What a historic low is and how to use it

A discount tells you how far a price has fallen from the list price. A historic low tells you how far it has ever fallen. The second number is often the more useful one.

The idea

A historic low is the lowest price a game has been recorded at. Publishers set list prices, so a 40 percent discount can be a great deal on one game and an ordinary Tuesday on another. Comparing today's price with the game's own best price cuts through that. If the price today equals the record, you are unlikely to see it go lower soon.

How LootPick uses it

In the LootPick Score, the default score on your Picks, a game earns bonus points the closer its price is to its record. The alternative formulas that Premium unlocks weigh historic lows in their own ways, so the numbers below are for the LootPick Score:

• At or below the record low: the largest bonus, 15 points (see the note on never-discounted games below).
• Within 5 percent of it: 10 points.
• Within 10 percent: 6 points.
• Within 25 percent: 2 points.
• Further away: no bonus.

When no history is known, the bonus is a small neutral amount rather than zero, because missing data should not look like a bad price.

A record needs a history

If a game has almost never been discounted, its lowest price is close to full price, and calling that a record would be misleading. LootPick treats a game whose lowest price sits within 2 percent of the list price as never really discounted and gives only a small bonus. A historic low means something only when the price has actually moved.

Reading the Historic Lows page

The Historic Lows page lists games priced at or very near their record right now. It is the shortest route to games you can buy without wondering if next month will be cheaper. Open any of them to see the score and the stores offering the price.

When to buy at a historic low

• You are sure you will play it soon, so waiting only delays the fun.
• The game is older and rarely discounted, so lows are the exception.
• The game is a multiplayer title and your friends are playing it now.

When to keep waiting

• The game is brand new. Early sales are usually shallow and deeper ones follow.
• You already have a backlog. Your Loot shows how many games you own and have not started.
• A big seasonal sale is close. Stores often match or beat previous lows during them.

Limits to remember

A record is a record so far, not a promise. A game can reach a new low next season. Prices also differ by store and region, and a bundle or a different edition can have its own history. Use the historic low as strong evidence, then confirm the price at the store. The scoring guide shows how this bonus fits with ratings and discount.