The Cheapskate

Good news, PC gamers: today's the day to score some solid deals on three popular titles, all of them available via download for (near) instant delivery. Here's the rundown:

• Direct2Drive has Ghostbusters: The Video Game for $9.95. It lacks the multiplayer modes of its console counterparts, but the single-player stuff is a blast. It's a must-have for any fans of the franchise.
• Today only, EA is offering The Sims 3 for $29.95--a savings of $20 off the list price. If you don't mind taking a drive or waiting on delivery, Best Buy has it for $19.99--with an exclusive game guide.
• This weekend only, Steam is offering Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Game of the Year Edition for $23.99. It's one of the top-rated first-person shooters of all time, and it normally sells for $40.

That's it, game fans! Have a happy and safe Halloween, and I'll see you back here on Monday. (But do check tomorrow for a special Sunday deal from your friendly neighborhood CNET staffers!)

Here's a little Friday fun for all you game fans: From now until Oct. 25, the insanely popular puzzle game World of Goo is on sale--and you get to name the price.

It normally sells for $20, but in honor of its first birthday, developer 2D Boy decided to run a little experiment. (Check out the results on the company's blog. Very interesting stuff.)

Basically, when you click the Get It button, you're whisked to a PayPal page where you specify your "donation" amount. (No PayPal account? Click the "continue" link on the left side to use a credit card.)

So, what'll it be? A penny? A five-spot? A sawbuck? If you're honestly not sure what the game is worth, download the demo before you pick a number. World of Goo is available for Windows, Mac, and even Linux systems.

I'll admit I wasn't familiar with the game when I heard about this promotion, but it's without a doubt one of the cutest, weirdest, and most inventive puzzles I've ever played. You don't have to take my word: GameSpot awarded it a 9.0, as did several thousand readers.

I'm not going to reveal what I paid for it, as I don't want to influence anyone one way or the other. But I did pay for it--and definitely more than a penny.

How about you? Are you going to get your Goo on? If so, what's a fair price? (And how much did you actually pay?) Let's hear from you in the comments.

Nothing thrills me like getting something for nothing. Yesterday, for example, I redeemed the last of my birthday coupons, wolfing down a free scoop of Cold Stone ice cream (Fudge Brownie Batter with brownies mixed in--yum).

Today I've rounded up three software freebies that have a combined value of $1,089. Seriously! Take a look:

• IOBit Security 360 Pro Normally $29.95 for a one-year license, this security app is free until Nov. 11. It promises "advanced malware and spyware removal," along with protection from all manner of threats: trojans, keyloggers, worms, etc. I haven't found any reviews to speak of, but the always-free, non-Pro version earned four stars from CNET users. So it must be halfway decent.
• WinX DVD Author Remember WinX DVD Ripper Platinum from last month? (Since expired, sorry.) The same developer, Digiarty Software, is now offering its DVD-authoring tool, normally $29.95, for free until Oct. 31. Use it to turn AVI, MPEG, FLV, and other kinds of video files into menu-enhanced DVDs. I haven't tried it myself, but DVD Ripper Platinum was a little gem.
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard This might be the weirdest and most surprising giveaway ever. Microsoft's DreamSpark program is offering this new Windows Server release to eligible high school and college students. Why? To learn IT skills, I reckon. Obviously not everyone needs or wants this OS, which is worth $1,029, but I had to mention it. Anyone who does want it will need a Windows Live ID, a valid student e-mail address, and a way to burn the downloaded ISO file to a CD or DVD.

Well, what do you think? Anything here suit your freebie fancy? Let me know which one(s) you'll be downloading.

Keeping your PC secure requires diligence, common sense, and, perhaps most importantly, software. It's not enough to install antivirus and antispyware utilities; you also need a rock-solid firewall to keep hackers at bay.

Today only (in honor of my birthday, I'm guessing), Check Point Software is offering ZoneAlarm Pro Firewall 2010 absolutely free. That's a $39.95 value, my friends.

(Actually, what you're getting is a free one-year license. If you want to keep using ZoneAlarm after that, you'll have to pony up 40 bucks. On the other hand, this is the second year running for this promotion, so you might be able to score it free again next year.)

ZoneAlarm is widely regarded as one of the best firewall utilities on the planet. Look no further than the rare five-star rating at CNET's Download.com.

In addition to blocking unauthorized access to your PC, ZoneAlarm analyzes browser downloads to prevent malware infections, monitors your credit report on a daily basis, and steers you clear of phishing sites.

The software is compatible with Windows 2000 and later, including Windows 7.

Speaking of which, if you're relying solely on the firewall that's built-in to Windows--well, my guess is you're fine. That's what I do, and at the risk of jinxing it, I've never had a problem. But there's also a firewall built into my router, so I feel doubly protected.

In fact, I'll be honest. I don't run security software at all. I rely on the tools built into Windows and Gmail's outstanding spam-virus-malware filtering. I also use that aforementioned common-sense thing.

That said, my security "solution" isn't for everyone. If you want help keeping your PC (and identity) safe and sound, grab this valuable freebie. The offer expires at the end of the day.

Update: Be sure to use THIS LINK to download the software! It should take you to a page that looks like this. You should not need credit-card information or the like to take advantage of this offer. I've downloaded, installed, and activated the software and was never once asked for a credit card.

A few weeks back I told you about Direct2Drive's 5-year-anniversary sale, which was offering games like BioShock (a personal favorite) for $5 apiece.

I hope you've been checking the site every week since then, because the cheap hits just keep on coming. This week it's wargames, starting with the beloved, award-winning Company of Heroes Gold--yours for just five smackers.

Other $5 gems include Supreme Commander Gold, World in Conflict Gold Edition, and Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (which, incidentally, scored a rare 9.0 on GameSpot). Good, good stuff.

In case the name of the service doesn't give it away, Direct2Drive provides game downloads--meaning no shipping charges.

And if you happened to miss my first post, good news: BioShock is still available.

There's one week left in this anniversary promotion, so be sure to check back next Monday to see if Direct2Drive has saved the best for last. In the meantime, here's your chance to stock up on some great games for about the cost of a grande frappuccino.

Update: My mistake: This is, in fact, the last week of the promotion. So you've got until Oct. 11 to grab these bargains.

Normally $39.95, Paragon Software's Partition Manager 10.0 Personal can be yours absolutely free. Today only. From software-freebie site Giveaway of the Day.

If you haven't visited the site before, here's how it works: You've got until midnight tonight (ET) to download and install the software. Other than that, there are absolutely no strings attached.

Well, OK, one "string" is that if you ever need to reinstall the software, you're outta luck. Its setup/registration process is tied to the date. But, hey, keep in mind you're getting a $40 app free of charge. You gonna gripe about that tiny gotcha?

True to its name, Partition Manager provides tools for partitioning your hard drive(s). That means you could have, say, Windows XP running on one partition and Windows 7 on another (a great solution for folks who want to migrate to the new OS gradually rather than all at once).

The software also features drive-optimization and -defragmentation tools, a boot fixer, a basic backup wizard, and a recovery-CD option.

I haven't found many reviews of Partition Manager 10.0 Personal, but over at Amazon it averages 4.5 stars out of 5, and 81% of users on the GotD site gave it a thumbs-up--a pretty high percentage compared with most freebies.

The program runs on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and 7. There's a special 64-bit version available (download), which you should definitely choose if you're running a 64-bit OS.

Obviously this isn't a utility everybody needs, but if you have even the slightest interest in partitioning your hard drive, it's a no-brainer: grab it.

If you like adventure games, monkeys, and/or free stuff, today's your lucky day. LucasArts is offering a free download of Tales of Monkey Island - Chapter 1: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal.

This offer is good today only, and the clock is already ticking, so hurry up lest ye miss yer chance, ye, um, scurvy dog.

(Did I mention today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day? That's LucasArts' impetus for the freebie. But I'm going to restrain myself from going all yo-ho-ho on you. Try to, anyway.)

If the name Monkey Island doesn't ring a bell, you were probably born sometime after 1980, damn you. These were "graphic adventures" at their finest and funniest, and it's terrific to see the series revived after all these years.

Tales of Monkey Island is actually a five-part series; today's download is the first chapter. I haven't had time to try it yet, but judging by the trailer, it's definitely the best-looking Monkey Island game to date.

So, who's your favorite pirate? Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow? Me, I'm partial to the Sea Captain from The Simpsons.

Want to archive your DVDs to your hard drive? Convert them for viewing on your iPhone or Zune HD? What you need is a good DVD ripper.

From now until September 30, Digiarty Software is giving away WinX DVD Ripper Platinum, which normally sells for $24.95.

Just pop a DVD in your drive, fire up the program, and choose an output format: AVI, MP4, WMV, iPhone, PSP, 3GP, or any of half a dozen others.

DVD Ripper Platinum has a clean, simple interface; I think that most users will have zero trouble using the program. Advanced users have the option of tweaking video and audio settings, like bit rate and resolution.

I just tried the program with a DVD of mine, and it worked quickly and flawlessly. I'd recommend disabling subtitles, which are enabled by default.

There are, of course, some decent freeware rippers out there, most notably Handbrake and DVD Fab, but WinX DVD Ripper Platinum offers a friendly interface, a flotilla of output options, and the satisfaction of getting for free something that's usually $25. Score!

Game-download service Direct2Drive is celebrating its 5-year anniversary by offering a large selection of games (all for PC) for $5 each. My top pick: BioShock, one of my all-time favorites.

It's primarily a first-person sci-fi shooter, but with pivotal role-playing elements that fit perfectly into the story. I won't spoil one bit of that story, but I will say it's compelling enough to keep you playing all the way until the surprising, unpredictable, utterly satisfying end.

It's also genuinely scary in places. I actually yelped a couple times while playing.

Granted, BioShock is a couple years old, as are most of the $5 titles--but there's still plenty of great gaming to be had. Other choices include The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, Max Payne 2, and MLB 2K9.

I haven't tried Direct2Drive myself (yet), but I'm definitely planning to pick up a couple of these gems. If you've had any experience with the service, or you have some opinions to share on any of the games, hit the comments!