The 14 day refund system is a much more ideal situation then the possibility that someone might pirate the game instead.
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False "saving" with switching to PC
- Thread starter Darryl M R
- Start date
The 14 day refund system is a much more ideal situation then the possibility that someone might pirate the game instead.
I was talking about games that I thought would be good but turned out bad.
Trust me, I'm no cheater of a system. lol
The Dear Leader
Banned
You can easily get PC games on launch day for $30-$45 at places like GMG, which is as much of a "3rd party seller" as GameStop is. On top of that you don't have to pay for online services, which saves you hundreds dollars over the life of the system. Also a PC can last you far longer than a single console generation, I build my current PC in 2012 and it plays games from this generation at better than consoles settings for the most part.
So for me, not only saving hundreds of dollars on AAA games from 2012 to now, hundreds of dollars saved from not having to pay for online, and then to top it off saving hundreds from not having to buy a PS4 or Xbox 1, or both since the PC I built still plays games really well.
There are a lot of ways the PC gaming saves you money, my example included. But an argument can be had against if you try and apply restrictions and caveats to fit the argument you're trying to make.
So for me, not only saving hundreds of dollars on AAA games from 2012 to now, hundreds of dollars saved from not having to pay for online, and then to top it off saving hundreds from not having to buy a PS4 or Xbox 1, or both since the PC I built still plays games really well.
There are a lot of ways the PC gaming saves you money, my example included. But an argument can be had against if you try and apply restrictions and caveats to fit the argument you're trying to make.
OtakuReborn124
Neo Member
It's all perspective. If you were planning on buying it anyway, then buying it for cheaper than normal is considered "saving money".
If you weren't planning on buying it but are buying simply because "it's cheap" then no, that would be spending money.
The latter point is a full time job for people to convince you to buy something you don't really want/need.
If you weren't planning on buying it but are buying simply because "it's cheap" then no, that would be spending money.
The latter point is a full time job for people to convince you to buy something you don't really want/need.
Enter the Dragon Punch
Banned
also, this is complete and utter horseshit
pc gaming not being "cheaper" because there's more games to buy??? it reads entirely like drivel
Darryl M R
Member
For people having to normally buy games in other currency I know that by being a PC gamer you are able to avoid getting screwed by faulty conversions.
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It's less of you save money and more that you have the opportunity to save money? There is no doubt that third party resellers will discount games to attract consumers (thank you guys for providing information on this), but this is also a marketing plan for them. I did not buy Batman for my PS4. But if I went to a site that sold me The Witcher 3 for 50% and also had Batman for 50%, I didn't really save money. I bought a game I would have not bought if the sales weren't good. But this is situational and not the default for everyone. Ending up to: it depends.
Where did I say PC gaming isn't cheaper? I argued that you do not save money if you buy more games because your spending habits changed to take advantage of sales that were never offered to you before. Please point out where I said it isn't cheaper per game purchased.
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It's less of you save money and more that you have the opportunity to save money? There is no doubt that third party resellers will discount games to attract consumers (thank you guys for providing information on this), but this is also a marketing plan for them. I did not buy Batman for my PS4. But if I went to a site that sold me The Witcher 3 for 50% and also had Batman for 50%, I didn't really save money. I bought a game I would have not bought if the sales weren't good. But this is situational and not the default for everyone. Ending up to: it depends.
Where did I say PC gaming isn't cheaper? I argued that you do not save money if you buy more games because your spending habits changed to take advantage of sales that were never offered to you before. Please point out where I said it isn't cheaper per game purchased.
Err, it is considered saving. Your assertion was that we shouldn't use the word "save" when comparing two things and buying the cheaper of the two instead of doing nothing, which is just inherently false. If I choose cheap Wal-Mart potatoes over organic potatoes, I am saving money; nothing you say can change that.
Edit: My first post was mainly qualified by saying when using the cost comparison approach, but it's true you can save without doing that. The crux of my point though was that PC gamers are not wrong to "save" money buying things on PC.
Hmm...that's a damn fine point. Edited my post above.
Edit: here is what I added to my other post, for the new page:
If this is what you were talking about, Nyoro SF, then I am entirely out of line and I genuinely apologize for thinking the worst and responding out of turn. My bad
Yep, seems like I had the wrong of it. My bad
OP has a point if you look at those people who just buy everything on Steam sales just to add it to their software catalog. But after building my first PC back in June 2011, I kept track of my monetary savings for the rest of the year (so from June 2011 to December 2011). I only tracked games I wanted to/was going to buy for my 360 anyway, and made sure to use the most discounted 360 price I could for comparison purposes. This was the result:
So in about six months, I had already saved over $150. I don't think that's an insane amount of games to buy. The Arkham City savings were massive - the result of a big Origin sale on Thanksgiving night/Black Friday. This trend has only really continued from there, although I don't rigorously track it anymore.
So in about six months, I had already saved over $150. I don't think that's an insane amount of games to buy. The Arkham City savings were massive - the result of a big Origin sale on Thanksgiving night/Black Friday. This trend has only really continued from there, although I don't rigorously track it anymore.
Azzurri
Member
Can buy PC games at BB too ya know.
It's not possible to scum the system and refund games you've completed. If you have >2 hours on a game from steam, it doesn't let you refund them.
If you lack self-restraint and are spending more money because you can, at least you're getting more out of it on PC in that W3 Batman situation. It's also worth noting, that even without going to a third party site, a lot of AAA games on steam have a day 1 discount anyway.
I often see brand new releases on sale for around $44 right before launch from reputable vendors. Also add in the multi-player pay wall that you avoid on pc over the lifespan of the consoles. But then again, I don't build my pcs to match a console so the initial investment is pretty big. But again, I didn't choose pc to "save" money over owning a console. I chose pc as my primary platform because of the performance.
Enter the Dragon Punch
Banned
the entire implication of spending habits lies solely on the person, not the platform. you DO save money compared to buying them on another platform, anyways.
and in terms of "please point out where i said it isn't cheaper"... the entire followup line is speaking about a comparison to purchasing electronics on black friday for $200, insinuating that the option to spend extra somehow makes it more expensive in general
Conkerkid11
Member
G2A
And that's still true, contrary to what OP may believe. Not only that, but you don't have to buy remasters of next gen ports, because you generally already have the best version at launch.
Generally a selling point to counter the cost of a high end PC vs a console is money you save on games and subscription fees.
And that's still true, contrary to what OP may believe. Not only that, but you don't have to buy remasters of next gen ports, because you generally already have the best version at launch.
JediLink
Member
If people just said you get more value for your money instead of you save money, would that make you happier?
I don't know if this is the case everywhere in the world but where I live (Australia), if you walk into a retail store and look at the prices of a recently released PS4/Xbone/PC game, the PC version is always $10 cheaper than the console counterparts. So that's something.
Other than that it's just going to depend on what you actually buy. Obviously if you're just an idiot who spends hundreds of dollars every Steam sale on games they never play you're not going to save any money. However, I think you'll find that a lot people do often end up playing games long after they're released and you save money there. You could then consider that while they're preoccupied with games they got for cheap/free, they might not feel such a pressing need to buy games immediately when they release and you save more money that way. It just depends. The fact of the matter is that if you look at any given game at any given time, it's likely that it will be cheaper on PC than on console and that does add up eventually.
I don't know if this is the case everywhere in the world but where I live (Australia), if you walk into a retail store and look at the prices of a recently released PS4/Xbone/PC game, the PC version is always $10 cheaper than the console counterparts. So that's something.
Other than that it's just going to depend on what you actually buy. Obviously if you're just an idiot who spends hundreds of dollars every Steam sale on games they never play you're not going to save any money. However, I think you'll find that a lot people do often end up playing games long after they're released and you save money there. You could then consider that while they're preoccupied with games they got for cheap/free, they might not feel such a pressing need to buy games immediately when they release and you save more money that way. It just depends. The fact of the matter is that if you look at any given game at any given time, it's likely that it will be cheaper on PC than on console and that does add up eventually.
GAF has saved me hundreds of dollars OP. Sellers here routinely unload promotional codes from buying their own hardware. I've gotten The Witcher, MGSV, and Fallout for $40 or less.
Nothing illegal about these codes either. The hardware maker has already paid the publisher for those keys.
There is no doubt I've saved more quickly than waiting for price drops, and used copies for consoles.
Nothing illegal about these codes either. The hardware maker has already paid the publisher for those keys.
There is no doubt I've saved more quickly than waiting for price drops, and used copies for consoles.
Joe Shlabotnik
Banned
You're making some weird-ass semantic point that because it is possible to not save money buying games for PC, "PC gaming saves money" is false. I mean, sure, congrats. Of course it is possible to not save money.
Since Steam allowed third parties to generate their own product keys. Seriously how is this debatable? It's a fact, it's been this way for over 6 years now.
entremet
Member
The selection is anemic to say the least, though.
You lost me here. Your argument is much too specific.
If Batman on PS4 was $60, and Batman on PC was $30, then that's the end of that debate. Bringing The Witcher 3 into the conversation is a different comparison.
Instead of buying both on consoles and spending $120, you'd buy them both on PC and spend $60.
Darryl M R
Member
I'm having a hard time seeing your logic flow.
A person spending habits is also influenced by what they can buy (the platform).
There is no insinuating or implying. I state that if you purchase an item that is discounted with the intention of buying it solely because it was cheaper then you do not save money if you end up spending more money than you would have if not given the sale to push you over.
BasilZero
Member
Getting into PC gaming is all about long term investing.
Sure you'll be spending so much on hardware and upgrading but the payoff is worth it.
There's so many games you can get if you look hard enough and not just in the Steam store.
Also there's tons of bundle sites give you games for not just Steam but for also DRM Free. Others have mentioned resellers selling for less than the actual launch price.
I've been a PC gamer (along top being a Console gamer ;p) since 2012 and I've purchased/played more games on my PC than with my PS3/PS4 and WiiU/3DS.
It also helped me get into franchises I never expected myself to get as well.
Sure you'll be spending so much on hardware and upgrading but the payoff is worth it.
There's so many games you can get if you look hard enough and not just in the Steam store.
Also there's tons of bundle sites give you games for not just Steam but for also DRM Free. Others have mentioned resellers selling for less than the actual launch price.
I've been a PC gamer (along top being a Console gamer ;p) since 2012 and I've purchased/played more games on my PC than with my PS3/PS4 and WiiU/3DS.
It also helped me get into franchises I never expected myself to get as well.
Azzurri
Member
I'm pretty sure if you order online you can get any game usually; well, any big title game.
So you think that because you wouldn't buy a game if it wasn't on sale that you aren't "saving" by ending up buying that game? That's a pretty dumb argument. That would be the issue of the person if they bought a game simply because it was cheap.
As far as the PC plaform, by definition you'd be "saving" money as it is money you otherwise would have to spend to buy that game.
Additionally the fact that you can get AAA games on the low ~a year after it comes out and have it scale more and more as time goes on is a benefit that is really only utilized on PC.
I haven't seen such drastic sales a year after they come out on any other console.
The only reason I bought/buy console games is for exclusives, to play with people I know, and if a PC port is shitty. Otherwise, when it comes down purely to price, PC simply wins in that category.
The Dear Leader
Banned
It's a weird argument to make, he made a point about being someone who is a AAA game buying console gamer then gives examples of someone buying old or non-AAA games, if the person only played AAA games on consoles then shouldn't compare with same thing when talking about PC.
Enter the Dragon Punch
Banned
it's like your batman + witcher 3 analogy - just because someone can spend more, doesn't mean that you're not getting much better value for the money
nah, you can build a pc stronger than the ps4 for 400 to 500 bucks. it's not 2006 anymore.
This has been indisputably true for years with steam sales.
You can get a PC equal to this gen consoles for less than current gen consoles. Look up the potato masher, which actually plays Fallout 4 better than the PS4 and is cheaper than it.
Netrunner2k2
Member
That is a good question. Where IS the genesis of cheaper PC gaming? Would one put it in the 90s? I don't know, as I was a console kid back then. Would it be more apt to put the genesis once Steam started or only when Steam keys to third parties became a thing? Or is it best to put it when Steam sales started?
You pose an interesting question.
Spacejaws
Member
I guess a 'saving' only applies if you have some self control and don't buy everything available to you. I'm not really understanding you're logic that "Mass Effect is available on PC and not on PS4 ergo I will waste money on Mass Effect". Are you advocating less choice so games will save money?
please...I have no self control and I need help
Dictator93
Member
Darryl M R
Member
I responded to someone that mentioned Batman and brought in my point-of-view. Saying if I buy Game A because it is on sale, I now feel comfortable to buy Game B because it is also on sale. This is with the assumption that your spending habits would be influenced by sales. Now if a person is comfortable with Title A and only Title A then there is no question. But if a person has interests in Title B but only would buy it if it is on sale then do they save money if they would have not bought it prior to a sale.
Costs add up, in some regions more than others. Buying games primarily on PC and also avoiding online subscription fees has saved me easily over $1500 where I live.
GavinUK86
Member
Even ignoring sales, the RRP of most PC games are lower than console. Sure, some publishers are a bit greedy, I see you Activision, but most aren't.
For example, the last game I bought was the Assassin's Creed Syndicate Collector's Edition. I had it pre-ordered for months and it cost me about £20 less than the console version. Same thing with Fallout 4. They were retail Collector's Editions, not a digital key.
99% of the time PC games are a lot cheaper so the saying "gaming on PC saves you money" is true and it always has been and I hope it always will be.
For example, the last game I bought was the Assassin's Creed Syndicate Collector's Edition. I had it pre-ordered for months and it cost me about £20 less than the console version. Same thing with Fallout 4. They were retail Collector's Editions, not a digital key.
99% of the time PC games are a lot cheaper so the saying "gaming on PC saves you money" is true and it always has been and I hope it always will be.
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
How can you type this up without realizing how faulty this logic is?
It's basically the person who goes to costco to buy one thing and spends $100, applied to videogames.
It's not costco's fault you have bad impulse control and it doesn't make costco a more expensive place to shop than a grocery store or whatever.
Saving money is always relative but choosing to spend money is a personal choice that is managed by an individual's impulse control (among a variety of other factors) and if that's the crux of your argument there's no way we're going to get a consensus on what's better for impulse control.
If I were to make an argument, mine would be that we likely spend a pretty consistent amount of money on various things per year, some being more fixed than others (like housing costs, food, etc.). But cost of games fluctuates and if I have a fixed amount (or roughly fixed amount) I can spend on games, it's likely there will be people who prefer to purchase more games rather than just console exclusives, given the choice.
Most people who are pretty avid about games do both (purchase for consoles and PC) anyway, so the argument towards the core is probably moot from the outset.
Enter the Dragon Punch
Banned
again, your entire argument lies solely on something subjective rather than something objective. it's like saying that a civic isn't much cheaper than a lamborghini because you used the extra money to pay off some of your mortgage, matching the same price
TouchMyBox
Member
Why on earth would somebody buy a game at release? So they can spend 3x as much for a buggy mess when nobody knows if it is good or not or has any sort of lasting appeal?
Darryl M R
Member
(1) Then do people "save" money on Black Friday when they buy electronics that they would not have bought if they weren't on sale?
(2) Agree with this point
(3) I agree with this but I mentioned that I wanted this to address your typical console player that buys AAA on release
Joe Shlabotnik
Banned
There is better value in gaming on PC.
Games are generally cheaper on PC.
You can, of course, still buy so much that you spend more than you would have on a console, so you would not be saving money.
Are these terms acceptable to you
I see this statement thrown out a lot and it's exaggerated. The PC users I know including myself try to max out visual fidelity while maintaining 60fps. It doesn't take long to figure out.
.hacked
Member
Man your x360 game prices are way too high lol
Sonic Generations $50
Portal 2 $60?
Haven't spent more than $48 on a new release since Best Buy started their discount program.
real world prices you at best saved $30
... And Best Buy does, indeed, sell PC games.