Posted December 31, 2012
Pretty good year I guess, I don't recall being really disappointed with any purchase (or maybe I have just forgotten).
I name two cheap bundles I got. I can't say I'm really disappointed by them (as in: "I want my money back!") ie. they were still worth the low asking price, but in both there were things that irritate me, kinda left a bit of sour taste in my mouth.
1. SFI Super Bundle: 29 Strategy First games for $9.99 (or was it 9.99€? Anyways.).
http://www.gog.com/forum/general/sfi_super_bundle_29_games_rrp_41471_with_code_999_half_of_all_sales_go_to_breast_cancer_rese/page1
I definitely got my money's worth with the bundle (DRM-free too!), but I was disappointed by the Strategy First support. The game I was most interested in the bundle, Perimeter 2, doesn't appear to be updated to the latest retail version, even though the support claimed so to me in email. They offer the patch file on the same pages, but when you install it, the game complains about missing CD key/serial or something. But, if I am happy to play the unpatched version of Perimeter 2, at least it seems to work for me.
Enemy Engaged 2 doesn't work at all, and when I similarly try to update it to the latest version, same complaint. And again the support claims the game is already up to date, which I don't think is the case.
There are some technical issues with many other games too in that bundle (e.g., fonts being too big and not fitting into the clickable buttons in the game menus, and odd shit like that; feels like playing some unfinished beta version of a shareware game), but there were enough working games in that bundle that made it worth it.
But now I feel I probably won't be buying more games directly from Strategy First homepage, if the level of support for their own games is that low.
2. Humble THQ Bundle
Yes, it was still a great deal for the ~$7 or whatever I paid for it, if for nothing else but to get the Company of Heroes games.
It is just that I dislike what they did with Saints Row 3 and Titan Quest in that bundle, by offering only the base games without any DLC. The very games you got if you paid over the average price, which I did.
By itself that wouldn't matter, but as it happens both of those games were priced so in Steam that if you liked the games and wanted more content for them, it probably didn't make much sense not to rebuy the base games again from Steam because you probably wouldn't save any money by trying to pick up the "missing" pieces separately.
For example Titan's Quest, if you want the expansion pack for it, the expansion pack alone costs the same as buying the Gold version, which includes both the base game (again) and the expansion pack. Making the base game from THQ bundle irrelevant.
Also trying to pick up SR3 DLCs separately from the Steam winter sale would at best only save a buck or two (instead of buying SR3 complete bundle), or nothing at all, depending what DLCs you want.
All in all, it would have made much more sense just to skip SR3 and Titan's Quest (ie. no need to pay over the HB average). Getting them from the THQ bundle was overall pretty irrelevant even to those who actually care for the games. After all, if you like the games, you probably want more content for them.
But still with such bullshit marketing tactics, it was still a good deal for the rest of the games and I don't feel like demanding my money back, even if all the games have DRM (which automatically makes them worth less to me. but not _worthless_). But I would feel a tad better though if I had paid only like $1 for the bundle without Titan Quest and SR3, and then buy those two titles separately (the complete versions, that is).
I name two cheap bundles I got. I can't say I'm really disappointed by them (as in: "I want my money back!") ie. they were still worth the low asking price, but in both there were things that irritate me, kinda left a bit of sour taste in my mouth.
1. SFI Super Bundle: 29 Strategy First games for $9.99 (or was it 9.99€? Anyways.).
http://www.gog.com/forum/general/sfi_super_bundle_29_games_rrp_41471_with_code_999_half_of_all_sales_go_to_breast_cancer_rese/page1
I definitely got my money's worth with the bundle (DRM-free too!), but I was disappointed by the Strategy First support. The game I was most interested in the bundle, Perimeter 2, doesn't appear to be updated to the latest retail version, even though the support claimed so to me in email. They offer the patch file on the same pages, but when you install it, the game complains about missing CD key/serial or something. But, if I am happy to play the unpatched version of Perimeter 2, at least it seems to work for me.
Enemy Engaged 2 doesn't work at all, and when I similarly try to update it to the latest version, same complaint. And again the support claims the game is already up to date, which I don't think is the case.
There are some technical issues with many other games too in that bundle (e.g., fonts being too big and not fitting into the clickable buttons in the game menus, and odd shit like that; feels like playing some unfinished beta version of a shareware game), but there were enough working games in that bundle that made it worth it.
But now I feel I probably won't be buying more games directly from Strategy First homepage, if the level of support for their own games is that low.
2. Humble THQ Bundle
Yes, it was still a great deal for the ~$7 or whatever I paid for it, if for nothing else but to get the Company of Heroes games.
It is just that I dislike what they did with Saints Row 3 and Titan Quest in that bundle, by offering only the base games without any DLC. The very games you got if you paid over the average price, which I did.
By itself that wouldn't matter, but as it happens both of those games were priced so in Steam that if you liked the games and wanted more content for them, it probably didn't make much sense not to rebuy the base games again from Steam because you probably wouldn't save any money by trying to pick up the "missing" pieces separately.
For example Titan's Quest, if you want the expansion pack for it, the expansion pack alone costs the same as buying the Gold version, which includes both the base game (again) and the expansion pack. Making the base game from THQ bundle irrelevant.
Also trying to pick up SR3 DLCs separately from the Steam winter sale would at best only save a buck or two (instead of buying SR3 complete bundle), or nothing at all, depending what DLCs you want.
All in all, it would have made much more sense just to skip SR3 and Titan's Quest (ie. no need to pay over the HB average). Getting them from the THQ bundle was overall pretty irrelevant even to those who actually care for the games. After all, if you like the games, you probably want more content for them.
But still with such bullshit marketing tactics, it was still a good deal for the rest of the games and I don't feel like demanding my money back, even if all the games have DRM (which automatically makes them worth less to me. but not _worthless_). But I would feel a tad better though if I had paid only like $1 for the bundle without Titan Quest and SR3, and then buy those two titles separately (the complete versions, that is).
Post edited December 31, 2012 by timppu
