steam keys

Steam Keys: Quake Champions at Quakecon

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Richard Griever

It’s now official that the original franchise that put the FPS genre on the map is joining the fray of the budding FPS e-sports scene with Quake Champions. It’s invariably a revival of its arena shooter franchise with the twist of the growing popularity of being a team-based shooters like Overwatch and Team Fortress 2.

Despite the hype of hardcore Quake fans, Quake champions had a relatively odd reaction when it was showcased in Quakecon 2016. At this point, it’s clear that the developers have to work on a few more things for its marketing before they can assume Steam keys will fly off virtual shelves upon its release in, presumably, late 2017 or early 2018.

Steam Keys E-Sports: Street Fighter Meets Quake

The first thing Tim Willits, creative director of the game, presented was that it wasn’t at all going to change from how diehards know the franchase. High-speed, technical combat with rocket jumping and all the complications that put Quake on the map were still in the game. With a showcase of the classic weaponry in a new engine and era, the audience simply lapped up everything that was thrown at them – that is, until the developers showcased the heroes usable in-game.

Similar to Mobas like League of Legends and Dota or like other class-based shooters like Overwatch, Quake Champions has its, well, champions do unique things like blinking, acrobatics, flying, and a ton of other stuff that set them apart from other champions, giving them distinct advantages over others. While that sounds great for the common gamer, it wasn’t too well received by the truly diehard Quake fans.

The devs, id Software, hoped that this would be a bit more welcomed by their target audience as they see the champion element of the game more as a supplementary element than anything else, setting itself apart from the likes of Mobas and other team-based shooters by having more focus on individual skill rather than the rock-paper-scissors element these other games have for their class mechanics.

id Software knows exactly that there’s this spot for their classic, high-speed, arena-style game in the industry. However, their biggest fear is ending up making Quake 3 once more, but only with improved visuals. This is the sole reason as to why they want the champions element within the game. But the reaction to it is absolutely mixed at best and quite hostile at worst. There are already tons of comments on the internet that Quake Champions should either have the option to turn off the champion uniqueness and possibly be just as moddable as the previous Quake games. Granted, id Software believes that there is more depth in strategy this way, but they may be forgetting what Quake is famous for: Pure skill.

“Street Fighter Meets Quake,” is what id Software thinks of Quake Champions. It is in the sense that everybody has natural moves like heavy kicks, heavy punches, light kicks and etc., but each character has a certain tinge of uniqueness that sets them apart from one another. However, at the end of the day, no matter what sort of special moves you have, it is always the normal moves (in Quake’s case, normal shooting) is what is going to win you the match. As much as that kind of makes sense, what team-based shooter ISN’T about the shooting? It’s a pretty generic description of what they’re going for, to be completely honest.

There’s going to be a lot more kinks for them to work on if they’re going to want this to be accepted by their loyal fanbase, let alone the casual fanbase that is more likely to get the game e-sports status than any other demographic. I’m feeling quite optimistic about Quake Champions and that it can safely enter the major stage of e-sports, but id Software has a lot of work to do before those Steam keys sell.

Steam Keys Esports: Overwatch Banning and Crazy Whining

Posted on August 2, 2016August 2, 2016 by Richard Griever

The latest banwave from Blizzard happened just on the 1st of July and it’s been glorious. Tons of people have been banned and the servers haven’t felt cleaner. I knew that one Soldier 76 in that one game was just too good to be playing fairly!

But I digress; Blizzard has been doing a fantastic job in maintaining the integrity of the game by quickly taking out these script kiddies before their taint spreads farther unlike Valve with their treatment of Team Fortress 2. While CS:GO has its automated VAC bans, it doesn’t take everything out and, sometimes, a lot of hacks get right through, only banning the hackers when a live moderator steps in. And, even then, they aren’t too aggressive on the matter. Hackers on Steam sure get the full worth of their Steam keys.

Unfortunately, for Blizzard’s side, script kiddies certainly get punched in the nuts way before they can start doing stupid crap. But what’s even more hilarious is the fact that these same cheaters have the nerve, gall, balls, or whatever you want to call it, to get angry AT Blizzard for an apparently “unfair” ban.

The failure due to the absence of mind of these people are just astonishing. From CS:GO’s VAC porn reddit page, a certain redditor presented to the public the reactions of people in a unnamed gaming forum where they accept cheating fully. I swear that you will not believe what you’ll be reading. In fact, all the reactions in the photo album of reaction screenshots simply scream “staged” in every sense of the word due to how absolutely baffling the reactions are. Then again, there are stranger things in the world.

You can click on the link above to see the full album of the reactions, but here are a couple down below as a sample of what to expect. Enjoy.

Steam Keys: A Few Samples

The Rimworld Steam Keys Debacle

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Richard Griever

Rimworld is this neat little gem that only Steam account users will have the hotness for. It’s a pretty awesome Dwarf Fortress esque game with some hints of the unnatural sci-fi that one may know from the Firefly series. The developers of said game even have this great deal for Early Access Steam keys. Then douchebags had to muck it up.

The whole story here is that the devs of Rimworld, Ludeon Studios, decided to put out a promo so that they could earn more money. God knows these indie developers need all the help that they could get. They offered that, instead of buying Steam keys from Steam itself, that takes a 30-40% pay cut from the developers with every unit sold, people interested in Rimworld should opt to purchase from their site instead. Naturally, Steam sells them cheaper than Ludeon does so, to sweeten the pot, Ludeon would send free Steam keys to put into any Steam account for those that bought the non-Steam version of the game. Simply typing in their purchase email was enough to merit this free Steam key of Rimworld. It’s essentially getting two copies for the price of a slightly higher one.

So basically, more money for Ludeon Studios and shiny Steam keys for longtime supporters. Everybody wins. RimWorld is a massive undertaking, too. Ludeon deserves every penny they get.

Unfortunately, the Steam keys black market can be pretty brutal for the uninitiated. These fraudulent rapscallions descended upon the hapless developer in full force. In a blog post, Sylvester of Ludeon explained:

“If you bought before today, you can still get a key. However, I’ve been forced to stop offering Steam keys for those who buy today and in the future. We’ve been getting hammered by fraudsters who are obviously more experienced at this than I. Shutting it down for now is the only way to avoid thousands of dollars in chargeback fees and lost sales. It’s time to take a breather, because I can’t fight this ‘live.’”

With tons of chargebacks done with those free Steam CD keys, Ludeon lost more money than what would normally be normally sound for a developer of their level. Not to mention the Steam keys used in nefariously fraudulent actions are now being banned.

The plight facing RimWorld and Ludeon Studios’ shines a light on one of the biggest issues in PC game publishing right now: that developers may face crushing chargeback fees from stolen credit cards used to buy Steam keys. Fraudsters make money by selling these keys on via eBay-style PC game websites.

This is a tough one for Ludeon and I do hope it’s something they can recover from.

Steam Keys News: Valve’s Crackdown on Gambling

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Richard Griever

Valve has been one of the most powerful, if not the most, and has changed the very face of how we buy and play our video games. But as almighty as Valve is, it isn’t at all immune to certain systems that aim to abuse Valve and milk it indirectly of a lot of cash. Most notably, gambling websites focused on the extremely popular CS:GO have been a thorn in Valve’s side ever since the game came into existence by continuously breaking their end user agreement.

Back in 2011, Valve added the ability for Steam account users to trade in-game items for certain games. While it was an awesome system, it unfortunately opened the doors to abuse with certain sites using the OpenID API to convert in-game items to real world money. Valve never supported this and they don’t at all have anything to do with it. It’s simply an awful coincidence.

Valve also stated that Steam-based gambling sites like CS:GOlotto will be taken to court if there is no progress to be made in them willingly shutting down operations.

“Using the OpenID API and making the same web calls as Steam users to run a gambling business is not allowed by our API nor our user agreements. We are going to start sending notices to these sites requesting they cease operations through Steam, and further pursue the matter as necessary. Users should probably consider this information as they manage their in-game item inventory and trade activity,” posted Valve’s Erik Johnson.

It’s always been an issue for Valve in many games that have some trading support and has gone by through the years relatively unnoticed, but this recent CS:GO scandal involving some popular CS:GO YouTubers may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Steam Keys: What’s the Big Deal?

Websites that deal with in-game item sales, sell Steam keys, Steam codes, or cheap Steam games, or merely gamble indirectly are already walking a very, very fine line in the first place. What more for websites that deal with direct gambling that go against not only a specific game’s EULA, but also against Valve’s and, not to mention, possibly criminal in the United States due to the possibility of minors engaging in said gambling? Like the earlier mention of the CS:GO scandal, these popular YouTubers may have inadvertently encouraged minors to go gamble. That’s a big no-no. Good on Valve for taking measures in taking these sites down. They are well within their rights to do so.

10 Bundles to Get in the Steam Summer Sale Part 2 – Redeem Code

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Richard Griever

The continuation of our 10 Bundles guide for the Steam Summer Sale!

6. Assassin’s Creed Bundle Redeem Code

Ubisoft is Ubisoft; sometimes they’re evil and other times… they’re as evil as EA. But the Assassin’s Creed franchise is undeniably one of the best IPs in modern gaming. These games don’t always go on sale, so if you get a chance or are even remotely interested in picking up the series, I suggest that you go for the Assassin’s Creed bundle that goes for a meager $62.96 considering the amount of content in it. Don’t worry; Unity’s mostly fixed now, so go nuts and get to know the assassins of yore through this redeem code.

7. Serious Sam Franchise Redeem Codes

Like, holy crap, $10 for the Serious Sam complete pack. Serious Sam is a solid FPS classic that should not be ignored by the shooter aficionado. Furious first-person shooting, relatively fast paced movement, and tons of crazy enemies make this IP old but still gold. This bundle has EVERYTHING you would possibly ever want or need from the Serious Sam franchise. With a jaw-dropping 90% discount, I’m not even sure why you still even want to mull over if you are buying this classic or not.

8. Borderlands Steam Keys!

Borderlands. Enough said. Also, redeem code.

The most awesome shoot-and-loot franchise is on a nutter sale at just $21.53. The Borderlands triple pack consists of the original Borderlands and its DLC, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

What’s even crazier than that? The Borderlands “Take over your life” bundle offers all of those above but has the addition of the Tales from the Borderlands from Telltale games. Walking Dead, Wolf Among Us, Game of Thrones – ring any bells? Yes, the solidly fantastic story driven Tales game rounds up your Borderlands experience nicely with only an increased cost of $4.67. In my opinion, it’s the latter that’s more worth it. Tons of content and many different games; can’t go wrong here.

9. Telltale Bundle Redeem Codes

Like I mentioned earlier, Telltale is just amazing at story telling. Don’t like the rest of the Borderlands series but like the storybook gameplay of Tales from the Borderlands? Well, you can skip all that and just get the Telltale bundle redeem code that has all the Telltale classics and modern gems to sate your story pangs.

This bundle isn’t exactly cheap as it’s going for the price of $82.84, but with the crapton of games in it, you will absolutely get your money’s worth – I guarantee it.

10. Homeworld bundle Steam Redeem Code

Okay, this final bundle doesn’t include games with 70-plus percent discounts or massive packaged savings. But Homeworld Remastered and Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak redeem codes are both stellar RTS games worthy of rebooting the legendary PC-centric Homeworld series, and if you buy them as a bundle, Gearbox will knock another 10 percent off the top of the 50 percent discounts being applied to both games. Both can be yours for $38.23 total—a meager price for some top-shelf strategy action. (If you’re looking for even more fine RTS gameplay, Ashes of the Singularity is on sale for 50 percent off during the Summer Sale, too.)

And that’s it! Happy redeem code hunting, everybody!

10 Bundles to Get in the Steam Summer Sale Part 1 – Steam Keys

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Richard Griever

The Steam Summer Sale; a legendary event for gamers all over the world to obtain treasured copies of amazing games at the lowest of prices. Many might have felt turned off over the fact that Valve shied away from Daily Deals and Flash Sales during the Summer Sale as a whole, instead opting for a “what you see is what you get” approach, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that Steam is the place you’ll only ever find amazing deals on AAA games and their Steam codes.

With that said, to increase your chances of getting the best deals and your money’s worth, we hunted down 10 game bundles that you’ll absolutely love to have. Some of these can be so ridiculous that it might not seem real – but believe us; they’re as real as real can be!

Just as an addendum, these bundles will even discount from the price if you already have a game’s Steam keys found in the bundle. The amount you pay will be even LESS than what it already is. Now, take a gander and get to buying because the sale ends on the 4th of July!

10 Bundles and Their Steam Keys

1. Deus Ex bundle Steam Keys

Made up of the original Deus Ex, Deus Ex: Invisible War, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Deus Ex: The Fall, the entirety of the Deus Ex bundle is crazily amazing that it hasn’t let up as a strong seller this Summer Sale. This is Deus Ex: One of the best franchises to ever grace the gaming landscape and it’s going for the extremely low price of $8.24. How is this something you are not buying yet? If anything, this is the best time to purchase the franchise if you haven’t gotten into it yet as the next Deus Ex game, Mankind Divided, is coming out in August. Get to know it, now!

2. The Witcher Trilogy Bundle Steam CD Key

The Witcher. Enough said. Well, maybe there’s a bit more to say about it. The original Witcher wasn’t exactly a groundbreaking release from the relatively unknown CD Projekt Red at the time, but it slowly became a household name one Witcher 2 came around, and the finally solidified itself upon the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Made by an obscure Polish developer, an new IP, and basically a world we’re all not used to, it’s amazing how the Witcher pulled itself through the muck of the unknown and made itself one of the best franchises the world has ever known. If you haven’t caught up with the story of the past game or are interested to get into the world of the Witcher, The Witcher trilogy Steam CD key goes for a meager $26.52 compared to purchasing Wild Hunt alone for $40. Not to mention that there’s this $20 deal for the Witcher 3’s amazing DLC, Blood and Wine, so it’s definitely a no brainer to buy the bundle.

3. Turn-based Strategy Bundle Steam Codes

Steam has also packaged similar games together to create themed bundles around specific genres. Most slip in a full-priced game or two and the occasional stinker, but a couple stand out from the crowd.

The $39.82 turn-based strategy bundle, which includes The Banner Saga, Invisible Inc., Hard West, Gremlins Inc., and Thea: The Awakening. That’s a great lineup, and you’ll save 10 percent more than if you purchased the games separately.

4. JRPG bundle Steam Keys

This is a similar bundle for Japanese RPG fans, with Valkyria Chronicles, Tales of Zestria, Disgaea PC, Agarest: Generations of War, and Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 collectively selling for $42.88. Valkyria Chronicles alone makes this a worthwhile bundle due to its status as a modern classic. Throw in there the raunchy Agarest and Hyperdimension Neptunia, along with another modern classic in the form of Disgaea, it’s really hard to go wrong with this.

5. Hotline Miami combo pack Steam CD Key

Hotline Miami is a glorious, pulsing, neon-dripping homage to over the top violence, decked out in retro aesthetics. The mix of brutal, fast-paced action and intoxicating audiovisuals activates something in your monkey brain that compels you to play just… one… more… time—even if the story makes no damned sense.

During the Steam Summer Sale, the Hotline Miami combo pack offers bothHotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2 for just $5. There’s no extra bundle discount in play, but for $5 for two great games, who cares?

10 Games to get in the Steam Summer Sale Part 3 – Redeem Code

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Richard Griever

Continued from 10 Games to get in the Steam Summer Sale Part 2.

Continuing onto our Top 10 games to get during the Steam Summer Sale of 2016 Part 3! Steam redeem code purchases can be hard decisions to make and let us make them for you!

7. Wolfenstein: The New Order Redeem Code

So, yeah, Wolfenstein: The New Order isn’t exactly an obscure game, but this still does count as something that may pass other folks by and, at the price of $9.99, you’d be punishing yourself for not getting this. Doom isn’t the first time that Bethesda tried to resurrect an amazing IP, but they also took a jab at Wolfenstein through this title. It doesn’t exactly feel like the old games, but it still manages to deliver the original crunch of awesomeness that Wolfenstein is known for. In fact, a lot of people argue that this reboot is the best entry in the series, period. Nazis, crazy experiments, robots, things blowing up; what’s not to like?

8. Sunless Sea Redeem Codes

This game isn’t exactly for everyone at first glance because, come now; in an age of rampant Call of Dutys, Mobas, and Assassin’s Creeds redeem codes, who in the mainstream gaming communities actually pay attention to seafaring survival horror? Yes, you heard me right: Boat Horror. No, it’s not what you’re thinking. Sunless Sea, going for $9.49 during the summer sale, is a seafaring, survival horror, exploration game where you roam the seven seas in search for treasure and avoid Lovecraftian monsters that have, apparently, cause the world to collapse. Each moment is a wonderfully tense experience that simply can’t be replicated by any other game. Not to mention that its visuals are simply stunning.

9. Dungeon of the Endless Redeem Code

I’ll keep things short here; Dungeon of the Endless, going for $4.07, is a tactical, roguelike dungeon crawler that has a mix of tower defense. It’s not easy to explain. It’s just great, especially if you’re into exercising your strategy muscles like a boss.

10. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Steam Keys

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, going for $3.99 during the sale, is the final game we’d like to plug. It’s not for everyone and there are no words to change that fact. It’s even called a “walking simulator” by many detractors. But the drop-dead gorgeous world, amazing writing, and suspenseful plot is something to die for. If anything, it’s a real life “journey simulator.” Much like the last game on the list, this game isn’t easy to explain. Check out the trailers for it on Steam and judge it for yourself. But it’s in our opinion that this game’s redeem code is totally worth the price tag and the time.

10 Games to get in the Steam Summer Sale Part 2 – Redeem Code

Posted on June 27, 2016June 29, 2016 by Richard Griever

Continued from 10 Games to get in the Steam Summer Sale

This is our continuation of our Top 10 games to get during the Steam Summer Sale of 2016. We’re going to make sure you get the most band for your buck on Steam redeem code purchases.

3. Crypt of the Necrodancer Redeem Code

Crypt of the Necrodancer is an oddball of a game that fuses together two unlikely genres: roguelikes and rhythm games. It’s very reminiscent of the older Zelda games where dungeons are just filled with baddies you have to whack, but can only do so when following a musical rhythm. Heck, this can even be played with dance pads ala Dance Dance Revolution. It’s stupidly good fun.

4. Grim Fandango Remastered Redeem Codes

While it didn’t do so well during its release, it has become a cult classic and a classic in general in the gaming industry, Grim Fandango is quite possibly the greatest old-school adventure game ever created. Damn fine humor, dry wit, and creative puzzles line this classic’s CV, with a host of very colorful, and likable, characters to boot. For a mere $3.74 on the Steam store this summer sale, the only two reason you wouldn’t get this game is because either you already have it, or you simply don’t like having fun. This is most definitely a sure redeem code to purchase.

5. Door Kickers Steam Redeem Code

Door Kickers is a game that pays great homage to the classic top-down strategy games of an era gone by. Put into the role of a SWAT commander, Door Kickers lets you command a small SWAT team that handle tactical interventions that vary from the common, domestic criminal to full on terrorists. Bad guys are basically in a structure that you have to get into, pacify the hostiles, and achieve whatever it is you have to in a specific mission. Your SWAT team has everything they need for combat; it’s up to you to give them the best approach to the situation. If you like tactical games, then you certainly shouldn’t pass up on the $2.99 redeem code price tag of Door Kickers during the sale.

6. Invisible Inc. Steam Keys

Going for $6.79, Invisible Inc. is another fantastic strategy game akin to certain elements of XCOM, Metal Gear, and roguelike games where the difficulty, punishment, and need for strategy are very real. I daresay that Invisible Inc. may be the Dark Souls of the strategy genre. Much like Door Kickers, you’re in command of a team but, this time, made up of secret agents that attempt to gather resources, intelligence, and counter an enemy that drove them out of their headquarters. This is an absolute steal and you simply must get it. If you aren’t one for strategy games, I assure you, this game will change your mind about them.

Click here for the next part!

10 Games to get in the Steam Summer Sale – Steam Keys

Posted on June 27, 2016June 27, 2016 by Richard Griever

Praise the Sun! The Steam Summer Sale of 2016 delivers us massive discounts for all kinds of games. Indie or AAA, it doesn’t matter; none are safe from the rock-bottom prices dictated by Lord Gaben! There are tons of delectable discounted games – thousands, even – but double edged element in the sale is that it can be tremendously difficult to sift through the slosh of Steam keys to find the true and grand jewels of the industry.

In comparison with the discount and the level of meat in a game, we bring you 10 titles that are just absolutely the most bang per buck; titles that you’ll definitely want Steam codes for. These are hands-down amazing games that are selling right now for $10 or less. Of course, it goes without saying that big AAA games like Fallout, Skyrim, or pretty much any popular title that have low prices will not be mentioned here. They get enough attention as it is, with or without the sale. Instead, these titles are going to be games that you may not even know exist but are damn worth the cash. So, without further ado, here are the 10 gems that you definitely have to grab a Steam cd key for.

1. The Talos Principle Steam Keys

Let’s start off with one beautiful game: Croteam’s The Talos Principle. This title, while it was well received and has critical acclaim, didn’t do too well in the mainstream market of generic CoDs and GTAs. It is, however, the best puzzle game since the Portal series. It has some of the most astonishing visuals, intricate puzzle designs, and fantastic story for a game in its genre, with a lot of content to boot. It’s currently on sale for $9.99.

2. Transistor Steam CD Key

This is another title that pretty much went under the radar of the mainstream gaming community. Well, while all games on this list are technically those kinds of games, Transistor was up for some honors in the game industry, but missed out against bigger budget titles.

An RPG at heart but built around action at the same time, Transistor has some crazy wonderful elements that focus on the palatable visual aesthete of the discerning gamer. Combat mechanics, fantastic graphics, gravely haunting music, and voiceover work that pay attention to extreme detail, Transistor is one of those titles that you know was made with tons of love. Going at a price of of $4.99, you can’t ever go wrong with it.

Click here for the next part!

Steam CD Key: PayPal Leaks Steam Summer Sale

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Richard Griever

The Steam Summer Sale; the highlight of each and every Steam user to blow loads of their cash on Steam Keys, Steam redeem code, regular ol’ Steam codes, and pretty much anything else that’s up for sale. It’s as if to buy Steam games wasn’t a tempting thing to do on any given week on the platform.

Also, every year, PayPal blows the lid off Steam’s secret plans on when to do a summer sale by emailing their users who have histories with buying Steam games on their PP accounts. This year, however, Paypal has not only informed us of Steam’s incoming Summer sale starting on June 23rd, but it also seems to have the blessing of Steam itself to spread the news.

How do we think this so? Well, PayPal’s accompanying message of, “Now you know when it’s going to happen,” and “you can get ready for the savings.”

If this doesn’t indicate cooperation between the two companies, then nothing really will. So, it seems that the company was given the go-ahead this time around. The email makes reference to the exclusive nature of the reveal, and a tweet promoting the announcement tagged the official Steam account.

Steam Keys: Tons to Buy This Time Around

Like every year, the Steam summer sale has a MASSIVE collection of Steam keys up for grabs at the lowest prices Valve can afford to sell them for. It’s always this time around where Steam users end up very close to the median poverty line due to the tons of Steam codes they’ll be getting. It should also go without saying that PayPal is definitely going to be the safest and easiest way to shell out your hard earned cash for some games.

Personally, I’m hoping to snag a copy of Battleborn if it’s ever going to be included, however, it’s in my experience that Steam never puts a game up for sale if it was released just in the past two months, so that may be a bummer for me. Still, this PayPal and Steam partnership shows just how resilient the platform is and how it’s going to be here to stay for a very long time.