For prices, no. For the social aspect, yes.

Also, as others said, @Untamed_Star@lemmy.blahaj.zone, if the game is on a DRM-free-oriented platform, like GOG, Itchio, etc., you could look for those.

Additionally, looking for sources of a given game can help find where it’s less of a hassle to get it, specially through databases or adjacent, like PCGamingWiki, ITAD, NeoDB (fediverse-compatible!), GameFAQS, etc. Also apparently it isn’t uncommon for databases to cross-reference each other, so one can lead to another.

If the game is only on Steam, install Linux on a VM, install Wine in it, run SteamCMD through Wine, download the build you want, and move to your host OS.

SteamCMD is a minimalist/terminal-based version of Steam. The Windows version can be downloaded separately. However, it downloads needed libraries and I’m not sure how good Steam is at escaping Wine’s environment, so a VM adds an extra security layer. Also the command changes depending of whether it’s 32-bit or 64-bit, if it’s for Linux, MacOS or Windows, or even if it’s a previous, still public update, and it’s been some years since I used those and I don’t have the commands noted down, so can’t help with that at least right now.

If something’s allowed to be pirated, it can’t be pirated.

Perfection.

Do you happen to know the mods there?

If you’re on topic and don’t break the groups’ rules, I don’t think you’d need privileged contact to the moderatos. Maybe make a post every week for things like community spotlights, community revivals, engaging topics, etc.?

Also, the more people interact, the more contents propagate, kinda like an algorithm but more analogical. So engaging more should boost organic growth.

And there being people from different places in here, betting on one type of content is imo risky. Better I think would be to just post what you’d like to see, and other like-minded folk may notice.

Now, on what Die4Ever said…

Also if we’re focusing on growing a specific community we should probably also try to let people outside of Lemmy know about it (Reddit/Discord/Twitter…)

Something that hadn’t crossed my mind but that was noted to me when I gave a similar idea is that doing so against direct competitors could be seen as sabotage, and moderator action would very likely come. Not in those words but in this idea though.

Better I think is to prioritize the fediverse in a passive or at least non-antagonistic manner.

Since it’s missing from the OP, here’s the thread on GOG’s own forum where people report those issues, and with the Google doc attached to the opening post:

https://www.gog.com/forum/general/games_that_treat_gog_customers_as_second_class_citizens_v2/post1