The Steam sale is an oft-loved gaming holiday, where numerous gamers lighten their wallets on many games that have come down in price. Some of us will buy games that we might never even play just because of how cheap they are. Of course, with anything celebratory that people love, corporations are going to try find ways to manipulate and ruin it.
Just a day before the sale, Bethesda’s Wolfenstein: The New Order was hiked up from $45 to $60, before being put on sale at half-off for thirty dollars. Ubisoft similarly hiked up the price of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag from $29.99 to $39.99 before putting on a 40% sale bring it to $23.99
Perhaps the worst offender in this pile goes to Rockstar Games and their chicanery with Grand Theft Auto V. Rockstar hiked the game up to eighty dollars and then bundled their game with a card that gave them consumable items in the game. There is no other way to purchase the game and many are worried this means it will not be privy to Steam’s refunds due to this. Those of you who are debating getting it, should also keep in mind that the far superior Saints Row IV is only ten dollars.
Of course, gaming corporations trying to manipulate consumers in such a way is nothing new. While the actions of Rockstar and its contemporaries aren’t ethical by any means, they are unfortunately not illegal. If we want this kind of thing to stop happening then we need to act as conscientious consumers and keep our eye for this kind of obfuscation and speaking out to Steam itself to let them know that we do not approve of this.
