All purpose Sales and Sales Rumours and Anecdotes [2021 Edition]

[goonergaz]

The thing that boggles me about people's resistance to Gamepass are the people that simply will never get it because they think it somehow means you can't also buy things you like. I totally understand the want people have for physical media. I have that too. But just because a game is on Gamepass doesn't mean you can't buy it. In fact, it's a great way to demo some games, and if you find one you like, you can pick up a physical copy without blind buying the thing. I used to subscribe to Gametap back in the day. Had I never done that, I probably would have never played The Witcher. Therefore I would not now own a physical copy of it one PC. There are plenty of other examples like that. Total Overdose was another game I discovered on Gametap. Great stuff.

Anyway, I don't know many people without a music subscription of some sort. But I also know plenty of them have large physical collections of music as well. I don't know why people have this disconnect for games. You can have the convenient subscription service and still pick up the titles you want forever. They don't devalue each other.

Pay 10 pm just to demo games when demos used to be free is now being touted as ‘great value’!?

The issue is you’re spending 10 pm and still need to buy games on top, for me there’s no value on paying for it, I barely get value from it being ‘free’ to me…but that view may change over the next year.

Regarding the demo though, I feel all formats should allow refunds on games played for less than (say) 1 hour.

 

[see colon]

Well, it isn't a demo, you can play the whole game. And if you like it, nothing stops you from buying it. And if you didn't like it, well then you don't have stuff you don't like clogging up your video game shelf.

 

[iroboto]

Pay 10 pm just to demo games when demos used to be free is now being touted as ‘great value’!?

The issue is you’re spending 10 pm and still need to buy games on top, for me there’s no value on paying for it, I barely get value from it being ‘free’ to me…but that view may change over the next year.

Regarding the demo though, I feel all formats should allow refunds on games played for less than (say) 1 hour.

It’s a great way for game discovery and playing at the same time.

if you’re the type of person that can only enjoy movies in a theatre or buying the blu-ray; then that’s an opinion very few share with you. Everyone else is fairly satisfied with the streaming options and a lot of interesting content green-lit and released on them.

For me, after a hiatus of playing, currently I’m juggling code vein, Scarlett nexus, AI Somenum, Psychonauts, and soon to juggle avengers and prey. All the while playing through TLOU on my PS5.

I think it’s great I can enjoy all these games even though it’s possible I may not finish them all. Not all games need to be finished or completed in full to enjoy. And I’ve invested more than enough time to surpass a demo.

it’s okay to put down a game when you’ve had your fill. I don’t feel pressure to finish games, unlike when I purchase them. I have cyberpunk sitting on my shelf waiting for the next gen patch before I start. That’s how I feel about owning games now.

tldr; for me owning the save game for a game matters more than owning the game itself. If that makes sense. How the content arrives to me doesn’t matter; as long as my progression is saved and I can continue. Price is king, and I cannot play as many titles as I do spending as little as I do. Nor do I have the shelf space for all these titles nor is it as convenient or instantly accessible.

 

[AzBat]

LOL paying for a demo? Do people seriously don't understand how Game Pass works? The ignorance is mind-boggling. It's the whole game, achievements & all. It's not time-limited, not just a level or 2. The whole game. This is nothing like the demos that were free. So, no, you don't need to buy the games on top of the subscription, but if you want to, you can. The option to buy the game is for those that decided they liked the game enough to permanently add it to their collection. Most games are not on the service forever. Eventually, they will leave. So if you want to continue playing it you can buy it at a reduced rate before it leaves. You also get discounts on all the DLC too. This is a nice perk for those that already bought the game but never bought the add-ons.

Not a knock at you @see colon btw. You had made a great point.

P.S. screw refunds, the Game Pass buffet is way better.

Tommy McClain

 

[goonergaz]

Well, it isn't a demo, you can play the whole game. And if you like it, nothing stops you from buying it. And if you didn't like it, well then you don't have stuff you don't like clogging up your video game shelf.

It was put that it’s like having demos to try games, I don’t think that’s a good idea or trend (to start charging for demos).

It’s a great way for game discovery and playing at the same time.

if you’re the type of person that can only enjoy movies in a theatre or buying the blu-ray; then that’s an opinion very few share with you. Everyone else is fairly satisfied with the streaming options and a lot of interesting content green-lit and released on them.

For me, after a hiatus of playing, currently I’m juggling code vein, Scarlett nexus, AI Somenum, Psychonauts, and soon to juggle avengers and prey. All the while playing through TLOU on my PS5.

I think it’s great I can enjoy all these games even though it’s possible I may not finish them all. Not all games need to be finished or completed in full to enjoy. And I’ve invested more than enough time to surpass a demo.

it’s okay to put down a game when you’ve had your fill. I don’t feel pressure to finish games, unlike when I purchase them. I have cyberpunk sitting on my shelf waiting for the next gen patch before I start. That’s how I feel about owning games now.

tldr; for me owning the save game for a game matters more than owning the game itself. If that makes sense. How the content arrives to me doesn’t matter; as long as my progression is saved and I can continue. Price is king, and I cannot play as many titles as I do spending as little as I do. Nor do I have the shelf space for all these titles nor is it as convenient or instantly accessible.

That’s great if you have the time, I know GP is good for some, it’s just not great for everyone is all I’m saying.

 

[goonergaz]

LOL paying for a demo? Do people seriously don't understand how Game Pass works? The ignorance is mind-boggling. It's the whole game, achievements & all. It's not time-limited, not just a level or 2. The whole game. This is nothing like the demos that were free. So, no, you don't need to buy the games on top of the subscription, but if you want to, you can. The option to buy the game is for those that decided they liked the game enough to permanently add it to their collection. Most games are not on the service forever. Eventually, they will leave. So if you want to continue playing it you can buy it at a reduced rate before it leaves. You also get discounts on all the DLC too. This is a nice perk for those that already bought the game but never bought the add-ons.

Not a knock at you @see colon btw. You had made a great point.

P.S. screw refunds, the Game Pass buffet is way better.

Tommy McClain

I generally can research to find out if I will like a game, the problem is GP just simply has too much content- I struggle enough with my backlog as it is lol

 

[iroboto]

That’s great if you have the time, I know GP is good for some, it’s just not great for everyone is all I’m saying.

Well. I don’t have any time actually lol. Hence the juggling.

if I’m being blunt; if Sony offered exactly the same service as gamepass but with Sony exclusives day one; I think you would be enjoying that more.
The service is great, but your focus seems to be on Sony 1P titles. And that’s fine, I’m just trying to separate the service from the content. Which maybe I shouldn’t do since the content is the service, but you can see how some people are very happy with it; they also appreciate the content selected on the service.

 

[AzBat]

I generally can research to find out if I will like a game, the problem is GP just simply has too much content- I struggle enough with my backlog as it is lol

I ain't got time for that. What better research than to just try the game?

Tommy McClain

 

[goonergaz]

Well. I don’t have any time actually lol. Hence the juggling.

if I’m being blunt; if Sony offered exactly the same service as gamepass but with Sony exclusives day one; I think you would be enjoying that more.
The service is great, but your focus seems to be on Sony 1P titles. And that’s fine, I’m just trying to separate the service from the content. Which maybe I shouldn’t do since the content is the service, but you can see how some people are very happy with it; they also appreciate the content selected on the service.

100% and it’s why over then next year or so I expect my views to change.

I like having all the options open to me, GP (at the moment) is ok, but as an example, I ended up buying PES on PS5 as it was £3 and I remember last year when it was pulled from GP and I was halfway through a season!

On the plus side I discovered Darkest Dungeon (tho I got that for free on Epic store) and will likely play Halo and Forza Horizon 5 ( tho will be disappointed if FH4 is removed)

 

[BRiT]

FH4 will be removed when their licensed content expires, likely to happen in 2022 September. They will have dozens of sales and/or add it to Games with Gold over the next year, if history with previous Forza Horizons is anything to go by.

 

[goonergaz]

FH4 will be removed when their licensed content expires, likely to happen in 2022 September. They will have dozens of sales and/or add it to Games with Gold over the next year, if history with previous Forza Horizons is anything to go by.

It’s hard because I’m enjoying FH4 to an extent, I just struggle a bit with its lack of direction, hopefully FH5 will hold my hand a bit more

 

[see colon]

It was put that it’s like having demos to try games, I don’t think that’s a good idea or trend (to start charging for demos).

That's not exactly what I was saying. I was pointing out that if you are fan of physical games, gamepass is a great way to play a game before you spend money on a physical copy. When I said it was a great way to demo games, i meant to play them before you pay for them, not that you should pay a subscription fee for demos.

There are plenty of games that I played and enjoyed, but at this point in my life, few that I would want forever.

 

[goonergaz]

That's not exactly what I was saying. I was pointing out that if you are fan of physical games, gamepass is a great way to play a game before you spend money on a physical copy. When I said it was a great way to demo games, i meant to play them before you pay for them, not that you should pay a subscription fee for demos.

There are plenty of games that I played and enjoyed, but at this point in my life, few that I would want forever.

Physical doesn’t need to be forever, when people talk about GP value they frequently state it’s the same or cheaper than buying 2 games. That statement implies;
1) that they are AAA games
2) that they are purchased at full price
3) they are never going to be sold

As an example I played and completed both R&C and Sackboy on PS5 for a total cost to me of under £5…in fact my Daughter even borrowed R&C off me and also completed it.

Some games are more ‘forever’ games - usually online ones or open world games - games you might want to dip in and out of from time to time. Then there’s games I might want to replay at some point…no different to movies.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Physical doesn’t need to be forever, when people talk about GP value they frequently state it’s the same or cheaper than buying 2 games. That statement implies;
1) that they are AAA games
2) that they are purchased at full price
3) they are never going to be sold

As an example I played and completed both R&C and Sackboy on PS5 for a total cost to me of under £5…in fact my Daughter even borrowed R&C off me and also completed it.

Some games are more ‘forever’ games - usually online ones or open world games - games you might want to dip in and out of from time to time. Then there’s games I might want to replay at some point…no different to movies.

Valid points, so it'd be potentially be less attractive for people that participate heavily in the used games market (buying or selling).

Of course, since I don't then that's non-applicable to me.

The 2-3 games a year depending on whether you are paying 9.99 USD or 14.99 USD is easier to conceptualize WRT new undiscounted AAA releases.

But if we look at my situation specifically, I played these games in just the past month.

• Psychonauts 2 - 60 USD
• Crown Trick - 15 USD
• Tainted Grail: Conquest - 16 USD
• The Artful Escape - 20 USD
• Lost Words: Beyond the Page - 15 USD

At undiscounted prices, that's already paid for over a year of Game Pass PC. And that's just one month of playing some games.

As an added bonus if I didn't have Game Pass I would never have bothered to play The Artful Escape, Lost Words, or Crown Trick. On top of that it would have probably been 6-12 months until I played Tainted Grail since I would have waited for a good sale.

So, in the past month not only did I already pay for my GP subscription for over a year, I also played games I never would have tried and I got to play some games at launch instead of waiting for a sale. If we go back and include things I played in previous months, the money I've saved has probably paid for 5+ years of GP.

Granted, my situation may not be representative of everyone (like you, for example). But likewise, your situation isn't representative of everyone either (like me, for example ).

The nice thing is that Game Pass is just an option. Nobody has to subscribe to it. If it's beneficial do it. If it's not, don't.

For me and most gamers (if we go by the digital game sales eclipsing physical game games), the used game market is irrelevant. For some people, the used game market is still very relevant.

In that sense, you can sort of think of GP as the digital equivalent of used games. Over the period of a month, I've "bought" and "sold" 5 games and my total cost for those games ended up being 10 USD.

That's not far off your 5 pounds, except it was 5 games for me versus your 2 games.

Regards,
SB

 

[goonergaz]

Valid points, so it'd be potentially be less attractive for people that participate heavily in the used games market (buying or selling).

Of course, since I don't then that's non-applicable to me.

The 2-3 games a year depending on whether you are paying 9.99 USD or 14.99 USD is easier to conceptualize WRT new undiscounted AAA releases.

But if we look at my situation specifically, I played these games in just the past month.

• Psychonauts 2 - 60 USD
• Crown Trick - 15 USD
• Tainted Grail: Conquest - 16 USD
• The Artful Escape - 20 USD
• Lost Words: Beyond the Page - 15 USD

At undiscounted prices, that's already paid for over a year of Game Pass PC. And that's just one month of playing some games.

As an added bonus if I didn't have Game Pass I would never have bothered to play The Artful Escape, Lost Words, or Crown Trick. On top of that it would have probably been 6-12 months until I played Tainted Grail since I would have waited for a good sale.

So, in the past month not only did I already pay for my GP subscription for over a year, I also played games I never would have tried and I got to play some games at launch instead of waiting for a sale. If we go back and include things I played in previous months, the money I've saved has probably paid for 5+ years of GP.

Granted, my situation may not be representative of everyone (like you, for example). But likewise, your situation isn't representative of everyone either (like me, for example ).

The nice thing is that Game Pass is just an option. Nobody has to subscribe to it. If it's beneficial do it. If it's not, don't.

For me and most gamers (if we go by the digital game sales eclipsing physical game games), the used game market is irrelevant. For some people, the used game market is still very relevant.

In that sense, you can sort of think of GP as the digital equivalent of used games. Over the period of a month, I've "bought" and "sold" 5 games and my total cost for those games ended up being 10 USD.

That's not far off your 5 pounds, except it was 5 games for me versus your 2 games.

Regards,
SB

Oh yeah I totally get the value proposition for lots of gamers, it just irks me the way some stack their argument as it’s the best thing since sliced bread and I can’t possibly have a valid POV that is against that thought lol (not aimed at you)

 

[see colon]

Oh yeah I totally get the value proposition for lots of gamers, it just irks me the way some stack their argument as it’s the best thing since sliced bread and I can’t possibly have a valid POV that is against that thought lol (not aimed at you)

Are you making an argument against it? Even if you are buying/selling/trading games and getting a great deal on that doesn't mean that Gamepass isn't great for every reason people say it is.

 

[goonergaz]

Are you making an argument against it? Even if you are buying/selling/trading games and getting a great deal on that doesn't mean that Gamepass isn't great for every reason people say it is.

It’s just not great for everyone- people have valid reasons that it doesn’t work for them

 

[Dr. Nick]

Another blow to Microsoft in Japan and possibly the all-digital future.

Nocturnal on Twitter: "GEO, a great go-to for gaming in Japan is stopping the sales of Xbox starting Nov 7th The chain has over 1000 stores across Japan The decision likely has to do with the lack of software sales of the system in Japan, retailers rarely make much profit on hardware" / Twitter

Supposedly to date, the Xbox has sold slightly more than 95,000 Series consoles in Japan but has only 1700 physical copies of games. The last physical game to be released for the Xbox in Japan was Scarlet Nexus, and I'm not sure when the last one was before that. Not even Tales got a physical version despite the franchise's history with Xbox in Japan.

 

[BRiT]

Not that surprising from what I've read on R-Era where physical sales isn't really a thing for consoles anymore and are extremely low even on the PS side too. Not as low as Xbox but still under a 0.5 attach rate. Then add in GamePass / GamePassUltimate and just last week they added xCloud too. So that's even more of a push for Digital games on Xbox.

 

[see colon]

It’s just not great for everyone- people have valid reasons that it doesn’t work for them

What are the reasons, though?