More ‘Skyrim’ DLC Already? Why Zenimax’ Recent Trademark Could Mean New Content
"Skyrim" fans have been anticipating an upcoming downloadable content expansion since the game was released in November 2011. Bethesda recently announced that it will be called "Dawnguard," but a new patent just filed has fans wondering what these means for their favorite open-roam RPG. Bethesda Softworks

The Steam Summer Sale for 2012 just kicked off nearly a week ago, which means that video game enthusiasts can purchase widely-popular titles with up to 75 percent discounts. Games from some of the most renowned franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty and The Elder Scrolls series, are part of the gaming platform's annual Black Friday sale in July.

There are tons of games to choose from, ranging from single title sales to pack deals. So how do you decide which games to purchase? Here's a recap of our top picks for today's biggest savings:

- Call of Duty: Black Ops: This installment in Activision's military shooter franchise is available on Steam for $19.99, which is a 50 percent discount from its $39.99 price.

- Grand Theft Auto IV: Rockstar's car-jacking adventure game is on sale for $4.99, a 75 percent price cut from its $19.99 cost.

- The Sega Collection: This package contains more than 70 games, from classic Sega titles such as Ecco the Dolphin to Rome: Total War and Virtua Fighter 2. The price of all of these individual games would run up to $275, but the bundle is selling for $49.99, an 88 percent discount.

- BioShock Franchise Pack: This includes the original BioShock and its sequel for $9.98, which is 75 percent cheaper than its usual $39.98 price.

- Assassin's Creed Pack: This bundle includes 7 games from Ubsioft's stealth-assassin franchise for only $39.72.

- Limbo: This shadowy platform game may not be one of the biggest titles on the market, but for $2.49 how could you go wrong?

- Batman Arkham City Franchise: This package includes Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition along with a slew of other downloadable content packages and add-ons for only $49.99. The normal selling price is $138.76.

-The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: It may not be the biggest price cut, but Bethesda's award winning free-roam RPG is selling for $39.99 through Steam, originally priced at $59.99. Or, check out the Elder Scrolls Collection for $66.89 which includes the Game of the Year editions of Morrowind and Oblivion in addition to Skyrim.

As CNet reports, the Steam Summer Sale is an opportune moment for Apple users to build their Mac OS X gaming library. Most of the sales are for Windows only, but that doesn't mean Steam has completely abandoned Mac gamers. And, of course, the games available for Apple's platform are significantly cheaper than in the App Store. Some of the best deals for Mac users include Assassin's Creed 2 for $4.99, as opposed to $24.99 in the App Store and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for $2.49 as versus the $19.99 Apple store price.

The entire sale runs until July 22, but some deals expire sooner. Be sure to check Steam's official website for new deals each day.

Software Call of Duty Sale