Strange, I have this game from this site - http://game.giveawayoftheday.com/ as a DRM-Free with no One Time Key Validation.

It doesn't ask for a CD-key type of code when you install it? Hmm, maybe something the devs added to the SL release to track purchase metrics or something. Not really sure why some titles on SL end up with keys needed and others don't, apart from the devs making them that way, but I don't think SL themselves are adding them.

Nope, it was just *.zip file - no installation and no activation.

Every software or game you get from GOTD (http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/faq/) comes in a wrapper and you can only install it during the 24 hour window of the giveaway.
Normally. Exceptions are some of the games.
After they are activated with GOTD these games are indeed free-standing, that means you can copy/paste the .exe where ever you want to but you can't re-use the .zip file.
Kingdom Elemental is one of these exceptions - I just tried it and it's still working fine.
But I doubt that this version is patchable. So in case there is a new version of the game, I would be careful and backup before I would overwrite the old install.
My GGOTD version is 1.61 from April 2012.

Same here. :)

I do. All my game purchases are backed up and I have no need to access any of the game sites where I bought them in order to run the games (GOG, GG, Steam, Origin). Granted, some will require cracks in order to run, but I'll be able to run them if I need to.

Receipt/proof of purchase is going to mean jack shit if the site no longer exists. If you have the game backed up, you can most likely easily find a crack so you can run it. If all you have is a receipt, you're going to end up with nothing.

I'm not sure what your point is here. The digital retailers you listed are the ones I listed and said 'who knows' if they'll be around in 20 years, so keep backups of your games if it worries you. These are the sites I deal with as well and I back up all my games from them.

Ah, thanks, that makes things a little clearer. So maybe that version was keyless because it's not an upgradable version. I've gotten free software of the day from other promotional sites like that - older releases of programs that are not upgradeable to the latest version, and which don't have all the functions of the newer version. Basically they are an enticement to get to like the software and then buy the newer version once you see what it does.

I have currently backed up 3781 games - all on the same hard drive, neatly ordered into folders. I don't see the problem?

That's correct. Proof of purchase helps _if_ your legitimate ownership is questioned, but not more. However, some publishers _do_ give you access to their game on another service when the service you bought it on has gone under. That's goodwill on their part though, nothing you're entitled to. Every single vendor of digital downloads has a clause in their terms of service that they can't provide the games forever, for good reason.

The video game market is extremely volatile, and the strong players of today might be gone tomorrow, who knows? Direct2Drive looked pretty strong and secure until Steam steamrolled the market. Most of the big players are privately held companies, we simply cannot know how financially healthy they are. Even if a service stays alive, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to use your games in several years - the service might be "upgraded", breaking compatibility with your old games, or support for older games might be cut off because "no one plays them anymore". Expecting that you'll be able to play your games for a long time just because a subscription service seems successful now is a bit naive, imho. If you've followed the business for a few decades, you usually grow a bit more skeptical.

In any case, as others said - the only way to be _sure_ that you can play your games in the far future is to buy versions that are free of DRM, and make backups.

[boggle]. Having that many games already blows my mind. How much space does it take?

And either ensuring you have compatible OS & hardware combinations, or at the least a successful VM strategy.

About 2 TB, but "number of games" and "necessary storage space" aren't as closely related as one might think. When I started collecting PC games, they needed perhaps 1 MB space on average. Nowadays, games easily take 8000 times as much.

Yep. I used to maintain an old PC (made from parts I switched out of my main machine) specifically for older titles that weren't compatible with new hardware. But emulation has progressed to a point where this doesn't seem necessary any more, as long as I can still boot my PC into Windows XP if I need to.

Gamefly's running a midweek comic book game sale. The games are apparently regionally restricted to all of America (as in, North, South, and Gringoland) and there's a few decent games in there:

The Walking Dead (Steam) - 8.49
Batman Arkham City GOTY (Not Steam, has GFWL) - 9.99
Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY (Not Steam, has GFWL) - 6.79
Deadpool (Steam) - 26.79
The Amazing Spider-Man (Steam) - 24.99
The Darkness II (Steam) - $7.49
The Adventures of Tintin: The Game (Unknown DRM, possibly Uplay key) - $2.50
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (Steam) - 19.79
Transformers: War for Cybertron (Unknown DRM) - 9.99
Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale (Unknown DRM) - 7.49
Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara (Steam) - 8.99

There's also a 20% off coupon - GFDSEP20 - which makes Chronicles of Mystara 7.19, which is the cheapest it's been since launch, I think.

http://digital.gamefly.com/?utm_campaign=comic090313&utm_source=email&stop_mobi=once#!/promotion/388

There may be an UK version, I dunno.

Metro Last Light is 60% Off on Steam €20 here
not the DLC though

I just noticed, and it is probably been reported before, but Shiny Loot has Painkiller Black for $2 right now. If there is anyone who still do not got it, get it now - it will be your best spent $2

http://www.shinyloot.com/painkiller-black-edition

Today on ShinyLoot of note:

Plazma Being $0.90 (80% off)

Zigfrak $0.99 (80% off)

Septerra Core $1.00 (80% off)

Painkiller Black Edition $2.00 (80% off)

The Cat Lady $2.00 (80% off)

Dungeon Lords MMXII $3.00 (80% off)

Plazma Being and The Cat Lady come with Desura keys, with Zigfrak getting one eventually as well.

Zigfrak, Painkiller Black Edition, and Dungeon Lords MMXII required One Time Key Validation.

What does One Time Key Validation mean? Are they Steam Keys?