loyalty points / reward scheme

[pbrain69]

I've been reading through many forum threads and i get the impression many steam users only buy games during sales. As good as these sales are, we have to realise that developers can't survive on late bargain-bin revenue.

To encourage more people to pre-purchase or buy full price, how about a reward/token system for buying these games? Collect X amount of tokens and redeem them for another full price game. Maybe even make the tokens tradeable.

[GusTheCrocodile]

Why not let developers decide what developers need? If they are so unhappy with their sales profiles on Steam as you seem to assume they would be, surely they'd be pulling their games or something. Best let them adjust their pricing etc themselves rather than impose some top-down solution to a problem that may not exist.

Besides which, your system to get people not to get games for cheap involves giving away games for free? Isn't that a little contradictory?

[snapjak]

Originally Posted by pbrain69

I've been reading through many forum threads and i get the impression many steam users only buy games during sales. As good as these sales are, we have to realise that developers can't survive on late bargain-bin revenue.

Try telling that to Skyrim. It has consistently been in the top 10 since it's release, only dropping for sales and once CS:GO + Dawnguard were finally put on sale.

Also, read up on several of the indie titles that made more during one week of sales than during the rest of the year.

Gamers will buy when they want to buy. If they would only buy a game during a 75% off sale, then it's reasonable to believe that there wouldn't have been a purchase in the first place. Developers may in fact be getting MORE games moved because of them.

[pbrain69]

Originally Posted by GusTheCrocodile

Why not let developers decide what developers need? If they are so unhappy with their sales profiles on Steam as you seem to assume they would be, surely they'd be pulling their games or something. Best let them adjust their pricing etc themselves rather than impose some top-down solution to a problem that may not exist.

Besides which, your system to get people not to get games for cheap involves giving away games for free? Isn't that a little contradictory?

i never said developers are unhappy, reward/loyalty schemes are a proven sales technique. i was suggesting a token based reward where if a person buys a full priced game they recieve a token/star/badge etc which they can save or trade. Future full priced games could have a price in local currency or token amounts ie £29.99 or 10 tokens. So you're not giving the game away, in reality you've saved around 10% in long term...but it still feels good when you've reached enough tokens to get a AAA game for 'free'.
Also, developers don't need any involvement in this, it's purely a Steam sales exercise...everybody gets a positive from it.
Maybe as another suggestion, the tokens could be bought directly...this would help some gamers on a budget to be able to buy a AAA game on release rather than waiting several months for a sale.

[GusTheCrocodile]

I was only going on what you said: your justification was about helping developers survive was it not? I mean, why else bring it up? If you want to drop that pretends and just make it about wanting to get free stuff like pretty much every other time people bring up reward schemes, well, okay. I personally don't think the other justification - that Valve would make more money - is a good thing for consumers to be concerning themselves with.

As for buying them directly, why not just save the couple of bucks yourself and spend it when you can afford what you want? Or buy Steam Wallet credit?

[JP-U]

I don't think Valve will ever do this. For you though, I have an idea. If you need some extra cash for Steam, you can get some using this simple method.

1) Go get a glass jar.
2) Clean it out. Put it in your dishwasher.
3) Clean it with an alchoholic wipe.
4) Cover the sides in paper along with the top.
5) Cut a small rectangular opening in the top.
6) Every day, put some coins in there. I put all my change from 7-Eleven and other stores in there. I also pick up 'Lucky Pennies" and throw them in there.
7) Wait
8) Keep Waiting
9) Wait a bit more (You should be stuck on this step for like 3-4 months, or until your jar fills up)
10) Bring it to a walgreens or someplace that has those machines that give you cash for change.
11) Count up your cash.
12) Somehow get your cash to your Steam Wallet
13) Have a mini $10 shopping spree!

[pbrain69]

Originally Posted by JP-U

I don't think Valve will ever do this. For you though, I have an idea. If you need some extra cash for Steam, you can get some using this simple method.

1) Go get a glass jar.
2) Clean it out. Put it in your dishwasher.
3) Clean it with an alchoholic wipe.
4) Cover the sides in paper along with the top.
5) Cut a small rectangular opening in the top.
6) Every day, put some coins in there. I put all my change from 7-Eleven and other stores in there. I also pick up 'Lucky Pennies" and throw them in there.
7) Wait
8) Keep Waiting
9) Wait a bit more (You should be stuck on this step for like 3-4 months, or until your jar fills up)
10) Bring it to a walgreens or someplace that has those machines that give you cash for change.
11) Count up your cash.
12) Somehow get your cash to your Steam Wallet
13) Have a mini $10 shopping spree!

heh heh, i don't have patience for saving!(pre-ordered Borderlands 2, Darksiders 2 & Transformers FOC).
TBH, my motives are not for myself...i can buy any game whenever i want.
I would like the PC platform to be more attractive to developers. May be my perspective, but the current PC games don't get the attention or time spent on them, and some are quick ports of their Xbox or PS3 versions.
I'm a big fan of PC gaming & i really think Steam is the Dog's Dangles...i just believe more sales, more income for developers would (hopefully) result in better quality PC games.