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The Steam Summer Sale is live with deals on thousands of games
Save on 'Mass Effect Legendary Edition,' 'Cyberpunk 2077' and many other titles.
Steam's Summer Sale kicks off with discounts on 'Doom Eternal', 'Skyrim' and more
The Steam Summer Sale is now live and has thousands of games on discount if you’re looking for something new to help you cope with COVID-19-related stress. You can also get The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition for $16 instead of $40 and Dark Souls III Deluxe Edition for $21 instead of $85.
Steam tops 8 million concurrent users as sale draws to a close
Steam is quite popular during its Summer Sale thanks to its massively discounted games. How popular? As it turns out, the PC game distribution service reached a new peak of concurrent users, 8,020,792 to be exact, according to stats provided by Valve. Steam broke the 8 million mark as the storefront updated on Sunday for the final day of the Summer Sale. Valve revealed in January at its Dev Days event that Steam reached 75 million active users in total, up from the 65 million it had in October. The Summer Sale ends at which ends at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT) today, and includes games like The Wolf Among Us ($8.49), Tomb Raider ($4.99), Civilization 5 ($7.49), Dishonored ($4.99) and the Complete Edition of Metro: Last Light ($6.49). [Image: Steam]
Feedback Loop: It's Google all the way down!
This week's edition of Feedback Loop is nearly all Google. We dish on Android "L," debate whether smartwatches are even useful, wonder if Android TV will save smart televisions, fondly remember our friend Aereo and talk about the games we've picked up during Steam's Summer Sale. Head past the break to talk about all this and more with Engadget readers like you.
Steam Summer Sale, day 9: Transistor, Tropico 4
The Steam Summer Sale continues its second week with a new set of steep price drops, bringing discounts for Deus Ex: Human Revolution ($4.99), Space Engineers ($13.39), Age of Mythology: Extended Edition ($17.99), Assetto Corsa ($19.99), Payday 2 ($5.99), Grand Theft Auto 4: Complete Edition ($5.99), Wargame: Red Dragon ($23.99), Tropico: Steam Special Edition ($2.99), and Transistor ($14.99). Additional Flash Sale and Community's Choice deals are available over the next few hours, including Alan Wake for $4.49, Octodad: Dadliest Catch for $5.09, F1 2013 for $12.49, Reus for $2.49, Age of Empires 2 HD for $4.99, FEAR for $2.49, Star Wars: KOTOR 2 for $3.39, and System Shock 2 for $1.49. Yesterday's deals are also still live, making today your last chance to grab cheap copies of Dishonored, Assassin's Creed 4, Resident Evil 4, and other previously featured games. [Image: Steam]
Entropy discounts Founder's Packs for Steam Sale
The Steam Summer Sale is that glorious time of year when we drop money on games that we subsequently won't remember purchasing until months later, leaving us collectively scratching our heads and asking when we bought these titles. So how'd you like to add an early access MMO to that pile of games you won't remember you have? All three of the Entropy Founder's Packs are now available at a 33% discount until the end of the Summer Sale on June 30th. The sale coincides with a recent update to the game introducing the gladiatorial combat sport known as NOVA, a free-for-all brawl where five people enter and only one leaves. The smallest package available gives players access to two character slots as well as full game access, with higher tiers including a variety of extra ships, more character slots, and bonus character creator options. If it sounds like it's right at your speed, jump in on the deal before the end of the month. We've included the latest video interview with the devs after the break.
Steam Summer Sale, day 7: Batman, BioShock Infinite, Counter-Strike
It's been a week since the Steam Summer Sale began its assault on our collective wallets, and the bombs keep dropping. Hold on to your butts. Today's Steam Summer Sale offerings include Kerbal Space Program for $16.19, Endless Space for $7.49, The Banner Saga for $12.49, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for $7.49, Child of Light for $11.24, Batman Arkham Origins for $7.49, Company of Heroes 2 for $9.99, BioShock Infinite for $7.49, and Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn for $14.99. Current time-limited Flash Sales and Community's Choice deals are Next Car Game for $17.99, The Secret World for $11.99, Infested Planet for $7.49, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes for $3.99, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams for $2.99, Mirror's Edge for $4.99, Tomb Raider for $4.99, and They Bleed Pixels for $1.99. Yesterday's featured deals are also still available for a limited time. [Image: Steam]
Steam Summer Sale, day 6: Brothers, Metro, Murdered
Have you had enough yet? No? Good. The Steam Summer Sale rings in day six with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons for $3, Murdered: Soul Suspect for $33.50, Metro: Last Light for $6.80, Call of Duty: Ghosts for $30, Splinter Cell: Blacklist for $7.50, Torchlight 2 for $5, Fallout: New Vegas for $6.80, Age of Wonders 3 for $20 and Blackguards for $13.60. Current Flash Sales and Community Choice deals, live for another few hours, include Kentucky Route Zero for $12.50, The Blackwell Legacy for $0.50, Nidhogg for $5.10, Darksiders 2 for $6 and Shadow Warrior for $8. Yesterday's deals are still on for another almost-day. [Image: Steam]
Steam Summer Sale, day 5: Dark Souls, Rogue Legacy, Saints Row 4
Twas' the fifth day of the Steam Summer Sale, with deals in droves. At just five dollars, prepare to die with Dark Souls. Fan-favorite Rogue Legacy is slashed by 75 percent ($3.74), You can play Arma 3 ($29.99) and keep half your rent. Phosphor Games' Nether is down to just three bucks, Yet it's Saints Row 4 to which we give all our [expletive] ($9.99). Surgeon Simulator 2013's been cut ($2.49), call the doctor, it's an emergency, Unless you'd sooner blast heads off with Insurgency ($6.74). The Lego Movie video game is 75 percent off too ($7.49), And at 60 percent off, FTL says it's still faster than you ($3.99). These deals are good for two days. [Image: Valve]
Get cheap MMOs and a zillion early access titles in the Steam Summer Sale
If your Steam wish list is filled with early access games on sale for exactly one half of twice too much, well, I know the feeling. But MMO players still might want to take a look at the summer sale that began today since some MMOs have been marked down by as much as 58%. Here are just a few (prices in US dollars): Final Fantasy XIV is $20.09 The Secret World: Massive Edition is $41.99 (the regular version is $20.99) The Guild Wars Trilogy is $29.99 EVE Online is $9.99 Marvel Heroes' hero DLC is all on sale Final Fantasy XI's Ultimate Collection Seekers Edition is $26.79 Darkfall's six-month sub is $59.99 Nether starts at $6.74 Shadowrun Online is $20.09 (early access) DayZ is $25.49 (early access) Face of Mankind is 4.99 (early access) Perpetuum is $24.64 (early access) Windborne is $14.99 (early access) Entropy is $13.39 (early access) Beasts of Prey is $14.69 (early access) Check out the full list of Steam MMOs and MMO-tagged games for even more sales.
The Daily Grind: Did you buy any MMOs on Steam this year?
You spent a bunch of money on Steam's summer sale. It's all right; you don't have to deny it. We did too. The real question isn't whether you spent the money; it's what you spent all that money on. EVE Online and The Secret World both made compelling cases for spending your money, offering steep discounts for anyone in the market for a new MMO. And who wouldn't be tempted? Well, maybe you wouldn't be. Maybe you're completely satisfied with your current lineup of MMOs and saved all of your money for one of the millions of other titles on sale this summer. So with the annual money drain finally out of the way, we have to ask you -- did you buy any MMOs on Steam this year? Or did you spend your rent money on a vast array of single-player titles instead? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Steam Summer Getaway Sale, day 10: Prison Architect, Assassin's Creed 3, Saints Row The Third and more
I knew she was trouble the moment she stepped through my doorway. She said her name was "Steam;" that she had a proposition for me and that I'd do well to listen close. Now, I'm no stranger to mysterious women and their troubles, especially since I started putting "We specialize is mysterious women and their troubles" on the advert for the agency, but something about her told me I needed to be careful. Maybe it was the way she carried herself as she walked to my desk, or the glint off the snubnose revolver tucked beneath her heavy, snow-soaked coat. "For the next 40 or so hours, Prison Architect costs $19.79," she said. "Assassin's Creed 3 has also been discounted, down to $23.99." Before I could say anything, she rattled off more alien names and their associated prices: Worms Revolution for $3.73, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for $5.09, Omerta: City of Gangsters for $9.99 and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 for $3.39. I didn't know what any of it meant. I was confused as hell, and she just kept going. "Saints Row The Third is just $4.99," she said, her voice now a dead, flat monotone. "Meanwhile, Natural Selection 2 is $6.24, Starforge Alpha is $9.99 and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed costs just $7.49." "Lady," I said, "you're an insane person and I want you to get out of my office." It would be hours before I discovered that all of my money had walked out with her.
EVE Online on sale for $5 on Steam
If there's one thing that EVE Online teaches you, it's that you've got to put a lot of thought into where your money is going. (If there's a second thing, it's that people are awful. Third thing is that you can take a nap during space battles.) Perhaps you've taken that lesson to heart and decided not to spend money on the game, but Steam is once again tempting everyone by selling the game at a mere $5 today. Not enough? You can also purchase a subscription plan at a discount in addition to the game, saving yourself money and getting in on the dynamic action of tabulating spreadsheets. The deal will be active today and tomorrow, so feel free to give it some thought, but make your decision soon before the discount is gone forever. (Or at least until the next summer sale.)
Steam Summer Getaway Sale: GTA4, Deus Ex, Dark Souls, Batman [update: prices]
Valve's calculated assault on your financial willpower continues today, with another batch of discounted goodies in the Steam Summer Getaway Sale. Today's highlights include Grand Theft Auto 4 for $5, Dark Souls and Batman: Arkham City for $7.49 each, Tropico 4 and every DLC for $8, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution for $3, or the entire Deus Ex series plus DLC for $4.49. New flash sales include Gunpoint for $6 and Left 4 Dead 2 for $5. Update: We've added prices and flash sale highlights.
Steam Summer Getaway sale: Football Manager 2013, DmC, System Shock 2
Another day, another round of deals in the Steam summer sale. Today's highlights include Football Manager 2013 for $10, DmC: Devil May Cry for $25, Alan Wake for $3, System Shock 2 for $2.50, Orcs Must Die 2 for $3.74, Sleeping Dogs for $6.24 and Mark of the Ninja for only $3.74. The daily flash deals – which rotate every eight hours – also have some choice discounts, ripe for the plucking. Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Serious Sam 3 are both only $4 apiece, while Scribblenauts Unlimited is $5 and Assassin's Creed 3 has been marked down to $24.
The Secret World at half price on Steam
The Steam Summer Sale is a hard time for any gamer to save money. There was a time when MMOs were at least somewhat safe, since a discounted MMO still requires the full subscription price. But right now The Secret World is on sale for half price, and those of you who have followed the game for a while know that this is a buy-to-play title. Once you've purchased this game, you can play for free forever. Need a little time to think this over? That's understandable. The sale is running for 48 hours (well, 47 hours as of this writing), so you don't have to decide right now. But if you've been waiting for a chance to get into this modern horror and conspiracy game, $15 isn't a bad price to start in. And the game did just get a secret agent-themed update, if that floats your boat. [Thanks to Zach for the tip!]
Psychology of the Steam Summer Sale
We all recognize the phenomenon inflicted by the Steam sale, which leaves us with heaps of unplayed games cluttering our libraries. That's just what Steam sales do to people, right? But why? The Psychology of Video Games is run by Jamie Madigan, who holds a Ph.D in psychology and is a lifelong fan of gaming, and he recently outlined The Psychology Behind Steam's Summer Sale. New to the 2013 Summer Sale are Steam Trading Cards, which Madigan says nag at your inherent need to complete things you've started – a progress bar shows how much more you need to spend to get a random card, and this taps into a bias toward completion. Steam adds another layer after that with the Summer Getaway badge, which is crafted by collecting 10 of these cards. Additionally, Steam has perfected the facade of a random reward schedule, something that keeps you coming back at regular intervals, hoping to see a good game in the Daily Deals, or in the eight-hour Flash Sales, or the Community Choice games. People respond to random rewards, such as good games, and even though Valve probably has its sale games strategically planned out ahead of time, they seem random to the audience, Madigan argues. Steam also works the artificial scarcity angle, offering game sales for a limited time and heightening the chances you'll get it now, before the deal is lost, Madigan says. Just as people value diamonds and panda bears because they're relatively rare, you're more likely to spend more, more often, on things that have "limited availability." Madigan offers five psychological tricks that Steam seems to be employing on The Psychology of Video Games.
Darkfall is half off on Steam through July 22
Got any money left in your wallet after Steam's summer sale? If so, and if you're in the market for a PvP-centric fantasy sandbox MMO, check out Darkfall. Aventurine's title is half-price until July 22nd, so instead of 40 bucks you can grab the game client for $19.97. Keep in mind that Darkfall is a subscription title, so you'll need to chip in $14.95 a month to continue playing after the first 30 days. [Thanks everyone who tipped us!]
Steam Summer Getaway Sale: Reus, Dishonored, Terraria
The Steam Summer Getaway Sale sallies on unconcerned with the pummeling it's already put on your wallet. Today's fresh crop of discounts include Reus for $5 (which also has Steam Trading Cards), Max Payne 3 for $10, Terraria for $2.50, Killing Floor for $4, Dishonored for close to $10, Dust: An Elysian Tail for $7.50, Castle Crashers for $3.75 and Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion for $10. The Flash sale, which sees a new group of games discounted every eight hours, is currently featuring BioShock Infinite for $30, Mirror's Edge for $6, Oregon Trail: Director's Cut for $1.24 and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 for $3.39. Finally, all of yesterday's sales are also still available.
Steam Summer Sale snapshot: Fez sells 105K units in two days
Fez launched on Steam on May 1, following one year as an Xbox Live Arcade exclusive. On July 12, Fez joined the Steam Summer Sale, knocking half off of its price – bringing it to $5 – alongside an avalanche of hotly anticipated discounts. In its two days as part of the Steam Summer Getaway Sale, Fez sold 105,000 units, which is more than it sold in its first month on XBLA. In the first discounted day alone, Fez racked up more sales than it had in its previous three months on Steam. On Twitter, Fez creator Phil Fish described the numbers as "BANANERS" and "fuckin' NUTSO," which sounds accurate, especially when looking at the sales graph he included. We asked Fish if he's a fan of Steam sales, considering his game was half-off when it got those mad hits. "Yeah I'm a fan!" he said. "Even I can't find a way to complain about it." That's the most solid endorsement of the Steam Summer Sale we've ever heard – go check it out.
