Steam Game Sell-back

toshimoog · 03-09-2012, 04:33 PM

Sorry if this has been brought up before. I searched the forum yesterday and didn't see anything about it, so I thought I'd try.

Is there any consideration to implement a feature that allows Steam users to sell back games that they don't want any more (perhaps for "Steam credits" or something, giving back less than what the game costs to buy originally)? I thought this would be a nice feature to implement, so if players finish any games they own, they can "sell" them back in exchange for credit that they can spend on other games. Or, have you already considered this and agreed against it?

Thank you!

teH_angRy_nIgHt · 03-09-2012, 04:54 PM

I don't see how that works in the digital distribution scheme, economically, for Steam.

In a similar issue, they are already talking about enacting "activation" fees for resold, used, hard copy games because game stores are making money off the same copies of the game, with the developers/publishers left completely out. I'd have to agree with them. So it also opens a can of worms between Steam and publishers and developers.

Myself =P · 03-09-2012, 04:58 PM

Could work, Steam Wallet would serve for that, and they could send you email like steam guard to confirm, to avoid hackers and a number of security features

Pridit · 03-09-2012, 05:04 PM

But what's the benefit for Valve by implementing something like this? It's a win-lose situation.

Traci · 03-09-2012, 05:16 PM

I do not like your idea - Sorry.

kjath · 03-09-2012, 05:46 PM

this thread comes up every time someone buys a game they don't like.

Terrum · 03-09-2012, 07:57 PM

This is why demos exist.

DarkVenom · 03-09-2012, 08:28 PM

would be nice to have something like this

GeneralMuffin · 03-10-2012, 05:49 PM

How about more available demos?

Derp-Master · 03-10-2012, 06:28 PM

You can't sell back a download >.>

BattleAxe_604 · 03-10-2012, 08:01 PM

I did a thread a while back about a "trade-in program". I think they should have some sort of incentive program like this. There are alot of people in threads like this that can't wrap their heads around this concept because we're talking about digital copies. A trade-in program could work by offering something as a credit to put towards other games. For example, maybe if they were to offer you anywhere from 25 cents - $2 for which ever game it is that you want to trade in. It wouldn't be very much money, but it would benefit customers like me who buy lots of games from Steam. They could even regulate it so that trade-in credits can't be used for more than 50% of the value of the game that you are trying to buy with them.

I would never expect to get any kind of large percentage of my money back from a game that I've purchase new for $50 or anything, I just think that people who buy lots of games would appreciate some kind of a reward for being a good customer of Steam. A reward system would be a sort of marketing program in a way. News of this would spread like wildfire, and I think it would keep steam at the forefront of the digital distribution business. Its another way for Steam to offer something that nobody else does. Valve is an inovator in the games industry, so I don't think theres any doubt that they would be looking at something like this.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forum....php?t=1623020

teH_angRy_nIgHt · 03-11-2012, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BattleAxe_604

I did a thread a while back about a "trade-in program". I think they should have some sort of incentive program like this. There are alot of people in threads like this that can't wrap their heads around this concept because we're talking about digital copies. A trade-in program could work by offering something as a credit to put towards other games. For example, maybe if they were to offer you anywhere from 25 cents -

okay ..okay. Here's the thing. How does Steam make any money from this?

I don't think they are under a circumstance that they can sell back, idk, the keys? Do they really run out keys? Unless the company stops sending them? I don't know how their deals with publisher's work. Do you?

Bilateralrope · 03-11-2012, 11:05 PM

Lets say a game costs x, and would get a refund of y under this proposal. What does selling back offer anyone over not allowing sell-backs and just selling the game at x-y in the first place ?

Whats to stop publishers saying "We sell at x elsewhere, but since Steam lets people claim y back, we charge x+y on Steam ?
They already charge the same price on Steam that they do for copies on disk, despite lower costs for digital distribution.

Sell-backs mean there will be people who regret selling their game. So they clog Steam support with attempts to get it back.

Then you need to think of people who get their accounts stolen and their game library sold for the profit of whoever stole the account.

If you have a game installed that you don't have permission to run (say, after a free weekend), Steam doesn't offer an easy way to uninstall it. This only gets worse if Steam allows sell-backs.

How should Valve handle store bought games that require Steam ?

OugaBooga · 03-12-2012, 04:37 PM

Dumb idea, would NEVER work, TOO much of a hassle with no real profit.
Steam is here to make $ not lose it with customer support issues this would cause.

Stevontoast · 03-13-2012, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pridit

But what's the benefit for Valve by implementing something like this? It's a win-lose situation.

Explain how store credit works. Do companies that do that also lose out right away? No!
Customers buy things with their store credit because they have it!
It's pretty much the same, they refund you a percentage which you are only allowed to use within Steam.
It's not win-lose...
It's win-takes a little longer to win as the customer needs to buy something else.

03-09-2012, 04:33 PM	#1
toshimoog Join Date: Mar 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 2	Steam Game Sell-back Sorry if this has been brought up before. I searched the forum yesterday and didn't see anything about it, so I thought I'd try. Is there any consideration to implement a feature that allows Steam users to sell back games that they don't want any more (perhaps for "Steam credits" or something, giving back less than what the game costs to buy originally)? I thought this would be a nice feature to implement, so if players finish any games they own, they can "sell" them back in exchange for credit that they can spend on other games. Or, have you already considered this and agreed against it? Thank you!

03-09-2012, 05:04 PM	#4
Pridit Join Date: Apr 2008 Reputation: 27 Posts: 350	But what's the benefit for Valve by implementing something like this? It's a win-lose situation. Last edited by Pridit: 03-09-2012 at 05:14 PM.

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03-09-2012, 04:54 PM	#2
teH_angRy_nIgHt Join Date: Nov 2008 Reputation: 12 Posts: 440	I don't see how that works in the digital distribution scheme, economically, for Steam. In a similar issue, they are already talking about enacting "activation" fees for resold, used, hard copy games because game stores are making money off the same copies of the game, with the developers/publishers left completely out. I'd have to agree with them. So it also opens a can of worms between Steam and publishers and developers.

03-09-2012, 04:58 PM	#3
Myself =P Join Date: Jul 2010 Reputation: 452 Posts: 1,370	Could work, Steam Wallet would serve for that, and they could send you email like steam guard to confirm, to avoid hackers and a number of security features

03-09-2012, 05:16 PM	#5
Traci Join Date: Dec 2011 Reputation: 64 Posts: 290	I do not like your idea - Sorry.

03-09-2012, 05:46 PM	#6
kjath Join Date: Oct 2010 Reputation: 95 Posts: 386	this thread comes up every time someone buys a game they don't like.

03-09-2012, 07:57 PM	#7
Terrum Join Date: May 2006 Reputation: 20 Posts: 434	This is why demos exist.

03-09-2012, 08:28 PM	#8
DarkVenom Join Date: Nov 2003 Reputation: 9 Posts: 564	would be nice to have something like this

03-10-2012, 05:49 PM	#9
GeneralMuffin Join Date: Dec 2011 Reputation: 0 Posts: 26	How about more available demos?

03-10-2012, 06:28 PM	#10
Derp-Master Join Date: Aug 2011 Reputation: 168 Posts: 639	You can't sell back a download >.>

03-10-2012, 08:01 PM	#11
BattleAxe_604 Join Date: Jun 2010 Reputation: 128 Posts: 253	I did a thread a while back about a "trade-in program". I think they should have some sort of incentive program like this. There are alot of people in threads like this that can't wrap their heads around this concept because we're talking about digital copies. A trade-in program could work by offering something as a credit to put towards other games. For example, maybe if they were to offer you anywhere from 25 cents - $2 for which ever game it is that you want to trade in. It wouldn't be very much money, but it would benefit customers like me who buy lots of games from Steam. They could even regulate it so that trade-in credits can't be used for more than 50% of the value of the game that you are trying to buy with them. I would never expect to get any kind of large percentage of my money back from a game that I've purchase new for $50 or anything, I just think that people who buy lots of games would appreciate some kind of a reward for being a good customer of Steam. A reward system would be a sort of marketing program in a way. News of this would spread like wildfire, and I think it would keep steam at the forefront of the digital distribution business. Its another way for Steam to offer something that nobody else does. Valve is an inovator in the games industry, so I don't think theres any doubt that they would be looking at something like this. http://forums.steampowered.com/forum....php?t=1623020

03-11-2012, 11:05 PM	#13
Bilateralrope Join Date: Dec 2010 Reputation: 176 Posts: 973	Lets say a game costs x, and would get a refund of y under this proposal. What does selling back offer anyone over not allowing sell-backs and just selling the game at x-y in the first place ? Whats to stop publishers saying "We sell at x elsewhere, but since Steam lets people claim y back, we charge x+y on Steam ? They already charge the same price on Steam that they do for copies on disk, despite lower costs for digital distribution. Sell-backs mean there will be people who regret selling their game. So they clog Steam support with attempts to get it back. Then you need to think of people who get their accounts stolen and their game library sold for the profit of whoever stole the account. If you have a game installed that you don't have permission to run (say, after a free weekend), Steam doesn't offer an easy way to uninstall it. This only gets worse if Steam allows sell-backs. How should Valve handle store bought games that require Steam ?

03-12-2012, 04:37 PM	#14
OugaBooga Join Date: Aug 2010 Reputation: 1 Posts: 244	Dumb idea, would NEVER work, TOO much of a hassle with no real profit. Steam is here to make $ not lose it with customer support issues this would cause.