Free Games: making spreadsheets about money saved on games you will never play

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Free Games: making spreadsheets about money saved on games you will never play

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Veib: Dec 10, 2007

timp posted:

People have given me poo poo for liking the EGS and I just don't understand the hate.

Gamers loving love monopolies

# ? Mar 26, 2020 16:33

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# ? May 23, 2024 11:31

RBA Starblade: Apr 28, 2008; Going Home.

Games Idiot Court Jester

timp posted:

People have given me poo poo for liking the EGS and I just don't understand the hate.

Nerds: The interface is so janky, who needs another games downloader, etc etc

Me: Yeah but they keep giving me really good games for free, so I like it!

Nerds: They're literally bribing you to like their platform!

Me: .......and??

lol

# ? Mar 26, 2020 16:36

OgNar: Oct 26, 2002; They tapdance not, neither do they fart

World War Z on free on EGS today, which wasn't listed when I looked at it previously.

https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/world-war-z/home

EGS is a lovely company, but i'll take any decent free games from them.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 16:36

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

I'm sure this EGS derail will be different from every single one that has happened in the last year

# ? Mar 26, 2020 16:38

timp: Sep 19, 2007; Everything is in my control; Lipstick Apathy

Samuringa posted:

I'm sure this EGS derail will be different from every single one that has happened in the last year

idk, sounds like everyone so far here in the Free Games thread agrees that free games are good :v:

Also I'm relatively new to the thread so I haven't experienced that yet, sorry if it's a sensitive subject

# ? Mar 26, 2020 16:44

Mierenneuker: Apr 28, 2010; We're all going to experience changes in our life but only the best of us will qualify for front row seats.

"NOOOOOOO! You can't use the Epic Games Store!!! They can't be a relevant digital distributor just because they pay for exclusives!!!!!"

haha game backlog goes brrrrr

# ? Mar 26, 2020 16:54

Eh! Frank: Mar 28, 2006; Doctor gave me these, I said what are these?
He said that they'll cure an existential type disease

I think EGS's claims of being this big serious alternative to Steam while having such a janky platform is pretty goofy/embarrassing (GOG Galaxy is doing a much better job of building themselves up as a Steam alternative), but I don't really have any problems with them, and their free games are nice.

I have yet to actually buy any games from them, though, and was wondering how just throwing out free games constantly could be a profitable business model. But then I noticed just about every free game has a "GOTY/Premium Edition Coming Soon!" on their page, so I wonder if they're betting on people playing the free games and then dishing out for the DLC/expansions and so they end up making money that way?

# ? Mar 26, 2020 17:09

repiv: Aug 13, 2009

Eh! Frank posted:

I think EGS's claims of being this big serious alternative to Steam while having such a janky platform is pretty goofy/embarrassing (GOG Galaxy is doing a much better job of building themselves up as a Steam alternative), but I don't really have any problems with them, and their free games are nice.

I have yet to actually buy any games from them, though, and was wondering how just throwing out free games constantly could be a profitable business model. But then I noticed just about every free game has a "GOTY/Premium Edition Coming Soon!" on their page, so I wonder if they're betting on people playing the free games and then dishing out for the DLC/expansions and so they end up making money that way?

one of the biggest hurdles in launching a new store is getting users over the hump of "all my games are on steam, i don't want to split my library by buying from another store"

once someone has dozens of free games on epic they're already over that hump

# ? Mar 26, 2020 17:14

3D Megadoodoo: Nov 25, 2010

Mierenneuker posted:

"NOOOOOOO! You can't use the Epic Games Store!!! They can't be a relevant digital distributor just because they pay for exclusives!!!!!"

haha game backlog goes brrrrr

Time for your 4 o'clock free game offering.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 17:16

Bottom Liner: Feb 15, 2006; a specific vein of lasagna

oh my God stop making me think there are more free games no one cares where they are

# ? Mar 26, 2020 17:23

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

Mierenneuker posted:

"NOOOOOOO! You can't use the Epic Games Store!!! They can't be a relevant digital distributor just because they pay for exclusives!!!!!"

haha game backlog goes brrrrr

3D Megadoodoo posted:

Time for your 4 o'clock free game offering.

I retract my previous statement, these are very good posts, thank you for you contributions.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 17:40

goferchan: Feb 8, 2004; It's 2006. I am taking 276 yeti furs from the goodies hoard.

Bottom Liner posted:

oh my God stop making me think there are more free games no one cares where they are

Here you go: just got an email that IOI is giving out 47,000 free keys for the entire first season of Hitman. This should also work to let you play the first season's maps within Hitman 2. The site looks like it's getting hammered at the moment though, I'm unable to connect:

https://www.ioi.dk/store/

edit: oh if you manage to get in you use the promo code CELEBRATE47

# ? Mar 26, 2020 17:52

AARP LARPer: Feb 19, 2005; THE DARK SIDE OF SCIENCE BREEDS A WEAPON OF WAR; Buglord

Newsflash: no one gives a poo poo about anyone�s dumbass opinions about EGS.

Post free games

# ? Mar 26, 2020 17:54

Mierenneuker: Apr 28, 2010; We're all going to experience changes in our life but only the best of us will qualify for front row seats.

goferchan posted:

Here you go: just got an email that IOI is giving out 47,000 free keys for the entire first season of Hitman. This should also work to let you play the first season's maps within Hitman 2. The site looks like it's getting hammered at the moment though, I'm unable to connect:

https://www.ioi.dk/store/

edit: oh if you manage to get in you use the promo code CELEBRATE47

Does it come with the Patient Zero DLC? :v:

But yeah, amazing game. If you get a key, ignore the entry for it in your Steam library and get the Hitman 2 starter pack: https://store.steampowered.com/app/863550/HITMAN_2/
After booting it once and then quitting, it�ll start downloading extra files for the Season 1 levels. It�ll take a lot of HD space, but it is worth it.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 18:05

Coolguye: Jul 6, 2011; Required by his programming!

timp posted:

idk, sounds like everyone so far here in the Free Games thread agrees that free games are good

Also I'm relatively new to the thread so I haven't experienced that yet, sorry if it's a sensitive subject

the short version is that there is a very real cost to using EGS, it's just frequently not a monetary one. a lot of people are comfortable paying that price. a lot of people are not. caricaturing the side you're not on is not helpful. now back to your free games schedule.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 19:20

Hwurmp: May 20, 2005

p sure the side I'm not on is a bunch of big dumb butts

# ? Mar 26, 2020 19:26

Fantastic Foreskin: Jan 6, 2013; A golden helix streaked skyward from the Helvault. A thunderous explosion shattered the silver monolith and Avacyn emerged, free from her prison at last.

You forgot the :goonsay:

Full disclosure, idgaf, but I'm also not willing to go through the hassle of downloading something for games I'm never going to play, even if they're free.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 19:29

Stickman: Feb 1, 2004

ItBreathes posted:

You forgot the

Full disclosure, idgaf, but I'm also not willing to go through the hassle of downloading something for games I'm never going to play, even if they're free.

Play the games - some are really good!

Stickman fucked around with this message at 19:39 on Mar 26, 2020

# ? Mar 26, 2020 19:35

Mr Snips: Jan 9, 2009

Coolguye posted:

the short version is that there is a very real cost to using EGS, it's just frequently not a monetary one. a lot of people are comfortable paying that price. a lot of people are not. caricaturing the side you're not on is not helpful. now back to your free games schedule.

fun game, press the ? by this quoted post and see if you can tell the exact moment that this person's brain broke

# ? Mar 26, 2020 19:47

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

Mr Snips posted:

fun game, press the ? by this quoted post and see if you can tell the exact moment that this person's brain broke

lmao

# ? Mar 26, 2020 20:07

sockpuppetclock: Sep 12, 2010

Mr Snips posted:

fun game, press the ? by this quoted post and see if you can tell the exact moment that this person's brain broke

I read the whole thing and I can't find it

# ? Mar 26, 2020 20:29

Coolguye: Jul 6, 2011; Required by his programming!

i'd say quite the contrary i have spent an awful lot of time in this thread attempting to be fair to everyone while explaining what the deal is

# ? Mar 26, 2020 20:36

Hwurmp: May 20, 2005

Mr Snips posted:

fun game, press the ? by this quoted post and see if you can tell the exact moment that this person's brain broke

the dates that our brains broke are already clearly displayed below our usernames

# ? Mar 26, 2020 20:56

Len: Jan 21, 2008; Pouches, bandages, shoulderpad, cyber-eye...

Bitchin'!

Mierenneuker posted:

"NOOOOOOO! You can't use the Epic Games Store!!! They can't be a relevant digital distributor just because they pay for exclusives!!!!!"

haha game backlog goes brrrrr

I was going to post the alternative "they're selling all your data to China! No I don't have proof" but that user has already logged in

# ? Mar 26, 2020 21:03

flatluigi: Apr 23, 2008; here come the planes

https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1243267206898573312
https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1243273900542156800

# ? Mar 26, 2020 21:41

Air Skwirl: May 13, 2007; Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed shitposting.

Len posted:

I was going to post the alternative "they're selling all your data to China! No I don't have proof" but that user has already logged in

I think they started the coronavirus so more people would stay inside and use the Epic Games Store.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 21:47

Coolguye: Jul 6, 2011; Required by his programming!

Len posted:

I was going to post the alternative "they're selling all your data to China! No I don't have proof" but that user has already logged in

speaking of brain breaks

# ? Mar 26, 2020 21:50

Fantastic Foreskin: Jan 6, 2013; A golden helix streaked skyward from the Helvault. A thunderous explosion shattered the silver monolith and Avacyn emerged, free from her prison at last.

Stickman posted:

Play the games - some are really good!

I'm sure they are, it's more a matter of I have lots of games I did pay money for I haven't played that I feel bad about. And I'm going to keep not playing them so I can play more Slay the Spire.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 21:54

Stickman: Feb 1, 2004

Stonemaier and Bezeir Games' crazy board game mashup Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig is free to own on Steam.

ItBreathes posted:

I'm sure they are, it's more a matter of I have lots of games I did pay money for I haven't played that I feel bad about. And I'm going to keep not playing them so I can play more Slay the Spire.

So say we all :v:

# ? Mar 26, 2020 22:44

ilmucche: Mar 16, 2016

Coolguye posted:

the short version is that there is a very real cost to using EGS, it's just frequently not a monetary one. a lot of people are comfortable paying that price. a lot of people are not. caricaturing the side you're not on is not helpful. now back to your free games schedule.

What's the cost? I'm not seeing it...

# ? Mar 26, 2020 23:32

Pararoid: Dec 6, 2005; Te Waipounamu pride

Kind of ironic given games from subscription services are posted here too, I'd have thought.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 23:38

flatluigi: Apr 23, 2008; here come the planes

ilmucche posted:

What's the cost? I'm not seeing it...

you can read his post history for his chinese conspiracy theories if this is an actual question but you could've probably guessed that was what it was from everyone else talking about it

# ? Mar 26, 2020 23:38

Xander77: Apr 6, 2009; Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.

flatluigi posted:

you can read his post history for his chinese conspiracy theories if this is an actual question but you could've probably guessed that was what it was from everyone else talking about it

You know that once something is proven, it's no longer a conspiracy "theory", right?

At that point it's just a conspiracy. Conspiracy fact, if you will.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 23:42

Len: Jan 21, 2008; Pouches, bandages, shoulderpad, cyber-eye...

Bitchin'!

Coolguye posted:

the youtube link is commentary on their privacy policy, which is public and easily auditable by anyone. if you really require specific excerpts, here you go:

you can compare this to steam's policy, which has no such other party allotment and very specifically spells out all data sources, as does gog's.

the specifics in the privacy policy say that they can explicitly do it to do stuff like anti-cheat but also explicitly says it's including but not limited to, which departs even further from other privacy policies that will use stuff from social media but only SPECIFICALLY if you use things like facebook connect. again, please feel free to show this to anyone you trust, the ramifications of this privacy policy have a long history, including its flat incompatibility with the GDPR. the problematic clause that people complained about around this time last year is the following:

and it's still there a year later. this is completely not ok and the GDPR says that stopping this data processing is a consumer right. even in the USA this is not something the consumer financial protection bureau likes at all (it's one of the big reasons you can file a complaint as noted on their website, and similar complaints about not stopping this kind of comprehensive data ingestion is on their docket right now if you care to review it) because it's a leading way that identities get stolen and scams get launched. these practices would be problematic under the best of circumstances but coupled with Epic's careless handling of everything and their stone-etched connections to entities that are known to use consumer data maliciously it's a real alarm bell, especially since this is all ostensibly legal and the data generated can be used pretty freely until it is deemed illegitimate.

i could go on but i'm sure i've already triggered a bunch of people with the barest scrap of this stuff already, i merely elaborate because you asked for elaboration.

the twitter link was video proof supporting another post that i quoted with technical specifics on what happened and a running commentary on the entire thing as it developed, including the associated steam response of saying it's not for that, that APIs exist to satisfy EGS's specific need, that Tim Sweeney himself called it a bad thing, and Steam launched a full investigation into the entire practice. this whole fiasco is so well documented even by EGS apologists that i really hope i don't need to call out line by lines, and checking my own question mark the associated post i quoted both goes to another thread where it's discussed in detail and the resetera link where all the technical data was unearthed is still functional, so i assume you simply didn't consider that because it wasn't a link in 'my' post. you can go back and check that stuff though, it's all there. it's unfortunate that that specific tweet is gone but there's plenty of other sources that are readily accessible from that post.

# ? Mar 26, 2020 23:47

Kly: Aug 8, 2003

That guy was hating china before it was cool

# ? Mar 27, 2020 00:04

Lutha Mahtin: Oct 10, 2010; Your brokebrain sin is absolved...go and shitpost no more!

didn't we have this derail like, only two weeks ago

# ? Mar 27, 2020 00:05

Fantastic Foreskin: Jan 6, 2013; A golden helix streaked skyward from the Helvault. A thunderous explosion shattered the silver monolith and Avacyn emerged, free from her prison at last.

I haven't followed the whole thing very closely, is the allegation that EGS is spyware? Or collecting any data that couldn't otherwise be bought by any interested party from any of the companies dedicated to harvesting your data whenever you do anything?

# ? Mar 27, 2020 00:09

Len: Jan 21, 2008; Pouches, bandages, shoulderpad, cyber-eye...

Bitchin'!

Lutha Mahtin posted:

didn't we have this derail like, only two weeks ago

I think that derail was whether Twitch Prime games count in this thread?

# ? Mar 27, 2020 00:11

flatluigi: Apr 23, 2008; here come the planes

ItBreathes posted:

I haven't followed the whole thing very closely, is the allegation that EGS is spyware? Or collecting any data that couldn't otherwise be bought by any interested party from any of the companies dedicated to harvesting your data whenever you do anything?

the argument is that epic games store is a front for chinese data collection and they only are giving away free games to suck up all your data

# ? Mar 27, 2020 00:12

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# ? May 23, 2024 11:31

Stickman: Feb 1, 2004

Janky Jagged Alliance-like 7.62 High Calibre is free on IndieGala. I seem to remember there being some mods that fixed most of it's problems?

E: Shuyan Saga and Chronology are pretty good, too.

Xander77 posted:

You know that once something is proven, it's no longer a conspiracy "theory", right?

At that point it's just a conspiracy. Conspiracy fact, if you will.

Really it should go Conspiracy Hypothesis -> Conspiracy Theory.

Stickman fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Mar 27, 2020

# ? Mar 27, 2020 00:15

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Free Games: making spreadsheets about money saved on games you will never play

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