tl;dr: key shops… use https://gg.deals as a finder
For those who didn’t know, whenever Humble Bundle or other services have a package available, you can usually find the individual titles for even cheaper than you normally would at keyshops if you don’t want/need the whole package.
For example, this month’s Humble Choice is $11.99, but I only wanted to add Aragami 2, The Red Lantern, and Twin Mirror to my collection.
Using the above gg.deals website, it pointed me to:
- Aragami 2 - driffle - $2.41
- The Red Lantern - kinguin - $0.78
- Twin Mirror - kinguin - $1.27
Total: $4.46
Those prices were the final I paid after discount codes and service fees, but may change at any time for better or worse at different shops.
Hope this is helpful to someone, this concludes this PSA.
edit: regarding possible scams from gray markets
I have purchased literally hundreds of steam keys from such shops over the years and have had a grand total of only 3 keys be removed from my account within days or weeks, and was granted refunds from the shops when I provided proof from Steam that the keys were rejected as duplicates. Every game I’ve installed other than those 3 have worked without issues. It’s an educated risk that I failed to mention because it’s been over 99% successful for me. Make your own call.
edit2: Also worth mentioning that there are many games in my Steam account that were added after the games were delisted, such as the original GTA Trilogy, solely because I could still find keys on keyshops. If you want a delisted game, it’s worth considering.
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Not only are Kinguin and other key resellers notorious for having scamming cases - to the point of having “protection fees” you can pay while purchasing from them - they’re also pointless in any way except for adding a library entry for Steam - and even then, one that might be removed
Even developers would rather people pirate than buy from key resellers
https://www.pcgamer.com/developers-tell-people-to-pirate-their-games-instead-of-using-g2a/
I mean that might be true, but those key reseller sites are also often grey-market. Sometimes they are legit, but sometimes they resell keys they bought with stolen credit cards etc.
I personally wouldn’t buy from a site that I couldn’t easily verify is legit (steam, gog, hb, etc)
Multiple indie developers I’ve seen (wube who makes factorio has been very vocal about it) have complained about losing significant amounts of money from grey/black market keys since they end up being on the hook for fees when people do credit card chargebacks.
I totally agree.
The site OP linked to at least warns about scammy sites and risks associated. It also tracks prices on official resellers.
I wouldn’t use it to save a few bucks on an indie title, but it’s a nice resource when waiting for a AAA game to become affordable.
edit: [see main post edits]
They aren’t taking about dupes that don’t work and you get screwed out of money. They are talking about legit keys bought by stealing money from other people. If you buy such keys (no way to know whether one is or isn’t), then you are splitting the profits from fraud with a criminal enterprise. You get a discount, they get laundered stolen money.
Your reply doesn’t address the core problem in any way.
Like you said, no way to know one way or the other. Disapprove of me if it makes you feel superior. I’ve still spent a mint on Steam and GOG, and I’m still pirating. And half this community bitches about paying for anything so excuse me while I lol.
I’m for piracy when the ones being hurt are massive companies who can cover it by lowering their quarterly bonus .5%. I’m not for knowing your neighbors bike was stolen and then buying one “just like it” from a pawn shop at a steal.
This isn’t about feeling superior, this is about having empathy for the people whose money was stolen and frustration that this business model is profitable because of people who support it.
Do what you’re going to do, but folks reading this thread deserve to understand the moral implications of taking part in this.
Ok then, everyone is informed about things you cannot verify as true per key, and that you support piracy when it screws the right entity with employees, so you’re a model of selective morality.
Like he said, do as you will, everyone.
edit: honestly, I love the usual “it’s ok to screw gaming corporations” angle, when if you had a sense of morality worth talking about, you’d advocate zero piracy and that everyone should wait until games were something like 1/2 price or bargain bin, because at least then the corporations may reverse course on raising prices, and maybe not lay off so many workers. But when you say it’s fine to pirate that, you’re possibly contributing to those massive layoffs, regardless of how much money the company still has, because such decisions are determined by performance metrics. Like I said, model of selective morality.
Every individual stolen key does massive harm.
They didn’t say piracy is good. They said piracy is (by a massive amount) less malicious and less harmful than buying from fences for stolen keys like all the disgusting sites you’re promoting.
Rage on, it’s entertaining at this point.
I’m for piracy when the ones being hurt are massive companies who can cover it by lowering their quarterly bonus .5%.
That is selectively supporting piracy, like it or not.
And to be clear, the only site I actually promoted and linked to is gg.deals, where you can compare the prices at regular storefronts in one place, not just for keyshops. Where I got my keys were mentioned but not linked. As said before, options for every moral stance.
Oh, instead of giving money to the developers and charity, we can instead give money to thieves and scammers? Wow! Thanks! Fuck charity and the people who make the games I want to play, amirite?
Whatever floats your boat.
If you want me to stay in the piracy section, just say so. I’m there anyway.
I have also purchased literally hundreds of games directly from Steam and GOG, so the sum total of my soul in gaming is in the positive, as far as I’m concerned.
Also, if you’re purchasing a humble package for charity, you’d better customize where the money goes because by default the devs and the charity get barely any of it. I’ve bought many of them over the years.
regarding scammers:
edit: [see main post edits]
