How do you get games for PC?

[KLiKzg]

steam+torrent. Purchase only if interested/fan of game and "online" adds something. They could bring back good old DEMOs for people to check before buying. And I don't need all this "passes" BS.

Lets not go this way...torrents are not legal!
& I do not support getting games from torrent...neither is it intension of this topic on this forum to use "illegal ways" of acquiring games!

So if anyone is doing it, please keep it to yourself!
Lets talk here only about legal ways.

I fully read the terms & services of both Steam & G.O.G.
In the end I have stuck with G.O.G. I have about 80 games currently on G.O.G & I think about 26 or 27 are new raytracing games so far.
I prefer not to ever need to connect to the internet to install a game, so offline installers are must for me. So, this for me killed off A LOT of other PC gaming store platforms.

Since I devoted myself to being on G.O.G only. I went ahead & start making a list of newer games for G.O.G I wanted to try & play. I started with a raytracing game made up from the entries listed on a Pc gaming wiki which has helped a lot. Then I went split that up to DX12 games too. Then I later made a few other lists for some older technologies that I never got to use or try for games like PhysX, SL.I, crossfire, Nvidia 3D vision, & support for 3D Tv's.

If anyone's curious about G.O.G & new type games. G.O.G only has about 45 raytracing games on its store. Which sounds low, but it's around 20% of the amount raytracing games listed on a PC gaming wiki of the 211 raytracing total games.

I hear you...GOG is a very good shop.
Owning there about 300+ games, especially as some games can only be found there!

Though, of those 300 - I don't have any time to play any: https://www.gog.com/u/KLiKzg

Also, which reminds me...a friend of mine (from IT industry & gaming community) suggested a nice program to get all of those games under one roof - Playnite: https://playnite.link/
I sync it from time to time, when BOINC is not running WCG...& WCG usually have a large down-times.

 

[AleXXX666]

Lets not go this way...torrents are not legal!
& I do not support getting games from torrent...neither is it intension of this topic on this forum to use "illegal ways" of acquiring games!

So if anyone is doing it, please keep it to yourself!
Lets talk here only about legal ways.


I hear you...GOG is a very good shop.
Owning there about 300+ games, especially as some games can only be found there!

Though, of those 300 - I don't have any time to play any: https://www.gog.com/u/KLiKzg

Also, which reminds me...a friend of mine (from IT industry & gaming community) suggested a nice program to get all of those games under one roof - Playnite: https://playnite.link/
I sync it from time to time, when BOINC is not running WCG...& WCG usually have a large down-times.

FREE DEMOs MUST be back. Then torrents ain't needed. I play DEMO and decide - whether I want to pay for game or not.

I get my games where its the cheapest at the time of my interest or if they aint on a discount then I buy it from a key site. 'I do have STEAM since the launch of HL 2 but its just another launcher for me at the end of the day so meh I'm not bothered at all to buy games on the other ones if I have to like if its exclusive'
I've used to mostly torrent my games when I was younger but nowadays even when I do it its more like to 'demo' the game.

I also rarely buy games for full price maybe 1-2 times/year if there is something I'm really interested in or waited for years already for the game to be relased.

WHY "LAUNCHER" is needed? Shortcut on Desktop, meh?

 

[KLiKzg]

Why own 6000 games if you never play them?
This seems way too time consuming to me.

Hey, it happens...you start with essentials, then you get to 100.
Then you find out about WL, which gives you emails about discounts on Steam.
Then you find SteamDB & learn about seasonal discounts...so you get to 500.
Then you find out about HB & Fanatical bundles...then you acquire some bundles, like list of 200+ pages on HB alone...& you get to 2000 games.
Then you find out about gifting games on SteamGifts....so you give some 1000 games & you get back some 500 back.
& finally you get to Barter, SteamTrades & LesTrades...in which you trade out some 2500 games & you have passed 5000 games...so you ask yourself, why not 6000.

& when you trade with someone with 14000+ games on their account, then you know you can do more!

 

[ty_ger]

I get it. It's a disease. I see it all the time with people at swap meets. Nothing different here, except being digital instead of physical.

This is not the hobby for me.

Every now and then, I would encourage you to take a mental note of how much time you spend on this hobby and evaluate whether it is getting in the way of other possibilities. I think the end result of this hobby is fruitless and you should make sure it doesn't limit you.

 

[64K]

I get it. It's a disease. I see it all the time with people at swap meets. Nothing different here, except being digital instead of physical.

This is not the hobby for me.

Every now and then, I would encourage you to take a mental note of how much time you spend on this hobby and evaluate whether it is getting in the way of other possibilities. I think the end result of this hobby is fruitless and you should make sure it doesn't limit you.

So much negativity about a leisure time activity that you don't even care about.

 

[Calenhad]

How do I get my games? I buy them.



Ok, tongue in cheek removed. I prefer GOG. Steam as backup. Sometimes I use a place like GMG to buy a key. But I rarely bother, I just wait for a good sale if I am not interested in paying full price.

FREE DEMOs MUST be back. Then torrents ain't needed. I play DEMO and decide - whether I want to pay for game or not.

Do you not own a credit/debit card capable of making a purchase on Steam/GOG/somewhereelse? These stores have return policies that will let you try out more of a game than any old demo did. The only game demo I have ever tried that lasted more than 2 hour, is the Dragon Quest XI demo... I will assume you are not still on dial-up since you torrent shit, not being able to download a game is not be an excuse.

 

[ty_ger]

So much negativity about a leisure time activity that you don't even care about.

Yes, sure. But also realistic. It is easy to get hooked on something, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is good for you. This particular hobby doesn't bear any obvious fruit, so it is important to continue reevaluating.

 

[Sithaer]

WHY "LAUNCHER" is needed? Shortcut on Desktop, meh?

Tbh I don't mind launchers and I like to keep my desktop nice and tidy and not filled up with bunch of shortcuts. 'I already have too many for my taste, anything more is a no no for me'

Yes, sure. But also realistic. It is easy to get hooked on something, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is good for you. This particular hobby doesn't bear any obvious fruit, so it is important to continue reevaluating.

I also have a friend who has a STEAM account worth of 3000+ $ according to him cause he keeps buying games and the funny part is that he hardly plays anything nowadays.. 'well ok hes kinda rich but still..'

 

[Fokker]

I purchase primarily on Steam or GOG these days, but I still have a few dozen games on disc stored in boxes. I have a handful on Origin and Uplay, but I never install those launchers anymore (many on Origin are duplicates I have on disc as well).

If I could reliably find physical copies of most of my modern titles, I would go that route, but most of developers don't offer any kind of physical copy anymore. Even when they have a physical box, it's just a license code.

 

[AleXXX666]

How do I get my games? I buy them.



Ok, tongue in cheek removed. I prefer GOG. Steam as backup. Sometimes I use a place like GMG to buy a key. But I rarely bother, I just wait for a good sale if I am not interested in paying full price.


Do you not own a credit/debit card capable of making a purchase on Steam/GOG/somewhereelse? These stores have return policies that will let you try out more of a game than any old demo did. The only game demo I have ever tried that lasted more than 2 hour, is the Dragon Quest XI demo... I will assume you are not still on dial-up since you torrent shit, not being able to download a game is not be an excuse.

well, modern games also weight such that my connection is "dial-up speed" now or I MUST pay more THAN I ACTUALLY NEED for 0-day surfing, JUST TO DL "game" faster LMFAO?

"return-policy"... hell yeah. There is a good trick for purchasing goods that you can return. "No use, no unboxing" - can return. In 14 days. One must be an idiot to BUY such things he/she won't need really. Same here for games. I know there are policies, if you "try" some fixed hours, then you can't claim return lol. Tricky sh*t.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Steam, EGS, GOG, Microsoft Store, Amazon Prime Gaming, Humble in this order. I avoid key sites and illegitimate means as much as possible.

EGS weekly freebies are great. Always something every week, although they will repeat the giveaway every now and then and you won't have a game for that week. Prime Gaming gives keys every now and then. Excellent resource. Humble hasn't had a great bundle in years, might be a different perspective to someone starting their library just now. 15 years on this road, it is no longer for me.

 

[JWNoctis]

I purchase primarily on Steam or GOG these days, but I still have a few dozen games on disc stored in boxes. I have a handful on Origin and Uplay, but I never install those launchers anymore (many on Origin are duplicates I have on disc as well).

If I could reliably find physical copies of most of my modern titles, I would go that route, but most of developers don't offer any kind of physical copy anymore. Even when they have a physical box, it's just a license code.

I've found handhelds to be the last reserve of physical copies. Even that might go, come next generation. Sometimes I wonder how long modern flash-based carts would last, and whether I'd be better off putting my reserve of carts into freezer, hermetically sealed in a tin with plenty of desiccant and oxygen absorber.

FWIW I prefer GOG. You keep what you get as long as:

1. Your hardware setup works
2. Your backup scheme keeps up
3. Someone remains to play these games, come hell or high water.

well, modern games also weight such that my connection is "dial-up speed" now or I MUST pay more THAN I ACTUALLY NEED for 0-day surfing, JUST TO DL "game" faster LMFAO?

"return-policy"... hell yeah. There is a good trick for purchasing goods that you can return. "No use, no unboxing" - can return. In 14 days. One must be an idiot to BUY such things he/she won't need really. Same here for games. I know there are policies, if you "try" some fixed hours, then you can't claim return lol. Tricky sh*t.

You'd be surprised how many 'round here are given to impulsive purchases.

Would you rather prefer no return policy? It is suboptimal, true.

 

[Kminek]

Buying or claiming free games on Epic, GoG and Steam

 

[kapone32]

I use Humble Choice as my main way to buy Games but I do maintain an entertainment budget and will buy a new Game if I want it. It would seem we have reached a plateau (for now) as the price of Games has become a real issue. We went from $59.99 to $79.99 just like that. In the beginning I was probably like most on this site and used Steam Sales. I also like to use Green Man Gaming to get discounts on new Games but lately they give you the Ultimate version of a Game for like $90.

The concept of Game Pass and Epic may seem good for the consumer but it is taking money away from the developer. With both once you update Windows you will regret the things they leave out that are academic for Steam and GOG. If you want older Games get them on GOG. Steam refuses to run Crysis but it runs butter smooth on GOG.

 

[FoulOnWhite]

I really only buy what i am going to play. Not gonna just buy or aquire games to fill my "collection" not much point having 6000 games you will probably never even look at. You do get a 6k+ badge on steam so there is that i guess.

 

[Hyderz]

used to buy games from keysites, retail stores, humble and humble bundle...
i dont use gog, nor egs... and i only use steam now...

 

[Vario]

I really only buy what i am going to play. Not gonna just buy or aquire games to fill my "collection" not much point having 6000 games you will probably never even look at. You do get a 6k+ badge on steam so there is that i guess.

Yes it important to discern that its not a true collection because all you are doing is acquiring the license to play the game for a duration of time and the right to display the title of the game on your profile, you aren't in fact owning the game. So the act of license accumulation does not make much sense. Enormous collections does not make sense either, but that's another argument.

 

[Event Horizon]

It really ought to be GOG but it's mostly Steam. We need to demand the right to leave our game libraries to our loved ones when we pass away. At the very least the offline single player games should be transferable.

 

[dirtyferret]

About 8 years ago I realized that Steam was doing this to me so I stopped buying games for this reason.

same, I would get games for $1.99 and never play them. Even the free amazon games on GoG I don't play. probably for the last 15 years or so I just have a small list of games I know I will play and grab them if I see them on sale. Right now it's just the cyberpunk expansion and Elden Ring

FREE DEMOs MUST be back.

gog has a 30 day refund policy
STEAM is 14 days with two hours or less of play time

You do get a 6k+ badge on steam so there is that i guess.

is it this badge?

 

[JIWIL]

I get them on Steam & GoG; and only buy games I know I'm going to play.. or occasionally to support a dev studio that's doing the right thing (even if current offering doesn't really interest me).

Have the 20 Year Steam Badge, but my library is barely 200 games.

 

[AleXXX666]

same, I would get games for $1.99 and never play them. Even the free amazon games on GoG I don't play. probably for the last 15 years or so I just have a small list of games I know I will play and grab them if I see them on sale. Right now it's just the cyberpunk expansion and Elden Ring


gog has a 30 day refund policy
STEAM is 14 days with two hours or less of play time


is it this badge?

demo was roughly also same 2 hours maybe.

 

[peppermint]

Mostly Steam and GOG, a handful of games on other platforms like Epic and Ubisoft. Steam is the main one.

 

[Easeful2341]

like always from i was born...
I was born in 80s in Poland. Behind Iron Curtain. I like have my own copy without restrictions. I like when my files exist on my discs. On Pc or in Vault.
Performance is also better in this case almost always. Do You know gamecopyworld www ? If u need make any backup You can Go there...

 

[droopyRO]

I like have my own copy without restrictions.

Romanian here, exactly how i do it too. I get it on GOG if i can as option number 1. If i can't, then i get it on Steam. I also have a lot of games on Epic, Ubi, Origin but never installed most of them. If you can't download and install it offline, then it's not yours.

 

[Frick]

I have found most people just play the same multiplayer games for years and years while continuously buying new singleplayer and niche multiplayer games, playing each for less than 2 hours (often less than 30 minutes), and going back to the familiar time sink. I've met people who have spent thousands of dollars, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars on buying games they play for fewer than an hour. Then they guilt themselves with some backlog logic rather than just accepting its a sunk cost for impulse purchases and not remedying the impulse behavior in the future.

About 8 years ago I realized that Steam was doing this to me so I stopped buying games for this reason. I have to really want it because otherwise I'm probably just going to play the same 5 or so multiplayer games I've been rotating through over the last couple years. If I do impulse buy something, then play it for 30 mins and stop, I'll often just refund it at that point.

Wishslists are Bad.