What would $20 get you in your preferred gaming genre?

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Most of us can probably rattle off crazy expensive examples of some of the best and most hard to come by games in our preferred genres of games, and gaming itself has a bit of a reputation for being an expensive hobby. The question here though is to pick something that can be had for not a lot but still might interest people in your given genre, or get them started in it (though you need not do the "gentle introduction" approach for this -- suggest Dark Souls if you want to introduce someone already versed in gaming to the Souls approach to the world). It still wants to be active in some capacity if you are suggesting a multiplayer game. For instance many would hold up the Sega Saturn version of Bomberman as one of the finest ever made, however even assuming someone has a working Saturn then a non Japanese copy of that game frequently clocks hundreds. Far more agreeable would the XBLA versions of Bomberman, or maybe Bomberman 2 on the DS if you can get past the gangly beanpole bombers.

This is part of a series on GBAtemp where we contemplate various game industry concepts, aspects of computer game culture, discuss ways games might improve, share interesting technical concepts and otherwise ponder things that are of interest to games but not necessarily news, reviews or analysis of current events.

Previously we discussed games you play by your own rules.


Or if you prefer "What hobby can you pick up for not much money, gaming genres/gameplay styles edition?". Name a genre/gameplay style and a game someone might be able to pick up for it for fairly common, or easily emulated, hardware, and give a few lines on why you picked that one. What might they progress to afterwards if they like it? If it is a free game by all means suggest a good controller for it instead.
 

AbyssalMonkey

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A big part about the hate on G2A is them making profit of keys you sell them.
Great. Actual commentary on the issue. That doesn't invalidate the current argument though. It's simply pointing out that it may be brought up with simultaneous ulterior motives. Ulterior motives do not invalidate valid arguments.


On topic still: Child of Light is a nice game that doesn't outstay it's welcome.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/256290/Child_of_Light/

Divinity Original Sin (Enhanced Edition):
https://store.steampowered.com/app/373420/Divinity_Original_Sin__Enhanced_Edition/
It goes on sale like 4 times a year down to about $11USD
 

Foxi4

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A used copy of NieR
https://www.gamestop.com/ps4/games/nier-automata/136578

I figured I would point out a few logical flaws while I'm here because the mental loops people are jumping through to argue are awful.

The motive and the message you are providing don't line up. "Don't use G2A, pirate our games instead" is the message, and that in no way leads to the motive of "Buy our tacky extras". Quite the opposite in fact. On the matter of chargebacks costing money, I don't find it that unplausable. However, paypal issues chargeback fees to the merchant (developers) and their page implies card holders may do the same. Telling your audience to pirate the game instead of potentially buying a fraudulent key that may cause them a net negative however seems like a more coherent narrative.
I don't know what to tell you, I'm sorry that you bought a sob story sold by a developer looking for pity in an effort to make a name for himself, and make some dough on the side. Once again, it's a chargeback, not a magical unicorn. The code was produced at some point, and if it was generated illegitimately, the money is returned to its rightful owner. If Mr.Rose doesn't have fraud insurance, he should renegotiate with his bank. Regarding the ownership of codes, the marketplace of origin is irrelevant, the code is a manifestation of a license to use software. Mr.Rose doesn't sell doughnuts, he sells software. There is no instance where someone buys a doughnut with "fake" money, eats the doughnut and Mr.Rose makes a loss equivalent to one doughnut. In the case of a legitimate sale, a license is transferred from one user to the other on the secondary marketplace. If it was illegitimate, the license that was previously sold becomes revoked and Mr.Rose must necessarily bear the "cost" of that return, if any. It *is* how business works, it's how it always worked, as the right to resell is a fundamental element of digital rights. If he doesn't understand the financials of his own business venture, that's his problem. G2A has already proclaimed that they will happily compensate 10x any losses an indie developer suffered *on the proviso* that they can prove them, to a thunderous chorus of nothing. This isn't about "justice", this is about boosting Rose's public profile, selling some games to saps who will feel bad for him and, possibly, not dealing with as many returns, which has never been a problem until 5 minutes ago when Mr.Rose invented it. Remember, it's okay to "steal" from big companies, but not from indies, because that's a different kind of theft, apparently. If anything, this is a failure on the part of banking institutions and/or primary storefronts who allowed an illegitimate transaction to take place *and* charge the developer for it when they've incurred minimal to no loss on their part.
 

UltraSUPRA

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Platformer: MegaMan X Legacy Collection
Fighting game: Power Stone
Shooter: Doom 3 BFG Edition
RPG: Persona 5
Hack-n'-slash: Hyrule Warriors

Each game I just listed is twenty bucks at most. I also have all these games.
 

Pokem

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Kiseki games when they're on sale

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Holy crap, just read the comments of this thread. The lack of mention of the Kiseki games when it comes to JRPG is a crime!
 
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Foxi4

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I thought of that two pages ago... but the batteries for the wiimote push it over the budget, heh
I'll raise you to a DS Lite - you can get them for pennies these days and they'll give you access to the tremendous library of GBA and DS games, it's one of the best, if not the quintessential portable to own with a wealth of retail games and homebrew, I can't recommend it enough.
 

Taleweaver

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For RPGs, a lot of things are cheap and kind of short, but sometimes are actually pretty decent. For 19.99 you could get some RPG called Conception 2 which has a terrible, kinky story, generic maps, and other cheap RPG things, but a pretty unique and overcomplicated battle system that is fun to do untill you fight an enemy for the 10th time. Basically, don't get this. Unless you're into (way too) complicated mechanics and kinky things. Then by all means go ahead.
So... You basically recommend a game that you don't recommend? :unsure:
 
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Psionic Roshambo

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On the side topic of G2A and how the keys are obtained, I would love to know how they are selling Windows 10 Pro for under 14 bucks? If the keys are not being obtained via credit card fraud... Also the explanation needs to include a number of keys likely in the thousands? I mean if I use a stolen CC number I probably won't just buy 1 copy, I would probably buy as many as I could to maximize my profits.

The charge back issue is one I am intimately familiar with, I worked for a company that handled a lot of fraudulent charges... Avoiding charge backs was critical at the time because once we went over a certain % of charge backs VS "sales" the companies merchant account was black listed. Black listed means we could no longer charge credit cards under that account and it essentially killed off that "business". The bank eats none of the cost it's the merchant that has to pay and the customer. Banks are like casino's they don't lose.

I suspect the whole credit card fraud thing is being under estimated, buying blocks of credit card numbers and credentials is a thing.... (see above)
 

popokakapetu

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Kiseki games when they're on sale

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Holy crap, just read the comments of this thread. The lack of mention of the Kiseki games when it comes to JRPG is a crime!
Same here i bought Trails in the sky series on steam/GOG and Trails of Cold Steel 1&2 on ps4 and cant wait to get my hands on Cold steel 3 and hopefully we get Cold steel 4 translated in future.
 

AbyssalMonkey

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I don't know what to tell you, I'm sorry that you bought a sob story sold by a developer looking for pity in an effort to make a name for himself, and make some dough on the side. Once again, it's a chargeback, not a magical unicorn. The code was produced at some point, and if it was generated illegitimately, the money is returned to its rightful owner. If Mr.Rose doesn't have fraud insurance, he should renegotiate with his bank. Regarding the ownership of codes, the marketplace of origin is irrelevant, the code is a manifestation of a license to use software. Mr.Rose doesn't sell doughnuts, he sells software. There is no instance where someone buys a doughnut with "fake" money, eats the doughnut and Mr.Rose makes a loss equivalent to one doughnut. In the case of a legitimate sale, a license is transferred from one user to the other on the secondary marketplace. If it was illegitimate, the license that was previously sold becomes revoked and Mr.Rose must necessarily bear the "cost" of that return, if any. It *is* how business works, it's how it always worked, as the right to resell is a fundamental element of digital rights. If he doesn't understand the financials of his own business venture, that's his problem. G2A has already proclaimed that they will happily compensate 10x any losses an indie developer suffered *on the proviso* that they can prove them, to a thunderous chorus of nothing. This isn't about "justice", this is about boosting Rose's public profile, selling some games to saps who will feel bad for him and, possibly, not dealing with as many returns, which has never been a problem until 5 minutes ago when Mr.Rose invented it. Remember, it's okay to "steal" from big companies, but not from indies, because that's a different kind of theft, apparently. If anything, this is a failure on the part of banking institutions and/or primary storefronts who allowed an illegitimate transaction to take place *and* charge the developer for it when they've incurred minimal to no loss on their part.
Why you claim I bought into a story when I literally haven't picked a side is beyond me. I literally said in the post that the logic being used by you was incoherent. That's all. You also seem to think that I'm somehow against resale, which is why you would have brought it up. I posted earlier, in an unedited post, nay, at the bottom of that same post that you in fact quoted, that I was not and in fact all for it.

On the matter of chargebacks: fraud protection and dealing with the fraudulent sale at or near the time of sale would be best. I have very little knowledge of fraud protection, so I'll refrain from commenting further on that.

But on the point of sale rejection: depending on how they are bought, it may be difficult or impossible to detect. If one credit card buys like 5 copies, not withstanding even more, that would probably be a flag. However, if the fraudster only buys a single copy with a single credit card, there is nothing there to flag it as illegitimate, especially if they do other tactics such as change accounts per purchase (one account only needs one copy of the game) and space the purchases out (selling 100 copies in one hour is probably a huge spike and a red flag for anomalous activity), then the purchases will look like any other legitimate purchases and will be impossible to detect.

On that same matter, since you seemed to have dragged me into it, I'll bite and point out red flags that G2A could solve on their end that would quiet this mess anyway. If a person who isn't an official reseller somehow manages to acquire an absurd amount of keys to sell for a single game perhaps that should be marked as a red flag on their end? At the very least, something to look in to.

EDIT: Fuck it. After reading my weekly update on Factorio, they also decided to weigh in on the matter. Let's see how well G2A's "We'll pay back 10x the chargeback fees" actually holds up under scrutiny. The guys at Wube are going to try it out.

Continuing to be more on topic than apparently half this thread:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/286160/Tabletop_Simulator/
I've sunk 500 hours into it playing various board games with other people.
 
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Foxi4

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Why you claim I bought into a story when I literally haven't picked a side is beyond me. I literally said in the post that the logic being used by you was incoherent. That's all. You also seem to think that I'm somehow against resale, which is why you would have brought it up. I posted earlier, in an unedited post, nay, at the bottom of that same post that you in fact quoted, that I was not and in fact all for it.

On the matter of chargebacks: fraud protection and dealing with the fraudulent sale at or near the time of sale would be best. I have very little knowledge of fraud protection, so I'll refrain from commenting further on that.

But on the point of sale rejection: depending on how they are bought, it may be difficult or impossible to detect. If one credit card buys like 5 copies, not withstanding even more, that would probably be a flag. However, if the fraudster only buys a single copy with a single credit card, there is nothing there to flag it as illegitimate, especially if they do other tactics such as change accounts per purchase (one account only needs one copy of the game) and space the purchases out (selling 100 copies in one hour is probably a huge spike and a red flag for anomalous activity), then the purchases will look like any other legitimate purchases and will be impossible to detect.

On that same matter, since you seemed to have dragged me into it, I'll bite and point out red flags that G2A could solve on their end that would quiet this mess anyway. If a person who isn't an official reseller somehow manages to acquire an absurd amount of keys to sell for a single game perhaps that should be marked as a red flag on their end? At the very least, something to look in to.

Continuing to be more on topic than apparently half this thread:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/286160/Tabletop_Simulator/
I've sunk 500 hours into it playing various board games with other people.
Often times there is no transaction to track - downloads when distributed as codes are usually freebies or review copies, and it's not unusual to come across a stack of those. On their end, G2A is offering a middle point solution by suggesting a tool which will enable developers to disallow resale of codes that are review samples, freebies or add-ons to other products - this way codes that were obtained "for free" cannot be resold. The credit card fraud is a problem that they virtually cannot tackle as the operating storefront here is the primary, not the secondary store - it's something PSN, XBL, Steam, Origin etc. need to tackle. In the absence of G2A the exact same codes would be sold on eBay, Gumtree or private forums, this is not G2A's fault and not within their ability to fix. I personally have stacks of codes that I could theoretically sell, but don't because it's scummy to sell something that I obtained for free in my line of work (in fact, it would be considered profiteering), but I can't expect everyone to uphold the same moral standard. It's not that I'm lumping you in with one side, you seem erudite enough to understand that the situation is a little bit more nuanced, but you did seem to paint G2A as a villain here when they're clearly not one - they verify if the code is valid at the point of resale, that's the best they can do as far as I'm concerned. They're also trying to outstretched their hand to the developers, even if Mr.Rose's demands are somewhat outrageous. I don't think he's in any way entitled to interfere with their business and his actions are very clearly disrupting it, hence the attempts at mediation by G2A. I can't help but think that he's motivated by self-interest, in spite of what he's saying publicly, and I'm pretty good at spotting a scam when I see one. I imagine the sales of his games have skyrocketed since he spun this controversy, although I would have to verify that before stating that as fact.

Anywho, games for $20 or less - how about free? Apex Legends is a title I've sunk an inordinate amount of time into and can recommend it to anyone who likes high pressure team shooters. Say what you will about Battle Royal games, Alex does it right and feels pretty unique, blending mechanics known from Titanfall or Mirror's Edge with a competitive squad-based gadget mechanics of Rainbow 6. Give it a go, it's good stuff.
 

Ryccardo

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I'll raise you to a DS Lite - you can get them for pennies these days and they'll give you access to the tremendous library of GBA and DS games, it's one of the best, if not the quintessential portable to own with a wealth of retail games and homebrew, I can't recommend it enough.
They cost a bit more than 20 around here (and more than triple of that after you add a quality DS flashcard and an ezflash 3in1) but in fact I bought one a year and something ago, and fully agree it's hard to beat on games+toys+media-for-your-buck ratio :)
 

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