How to Survive the Steam Summer Sale 2015 Edition

It’s that time again… Steam Summer Sale time! This year the sale is starting even earlier than it did last year and will run from June 11-21, 2015. With E3 just around the corner it’s going to be a busy time for gaming. For the past 2 years I’ve made posts about tips on saving money through these sales. And while my advice largely stays the same, things change year to year and there are some other considerations that need to be taken. One of the biggest changes to Steam happened very recently with the addition of their refund policy. And of course, every year Steam has something different up their sleeve for the community with fun events. So, let’s get started!

New 3DS announcement! Iwata you sly bastard :P

So, Nintendo surprised me by uploading a Nintendo Direct today that included a HUGE announcement (plus it’s great to see Iwata is recovering well from his surgery). They presented us with a new 3DS system! And it’s Japanese release date is October 11, 2014. That’s less than two months away! WTF.

Personally, I think this is a good time for an updated 3DS. Nintendo has a lot of momentum with new 3DS games coming out soon (I just got my Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright today!) and people seem to really be appreciating the 3DS more. Some people have complained that Nintendo is ripping people off, but I don’t feel that way with the new 3DS. Not like how I did with the DSi and I think they’ve learned from that. The new 3DS honestly feels like a lot of QoL changes that were a long time coming. To me, it’s the natural evolution of the system.

Now, let’s break it down!

Steam Summer Sale? Get Your Wallets Ready!

So, I’ve been hearing some whisperings about the Steam Summer Sale could be starting today @ 1 pm ET! There’ve been claims that people have seen backgrounds in Big Picture mode stating the sale is set for June 19th to 30th. There’s also the Mysterious trading cards that have appeared in the badges inventory. It’s fairly early for the sale, but I think this is an excellent time for one! High schools will be finishing up with their exams, colleges and universities have been out already, and summer is just beginning. This gives all us gamers the whole summer to enjoy our ever building backlog ‘o games and hopefully shrink it down a bit.

Last sale I made a post with some advice about the sale. I’ll reiterate them again here with a few extra tips.

E3 2014 is almost here! Are you prepared?

Arguably the biggest North American conference in the gaming industry is going down this week. That’s right, E3 is upon us once again. Now, over the years my expectations have lessened as I’ve felt the raw disappointment of games caused by overhype and delayed release dates. I’ve learned not to expect too much, but I still get excited for what could be coming soon™.

So, I’ve put together a small list of things I’m looking forward to and other things I’m lukewarm about…