Extra copies

[Meety]

I just bought a THQ pack and some of the games I already have, at first I thought I would recieve extra copies so I could gift some of them to my friends. But it didn't put the extras in my inventory, instead it just didn't give them to me. Was this supposed to happen?

[Lazyj85]

i had the same issue with the valve pack can anyone explain why we didnt get the extra copies

[Starkzard]

You sure it didn't say you would not get any extra copies right before purchasing it? I bought the Darksiders Franchise and it clearly warned me that.

[Hardkorny]

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4502-TPJL-2656

[Spawn of Totoro]

Unless stated on the games/bundle/pack store page, the game does not incluse extra copies. Very few games ever do.

It is up to the publisher/developer to include extra copies or not.

[Badshooter 270]

If you buy from amazon can you enter the code in as a 'gift' so you can trade the extra copies yourself?

[Hardkorny]

Originally posted by Badshooter 270:

If you buy from amazon can you enter the code in as a 'gift' so you can trade the extra copies yourself?

No

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by HardKorn:

Originally posted by Badshooter 270:

If you buy from amazon can you enter the code in as a 'gift' so you can trade the extra copies yourself?

No

This. Unless you get a key for every game, it is an all or nothing buy.

[DyingJustice]

I just spent a lengthy amount of time debating with Steam Representatives about this issue. In a simplistic view if I purchase a package (in a retail store) that offers 8 items and I want to keep some and gift others then its a simple as that. Yet Steam seems to think of that as outrageous and absurd. Why wouldn't you want to offer the same flexibility as your competition?

Also, Steam Store Sales/Bundles can be misrepresented by saying a bundle includes "X" items, but is delivered only as 1 item. This allows someone to assume that they would receive an additional copy that they could send out before activating on their account. It would be much simpler to have each purchase delivered to your account as an inventory item that you could either unpack and use on your account or send off to another user.

Additionally when you have an extra copy of the game steam provides you a with a code to use to activate it, but it is never used because the game has already been activated on your account. So if I don't technically activate the item why shouldn't it become a giftable item. Seems like a practical request.

For those of us burned before and those who are still bound to find out about these policies the hard way please Steam, please, please change your policy. Let us have what we paid for. Otherwise you will burn bridges with many of us and send your previous customers to the nearest retailer or other digital download client.

[gnoj]

Originally posted by DyingJustice:

snip

Yea, this is probably my biggest gripe with Steam sales. Amazon and other retailers have received much more of my business this year because they will give you separate keys in bundles that you can do whatever you want with (gift/trade/sell/activate later). Kudos for trying to talk some sense into them, but a business this big will rarely listen unless they start to feel a pinch financially. So until they change the policy and give you all the games you pay for, I'll continue to look first at other places for such deals before I turn to Steam, and I encourage others to do the same.

[Carmah]

Originally posted by DyingJustice:

if I purchase a package (in a retail store) that offers 8 items and I want to keep some and gift others then its a simple as that.

Can you post a Google Maps link that tells me where I can find a Steam retail store within 1000 miles of where I live? I want to test your theory out.
Heck, go 5000 miles....I feel like a road trip.

Honestly though, any new person should spend 5 minutes on the forums or read a FAQ and they'd understand this. If people purchasing on Steam for a while still run into this issue, then I don't know what to say.

[ItzHawkie]

Originally posted by teshra:

Originally posted by DyingJustice:

if I purchase a package (in a retail store) that offers 8 items and I want to keep some and gift others then its a simple as that.

Can you post a Google Maps link that tells me where I can find a Steam retail store within 1000 miles of where I live? I want to test your theory out.
Heck, go 5000 miles....I feel like a road trip.

Honestly though, any new person should spend 5 minutes on the forums or read a FAQ and they'd understand this. If people purchasing on Steam for a while still run into this issue, then I don't know what to say.

thats the thing though we shouldnt have to read about not getting the games we payd for if somone buys a bundle common sense is that if we allready own the item we should be able to send it to a friend as a gift seeing as somone payd for it its not like it wasnt paid for so why shouldnt we get the product that we paid for ?
i think its somthing steam should look into changing in the future for a few reasons one being bundles would sell more with older steam users since they can gift the games they allready have to there friends that dont have it .

[Cheems]

it clearly said at the bottom before purchace you wnt receive this certain game told me when i bought thq bundle it was metro 2033 by the way

[Dinky]

Originally posted by DyingJustice:

stuff

"Steam" (the company is actually Valve) doesn't make 98% of these decisions on whether or not you get extra copies with your bundles. Most of the Valve game bundles give you extra copies.

The decision to give you extra copies of games you already have when you buy a pack is left to the publisher, not Valve. Whoever publishes the pack you're not getting extra copies from is who you need to complain to. Making tickets on Steam Support about this just takes time away from people that actually need help, since there's nothing they can do about it.

[gnoj]

Originally posted by zOMGREI:

Originally posted by DyingJustice:

stuff

...The decision to give you extra copies of games you already have when you buy a pack is left to the publisher, not Valve. Whoever publishes the pack you're not getting extra copies from is who you need to complain to...

Do you really think Valve has so little power that they have to kowtow to whatever the publishers want to do? This is not some small outfit- they are a major corporation with plenty of leverage if they choose to utilize it. They can negotiate policies with publishers when it's to their advantage- for example, by mandating all DLC for a game be made available through Steam alongside the core game (see: Crysis 2; EA balked, but nearly every other publisher eventually fell in line).

The real reason nothing has changed is because it is not in publisher's or Valve's financial interests to give people everything they paid for, since that means less sales overall. We as consumers have allowed them to get away with something they wouldn't be able to in a retail setting, and DyingJustice did just the right thing by speaking up to a party very much involved in the process of deciding these things. If everyone did what he did I imagine Valve would feel more compelled to change its tune and put pressure on the publishers (which would be much greater than the pressure any single consumer out there could apply) to actually give people every game that they paid for.

[Dodon]

Maybe Valve COULD pressure publishers to do what they want.

But I wouldn't want Valve to. It's good that Valve gives them as much reign over how the games are distributed as they do. I wouldn't want them bullying small-time Indie developers into selling their games in a way that they wouldn't want, and I think it's only fair that they treat every one of their clients that way.

If you want to complain, go complain to the publisher. Or better yet, just do your own damn research next time- and heed the WARNING that the site gave you- and realize that it was your own fault that the mistake happened. Don't demand that Valve turns their distribution service into a fascist exercise of control.