Question 2019 Steam challenge

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DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,443
2,083
126
I, Emperor DigDoggus 1st, issue this challenge:

That by Christmas 2019, you have successfully *completed* (simple non-100% easy/medium diff or simply access most of the content) every game you own on Steam BEFORE purchasing any new games.
You may purchase games before 2019 Jan 1st if you so wish.



I keep reading here how people have like 1234 games on Steam "but i haven't had the time to play". SO WHY DO YOU ******* KEEP BUYING THEM!

So i hereby issue you this challenge.
Save your wallet. From January 1st, 2019, stop buying games. Do not buy new games until you have gone through your entire game library.

Rules:
(obviously single-player, one-playthrough games only)
1. You dont need to complete a game on super-epic difficulty. You dont even need to play any further than your skill allows.
2. You dont need to complete a game you hate. Just playing some and calling it quits is enough.
3. You pledge to not buy any more games (for yourself) until the task is done.

Register here your pledge.
Write, if you want, the number of unplayed games you have in your library. All platforms are valid - GOG, Steam, Epic, etc.

There might be prizes, including but not limited to sexxy pictures of my fat ass in embarassing poses. Or not.

But the real prize is you taking back control of your wallet from a world that only wants you to buy even if you do not consume.

Go.
 
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Igo69

Senior member
Apr 26, 2015
716
101
106
I played all my games. Games that are coming in 2019-2020 are impossible not to buy... Metro Exodus, Rage 2, Doom Eternal, Dying Light 2, Cyberpunk 2077
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,443
2,083
126
That's Christmas 2019 - next year.

I suppose if you are getting a humble bundle subscription, that shouldn't count on the front of the impulse-buy.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,443
2,083
126
I played all my games. Games that are coming in 2019-2020 are impossible not to buy... Metro Exodus, Rage 2, Doom Eternal, Dying Light 2, Cyberpunk 2077
If you already played all your games, then you have already completed the challenge.
 

TheELF

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 2012
3,967
720
126
Indeed. Some publishers have also long figured out consumers can be psychologically played by "75% off", either into buying games they have no real intention / spare time of playing through "fear of missing out" as pmv described, but also for older games "skewing" base pricing up into the realms of imaginary savings vs the second-hand physical era. Eg, years ago I bought Morrowind & Oblivion GOTY's on disc on Ebay for £6 (£3 each). Spent 3 minutes sourcing the "No-CD's" and they're instantly made as DRM-Free as GOG's. Fast forward to 2018 and the account-locked "digital only" no-resale era, and due to former surplus of discs drying up, we have new base pricing set by Bethesda on Steam & GOG of £13 for Morrowind & £15 for Oblivion, that's £28 in total, or quadruple what I bought the same games on discs "almost new" for on Ebay. So it takes a 75% off in a "special sale" just to reduce the price down to the levels of what the former second hand disc resale market provided healthy competition for old games, 365 days a year outside of any sale, and it becomes obvious for such games that the base price is artificially inflated precisely to make the 50-75% discount off the "new normal" price whilst giving consumers the impression they're getting a good deal. In other words, for some sales of older games, you aren't actually saving any money, simply being artificially "time-gated" into being "permitted" at buying at a normal price (for 12-16 year old games) for only a few weeks a year without getting totally ripped off by having the deep-sale mechanics "played" against you.
Whoa there horsey,you can't compare trading contraband to actually trading with original products.
Someone selling you used games is actually committing a crime and so are you,when you buy a game you agree to not re sell it (copy any of it or otherwise reproduce it and so on) how much was a (new,legal) physical copy in the stores going for at the time you bought them for £6?
 

BSim500

Golden Member
Jun 5, 2013
1,480
216
106
Someone selling you used games is actually committing a crime and so are you,when you buy a game you agree to not re sell it (copy any of it or otherwise reproduce it and so on)
"Contraband". LOL. Good sense of humour. Reality : It's entirely legal to resell original (non counterfeit) non account locked physical games, books, DVD's and CD's given that "First Sale Doctrine" national laws trump "but, but, but, the EULA says..." every single time, and large chunks of many EULA's that have tried to overrule national laws have repeatedly torn up in court as being baseless fantasy. The entire "First Sale Doctrine" means the IP holders retain permanent creative / first-sale distribution rights but their right to control individual titles gets exhausted after the first sale, ie, they retain a right to clampdown on unauthorized duplication (piracy) but can no more restrict a post-sale transfer of a genuine product any more than a carpenter can make you a coffee table then after you've paid him tell you you can't sell it on.

Right to resell physical game discs (originals not duplicates or account locked digital games) is not even up for debate when we have affirmative rulings like this. The rest is background noise from those who don't understand a EULA doesn't = God Mode vs the law of the land. As for the prices new, I think it was nearer £8-£10, which is still a lot less than the £13-£15 today, so Bethesda have definitely stuffed the prices up vs both a decade ago and similar 2002-2006 era games. In fact if you want a serious reaity check, you can legally buy a brand new copy of Skyrim Legendary Edition for £10 "Dispatched from and sold by Amazon" (non marketplace). That should tell you how out of whack the +30-50% higher digital pricing is for 2002-2006 MW / OBV...
 
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Reactions: pmv
Feb 4, 2009
34,494
15,729
136
Loaded up Supreme Commander on steam, I played it from that other crappy download site that gamespot bought, when the game company went out of business they allowed all keys be added to steam.
Tip for anyone who has either forged alliance or supreme commander key. When entered into steam you get both games.
Now the bummer is matchmaking doesn’t work without some download but I wasn’t concerned about that.
Played a single player battle vs ai. Still a fun game

The Aeon had me against the ropes for most of the game until I built enough to gunships to peel her back. I forgot how every match ends with a nuke from either it being launched to kill the commander or when the commander blows up.
Satisfying end to an RTS
 

pmv

Lifer
May 30, 2008
12,969
7,886
136
Someone selling you used games is actually committing a crime and so are you,when you buy a game you agree to not re sell it (copy any of it or otherwise reproduce it and so on) how much was a (new,legal) physical copy in the stores going for at the time you bought them for £6?

Utter nonsense. Point me to where anyone has been convicted of this 'crime'.
Firstly you are confusing civil law with criminal law, secondly you are ignoring the point that those restrictive licences have never been successfully enforced in a court.

(If you reply to this message you are agreeing to pay me one million dollars...if you don't that would be a 'crime', right?)

Honestly I don't know if the digital distribution is better or worse or the same as physical media, for the consumer, in the end. There are definitely a whole load of new marketing tricks to be aware of though, steam sales being one of the most obvious ones. For music I still buy CDs and rip them, but then I'm old and set in my ways (and, hey, cds if they aren't very obscure/rare, are almost free now!).
 
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DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,443
2,083
126
When you buy a game you agree to not re sell it (copy any of it or otherwise reproduce it and so on)
As your lawyer, i advise you to make your next post read exactly "woha lol i j/k".

Since the others didnt nail yo' ass on one last bit, i will.
Buying a game from a retailer, and installing such game and agreeing to a EULA, are two different transactions. There is no legal difference between a consumer and a retailer - retailers are not breaking the law what they sell you a copy.
Any agreement you chose to enter into afterwards (be it legally enforceable) is limited in scope to the property it covers - in this case the IP.
A cd is not an IP. By buying a cd, you DO NOT buy the associated IP (although it would be awesome to own the entire IP of Skyrim for $10), and the terms of usage of that IP is specifically what the EULA is for.

In short, no; when you buy a game, you do not "agree to not resell it", unless the retailer is actually forcing you to sign a contract at the Gamestop cash register.

I'd like to remind yo' dumb ass that EVERY industrial product you buy (i.e. a curling iron) has an IP attached to it; just because you buy one from amazon doesn't mean you can now produce Rowenta Curling Irons, and yet you retain full physical ownership of the item, including the right to resell.
 
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JTsyo

Lifer
Nov 18, 2007
11,709
870
126
But how about all those extra Humble Bundle games I didn't want got go as part of the package? I pretty good about waiting on games. Most games I get is at least 2 years old. This year Battletech and BFV were the only two I got on release.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,443
2,083
126
/r/patientgamers already ahead of this.
So i heard. Good.

Let's say that, the AT populace is generally older and wiser (no, not you @Mayne ) than the typical 17yo gamer, but there's still people who have this unrestrained attitude about buying stuff that, well, they have no need for. I've read here on AT "i have XX games unplayed" many times which prompted me to write the challenge.
And outside of AT, man; i got steam friends with over one thousand games - shall we say, $10k average?
 

Rebel_L

Senior member
Nov 9, 2009
449
61
91
DigDog, you will be happy to know that I am currently playing my 5th steam game atm (purchased about a month ago) out of my 5 game library :) I have even played for probably 30-40 hours so when I fell like I'm done with it, I will fully have met your challenge
 
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TheELF

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 2012
3,967
720
126
As your lawyer, i advise you to make your next post read exactly "woha lol i j/k".

Since the others didnt nail yo' ass on one last bit, i will.
Buying a game from a retailer, and installing such game and agreeing to a EULA, are two different transactions. There is no legal difference between a consumer and a retailer - retailers are not breaking the law what they sell you a copy.
Any agreement you chose to enter into afterwards (be it legally enforceable) is limited in scope to the property it covers - in this case the IP.
A cd is not an IP. By buying a cd, you DO NOT buy the associated IP (although it would be awesome to own the entire IP of Skyrim for $10), and the terms of usage of that IP is specifically what the EULA is for.

In short, no; when you buy a game, you do not "agree to not resell it", unless the retailer is actually forcing you to sign a contract at the Gamestop cash register.

I'd like to remind yo' dumb ass that EVERY industrial product you buy (i.e. a curling iron) has an IP attached to it; just because you buy one from amazon doesn't mean you can now produce Rowenta Curling Irons, and yet you retain full physical ownership of the item, including the right to resell.
Sorry but as my lawyer you suck.
This has nothing to do with the eula this is the law no matter if you agree to the eula or not,you can buy a copy of a software not even rip the shrinkwrap and still you won't be able to legally re sell it.
It's not that anybody will care or will come after you but it's still illegal.
Current law:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/117
(b)Lease, Sale, or Other Transfer of Additional Copy or Adaptation.—
Any exact copies prepared in accordance with the provisions of this section may be leased, sold, or otherwise transferred, along with the copy from which such copies were prepared, only as part of the lease, sale, or other transfer of all rights in the program. Adaptations so prepared may be transferred only with the authorization of the copyright owner.
And this authorization you will never get as a normal dude.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,443
2,083
126
Sorry but as my lawyer you suck.
This has nothing to do with the eula this is the law no matter if you agree to the eula or not,you can buy a copy of a software not even rip the shrinkwrap and still you won't be able to legally re sell it.
It's not that anybody will care or will come after you but it's still illegal.
Current law:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/117

And this authorization you will never get as a normal dude.
I will be brief.
1. The page you cite states: (a)Making of Additional Copy
Which cannot be sold.
2. You are clearly not smart enough to deserve my time. Im sorry but ive read your other posts and if you cannot read english but insist on citing a source that disputes what you say, i need to put you on ignore, forever. This is the last time i will read your posts. Bye.
 

ImpulsE69

Lifer
Jan 8, 2010
14,946
1,077
126
Utter nonsense. Point me to where anyone has been convicted of this 'crime'.
Firstly you are confusing civil law with criminal law, secondly you are ignoring the point that those restrictive licences have never been successfully enforced in a court.

(If you reply to this message you are agreeing to pay me one million dollars...if you don't that would be a 'crime', right?)

Honestly I don't know if the digital distribution is better or worse or the same as physical media, for the consumer, in the end. There are definitely a whole load of new marketing tricks to be aware of though, steam sales being one of the most obvious ones. For music I still buy CDs and rip them, but then I'm old and set in my ways (and, hey, cds if they aren't very obscure/rare, are almost free now!).

Sales/Marketing tricks are easy to get around if you just set a max price rather than the % off. For me it is generally under $10 for anything I'm on the fence about and even more so $5 or under. I pay full retail for very very few games - ever.

That being said, I because of this I do buy too many games that I don't end up touching, because cheap games is so common now there is always that next game to grab and end up playing first.

FOMO is real - at least in the beginning - because the idea is to have the game when you want to play it. The mentality behind it is, who knows when it will be $1 again?
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,443
2,083
126
FOMO is real
Fomo ??


Anyway, the draw should be from your wanting to play - not from the availability of a game, or the price - within reason. I mean, forget the challenge, if they sell Witcher 3 for $1 im buying it. Im not trying to be unreasonable.

Think in terms of food. You should eat when you are hungry, NOT when food is presented to you.

Sausages now $1, eat within 1h !!!

You'd be dead in a month, you get me?

But im not on people having maybe, even a too large library, it's people who compulsively buy a game, spending $60, $40, $20, $17.99, and not playing it for months - at which point either or both: 1. The game is now cheaper, 2. There is a better game.
 

ImpulsE69

Lifer
Jan 8, 2010
14,946
1,077
126
FOMO = Fear of missing out

Your analogy isn't quite correct because games don't 'go bad' and can be shelved. Or if you want to use it, then consider people who can food for later when it is wanted/needed.

Ultimately, I'm with you, I started this last year and stopped buying games until I get through my backlog. I even categorize games I know I won't play and/or games I tried and didn't like. Even though I ignored all the sales I still bought a humble bundle for $1 because....damn that's cheap :)
 

Modular

Diamond Member
Jul 1, 2005
5,027
67
91
This absolutely is that kind of New Years resolution nonsense; and generally they tend to be good resolutions? Like "lose weight", "go to gym", "world peace", or "do not buy entertainment products if you already own unused entertainment products to entertain yourself".

The challenge isnt about completing games, it's about not buy more games than you can consume.

Tbh i was hoping more people would pick up on it ... maybe a bit of snowball effect too.

Me, im at the opposite end of the spectrum. I own ONE unplayed game on Steam ("Duck Game", a 1980s style platform shooter) because i dont buy games unless im gonna play them.

You got all of 2019 to go through your library - you can do it.

This is an awesome idea. I missed the original posting of this thread, so I am bumping it now to say that I will partake. I have quite a few games that I want to play, but haven't even started. I'm going to extend this to my GOG "collection" (like 3 games) and uPlay as well.

Thanks for starting this thread!
 

GodisanAtheist

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2006
6,715
7,004
136
Reddit wasnt too interested in this here challenge :/

r/PatientGamers is basically every one of these backlog threads as a subreddit. Did you check them out?

if you go to r/gaming then you're going to get overrun by memes revolving around half naked cosplayers and the latest F2P fad.