Tag Archive

Steam Sale or Why I Should Stop Buying So Many Games


Posted on January 2, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

LORD GABEN BE PRAISED

Today is the final day for Valve’s annual holiday Steam Sale and that means you have less than 24 hours to save money on some of the biggest games of 2016 as well as an ever expanding catalog of indie titles. It’s time to rifle through your wishlist, search the couch cushions for spare change and make any last minute purchases….. or should you? Here’s some insight into my own personal account.

First here is what Valve has selected to tease store pursuers with today:

Today’s Highlighted Deals

Grand Theft Auto V – $34.99
Counter Strike: Global Offensive – $11.29
H1Z1: King of the Hill – $14.29
Euro Truck Simulator 2 – $5.49
Doom Franchise Up To 60% off
Portal 2
Witcher Franchise 40% off
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain $32.99

All Prices In CDN

Most of my Steam library is most definitely the result of multiple sales over the course of the last seven years. With over 300 titles it can sometimes feel like there is too much to play, I never thought I could be paralyzed by too much choice but as Alivin Toffers work on Overchoice shows us – sometimes when presented with too many choices an individual can become confused, anxious or dissatisfied as the number of choices increases. When staring at my library I often ask myself “Do I want to venture back into Fallout 4 or replay an old favorite like Unreal Tournament or perhaps a try out one of indie games I picked up cheap?”. It is great to have some of my favorite PC classics at my finger tips but it can also be paralyzing.

While writing this blog post I actually decided to dig into some of my account’s statistics – while I’ve had a Steam account since the day Half Life 2 launched in 2004, I didn’t start collecting games on the platform until 2009 when I built my first gaming rig.  My most played titles are either open world RPGs like Fallout 3, Fallout 4 or MMORPGs like Rift Online and Eve Online. Clearly I enjoy being fully immersed an expansive never ending world but that means I’ve also neglected a lot of linear experiences in my library. Apparently I’ve only ever spent an hour or more in 30% of my games, meaning that approximately 245 interactive experiences haven’t even been installed by me in the last half decade.

So what is the solution? Is it to simply stop buying games, creating wishlists and playing titles that I’ve already dedicated my money too? Perhaps to an extent this is correct – I’m sure a lot of the smaller games that I’ve collected over the years like Analogue: A Hate Story could be completed in a single session while other idle time spenders like Cities: Skylines could see more playtime during particularly boring evenings. On the other hand it’s almost impossible to NOT get swept up in the excitement of the winter sale or to eagerly anticipate an upcomming title – I’m counting the days until Gravity Rush 2 and I haven’t even finished Final Fantasy XV yet.

So, I don’t have the solution to the glut of backlog games that I have accumulated over the years. I was gifted a $50 Steam Card over Christmas and of course I spent the entire thing before the holiday sale even ended.  Others have come up with some creative solutions – like this one Engagdet writer who keeps a spreadsheet and organizes their unfinished RPGs in order of importance, which helped them finish the original 1998 Fallout.  Others, such as one post in this thread on r/Patient Gamers suggested finishing 2 older games before investing the cash in a newer title. Sites like Backloggery can also help you track the progress on uncompleted games!

It is only the second day of 2017 and I am already swamped with games. Here’s hoping I can make that 70% unplayed rate in my Steam library statistics come down by the end of the year, instead of hording more games.


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Gravity Rush 2 Delayed Until January 2017 Worldwide


Posted on October 6, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Sad news for fans Gravity Rush fans that were looking forward to finishing Kat’s story in Gravity Rush 2 this December, you’re going to have to wait a little longer to experience the game’s (presumably) fantastic story.  Kat’s current generation adventure has been delayed worldwide until January 2017 according to an update Keiichiro Toyama provided over on the PlayStation Blog.

The team behind the game have spent a considerable amount of time working on asyonchris multiplayer functions and they want as many players as possible online at the same time.

Toyama wrote on the PlayStation Blog:

“A lot of work went into online features that allow for asynchronous player interaction, we want as many people as possible playing the title at the same time. Thus, after careful deliberation, we have decided to change the release date. Gravity Rush 2 will now launch on January 20, 2017.” 

Fans will at least get some consolation prizes to help ease the pain – the developers were planning to launch a side-story DLC pack for the game which will now be released to all players free of charge. Also Keiichiro Toyama mentioned that a special animated short will make its debut before the game’s release.

Here are the details about the DLC:

“In exchange for the longer wait, we have decided to release the premium DLC planned for the title free of charge. This additional story will take place in the world of Gravity Rush 2 and we think fans will have a lot of fun playing through it.” 

Gravity Rush 2 is now scheduled to be released on Jan 18th in Europe, January 19th in Japan and Jan 20th in North America.


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Gravity Rush 2 Flies Into Paris Games Week With New Trailer


Posted on October 27, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

The next chapter in Kat’s adventures – Gravity Rush 2 – will be appearing on PlayStation 4 sometime next year and Studio Japan brought a brand new trailer showcasing some of the new gameplay mechanics that will help set Gravity Rush 2 apart from the 2012 original.

Here are some of the powers / changes outlined in the new trailer:

Gravity Manipulation – Kat’s original powers from GR1 allowing you to shift gravity.
Lunar Style – Allows Kat to become lighter.
Jupiter Style –  Allows Kat to become heavier and more powerful.
Destructible Environments  – Players can use gravity to destroy parts of the environment and then use them against enemies
Tag Team Boss Battles – Take on the series’ large scale boss battles with an A.I controlled partner

Still no release date for Gravity Rush 2 but this trailer has me really pumped for its release. As soon as we have more information we’ll bring it to you!

[youtube id=”pgcTZnv8EgU”]

 


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Gravity Rush 2 & Gravity Rush Remastered Confirmed!


Posted on September 15, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

Gravity Rush fans rejoice as Sony Computer Entertainment Japan confirmed during their Tokyo Games Show presentation that both a remastered version of the 2012 original and its sequel Gravity Rush 2 will be heading to the PS4!

Sony released a pair of trailers centered on the announcement and I couldn’t be more excited.  GR2 looks absolutely stunning in motion – once again we get glimpses of sweeping cityscapes and bright blue skies as heroine Kat utilizes her gravity manipulation powers to fly through the skies.

When I reviewed the original game I had this to say about one of my absolutely favorite (and in my opinion essential) PlayStation Vita games:

The gameplay and freedom to fly through the city streets appealed to my senses, they aren’t the only great part of Gravity Rush. The game both looks and sounds absolutely fabulous. Characters, environments and effects are rendered in a style that is very similar to modern Japanese Animation. Characters sport expressive eyes and make gasps and gestures that convey their emotions clearly

Gravity Rush Remastered will be released on PlayStation 4 in Japan in December of this year and in February of 2016 in North America. Gravity Rush 2 is currently scheduled for release sometime next year.

Gravity Rush 2 Trailer
[youtube id=”dupTQmj0A6U”]

Gravity Rush Remastered Trailer
[youtube id=”wMGaMOyr0GI”]


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