I have to waffle on this one, sorry. I've never tried lootboxes myself, so I can't really speak to the cost, the value, and the effects good or bad. I don't even know how they're implemented in a game. I'll read deeper the next time a lootbox thread comes up, though.

I see. If you want my position on the matter, read post 9. And 25, too. Post 1 gives a bit of a tongue-in-cheek thumbs-up to flash sales, mostly because I think the premise in the other thread is really weak and somewhat ridiculous, and not backed up with anyone saying how they were actually harmed by this flash sale. So far it's all conjecture. My bad for not making it obvious that it was tongue-in-cheek. The later posts state not that I'm pro-flash sale, but that I disagree that it's causing harm - and give reasons why I disagree with the anti-flash argument. If there is something you don't understand about my position after reading the later posts, fee free to ask.

I understand why they don't like the mechanics of the sale; I also think the gimmick is stupid. What I don't see is how a voluntary 3-step purchase process - with the opportunity to get a refund after - is anti-consumer.

This is probably how I feel about it, but I'll never know.

deleted

I don't understand some of the negativity regarding the Flash sale. I am glad it is taking place and I always appreciated GOG for offering great games at great prices DRM FREE. I just bought my 2nd game today (over 50% off) . Thanks GOG for the great sale!

I'm not too angry/bitter about the Flash sales either; it's a time-honored sales tactic to boost interest and demand by introducing an artificial limitation on availability, and it's as old as salesmanship itself.

For me, the main reason why is that (a) my backlog and collection are so large that any games I buy now are games I likely won't even touch for a while anyway (which I suspect is also the case for a lot of other people), and (b) for most of the time GOG has a sale "Finale" which has all of the previous flash sales reappear all at once, for those who missed out.

What really annoyed me was the first Insomnia Sale, which relied on people actually buying the game to drive the sale forward (Jack Keane 2 anyone?), or earlier promos which required you to spam your social media networks.

The part a good number of people are missing is that many of the games are being offered at historical lows through this flash sale. Flash sales seem to convince some publishers to lower the price of their games below the usual selling point. That part is definitely pro-consumer.

You get 8 hours to decide...I don't see how that really adds any more pressure than a normal sale when the price ends at a fixed point.

Listening to some people and their anti-consumer rhetoric, I guess any sale is somehow anti-consumer since it will end. The only way to be "fair" in their eyes seemingly is to never have a sale at all. And how does that help a consumer?

But hey, lets talk about the anti-consumer practice of giving away free games...luring people to the site where they can't control themselves and frivolously spend money on other games. What bastards GoG must be for giving away TWO free games in this one...

deleted

because it had very little to do with the complaints of anti consumer practices which extend beyond videogames. Our supermarkets are at it too.

Steams lunar sale is on at the moment. Do you think most consumers are waiting around for gog flash sales or will they go to steam and buy the games there.

I have no idea. If they go to Steam instead, that's gOg's loss. I think gOg kinda figures there's going to be some drag from Steam anyway, regardless of the sale format: it's no surprise that the gOg sales typically start a few days before the big Steam sales.

Flash sales are Pro-game. Suprised no one's started that thread yet.

Wait a bit longer, they're still recovering from trauma. :P