars 2.  SO not only am I worried about too much Final Fantasy, but too many games as well lol.

I agree with all except number 9.

I planned on spending very little this Steam sale. Although I did just get CoH2, and Shadowrun Returns (before the sale)

So far I only got 3 games.

Doom3 BFG $5.  (had major sound issues with the original Doom 3 on my rig)

Wargame: European Escalation  $5.

Waking Mars $5. 

$15 total so far, I think I am doing rather well.  There are a few others I want, but you already covered the point of "time" in your post.  by the time I get around to completing (or even spending a great deal of time with all the games I currently have) there will be another major sale. Sleeping Dogs, and Max Payne 3, Mass Effect 2-3, are some games that immediately come to mind, that I put off for that very reason.

Deus Ex:HR was also on that list, but I decided to get it on WiiU because of updates, tablet gameplay, and to help Nintendo with 3rd party, I will prolly do the same for Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

exactly

9. Whatever you think you'll spend at the Steam sale, you'll spend over that.drekula2

#11   When I don't buy a game at release probably it has 0 interest for me and will never buy the game no mater how appealing would be the later sale.

#12   Currently for me "time" is a more expensive resource than "money" in terms of gaming investment, so I trend to chose very carefully the -few- games I buy and play along the year, so I'm almost invulnerable to Steam/GoG/etc. sales.

   In example: I didn't buy a single game in the Steam summer sales due I'm too busy playing at GW2 and Skyrim to waste time in other games. I still have to finish games as The Witcher 1 & 2 or Dark Souls because was busy at the time with some other titles. To be fair, Stem didn't hurt my wallet at all; from time to time I buy things like dlcs for Skyrim or buy some games as presents for friends but I'm far away from being an addict of Steam sales.

nice list.... for some strange reason every steam sale i turn into santa clause for everyone on my friend list.... sometimes i feel games are so cheap that everyone should play them 

I don't buy many games a year aside from those that really interest me or I'm confident that I'll like. Otherwise, Steam sales are an ideal point to take a risk - It got me into Saints Row when the SR3 was 75% off (I later bought SR2) and Alan Wake was a good use of £7.

Sure, there are games I've barely touched (Metro 2033, LA Noire), but generally I've played them long enough to get some value out of them and make a judgement.

Dishonoured, Tomb Raider and Hitman: Absolution are all games I've picked up this time around. I've yet to install any of them, primarily because of the hot weather and having to leave my PC on to install any of them, which would make my house even hotter. But frankly, as long as I play each one for at least 3 hours, I'm happy.

There will be bad days when you buy something you don't like, but at least it will be cheap and not full price (Yeah, thanks for being rubbish, SupCom 2). There will also be glorious days when you buy something that grabs you that you don't put down (Super Street Fighter IV for me, £3.74, nearly 20 hours of play...).

So really, there is only one rule:

Ensure you have enough free time to at least give every game you try a decent chance!

The first point you made is the one I agree with the most.Maroxad

[QUOTE="Cwagmire21"]

I was agreeing with you all the way until point 9. I've never spent that much during a Steam sale. Even my first one. But I do realize that's the norm to drop a lot of money on these sales.

Masenkoe

Yeah the most I've ever spent is $40 on one holiday sale. It's easy to go overboard but its not logical to do it. You won't have the time to play it all

9. Whatever you think you'll spend at the Steam sale, you'll spend over that.  Save up your money and expect to pump $100 into it.

10. Gabe Newell is an evil sociopathic game-delayer that makes us bankrupt, but he takes care of us and we love him.

drekula2

I guess some people just dont have any discipline at all.. If I set my limit to (for example) 40$, I would never go over 40$. There is no sale that ever changed that for me, yet. The time being more valuable than money is so true though :)

13. Many games will be sold during the sale that might otherwise go ignored.

14. Piracy is less enticing when games are priced low enough.

15. It can be the best time to purchase DLC.

- I got RAGE: The Scorchers for $1.24

BTW you forgot: -never buy a game during steam sales unless it's a featured item or the sales are ending within 8 hours. Strike suit zero was 75% off for a whole week, but then it dropped even further to 85%.BrunoBRS

I generally follow this but sometimes I feel like paying the higher price to support an indie dev.

I doesnt matter how much money you throw at Steam. Their still riddled with DRM nasty. Good luck playing them in years to come..

I doesnt matter how much money you throw at Steam. Their still riddled with DRM nasty. Good luck playing them in years to come..

daniel79