Mid-Year Game Plans

Jul 3

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Finally, with the Summer Steam Sale, my wait is over:

Of course, the best part of seasonal Steam sales these days is that it leads to 3rd party storefronts offering even steeper discounts. For example, I won’t be purchasing Elden Ring on Steam for $41.99, I will be purchasing it from DLGamer for $36.99. Using 3rd-parties has bit me in the past, but “Steam Activation” are the magic words. Well, provided there aren’t delays in getting the keys. The only real downside is losing the ability to refund the game within the 2-hour window, but I’m thinking that won’t be relevant here. Probably.

Aside from Elden Ring, there are a number of items on my wishlist that are on sale. Unfortunately, I cannot trust any of them to not just magically show up on Game Pass by the time I get around to playing them. For example, My Time at Sandrock is currently 20% off with an estimated 1.0 release date of September. The devs have stated that once the game is out of Early Access, it will be more expensive. I really enjoyed My Time at Portia to the tune of 107 hours. But here’s the thing: My Time at Portia is already on Game Pass right now. Is Sandrock currently listed as an upcoming Game Pass title? No. Does the original game being there make it more likely that sequel will be too? I’d like to think so.

It helps/hurts that Game Pass is becoming the new hotness for survival/crafting games, including Early Access ones. Coral Island, Grounded, Little Witch in the Woods, Homestead Arcana, Farworld Pioneers (ugh), Stardew Valley, 7 Days to Die, Disney Dreamlight Valley, No Man’s Sky. Story of Seasons: Mineral Town just hit the service too. Meanwhile, my Steam wishlist has:

  • My Time at Sandrock (EA)
  • Stoneshard (EA)
  • Scrap Mechanic (EA)
  • Travellers Rest (EA)
  • Roots of Pacha
  • Sons of the Forest (EA)
  • One Lonely Outpost (EA)
  • Forever Skies (EA)
  • Survival: Fountain of Youth (EA)
  • Voidtrain (EA)
  • Life Not Supported (EA)

Which of those will land on Game Pass? Or in a Humble Bundle, for that matter? Who knows.

What I do know is that it will be difficult to find time to play all of the things anyhow. Just look at this:

  • Hearthstone: Titans (Expansion) – August 1st
  • Baldur’s Gate 3 – August 3rd
  • Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure (expansion) – August 22nd
  • ARK: Survival Ascended (Remaster) – August 2023
  • Starfield – September 6th
  • Lies of P – September 19th
  • My Time at Sandrock – September 26th
  • Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (DLC) – September 26th

Needless to say, August and September are a little stacked. It was even more stacked on the September side until the devs for Baldur’s Gate 3 decided to release it a month early to avoid competition with Starfield. Of course, I do not necessarily plan to purchase all of these games… huh. Actually, both Starfield and Lies of P will be on Game Pass, and I’m eagerly anticipating the Cyberpunk DLC. And Hearthstone is Hearthstone. And GW2 is GW2.

So, uh, yeah. Maybe I will just wait on any more deal purchases until the Winter Sale.

Posted on July 3, 2023, in Commentary and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.

  1. Esteban's avatar Esteban | July 4, 2023 at 2:24 am

    Memento mori. In the long run, we’re all dead. Then again, I’m still not subbed to Game Pass, so nothing I say should be taken seriously.

    Sympathise with the stacked-months side of the problem. At the moment, a few titles I would like are in the deep cut territory on Steam, and ‘where will the time come from?’ is the main countervailing impulse preventing the click.

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    • Azuriel's avatar Azuriel | July 4, 2023 at 4:11 am

      My parsimony started as a function of growing up poor. Over time though, it has become the principle of the thing. Missing the zeitgeist of newly released titles is unfortunate, but at the same time… does it matter? Sometimes it does (MMOs, FPS), but most of the time it does not.

      I will admit though that Elden Ring is blowing my mind currently, but a large part of that (IMO) is precisely because I have played the first two titles and now have something to compare it to. Perhaps not though – it’s pretty damnably impressive by itself. Oh well.

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      • Esteban's avatar Esteban | July 4, 2023 at 3:18 pm

        I’m mostly kidding. I’ve been reading your Consumer Surplus stuff for ages and your claim to principle easily passes the coin-bite test. They (variously constituted) are out to get you so constantly and brazenly, as capital’s circuits scrape the bottom of the barrel, that pedantic push-back is an entirely honourable stance.

        All the same, as they say, sometimes you gotta treat yo self. Glad to see you’re enjoying the quintessential triple-A behemoth.

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