Where do you buy your games?

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flooberjobby

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
268
So... I've noticed there isn't really a thread about where everyone buys all there games, online.

For instance what sites do you use to buy your games? Wether it's D2D, or they just give you cd keys, and even mail you the game.

For me Steam, and now G2Play.net

What do you all use?
 
Vast majority is on Steam, GOG a few times, got a Diablo 2 key from G2Play once
 
I get most my games from the pirate b...
j/k ;)
I've pretty much purchased all of my games from Steam. I haven't tried out D2D yet, but I heard they're good too. Probably the last game I've actually bought from retail was World in Conflict in 2007 or so.

Personally I both love and hate the new digital distribution systems; they're awesome in terms of convenience, but damn I spend too much money on impulse buys now that it just takes a few clicks.

Edit: Oh yeah, if you want to play some good (mostly) free Flash games online try http://www.kongregate.com/.
 
Mostly steam, amazon, stardock, once or twice ebay (new only) and once ea (when they had that great deal a few weeks back).
 
local bargin bin. I avoid GS as that stuff is already opened and there is NO WAY I am paying new prices for used stuff....

BB and Target have bargin bins and so does office depot and max
 
I have a few games on steam, but i just can't get into it. For some reason i like to go to the store and take a box and check it out and have a physical copy. I prefer to go to BB, WM or Target and browse the isle for decent games/deals.
 
Steam and GOG pretty much exclusively. Though I did bite on the Gal Civ II bundle on Impulse the other day, that was my first purchase from them. If Evochron goes on sale I might make another.
 
Online, I buy mostly from Steam - but D2D is really under-rated by most people at this forum.

I've never had a problem with D2D. The great thing about buying from D2D is that you're basically downloading the install disc, meaning there's no third-party software to speak of (in other words, you don't have to go into 'offline mode' in order to play offline... there is no offline mode), nor do you have to go searching for a disc to insert (it's shocking how convenient that feels). The icon for your game is just there on your desktop and all you have to do is double-click to launch (yes, surprisingly some people have actually said that Steam is easier than D2D - they must never have bought anything from D2D before, because honestly I have no idea what's so difficult about double-clicking... kind of bizarre if you ask me... or people will say they want their games all in one place... okay, so put your games in a game folder then... oh wait, Windows actually does this for you). With D2D it couldn't be simpler. D2D also has some pretty great deals from time to time.

I'll be buying Alpha Protocol from D2D - for having spent $75 at their site last month (I bought The Saboteur on sale for $15, Wolfenstein for $20, Episodes From Liberty City for $30, and Hawx for $10) they gave me a $15 off coupon for any title I buy during the next 30 days. So essentially Alpha Protocol is only going to cost me $35 on day one, and this is after all the other savings I got. It's a great service.

I find myself buying from the store less and less now.

For one thing The Future Shop is no longer consistent with its PC titles. It's difficult to tell if they're even going to stock a certain title or not. Their website isn't always reliable. For example, they have Alpha Protocol listed for the PS3 and for the 360 but not for the PC - so will they even be getting the PC version.

Then of course you have to wait to buy the title - if it gets released on a Tuesday then usually you'll have to wait until the Friday to be able to buy it (if the store even stocks it at all).

With Arkham Asylum, for example, I was determined to buy a boxed copy. But I wanted to play the game on day one, which I find to be rather exciting, so I caved in and bought it off Steam. Truth be told, I still like to have something physical in my hands, so quite often if there's a game-guide for the game I'll buy one of those. (Right now, in publishing, some of the most beautiful trade books being published are game-guides - the hardcover collector's editions in particular are just beautifully published).

I've also bought from The EA Store (both physical and digital) and all of those transactions have worked out well. I got Bad Company 2 for $20 and it wasn't even a month old. Both physical copies of Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 were shipped to my home early, and arrived on my doorstep on the Monday morning, a full 24 hours before the official release of either game.
 
There's certain games you don't want to buy from D2D though due to the protection on the executables. This really only comes into play for games that have mods that rely on addressing the exe directly. A few examples off the top of my head are Oblivion, Fallout, and Titan Quest. The script extenders don't work for D2D versions of those games and you can't use the gameplay tweaker for TQ. However for direct console ports, go right ahead and use D2D (I bought Red Faction:G from them).

I most my games from Steam and a certain gamer that goes, with very rare purchases from D2D and Impulse.
 
I buy most pc games from Steam, some from impulse, some from D2D... all my console games are pretty much B&M buys (gamestop or some other store).
 
Steam, G2Play, and Amazon typically, but occasionally Impulse and D2D if there's a worthy sale going on.
 
I definitely won't be buying them from the Windows Live store. They still want $50 for Fallout 3 ... non GOTY edition.
 
I buy from wherever it is cheapest. Most of the purchases are from Steam, but Amazon, D2D, newegg, and Games for Windows Live have all gotten purchases on occasion if they are cheaper. I am to the point where if everything sells it for the same price, I get it from Steam.

If I must get something locally, then I get it at Sam's Club if at all possible since they are at least a few dollars off of MSRP unlike the rest of the retail stores.
 
Whenever I want something the fist place is check is Amazon. :)
 
I would love it if i could buy everything off of steam. But if i want the game i will buy else where.
 
I purchase my games from gamestop, best buy and ebay. I prefer having a physical disk to a download.
 
I buy practically all my games from Amazon.

I have bought a few of the $5-10 nostalgia games from Target or Walmart.

I saw Assassins Creed for $10 at my local Walmart the other day (in the cheap game section with minuscule packaging). Worth picking up if I have never played it?
 
Steam or Best Buy. Usually Steam. Some games I still want physical copies for, or I don't want to run through Steam (some games that use mods are more of a hassle to get the mods running with Steam.)
 
everything cheap
Steam (120+), direct2drive (10), GamersGate (2), GOG (1), impulse (1), EAonline (1)
retail when I have to or when the deals are right
go gamer, frys, target
 
Mostly from Steam. Some from Direct2Drive, Gamersgate, GOG, Impulse, etc. I have at least one purchase from most of the DD services out there.
 
Steam except for:

Games that are more than a few pounds cheaper elsewhere, in fact a lot of launch titles are way cheaper from places like www.play.com, while I want most of my games in steam ultimately they end up being deals a lot of the time.

As soon as valve stop dicking about with high prices and screwing over the UK customers compared to US/EU then I'll probably shift to steam exclusivly.
 
The cheapest place, so that is not normally Steam.

For instance the Steam version of BC2 was £34.99 but I picked it up from game.co.uk for £24.99.

Steam is only really good for discount sales or special offers, it's a waste of time for new releases.

I'll pay for convenience but not at silly prices.
 
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I rarely order online unless its from Steam.

I mostly buy from my local Gamestop. This city is small and businesses like to pack up and leave all the time. So I make a majority of my gaming purchases there in hopes they won't fold too.

Wal-Mart does in a pinch when I can't find a PC game at Gamestop.

I'd have to travel a city or 2 over to buy games anywhere else.
 
Mostly Steam and retail shops. JB Hi-Fi, ebgames, etc. I usually buy where ever its cheapest, though I favour retail stores if the price is the same as online, saves the bandwidth of having to download it.
 
Steam whenever possible. Will only look for retail box if its not available on Steam

My only problem with steam is once my partition full, lol. Its unfortunate steam doesn't allow us to install games on multiple partition.

Still, nothing beats the convenience of using steam
 
Several places, Gamestop, Best Buy, Go Gamer, Steam, Direct to Drive or on a few occaisions electronically from the vendor.
 
Amazon. Sometimes newegg. Best Buy or gamestop if I get a GC or some sort of great deal. BB had the best price on Galciv2 a couple of years back.

I hate DRM, even Steam, so I've only bought a couple of games there.
GOG.com and Stardock's Impulse. That's it for digital.
 
I use Steam for the vast majority of my games. I use D2D and Gamersgate occasionally.
 
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