Pick 5: What to remember when staring at a Steam Sale
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We are halfway into the Steam Summer Sale and like always - It's a test of discipline or patience. As much as we love seeing the games we want to play go down in price, we should always keep our head straight and think before going crazy on each item on sale.
It will get cheaper, don't worry
No, seriously. 50% off? Don't be trigger happy with the purchase button. Once the Steam Sale goes live, a good number of games go on a discount. But keep in mind that if that precious game you've always wanted is not in either the daily deals, flash deals, or community choice deals, there's a huge chance it can go cheaper once it gets its turn in one of those categories. Last thing you want is to buy a game at half price, then see it go down 75% the next day. I know it's hard, but trust us, patience will pay off.
Each sale has a gimmick, ignore it
What gimmick? Those mini games Valve adds to make each Sale a bit...unique. Currently, we have Summer Adventure that divides Steam users into a colored team. You can earn points by doing specific tasks like craft the badge for this sale, buy a game that's more than 10 bucks, or make a game's badge. Now those points contribute to the overall score of your team, competing against other teams also racking up the points. The team with the highest point at the end of the day wins and each user in that team gets in-game rewards, more cards, and even games. The strongest incentive to do this is of course getting games for free. 30 users from the winning team is rewarded with the top 3 games in their wishlist. Know how it works? Good. Now ignore it.
I know it's tempting, but crafting badges takes money and time. Do you really want to spend a few extra bucks just for the slim change of wining three games in your wishlist? Ignore these gimmicks, and focus in getting the game you want, with the least amount of damage to your savings. You're wallet will thank you for it.
You most likely have Steam Cards, Sell 'em!
If you are a collector and get a kick out of this feature, then ignore this one. But if you don't care much of those virtual cards that have small value in them, then we suggest you toss them to the Steam Market to get a few pennies for them. For those unaware about Steam cards - These game cards earned when playing games that support the feature, and is used to make badges to unlock cosmetic items for your Steam profile.
Check out your Steam account's inventory. Yes, you have an inventory. If you have a couple, sell them, especially the Sale Cards that show up only for the sale (They disappear once the sale ends). Cards usually sell from .10$ to even .30$ per card if you're lucky. Seems a bit small, but it's better than nothing. Heck, you never know, all the cards you've sold at the marketplace might rack up to a dollar or two, which might be enough to grab a cheap DLC that's 75% off. Or better yet, you might have enough in your Steam Wallet thanks to the cards to get that 90% off indie game you've always wanted.
Prioritize the games you have the urge to play, not the games you might play in the future
It happens to the best of us. For me, I knew Fez was a good game, but I never had the urge to buy it. Last year it hit 75% off and I bought it because I was thinking I'd play it in the future. I Never did up until now. We get certain games because it's cheap right at that point, but all it does is stack up your backlog if you don't have the urge to play it. Don't bother with those games and focus on the games you can't wait to play. Update that wishlist or make a personal list yourself. Going crazy with the cheap games that isn't in your radar might hinder you from getting the game you really want in the coming days.
Have a backlog from the last sale? Play those first!
Yes, the last thing to remember is looking back at your backlog and play what you've bought in previous sale. Why not? Give your previous purchases some love! You did buy them to play them, not to populate your library. Don't be pressured to buy anything because it's currently at a great price. Steam will always have seasonal sales, so those crazy cheap prizes will come back, the game might even go cheaper the next time the sale comes around too. Also remember that Steam have regular sales even after the big sales have ended. They have the weekly midweek sales around Wednesdays, the daily deals, and the weekend off sale that is usually paired with a free play of the game that's currently on a discount. You will have that opportunity again to buy let's say Far Cry 3 at 75%, so calm down, check your library, and play those awesome games waiting to be played.
Have any other reminders for those going through the sale? Hit the comments below and remind us before we send money over to Gabb and company.
