To buy cheap or to buy Valve?

[Crispy]

So, althought the public demo has informed me I can play L4D on a 2.4 GHz Athlon 64 3800+ (just not host a server, probably), I still don't know who I'm going to buy from and even if I still might get it on Xbox.

Steam (UK territory):
L4D PC (e-game): $52.86 = ?34.28

Play.com (UK)
L4D PC Pre-order (boxed): ?22.99 [R.R.P. ?34.99]
L4D 360 Pre-order (boxed, obv.): ?34.99 [R.R.P ?49.99]

Amazon.co.uk
L4D PC Pre-order (boxed): ?19.97 [R.R.P. ?34.99]
L4D 360 Pre-order (boxed, obv.): ?29.97 [R.R.P ?49.99]

So Steam is selling the PC version for no discount off the Recommended Retail Price, whereas Play.com are undercutting them by 33% and giving you a hardcopy with box and manual, plus free delivery. Amazon.co.uk have set the price tag even lower than Play, albeit with no free delivery (and probably working out more expensive unless you're buying a lots of items).

Remind me again why I should be buying from Steam? To give more money back to Valve? For the preload and no waiting? I'm not sure that really cuts it. Sure, Valve can't do much about the fierce price war between Play and Amazon in the run-up to Christmas, but I do think Valve could be giving a more favourable rate for the UK market in consideration of this.

Plus, I've been thinking for some time about getting a 360 to play some of the fun games on XBLA like Castle Crashers, Super Puzzle Fighter, and other good non-FPS-deathmatch multiplayer. I was working under the assumption the game would be retailing at ?49.99, which I think is a total ripoff for any game when I think I could be buying several billion well-picked DVDs for that price. But, no, it's only ?34.99, so maybe I might get myself a 360 for Christmas, afterall.

P.S. Jesus H. Christ, Munro! Fix the effing 'pound sterling' sign already!

 

[Operational]

Go with the cheapest, if that means retail go for it. The only downside of retail is that you get the game a few days later than the Steamed versions - I'm sure you can live with that. It's not like Valve get no money from retail sales.

I went with the Steamed version, which meant I got early access to the demo and will get the game slightly earlier and while those are nice perks I would have waited for retail if Steam wasn't cheaper for me.

As for PC vs 360, well I'm not in a position to judge which you will prefer so :|

 

[Kyorisu]

Valve cannot undercut the retail stores or shit will hit the proverbial fan.

 

[Lobster]

Yeh steam doesnt localize prices in the UK yet so we suffer from exchange rates and tax issues, for me its just more convenient to order through steam so I do, but it doesnt really matter with a valve game as it gets added to steam anyway, so if the tiny extra wait doesnt bother you, I would definitely go with the box.

As for the 360/PC debate, its often a big discussion which is better to go for, with a valve game specificly, I would still say PC is the better way to go, updates are always gonna be faster on the PC no matter what they do (also the 360 updates may or may not be paid for), I would suggest Custom Content as a bonus to, but that can be a minefield, on the one hand you get moments of awsome, but on the flipside you get a sea of dodgy server operators running ridiculous mods all over the place, I guess with small servers like L4D thats gonna be alot easier to avoid.

If you plan on getting a 360 anyway, then now is a pretty good time, they wont get much cheaper than they are now for a while, and you could always pickup the PC version of L4D cheap in 6 months time should you really want to, but its entirely up to you.

 

[Druckles]

Amazon is still cheaper than Play.com with delivery. I paid ?21.79 or a similar figure in total.

They then told me (after I had purchased) but they were not really dispatching on the 17th as the site advertised but on the 20th or some such date (Ell oh ell!)

 

[alehm]

IMO the only reason to buy Valve was to get early access to the demo, otherwise I would have waited to pick it up in a store first day one of them always has it for $10 less than retail on the day of release.

 

[Crispy]

It seems that Amazon.co.uk is free delivery on items ?5 or more (used to be ?15 or more). But when I checked earlier today on the delivery costs page they made no mention of this.

Anyway I'll probably go with Play.com anyway because Amazon screwed me over with a book and didn't get me a replacement, wasting my time and then refusing to re-order me a copy because they had run out of stock, for an item they claimed to stock in (acceptable condition). Good thing is the author said they'd sign a copy for me if I ordered direct frim him, so it kinda worked out well in the end.

 

[Dr.Freeman]

Than buy the cheapest.

 

[Munro]

I'll be ordering from Amazon. There's a bit of a wait but at least it's cheap.

 

[Stormy]

Valve games - Always buy PC Always....

Just look at how much and how often they release free content and updates (TF2) and I dont see why left 4 dead would be any different.

Not only that but there is a massive modding community so even when valve arnt releasing content there will be custom maps all over the shot.

Nuff said... Also I got steam version, I just think the game is worth more then ?20. I dont mind handing over some cash as its a job well done and they clearly deserve it

 

[Druckles]

I'll be ordering from Amazon. There's a bit of a wait but at least it's cheap.

Save ?15 and you get a sexy box. Why not, I said. Don't let the "Dispatched on the 17th" fool you, though.

 

[Crispy]

Well I'm buying from Amazon because they're also doing the DVD boxed set I want about GBP10 cheaper than Play. It was going to be one or the other. I was convinced when someone I know put the argument to me as:

"It's Valve's fault. They need to sort out the UK pricing on their games."

While it's true that not all games are cheaper via Amazon/Play, new releases generally are compared to Steam, which makes very little sense, especially if it's Valve's own games where they have full control over pricing on Steam. GBP34 is not a huge amount for a new game, especially one of L4D's calibre, but when you can get a similar sales experience with all the benefits of having it on Steam, minus 0 hour playability, but plus perks like a hard copy to put with your collection, plus a 33% discount, the consumer is inclined to move with his or her feet.

Hopefully the bigger skew toward online retail in the UK (if there is one for L4D?) will indicate to someone at Valve to get their prices more in line with what we expect come the next big release (Episode 3?).

 

[Eejit]

While it's true that not all games are cheaper via Amazon/Play, new releases generally are compared to Steam, which makes very little sense, especially if it's Valve's own games where they have full control over pricing on Steam.

Do they? Maybe there are 'evil clauses' in the contract with EA.

 

[Lobster]

Back when they announced steamcloud at a press event at Valve, they stated one of the many things on the to-do list is to roll out localised pricing everywhere, I expect there is alot of legal stuff stuff behind it aswell as some logistical issues, but im sure it will be implemented eventully.

 

[stemot]

Getting mine from game.co.uk, it's 2 quid more than Play.com, but Play never get my stuff to me until around 3 days after release date, which is not good enough, whereas Game have always been early.

There is absolutely no way I'm spending an extra tenner through steam when I get less for my money.

 

[Druckles]

Damnit. I could have got student discount at Game.co.uk.

Why didn't I think of that.

 

[Hobopro]

Retail version. You get the little book thing and a CD, not to mention the awesome box.