why are steam games so expensive?

[-Eon-Tarkus]

Why are steam games so expensive even when its a sale?
I mean most games that are on "sale" on steam are even cheaper on cd key websites.
I mean I can pick most games on cd-key websites for under 10 dollars AUD while steam want at least 15 AUD for the same game.

Take Mortal Kombat 11 base game, I can get that game itself for 14 dollars AUD on a lot of CD-key sites, while steam want 35 AUD for the very same game. Even no mans sky is usually 24 AUD on most CD-key sites while steam want 47 dollars AUD for the same game.

Come on steam, stop ripping off ya customers will ya!

[Judgmental Amaterasu]

"ripping off" whatever floats your boat.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Ask the game devs/pubs why. They set the prices.

And most "cheap" sites are not as legitimate as you think.

[tmwfte]

Why does a site where the proceeds actually go to the developers/publishers cost more than a grey market site selling keys that effectively fell off the back of a truck!?

[Judgmental Amaterasu]

Originally posted by tmwfte:

Why does a site where the proceeds actually go to the developers/publishers cost more than a grey market site selling keys that effectively fell off the back of a truck!?

You mean reselling keys purchased with stolen credit card information is a BAD THING?!?

[Sifer2]

Just be thankful Steam still allows you to activate keys. As for the prices you can mostly blame whiners who demanded easy refunds. That meant the end of the daily deals, and flash deals which is where the real good prices were.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by Visually Impaired:

Are people in the comments above seriously questioning the validity of GMG, Fanatical etc? Yes, you have your dodgy key selling sites but then you also have legitimate online sellers. Games during a sale / promotion with online vendors are almost always cheaper than the Steam store version. Just recently I purchased Control Ultimate Edition through Steam at £17.49. Over on GMG it's £13.99. Mafia Definitive Edition £26.24. On GMG it was £20 or 21 on a flash sale during the Black Friday event. If you're buying in bulk during a sale that could easily net you more games or money saved when purchasing through another site. Those are just my recent examples but I have seen many games in the past £10-£15 cheaper with online vendors during sale periods.

We know the difference...

https://isthereanydeal.com/

[아줌마]

Haven't bought directly from Steam in a very long time because of this reason. As a broke college student, every dollar counts, so I don't really feel inclined to pay $10 more when I could pay less. It's ethically not the right thing to do, but that's the least of my worries as a studenr lol.

[rawWwRrr]

On average, the prices listed on Steam are no better or worse than what you find elsewhere.

However, if it is in your best interest to make the purchase of a game at it's lowest listed price, it is up to you to make the effort to find it. It may very well be Steam, or Epic, or GMG, or Humble, or Fanatical, wherever.

And if you've been buying video games for as long as some of us have, you could very well believe that you've gotten it at the best price possible only to find it on sale for a cheaper price later.

No one is forcing anyone to purchase games on Steam. Buy them from where ever is best for you.

[-Eon-Tarkus]

Originally posted by 아줌마:

Haven't bought directly from Steam in a very long time because of this reason. As a broke college student, every dollar counts, so I don't really feel inclined to pay $10 more when I could pay less. It's ethically not the right thing to do, but that's the least of my worries as a studenr lol.

Thank you my friend! I glad someone here gets it! Steam need to cheapen its games, not charge insane prices for them.

[Cathulhu]

Again, it's the developers/publishers setting the prices.
Supporting unauthorized resellers selling stolen or fraudulently acquired keys will not help the developer. It will actually hurt them.

Buy from authorized resellers and use sites like isthereanydeal.com to compare prices from fair marketplaces.

[-Eon-Tarkus]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

Again, it's the developers/publishers setting the prices.
Supporting unauthorized resellers selling stolen or fraudulently acquired keys will not help the developer. It will actually hurt them.

Buy from authorized resellers and use sites like isthereanydeal.com to compare prices from fair marketplaces.

Oh please, the developers/publishers have no say in price that steam asks for! They ask for a small price, and steam adds the rest. Its the case with No mans sky and Fallout 4! The developer of No mans sky only wanted 10 dollars for there copy, yet steam ended up charging over 50 for the product. Todd Howard and Pete Hines wanted to charge 20 bucks for fallout 4, so imagine there shock when steam wanted 90 bucks for fallout 4 on release, which is why Bethesda made there own platform, cause there were unhappy with all the profits going to Steam.

Cd-key sites are mostly legit, yes some are scammers, but most have a buy in bulk system that works. Valve have in most cases prime real estate in this matter, having the general bulk of the keys, and total control of the steam platform, yet charges the same price as retail, which doesn't bulk in the same amount of bulk as steam. Then there is the on top of charging max dollar for the game, is the over priced DLC! which most of the time should come with the game, that however is a different matter.

Steam need to start lowing the prices of games, and not make bad excuses as to why they won't.

[tmwfte]

Originally posted by -Eon-Tarkus:

Oh please, the developers/publishers have no say in price that steam asks for! They ask for a small price, and steam adds the rest. Its the case with No mans sky and Fallout 4! The developer of No mans sky only wanted 10 dollars for there copy, yet steam ended up charging over 50 for the product. Todd Howard and Pete Hines wanted to charge 20 bucks for fallout 4, so imagine there shock when steam wanted 90 bucks for fallout 4 on release, which is why Bethesda made there own platform, cause there were unhappy with all the profits going to Steam.

You, of course, have sources to back any of this up, right?

[Cathulhu]

Please show evidence for your claims. If Valve would actually do that, no one would sell on Steam.
Developers/Publishers have 100% control over the price. Steam/Valve only does a suggestion.

If Fallout 4 and No Man's Sky were supposed to be this cheap, then why did they cost the same in retail stores? Did they screw over the devs as well, or what?

[tmwfte]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

If Fallout 4 and No Man's Sky were supposed to be this cheap, then why did they cost the same in retail stores? Did they screw over the devs as well, or what?

Even their own store! Bethesda are screwing over themselves by setting the same price as everywhere else.

https://bethesda.net/en/store/product/FA4CSTPCDG01

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by -Eon-Tarkus:

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

Again, it's the developers/publishers setting the prices.
Supporting unauthorized resellers selling stolen or fraudulently acquired keys will not help the developer. It will actually hurt them.

Buy from authorized resellers and use sites like isthereanydeal.com to compare prices from fair marketplaces.

Oh please, the developers/publishers have no say in price that steam asks for!

And you have evidence of this right?

They ask for a small price, and steam adds the rest. Its the case with No mans sky and Fallout 4! The developer of No mans sky only wanted 10 dollars for there copy, yet steam ended up charging over 50 for the product.

[Citation Needed]

Todd Howard and Pete Hines wanted to charge 20 bucks for fallout 4, so imagine there shock when steam wanted 90 bucks for fallout 4 on release, which is why Bethesda made there own platform, cause there were unhappy with all the profits going to Steam.

[Citation Needed].
I mean lets be frank. No Fallout game has ever aunched for $20 m8. And keep in min what Did Bethesda price FO'76 for at launch?

Cd-key sites are mostly legit, yes some are scammers, but most have a buy in bulk system that works.

Those that buy in bulk are just third party retailers in most cases. Assuming they used legitimate means of purchasing those bulk keys.

Valve have in most cases prime real estate in this matter, having the general bulk of the keys, and total control of the steam platform, yet charges the same price as retail, which doesn't bulk in the same amount of bulk as steam.

Pricing Parity is a thing. Its actualy those retailers that are ikely keeping prices as high as they are. It's a clause in most distribution contracts that the distributor/producer is not allower to sell directy at a price lower than the stated MSRP/RRP for a certain period of time usually 3-6 months, which is not surprisingly about when you tend to see the base price for many games start to drop.

The fact that tthe prices drop klnda undermines your assertion right at the start. The fact that $20, $10, $5 and even $3 games exist on the platform says that Vave is not the one jacking up the prices.

Then there is the on top of charging max dollar for the game, is the over priced DLC! which most of the time should come with the game, that however is a different matter.

And strangely every other platform thats not Steam also charges the same base price.... amazing coincidence eh?

Steam need to start lowing the prices of games, and not make bad excuses as to why they won't.

Valve only controls the prices of the games they develop/publish m8.
That's the known truth.