Winter Sale Deterioration

[(Tech)·Knoar]

Just me or does the Winter Sale get worse every year? Several years ago it was something I couldn't miss, and I would spend hundreds on games I didn't even really want, just because their discounts were so great. Last couple years, didn't buy a single game. Yes, game releases in general have also gone downhill greatly, but not as much as Steam's sales.

[Darkslayer16]

Цитата допису JaxTH:

Are they even doing the "Spend x amount of money buying games to get cards" this sale?

If you mean trading cards yes, that would haven't taken you 2 seconds to figure out.

[ar]

Цитата допису (Tech)·Knoar:

Just me or does the Winter Sale get worse every year? Several years ago it was something I couldn't miss, and I would spend hundreds on games I didn't even really want, just because their discounts were so great. Last couple years, didn't buy a single game. Yes, game releases in general have also gone downhill greatly, but not as much as Steam's sales.

Yes, and all sale's are a joke here. if you try to discuss the subject, you'll get a ♥♥♥♥ storm here. "Would you like to buy a really old game, for half the release price?" Nope. "Would you like to buy new game, that everyone hates?". Nope. Can we talk about it? Nope, get ready for a ♥♥♥♥ storm.

[Tito Shivan]

Цитата допису ar:

Yes, and all sale's are a joke here.

As I said earlier.

Цитата допису Tito Shivan:

Also the digital games market has changed lots. That also made sale events change.

For starters, visibility on Steam isn't the powerful marketing tool it used to be. Discoverability shifted naturally to channels like Youtube and Twitch. Devs no longer needed to race to the bottom of the discount pool to be featured and be seen, when streamers could showcase their games on their channel.

Also the proliferation of store sites put another dent in that need for visibility. No need to have the deepest discount to be featured on Steam, when with a lesser dicount you can be featured one day at Humble, next week at Fanatical and another week at GOG.

Then came Indie Bundles predating the deeper end of discounts. Now instead of a 90% off sale games end up on a PWYW Bundle for that bottom end of sales.

Then come gamers shaping sales with their behaviour. Devs learnt gameres could wait for a game to go on the deep end of discount before purchasing. Now they're playing the long game to erode gamer's patience and purchase the game for more instead of keep waiting for a deep sale that may not come.

Also Devs learnt gamers started to consider the deeply discounted price as the 'real' price. So now they're more cautious to not devaluiate their product that much.

And they realised gamers value games for longer, so they don't feel pressured to cheapen their product.

Sure it was cool being there on the 'good old days', but they're long gone and ain't coming back because what shaped them is no longer here.

[Callahan420]

Цитата допису Tito Shivan:

Цитата допису 8bitbeard:

Several years ago, you didn't own 330 games.

Your best Steam Sale is your first Steam sale.

My purchase history proves otherwise. Also a huge drop off of purchases during summer/winter sales after flash sales ended.

Got 6 year old games with no price drop and never go over 50% off, Less games are discounted at the magical 66% or above discount.

Always be sure to check https://isthereanydeal.com for the best prices,

Yes I own 3k games but that does not affect sales prices in anyway, Over 600 wishlisted games.

Devs/pubs have just got increasingly more greedy as the platform grows.

[Start_Running]

Цитата допису Callahan420:

Got 6 year old games with no price drop and never go over 50% off, Less games are discounted at the magical 66% or above discount.

Less games that YOU are keeping an eye on. Though you may want to pay more attention to the price than the discount percentage. Doom for example doesn't go belo 50% but due to drops in the base price over time, that 50% now carries it down to $10


That say. PLENTY of games have that 75% discount. They just aren't games you are watching. Which leads me to believe you're watching AAA games that were/are uber piopular from large publishers.. Blizzacti for example is famous for keeping their prices high.

Something they've pretty much always done.

[PocketYoda]

I dunno i did ok this year. Spent about $220 AU

Red Wings: American Aces - A$ 3.39
Starship Troopers: Terran Command - A$ 34.36
DeadPoly - A$ 4.99
Light Fairytale Episode 2 - A$ 7.25
The Ascent - A$ 9.94
The Ascent - Cyber Heist - A$ 4.85
The Ascent - CyberSec Pack - A$ 2.51
The Ascent - Cyber Warrior Pack - A$ 2.51
King's Bounty II - Lord's Edition - A$ 16.98
Gears Tactics - A$ 12.48
Beyond Contact - A$ 14.19
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut - A$ 14.23
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition - A$ 16.23
The Wolf Among Us - A$ 6.88
The Legend of Zuri - A$ 1.78
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - A$ 31.48

GMG
Tiny Tina's Chaotic Edition A$48.00

[Tito Shivan]

Цитата допису Start_Running:

That say. PLENTY of games have that 75% discount.

SteamDB is a useful tool for searching:
https://steamdb.info/sales/?min_reviews=500&min_rating=60&min_discount=75
Here's the list of games on sale with a 75% or better discount, rating over 60 and more than 500 reviews.

Цитата допису Callahan420:

Цитата допису Tito Shivan:

Your best Steam Sale is your first Steam sale.

My purchase history proves otherwise.

I say that because on your first sale every discount applies since you own no games. Over the years your library grows and the number of discounts that catched your eye earlier but now are games in your library grows, So you kind of have to search a bit more to find deals.

Цитата допису Callahan420:

Also a huge drop off of purchases during summer/winter sales after flash sales ended.

I'd say less impulse purchases is a good thing. And in any case the discounts of the last flash sales weren't much better than the ones we get now anyway.

[PocketYoda]

Цитата допису Start_Running:

That say. PLENTY of games have that 75% discount.

75% is meaningless when they raise the prices before hand, i buy a lot less these days thanks to the price hikes.. especially in Aus.

That $220 was the most i'd spent all year on games, and i don't expect to buy much next year with how the economy is here.

[wesnef]

Цитата допису Callahan420:

Цитата допису Tito Shivan:

Your best Steam Sale is your first Steam sale.

My purchase history proves otherwise. Also a huge drop off of purchases during summer/winter sales after flash sales ended.

Flash Sales. That would be the "FOMO" thing that everyone complains about these days.

"Oh, this sale is only good for 4 hours! I've got to jump on it NOW!"


Nowadays, I see something on sale, and I know that there'll be another sale within a couple months (Spring, Summer, Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas, etc), and I've got a couple other games I wanted to play first, and I really don't need another game right now, so yeah let's wait on it. /yawn

[wesnef]

Цитата допису PocketYoda:

Цитата допису Start_Running:

That say. PLENTY of games have that 75% discount.

75% is meaningless when they raise the prices before hand, i buy a lot less these days thanks to the price hikes.. especially in Aus.

Must be an Australia / currency exchange thing, then, because I've never seen a game get a price hike (in US).

[Tito Shivan]

Цитата допису wesnef:

Цитата допису PocketYoda:

75% is meaningless when they raise the prices before hand, i buy a lot less these days thanks to the price hikes.. especially in Aus.

Must be an Australia / currency exchange thing, then, because I've never seen a game get a price hike (in US).

And devs can't put a game on sale whose price has been raised less than 30 days ago.

And one can always check on IsThereAnyDeal for price hikes beforehand.
https://isthereanydeal.com/

[PocketYoda]

Цитата допису wesnef:

Цитата допису PocketYoda:

75% is meaningless when they raise the prices before hand, i buy a lot less these days thanks to the price hikes.. especially in Aus.

Must be an Australia / currency exchange thing, then, because I've never seen a game get a price hike (in US).

Are you saying games aren't $70+ over there

Цитата допису Tito Shivan:

Цитата допису wesnef:

Must be an Australia / currency exchange thing, then, because I've never seen a game get a price hike (in US).

And devs can't put a game on sale whose price has been raised less than 30 days ago.

And one can always check on IsThereAnyDeal for price hikes beforehand.
https://isthereanydeal.com/

What Australians pay is nothing like the US pays.. its not even to do with Government taxs and conversion rates, its extra tacked on above both of them.. either way i buy less these days and buy other things instead.. Gaming is more of an after thought these days.

[Tito Shivan]

Цитата допису PocketYoda:

What Australians pay is nothing like the US pays.. its not even to do with Government taxs and conversion rates, its extra tacked on above both of them.. either way i buy less these days and buy other things instead.. Gaming is more of an after thought these days.

Australian prices do have a lot to do with goverment. Have a few friends over there. It's kind of crazy how you guys get the wrong end of the stick regards pricing in so many things.

[PocketYoda]

Цитата допису Tito Shivan:

Цитата допису PocketYoda:

What Australians pay is nothing like the US pays.. its not even to do with Government taxs and conversion rates, its extra tacked on above both of them.. either way i buy less these days and buy other things instead.. Gaming is more of an after thought these days.

Australian prices do have a lot to do with goverment. Have a few friends over there. It's kind of crazy how you guys get the wrong end of the stick regards pricing in so many things.

Just look at a few games and check the Aussie prices, 10% GST and conversion rates do not equal those prices.

[Start_Running]

Цитата допису PocketYoda:

Цитата допису Start_Running:

That say. PLENTY of games have that 75% discount.

75% is meaningless when they raise the prices before hand, i buy a lot less these days thanks to the price hikes.. especially in Aus.

1. That secnario is quite rare due to the legal questions it raises in many regions.
2. Most cases where the prices do rise is due to additional content being added to the game.

Цитата допису PocketYoda:

That $220 was the most i'd spent all year on games, and i don't expect to buy much next year with how the economy is here.

Haven't even spent a hundred this year. tyhough I've acquired quite a few. Kinda easy to get alot of games off my wishlist when the discounts are so good .