How Steam can save money and have happy customers

[Solarstrike]

Make it a requirement that developers and publishers provide demo's of their games. This would cut back of the amount of refunds requested. For example, i bought a game using my Steam Wallet funds, played the game for 11 minutes and did not like it. I requested a refund which according to Steam, will be refunded in 7 days. If i had the demo of the game, Steam wouldn't have to send me my money back.

Instead of punishing people by making them wait for a refund, a demo should consist of:

-at least 15-30 minute demo game time which shows the core elements of the software

-detailed and specific information as to how the software works; through visual, auditory, braile (3D printers can print braile) , or anything in between in order to provide an accurate representation for the customer(s)

-implement an achievement system, cards, background art, etc. for the amount of demo's played in relation to the game's they purchased by playing the demo. This would give incentive, customer satisfaction, and enhance Steam's overall quality

[cinedine]

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

Publicado originalmente por Gwarsbane:

Because the OP seems to think the opposite....

http://kotaku.com/demos-are-great-for-gamers-not-so-great-for-game-sales-608603895

"Kotaku" is no source of business information.

Kotaku is a newsoutlet, not an analytical institute.

The data, gathered by analytics firm EEDAR, shows the average sales for an Xbox 360 game promoted only by a trailer to be 525,000 over six months. Add a demo to the mix, and the average drops to 250,000. Even keeping in mind that these figures include blockbuster titles with no need for a demo and games that added demos after the first six months, the number is still pretty substantial.

EEDAR[en.wikipedia.org] however is.

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

Valve employees confirmed lmao. Quality control would be too much work, huh? Seriously, does anyone not see the positive of the topic? The negativity in the business world is so dark, it's like cancer.

Ignoring reality is not helpful.
Steam has to pay for bandwidth, developers have to pay for making demos. They do not only not translate into more sales but actually deter people from buying the game. Therefore both parties actively lose money.

[Solarstrike]

Publicado originalmente por Gwarsbane:

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

Valve employees confirmed lmao. Quality control would be too much work, huh?

This is the same claim people who are wrong who don't want to admit they are wrong, seem to like to make around here. None of us work for Valve.

Do you support bad quality games? How is the thread opener confusing or not understandable. Look at some of the upcoming/soon to be released games.

[Solarstrike]

Publicado originalmente por cinedine:

Ignoring reality is not helpful.
Steam has to pay for bandwidth, developers have to pay for making demos. They do not only not translate into more sales but actually deter people from buying the game. Therefore both parties actively lose money.

The amount of money made in the video gaming industry by publishers and distributors, including Valve, would have been more than enough to create a global ISP specifically for the video gaming industry. But because they wasted their money on refunds (and other pleasures) due to allowing bad quality games, educated people like myself shouldn't be viewed as out of touch. We are the ones whom usually say "I told you so" in the end.

The problem in the gaming industry still, the lack of publishers working together to sustain the industry. It has allowed companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft to gain a secure foothold for which they will ultimately have control and the most money.

[cinedine]

Refund don't cost nearly as much money as you think. If the refund comes quick enough, it's only a matter of cancelling the transaction. Else the banking fees are not hurting as much as the loss of a sale.

You also exaggerate the "problem" of bad quality game. They don't sell nearly as much as people think.
I'm still surprised everyone and their mother is talking about "Valve beats down on fake games" with Jim Sterling's and TotalBiscuit's videos. And ignore what they said about bad games - they are not obfuscating good games and don't get nearly as much exposure as people credit them for. Because guess what: even Steam's users are not this braindead yet to buy any game that comes across.

[Solarstrike]

Publicado originalmente por cinedine:

Refund don't cost nearly as much money as you think. If the refund comes quick enough, it's only a matter of cancelling the transaction. Else the banking fees are not hurting as much as the loss of a sale.

You also exaggerate the "problem" of bad quality game. They don't sell nearly as much as people think.
I'm still surprised everyone and their mother is talking about "Valve beats down on fake games" with Jim Sterling's and TotalBiscuit's videos. And ignore what they said about bad games - they are not obfuscating good games and don't get nearly as much exposure as people credit them for. Because guess what: even Steam's users are not this braindead yet to buy any game that comes across.

I didn't want to state the example specifics, but i'm going to have to now. I bought the "Northgard" game. From the video(s) and pictures it looked like great RTS game. Upon playing it, it's poor quality. As if like a cellphone game. Also, there's NO females in the game, which isn't stated on the advertisment page. I have over 430 games (not that many) on Steam with no habbit of returning/refunding games. My friends and family are all gamers. I've nothing but respect for the industry and am not seeking to discredit nor unpset anyone.

If there was a demo available, this thread probably wouldn't exist.

[Narcoleptic Marshmallow]

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

Also, there's NO females in the game

Now I'm curious, why on earth does a game with no females in it needs to explicitly point that out?

[Wolf Knight]

If steam says All games must have a demo, game dev's will stop using Steam to sell their games since other platforms dont require them.

Please tell us how this is going to help game sales and save money?

[Solarstrike]

Publicado originalmente por Narcoleptic Marshmallow:

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

Also, there's NO females in the game

Now I'm curious, why on earth does a game with no females in it needs to explicitly point that out?

Because a lot of people whom bought the game probably wouldn't have, if they would have known. What's wrong with having females in games?

[Solarstrike]

Publicado originalmente por Wolf Knight:

If steam says All games must have a demo, game dev's will stop using Steam to sell their games since other platforms dont require them.

Please tell us how this is going to help game sales and save money?

"tell us". Don't speak down to me, bud. Read the OP.

[Narcoleptic Marshmallow]

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

Because a lot of people whom bought the game probably wouldn't have, if they would have known. What's wrong with having females in games?

How many is "a lot"? And what's wrong with not having females in games?

You expect someone to make a 15 mins demo and you expect them to show whether a game has both genders in these 15 minutes as opposed to less important things such as gameplay and features?

[Wolf Knight]

How does your idea affect Early Access games? They are being developed but are available for sale.

When would a Dev be required to put the demo on Steam? Before the game is release? within a month of release?

Do they need to keep the Demo updated to match the game? Games change, some systems get removed because they dont work well, some get added, some get altered.

you still havent answered the question I asked.

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

Publicado originalmente por Wolf Knight:

If steam says All games must have a demo, game dev's will stop using Steam to sell their games since other platforms dont require them.

Please tell us how this is going to help game sales and save money?

"tell us". Don't speak down to me, bud. Read the OP.

Never spoke down to you, you read into something that wasnt there. The question remains.

[Solarstrike]

Publicado originalmente por Narcoleptic Marshmallow:

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

Because a lot of people whom bought the game probably wouldn't have, if they would have known. What's wrong with having females in games?

How many is "a lot"? And what's wrong with not having females in games?

You expect someone to make a 15 mins demo and you expect them to show whether a game has both genders in these 15 minutes as opposed to less important things such as gameplay and features?

Maybe go read the forums for the game. I didn't like the game for other reasons as well. That's all i'm going to say.

[Narcoleptic Marshmallow]

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

Maybe go read the forums for the game. I didn't like the game for other reasons as well. That's all i'm going to say.

Why would I? I have no interest in that game.

You're going to need better arguments than "that's all I'm going to say" to back a suggestion that has been beaten into oblivion multiple times before.

[cinedine]

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

I didn't want to state the example specifics, but i'm going to have to now. I bought the "Northgard" game. From the video(s) and pictures it looked like great RTS game.

Early Access game with a very positive recent (88%) and overall (91%) score which is labeled as City Builder, looks like a city builder and shows gameplay video in the second trailer which looks quite a lot like Settlers.

That is by no means a bad game or an example of bad quality. It's an example of "you not liking things". And proof that a game would have lost them a sale.

For the next time:
The topic is all wrong. You have to make a thread about Early Access game being the cancer of Steam or demand the refund restriction to be lifted. That's how we do things around here.

[Dr. Fronkensteen]

Publicado originalmente por Solarstrike:

Quality Games 101:

Publisher: Has a really bad game but is promoted and advertised as good quality. Pictures, video(s), etc. Publisher knows the game is of bad quality. Game costs $29.99. No demo available.

Customers buy the game and dislike it. An influx of refund(s) arrive.

Synopsis:

If there was a demo available, poor quality would rid itself and not supported by the customer. A clean and quality filled gaming environment arises.

You're missing a key fact though. Not everyone will refund. I'd go as far to say that even if the game is horrible, 30-40% still won't bother refunding it, and even more will wait past the limits for it to 'get better'.

If there is a demo showing this terrible gameplay, then those people won't even buy the game in the first place. Customers win, but not the industry.

Someonr else mentioned this also, with gaming companies pulling a bait and switch, with a fabulous demo, but then the shipped game is nothing like that. Then you just have pissed off consumers, and most likely, a much more restrictive refund policy they won't be able to turn to.