Complementary vs. Purchased?

[HunterKiller]

Why am I finding games in my Account Details, listed as Complementary when I have purchased them? They should read as; Steam or, Retail, not Complimentary.

I'm also finding games listed in my Games list that are the same games in my Inventory that I have yet decided if I want to keep them or, gift them.

If that option has been removed then, I want a refund for them.

[Acey]

What I tink "Complimentary" is a different way you got the game. Are you sure that all the games that is Complimentary is bought directly through Steam? or retail?

F2P always seems to be Complimentary

[HunterKiller]

I know what you are saying and I know what games I purchased. I screen shot every step when purchasing any game here or, anywhere else for my own personal reasons. Since this last Steam update, nothing in my games list looks the same.

[Kargor]

Do you have a name for a game that is "completementary", but you think it should be "retail"?

So far, my impression has been that "complimentary" is when you get the game as a free giveaway through the store. External keys are always "Retail".

As an exception, when I used the Borderlands Granting Tool on my retail-DVD, the resulting game was registered as "Complimentary" as well. So, I'm guessing "Complimentary" is everything that's not a regular purchase or key.

[Vox]

Yeah it does this for me
Half-Life 2: Episode One Complimentary
Half-Life 2 Retail Standard Complimentary
Half-Life Platinum Pack Complimentary

All 3 are retail purchases

[Forcen]

Originally posted by Labyrinth:

Yeah it does this for me
Half-Life 2: Episode One Complimentary
Half-Life 2 Retail Standard Complimentary
Half-Life Platinum Pack Complimentary

All 3 are retail purchases

Same for me and some older purchases, maybe they can't tell the difference because it was a long time ago. They maybe didn't differentiate how you got the license then.

What is there to worry about?

[Kargor]

Originally posted by Forcen:

Same for me and some older purchases, maybe they can't tell the difference because it was a long time ago. They maybe didn't differentiate how you got the license then.

All Valve as well? Thing is, Valve hasn't properly separated Steam from their own games, and it is very well possible that their own keys behave slightly different from anyone elses keys for some reason that only Valve might or might not know.

I doubt that "time" has anything to do with that. I'm pretty sure they can tell exactly what kind of box a key was included with.

[HunterKiller]

All I know is, I just pruchased Risen II a week or so ago as a gift due to not knowing sure of I really want to pay it or not? I have some other games the same and now, after looking through my account, I have it lissted as complimentary and it's also been added to my game list and it's also in my inventory.

I stopped buying all my games as, Purchase for myself and started buying the as Gifts unless, I wanted to install them right away. I know what I have purchased to play and/or, as a gift.

I also tend to give out games to friends from time to time.

[Dendrobates Tinctorius]

Originally posted by Kargor:

All Valve as well? Thing is, Valve hasn't properly separated Steam from their own games, and it is very well possible that their own keys behave slightly different from anyone elses keys for some reason that only Valve might or might not know.

I doubt that "time" has anything to do with that. I'm pretty sure they can tell exactly what kind of box a key was included with.

I don't have any really old non-valve games, but here are a couple of my earliest items:
Left 4 Dead Retail Retail
The Orange Box Retail Complimentary

All the valve games before the orange box are also complimentary. The complimentaries after are basically:
free giveaways
automatically included free dlc
f2p

I'm pretty sure Forcen is mostly right in that how certain old key activations were recorded is different from how more recent ones are recorded.

[Tito Shivan]

If i recall correctly, 'Complimentary' means the game was added to your account -via activating a Steam gift, or adding a temporary offer game (like get for free limited-time offers) whereas 'Purchased' means it was purchased directly to your account (as in 'purchase for myself' at checkout)

[Kargor]

Originally posted by Tito Shivan:

If i recall correctly, 'Complimentary' means the game was added to your account -via activating a Steam gift

I only have one gift on my account, but it is listed as "Gift/guest pass", not "Complimentary" :-)

[HunterKiller]

Guessing, all of you. Not answering my question. I already know those differences.

[aiusepsi]

What's going on is that a while back, Valve wrote a new version of their system for keeping track of licenses and purchases, and imported the data in to that new system from the old system. Everything that got imported is marked as complimentary.

It's really nothing to worry about.

[Forcen]

What was your actual problem? You can't use the gifts in your inventory?