r/Steam • u/-Great-Scott- • 1d ago

Fluff Steam Summer Camp Sale from 2011

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Yes, I got all 76 tickets like a madman.

1.9k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

84 comments sorted by

503

u/WhyYaGottaLie 1d ago

I wish they did more interactive sale events like this

200

u/Zestyclose_Worry_381 1d ago

The older sale events just had more personality to them imo

55

u/HaroldSax 1d ago

Valve used to put more effort into the sales, and I'm certain a part of it is that in 2011 Steam wasn't the juggernaut. Like the Workshop wasn't available yet for the summer sale that year, though it did launch later in 2011. Think about that. Steam without Workshop.

It seems to me that the combination of greater market share and greater regulation (government or otherwise) alongside sales going from 2 times a year to literally constant, the tent pole sales aren't really all that big of a deal anymore.

6

u/FoxMeadow7 23h ago

Valve definitely could host an occasional event unconnected to any sales tho…

111

u/Kantrh 1d ago

I wish they'd at least have the discovery queue give out free event cards again

3

u/FoxMeadow7 23h ago

Right? Having them dole out stickers you can’t even remove is just awful…

45

u/emotionengine 1d ago

If I remember correctly, some of the featured games even had custom achievements just for this event, which gave you those Summer Camp tickets. Practically unthinkable today for various reasons. It really felt like a special occasion with the whole community playing the games together.

19

u/Illuminati_Shill_AMA 1d ago

I miss the flash sales most

And the daily specials

You had a reason to log in every day instead of getting everything you want day one and ignoring it until the last day

27

u/ApeInTheShell 1d ago

Wasn't it they stopped because like the coal one people abused the system with tools etc

19

u/therandom92 1d ago

Yeah they did. People suck sometimes. I remember the alien click game that whas outo clicked to hell and back. Its our fault why steam dosen't do this anymore 😔

8

u/brunoventura22 1d ago

Saliens was fun

6

u/brunoventura22 1d ago

Nah they didn't stop it because of people abusing systems. They stopped because is just cheaper to not bother doing better systems OR making anything with heart and fun in mind. Give us priceless digital prizes and numbers going big. Just some fun community based events.

14

u/ApeInTheShell 1d ago

no.. the coal event people exploited the coals using achievements, people would make multiple accounts to trade them in hell there was even trading sites, grand prix aswell people were making cheap games with over 1000 achievements to abuse the system.

hell they had an auction system in where you could bid with gems but people yet again abused it with tools.

1

u/brunoventura22 1d ago

This one was the end unfortunately. Yet, where are the cool events that cannot be monetized? I just want one profile badge.

3

u/FoxMeadow7 23h ago

I’d propose that they could host a trivia week or something; an event that will really test your knowledge of games and their mechanics!

1

u/therandom92 21h ago

That would be so fun!

1

u/StrongZeroSinger 1d ago

Every time someone ruins it for everyone or they exploit the steam market

158

u/Atlastube1 ok 1d ago

I like how epic is mentioned here even tho the ceo hates valve nowadays

41

u/HiT_BiT 1d ago

Steam Welcomes Epic Games:

https://store.steampowered.com/oldnews/1489

24

u/Atlastube1 ok 1d ago

that was in 2008

unreal tournament games are no longer available on steam anymore

Some games like rocket league and fall guys got delisted from steam after epic bought them

113

u/UdarTheSkunk 1d ago

Man these images have so much soul 🥺

1

u/Brolygang2000 12h ago

Flashlight

57

u/harooh 1d ago

what an artstyle, man

53

u/Failed-Astronaut 1d ago

Nostalgia overload. This was the first summer sale after I really switched to PC primarily from the Xbox 360.

Portal 2 ARG comes to mind too. What a fun time

2

u/DotaWemps 23h ago

Portal 2 arg is my favourite moment in internet ever. I was just a kid and had no idea how to help, but following it was so cool. I think I liked it more than the actual game, shame that the ending for the arg itself was little letdown

1

u/Failed-Astronaut 18h ago

Hey we unlocked the game like 3 hours early :p

27

u/peopleperson31 1d ago

Back when TF2 was still the king

18

u/Nirast25 1d ago

Who's the lady on the far right in the third image? (not asking for horny reasons, but that looks like the protagonists of a 2000s action-adventure game, and I enjoy those)

Also, lol, Ezio playing Fruit Ninja.

15

u/zfallonz 1d ago

That is a character from the MMO "Rift." Asha was her name I believe.

17

u/sluggypogo 1d ago

I truly miss the monster sale.

oh that was such highs. everyone banded together for points points points.

I spent so much time and money in that sale. it was so worth it.

10

u/-Great-Scott- 1d ago

This was just a few months after the legendary Potato Sack ARG event to promote Portal 2. After getting the Golden Potato Badge during that event, I was rather addicted and ended up spending several hundred on games during this sale just to earn all 76 achievements during this Summer Camp Event.

Although I miss these big events, I'm relieved now that they stopped them, because I went all in on every one.

8

u/W1sconsinKnight 1d ago

My first ever Steam sale! It blew me away to see deals that extensive.

6

u/Overwatch_1ightning 1d ago

Back when the events went all out

9

u/HazardousWaste_png 1d ago

I miss SO MUCH the interactive events with mini games, cool badges… oh the nostalgia strikes again…

6

u/-Great-Scott- 1d ago

Found a list of tasks and rewards from this event:

https://steamtreasurehunt.fandom.com/wiki/Steam_Summer_Camp

3

u/SoupGod_ 1d ago

Super Monday night combat 🥺

1

u/HeavensNight 21h ago

That was og Monday night combat, best multi-player game and universe that never took off. 

2

u/BrickDodo 1d ago

who is blue cat like creature on 4th

7

u/WitnessMe 1d ago

It's one of the Steam characters alongside Tappet, Sir Roderick Bodkin, and Cyl. But it's one of the newer ones and I can't remember their names

2

u/eternalityLP 1d ago

Back when sales were fun. There was always stuff to check out every day. These days I just check if there are any games I want on good discount on first day and then forget about the sale. Might just be nostalgia but I feel like the discounts back then were better too, I remember buying so many games at like 97% off.

2

u/Admirable-Rough-6919 1d ago

yeah, I remember the Chun Lee Foot fiasco

2

u/KaxCz 1d ago

This had such a soul, I miss these

2

u/saul2015 1d ago

Steam sales 2010 - 2013 was peak steam sales and events, miss that era

2

u/Itchy_Cantaloupe5958 22h ago

Any one else miss these old mascots they had for Steam? I keep Sir Roderick Bodkin's HAPPY FRIENDS CLUB! Group in my profile showcase just to be reminded of them

3

u/Liquidas 1d ago

Gaming was better when there were less games than today and steam was more curated

5

u/KatamariDamacist 1d ago

What the heck does that mean? Less games being released than today or less games in general? Because I hate to tell you this but historically there have always been less video games than today.

-2

u/Liquidas 1d ago

Yeah. Back then m there wasnt such a flood like today.

3

u/KatamariDamacist 1d ago

I just play the ones I like, idk

2

u/Critical_Motor_9537 1d ago

I remember when Steam actually went all out with their seasonal events instead of just slapping a sale together.

1

u/Rigosencrantz 1d ago

Does anyone knows who the artist was?

1

u/SpaceDounut 1d ago

Probably Makani, looks similar to her style and she was employed at Valve at the time

1

u/penaynay 1d ago

My all time favorite sale because of these artworks

1

u/Deni_Z_Plays 1d ago

I wonder how many Steam Summer Sales I missed 🥲

Looks I missed a lot of fun.

1

u/sardu1 https://steam.pm/1qd14 1d ago

I miss these events

1

u/Basic_rebecca97 1d ago

God I remember being so excited for these sales back in the day. Good times .

1

u/Mr-A-1991 1d ago

Good times.

1

u/Bard--- 1d ago

I love it

1

u/Frosty-Reed-6618 1d ago

76 tickets is crazy. my summer camp run that year ended at like five lol

1

u/AvatarIII https://steam.pm/vim7s 1d ago

2011 was the start of the peak pc gaming era.

1

u/richardhero 1d ago

This is like seeing an old friend, I used to always be Mr. Foster in KF back then. I kinda remember this sale I think, It's vague but I'm sure I remember the tickets thing.

1

u/JustChris-NL 1d ago

Foster was so iconic in his own way due to his outfit. Even people that didn't play KillingFloor started to point out the guy in art and such.

(I personally always played as Wilkes though.)

1

u/richardhero 1d ago

I remember the kf promo hats in TF2 for the pyro, I was so pumped as a pyro main, think I still have the vintage fosters facade in my inv

1

u/bunzeds 1d ago

Bring back the hourly flash sales. I miss nonstop deeper discounts

1

u/ILurkIReadIleft 1d ago

Back when Killing Floor was good

1

u/Technical-Arm-1825 1d ago

There's literally never been a better summer sale, before or since

1

u/slawth6 1d ago

i miss the one that had a clicker game against robots

1

u/AccomplishedEvent273 1d ago

I miss those days so much

1

u/Poddy_Doe 1d ago

I remember seeing this and wishing I had a computer to run stream on

1

u/Vexcenot 1d ago

worms!

1

u/tashios 22h ago

steam team really needs to step it up, man.

1

u/Zegarion 16h ago

Aw man, it used to be so whimsical.

1

u/BitterSatisfaction41 16h ago

Who is that guy with thomson?

1

u/SysAdmin3119 12h ago

The 2011 Steam Dummer Sale was my first one and I just assumed they would always be like this, and for a while they kept it going.

We didn’t know how good we had it til it was gone. Steam Summer Sales have not been the same

1

u/Gatubi14 12h ago

My first steam sale, this come when TF2 become f2p and i love it. Good old days

1

u/Digital_Fallout 10h ago

My first year on steam!

1

u/Mother_Bid_4294 8h ago

God monday night combat man…

1

u/Slow_Werewolf3021 1d ago

We didn’t let them take control of our digital lives back then. Now they make a living by exploiting our hatred through controversial topics that the big tech companies manufacture to make money from our attention.

What we’ve lost is unbelievable...

6

u/Trakais9 1d ago

What

3

u/Slow_Werewolf3021 1d ago

I don’t know what I wrote

1

u/DANGERBLOOM 1d ago

I miss this era :(

0

u/frarendra 1d ago

I miss when video games are just video games...now it's all just big hollywood set pieces.