the name should be preferred STEAL instead.

in a nutshell; since steam updated their on-line pricing, the games are now ridiculously overpriced!!! valve is practically robbing their customers and getting filthy rich with steam.
let's take an example, which probably isn't even the most flamboyant one out there : left 4 dead 2. all prices are dated 12th of march 2010 by the way.

steam price................ 49,99e
local gamestore price..36,40e
play.com price............ 23,49e

does this seem logical to you? shouldn't the downloadable steam versions of games be at least a little bit cheaper, because they have much less expenses to manufacture and sell than their retail versions? marketing and pricing department has gone totally apesh*t here in my opinion. even with occasional steam SUPER-MEGA-LOW-LOW-DISCOUNTS, the prices are often still higher compared to those manual-containing neatly packaged retail games which you find on store shelves. oh, and they do look nice in your collection next to other ones you've bought.

there are many other things horribly wrong with steam, but it would take all day for me to rant about them and in my opinion, pricing is the worst one. that's the reason I made this group, as a statement of mine. if you agree with me on this, feel free to join. maybe this will start the next silent revolution against over-the-top game pricing ;)