# Steam (and other) black friday sales **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 23, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879 "2011-11-23T16:32:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/41 "2011-11-25T05:41:22Z")
> [@wevets](#): > > I’m pondering the sale price for Victoria 2 (industrial era to Interwar, heavy emphasis on economics and politics) - anyone know if the game is any good? I heard bad things when it first came out… I don’t like it at all. I lover the first one but the second seems broken still. Last time I played it was impossible to take on Britain and for some reason it ran slow on my machine. I can play Battlefield 3 easily, but Vicki 2 runs slow for me. Maybe in a few years and five patches or so the game will be decent. Parodox is a good game company, I’d just never buy a game within the first three years of a release. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/42 "2011-11-25T06:10:31Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > … Parodox is a good game company, I’d just never buy a game within the first three years of a release. i see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![Mekhazzio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Mekhazzio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mekhazzio)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/43 "2011-11-25T06:11:16Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Thinking about RO2 for $20, just wondering if I’d ever play it over BF3. Apples and oranges, really. They’ve got the same start point of multiplayer focused 64-man war-themed first person shooter, but they veer in very different directions after that. It’s True Lies versus Saving Private Ryan. I love Red Orchestra’s intensity (obviously, I’ve got something like 260 hours in it since release) and I’d recommend it with a caveat: it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not forgiving and experience with other shooters doesn’t necessarily translate over to it very well. In a saturated genre, it’s fairly unique, which is its biggest strength and its biggest weakness. From a tech side of things, now would be a good time to get it. It was released much too early, but most of the major issues have been ironed out since then, and half off is a nice deal. $20 is a good price point for a multiplayer focused game, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/44 "2011-11-25T13:53:56Z")
I’ve added Portal 2 and Shattered Horizons. Nothing else really caught my eye but I did think about Sniper but I don’t know. I’m also considering Alpha Protocol but I just don’t know when I’d play it. Bf3 and MW3 are taking up most of my time ATM, I haven’t even gotten my character to level 2 in Skyrim yet (should be great to play on long cold days in January and February). ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/45 "2011-11-25T14:37:28Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I’ve got a bunch of games on my list that I’m waiting to go on good sale: > […] > Deus Ex: HR > […] > …and some others that I don’t want as much but still wouldn’t mind. If any of these break the $20 mark, I’m likely to get them. Deus Ex: HR is 50% off ($24.98) at Gamersgate. Not $20 but in case you’re interested. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/46 "2011-11-25T16:28:46Z")
Battlefield 3 is $30 on Origin. If you have any interest in shooters at all, you should get it. It’s really great, and we play it with SDMBers every day. Batman: Arkham City is 25% on Origin. That’s actually pretty surprising - it just got released a week ago. Need For Speed The Run is $20. These are pretty huge discounts on some very recent games. I’m pretty surprised. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/47 "2011-11-25T16:58:12Z")
As far as I can tell the only other decent deals on Origin’s black friday sale are Dragon Age 2 for $10, shank for $5, and Need For Speed Hot Pursuit for $10. Oh, in my last post I said Arkham City was 25%. I meant $25, as in 50% off. I highly recommend BF3, it’s my favorite game in a long time, and we’ve had SDMB games going every single day since launch. I know some people are waiting for it to come to steam, but that’s not a sure thing at this point and even if they did they would most likely make you install origin anyway, so there’s not much reason to wait. [Watch](http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL02B9B39026C2ADC2&feature=viewall) some of our goofy and awesome footage from the game. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/48 "2011-11-25T17:03:58Z")
I wanted to play it on the PS3 and hate Origin… but I’ll probably have to snag Arkham City at that price. Are either the Old World Blues or Lonesome Road DLCs for New Vegas worth $2.50? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/49 "2011-11-25T17:33:21Z")
Notable [Amazon Digital sales:](http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_358884862_2?ie=UTF8&docId=1000746611&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=02ZZZD3EK92EYE3MKQWH&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1331984622&pf_rd_i=979455011) (I think that link should work, if not, go to amazon video games and click game downloads) Witcher 2 $16 Metro 2033 $5 Amnesia: The Dark Descent $5 Darksiders $5 Penumbra Collection $4 Hearts of Iron 3 $5 Lots of others. Plus 300 casual games for $2 each. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/50 "2011-11-25T17:37:48Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > I wanted to play it on the PS3 and hate Origin… but I’ll probably have to snag Arkham City at that price. > > Are either the Old World Blues or Lonesome Road DLCs for New Vegas worth $2.50? Definitely. Get them all for how cheap they are right now if you enjoyed New Vegas proper. Of those two I preferred Old World Blues. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/51 "2011-11-25T17:43:23Z")
Amazon Digital also has the BF3 $30 deal, if you don’t want to give your money directly to EA, or if you don’t live in the US maybe amazon will have better regional pricing. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/52 "2011-11-25T17:49:22Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I’d need to know more to help you. A lot of computers simply don’t have 3d accelerator hardware (or if they do, they’re basically useless) - in which case it doesn’t really matter how modern they are. A 3 year old laptop with a real video card is more capable of playing games than a brand new one that doesn’t have one, simply because the new one doesn’t have the hardware to do gaming. No computer released in modern times doesn’t have a 3D accelerator. And no game is really pushing for top of the line graphics. Crisis is still in the top 10 of most taxing games, and you can play it on typical netbook GPUs (though the processors are often too slow). ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/53 "2011-11-25T17:52:30Z")
Most computers have intel integrated 3d accelerators for which all practical purposes are useless. The idea that you can play Crysis on a netbook GPU is absurd. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/54 "2011-11-25T17:54:11Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > _Napoleon_ is like a refined version of Empire. The biggest difference between the factions’ units is artillery. France has good cannons, England has kinda crummy cannons but regular howitzers, and Russia eventually gets the unicorn, which is an _amazing_ long-range howitzer (and all of their units are immune to winter attrition). There is variation between the stats of the different kinds of infantry and cavalry, but it’s not as pronounced as the variation in artillery. Combat in general feels a lot more deadly; artillery is much more effective. The game is also prettier. There’s a free demo if you want to take the time to test drive it. > . There’s also a great deal of variety between the units, at least visually. The basic British infantryman looks nothing like the Basic french infantryman, who looks nothing like the Prussian, or the Russian. There are also many more different units available for each factions, and why the differences them in terms of abilities and appearance can be minor, seeing (for instance) the Irish regiment wearing green lapels appeals to the grognard in me. Plus, when you blow up a cavalryman, you’ll often see his riderless horse running away from the battle. It’s worth getting just for that. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/55 "2011-11-25T18:02:54Z")
New steam daily sales: Serious Sam HD Double Pack $3 Deus Ex: Human Revolution $25 GTA franchise sale, GTA4 $5 Space Marine $33 Chronicles of Riddick Assault on Dark Athena $5 Sanctum $2.50 Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic $5 Dead Island $20 Back to the Future (telltale pack) $10 Patrician 4 $7 King Arthur the role playing war game pack $4 Flight Control HD $1.25 Star wars KOTOR sounds like a pricing error - I mean, it’s a fine game from what I hear but it’s old and has been on sale for $2 before. Deus Ex is a really good game, but I personally don’t recommend buying single player games for more than like $10. Dead Island has the premise of something that could be great but nothing I’ve heard about it sounds like they execute on that premise. Sanctum is a fun tower defense/shooter hybrid, worth the $2.50. King Arthur is sort of like total war type games, lots of content for $4. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/56 "2011-11-26T01:16:18Z")
I really like Patrician IV, but I’m not sure if I’d recommend it to just anyone, even at that price. It’s a fun little trading/capitalism simulator. There’s an interesting feedback at work in the game: As you build farms and factories to produce goods, new workers migrate to those cities to fill the jobs you create; larger cities mean a greater demand for goods, which makes building more factories feasible. Eventually you can get enough clout to really screw people over. Flooding the market in a particular city can drive your competitors out of business and put his workers out on the streets, but doing so secures greater profits for you in the future. If you do get it, it’s worth getting the gold edition (Rise of a Dynasty adds a few new features and is a bit prettier). It’s not an exciting game, but it is very relaxing. Hypnotic, even. Steam says I’ve logged 196 hours on the regular version and 134 on Rise of a Dynasty. Note that the latter is a single campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/57 "2011-11-26T01:24:56Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Deus Ex: HR is 50% off ($24.98) at Gamersgate. Not $20 but in case you’re interested. Thanks! I’m gonna stick to my limit, though. There’s a good chance it’ll be less at Christmas, and a very excellent chance that next summer will see its prices plummet. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/58 "2011-11-26T01:59:31Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Thanks! I’m gonna stick to my limit, though. There’s a good chance it’ll be less at Christmas, and a very excellent chance that next summer will see its prices plummet. It’s $19.99 on [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/Deus-Ex-Revolution-Standard-Download/dp/B005HRZ29K/ref=sr_1_1_title_3?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1322272735&sr=1-1). ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/59 "2011-11-26T05:37:54Z")
SkyrimSkyrimSkyrimSkyrimSkyrim… I keep hearing about Skyrim. I’ve seen their visuals and read a few brief descriptions, so it sounds like something I’ll enjoy. Do I need to go through other Elder Scrolls? Er, not _need_ per se, but if I think I’ll like Skyrim, would I likely have fun with earlier volumes? Any volumes to skip? Do they come in a massively discounted Steam bundle? ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879/60 "2011-11-26T05:55:44Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Do I need to go through other Elder Scrolls? Er, not _need_ per se, but if I think I’ll like Skyrim, would I likely have fun with earlier volumes? Any volumes to skip? Do they come in a massively discounted Steam bundle? The last title, Oblivion, has been popping up recently for very cheap ($5? $7.50?). The one before it, Morrowind, has been at $10 for forever (I don’t think I’ve ever seen it further discounted). This is probably a minority opinion, but I wouldn’t bother with Oblivion. Skyrim is pretty much the same game with better graphics and some other improvements. The plots are different, sure… but I’ve never heard anyone extol the virtues of Oblivion’s plot 😛 I would recommend Morrowind, however. It’s quite an old game but there are mods to take some of the sting away. Also, the second volume in the series, Daggerfall, has been released free by Bethesda so you could always check that out if you want. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-and-other-black-friday-sales/603879.md?page=4)