Steam points Are you kidding!?

[ParrotHairGuy]

I have seen the points i have gained for spending cash on products. I can get totally useless stuff for me. Icons, avatars so I get that. How about actually rewarding purchases? Beeing able to spend the points to buy games and or useful things not just fluff. I find it just insulting. a pat on the head is the similarity. The points should be rewards not a joke. so why not make the points into money in our steam wallets instead so we can actually GET something for them. Or something that can actually be transferred into physical rewards. So I as a paying customer actually feel rewarded. To some the rewards are fine in guessing ages -13 but i am above +40 so some icon does not for me feel lite i\m being rewarded.

1: Make the points into cash so it can be spent on products
2: Keep the icons and fluff for people who care about such things.
3: Physical gifts in i dunno tshirts or merch.

Sincerely
ParrotHairGuy

[UX1∴73C]

Steam points are no better than Reddit points; they're worthless.

[76561198407601200]

Publicado originalmente por ParrotHairGuy:

1: Make the points into cash so it can be spent on products
3: Physical gifts in i dunno tshirts or merch.

Where is that money going to come from to pay for that? When a game is purchased, all involved with the game get their cut, valve gets theirs. That cut has to be used for various things such as paying employees, work (supplies, equipment, licenses, etc). The "cash" to spend or the merch have to come from somewhere. Once you start working, you will realize the flaw in your suggestion.

[Tito Shivan]

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

Valve suggests a price according to each region, the base price is set by devs, but they usually accept the prices suggested by valve for each region which is why games can costs less in some places. They do this to save time, and this is also the reason the same game or program could cost half in a different region.

So as I said pricing and discounts are set up by the developers. Never by Steam.

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

The steam market, where collectibles can be traded for money wont allow to spend in "the competition": spending is limited to steam and the market. The points could also generate cents. Theres no way to spend steam funds in the competition (other online stores like epic or gog): its limited to the store and places like the steam market. The same could be true for the point store.

The Steam marketplace is not a loyalty system.

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

They are integrated into the same system, and are antagonistic because both offer the same items, but without the same freedoms.

Ergo they're not the same product. As I said different systems for different targets.

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

the point store drives away people from the market

Citation needed.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

I think the idea behind trading cards was that they could be sold for "cash back" in the form of store credit.

[JPMcMillen]

Publicado originalmente por Quint the Alligator Snapper:

I think the idea behind trading cards was that they could be sold for "cash back" in the form of store credit.

They are sold to other users with Steam wallet funds, not directly back to Steam. In fact, Valve keeps a small cut of those sales, thereby removing wallet funds from circulation and into their own account. Even converting cards into gems either creates something to be sold to other users (sacks of gems) or to create boosters to get more cards.

[@R+5]

Publicado originalmente por Tito Shivan:

So as I said pricing and discounts are set up by the developers. Never by Steam.

You arent wrong, but i was also right: devs decide at the end, but steam makes suggestions about how prices should be adapted to different regions, and devs are happy to follow them since they work to make sales. Anyway, if devs can follow valve and steam suggestions about pricing, offering discounts or similar reward to get funds shouldnt be a problem.

it promotes consumption, and many users when have a few dollars or cents ocassionally try luck with cheap games, games with big discounts or indie games, which is also good for small devs.

If devs didnt follow steam recommended practices, it wouldnt matter in which currency we can buy games: prices would be converted (rather than adapted). A game in mexico costs usually half of what costs in usa, in steam; the same is true for eu contries vs russia.

Publicado originalmente por Tito Shivan:

The Steam marketplace is not a loyalty system.

It isnt, but the point store competes with the market when both offer the same items. If the "loyalty system" as you describe it offered exclusive content rather than recycling what can be traded in the market, it wouldnt matter, and wouldnt make sense what op is suggesting.

Either the point store allows selling and trading the current non-exclusive items for $, offers a system to trade points for discounts (even if they are cents) or the point store changes the approach to offer exclusive content to stop competing with the market, or one is going to replace the other (and losing the possibility to trade cards, emoticons, etc for cheap games will end).

Its logical, and valve knows it: they wouldnt have wrote that the market will remain even with the point store around, if they havent thought themselves this could be looked as an issue.

[Crazy Tiger]

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

It isnt, but the point store competes with the market when both offer the same items. If the "loyalty system" as you describe it offered exclusive content rather than recycling what can be traded in the market, it wouldnt matter, and wouldnt make sense what op is suggesting.

Developers and publishers opt in with what items they want in the points shop. And the point shop has exclusive items, namely the animated avatars, backgrounds, mini-profiles, etc.

The points shop is relatively new. More and more exclusive items are getting on the store. Recently I noticed, for example, that the game Hades has a nice animated mini-profile background on it. Overcooked 2 also has newer items. It's growing, and with it the exclusivity of it.

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

Either the point store allows selling and trading the current non-exclusive items for $, offers a system to trade points for discounts (even if they are cents) or the point store changes the approach to offer exclusive content to stop competing with the market, or one is going to replace the other (and losing the possibility to trade cards, emoticons, etc for cheap games will end).

Or both can exist next ot each other without issue, as they cater to different audiences.

One is for non-traders and profile decoraters and works through loyalty points, the other is for traders and works through actual currency.

[Tito Shivan]

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

You arent wrong, but i was also right: devs decide at the end, but steam makes suggestions about how prices should be adapted to different regions, and devs are happy to follow them since they work to make sales. Anyway, if devs can follow valve and steam suggestions about pricing, offering discounts or similar reward to get funds shouldnt be a problem.

Same can be said about market studies or looking at what other developers price their game like. Thing is we can't never know exactly why a dev is pricing the game as they do.

I'm also missing stats on how many devs actually follow Steam regional pricing suggestions.

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

If devs didnt follow steam recommended practices, it wouldnt matter in which currency we can buy games: prices would be converted (rather than adapted). A game in mexico costs usually half of what costs in usa, in steam; the same is true for eu contries vs russia.

But that's for regional pricing, not currency conversion. The problem of not having regional pricing means that games are often overpriced in their final currencies and economies (Which was the problem for ages in regions like Russia. Buying US priced games was too expensive)

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

It isnt, but the point store competes with the market when both offer the same items. If the "loyalty system" as you describe it offered exclusive content rather than recycling what can be traded in the market, it wouldnt matter, and wouldnt make sense what op is suggesting.

It doesn't compete. And the Points shop actually offers exclusive items (Golden profile, animated avatars/wallpapers)

-You can buy any item in the marketplace/only items from games you own can be bought in the Points store
-Marketplace items are tradable and have resale value/Item points stuff isn't tradable
-Marketplace items don't require game purchases/Steam point items do.

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

Either the point store allows selling and trading the current non-exclusive items for $, offers a system to trade points for discounts (even if they are cents) or the point store changes the approach to offer exclusive content to stop competing with the market, or one is going to replace the other (and losing the possibility to trade cards, emoticons, etc for cheap games will end).

Steam has been testing for years the points-for-discounts scheme already during every Steam sale. In the last one they made the discount automatic. That should give everyone a hint. We'll see if now than the Steam points shop is permanent they come back to the points-for-voucher scheme or they maintain the automated discount route.

Also there's already exclusive points shop items out there. Aside from the golden profiles or animated wallpapers Rogue squadron offers exclusive profile avatars/profile pic borders for preordering the game. We must not forget the points shop is pretty much new and content right now is barebone (it's basically content ported from the marketplace). It's not too far fetched to see developers adding point shop specific content in the future as a bonus for buying the game (If you buy the game you can get animated avatars that won't be in the marketplace)

[Supafly]

How about you get the option to either use points for discounts on games but you can't ever buy games at discounted prices. Obviously you can only gain store points from full priced purchases.

OR

Don't get any points what so ever but keep the ability to buy games on offer.


Points are nothing more than cosmetic stuff. Until recently you didn't get them. You just want more free ****.

[/.]

I think having physical merch as an option in the points shop could be a cool idea.

(probably for a large yet reasonable sum of points)

[kitt]

Publicado originalmente por Ƥlatinum Ⱥngel:

I think having physical merch as an option in the points shop could be a cool idea.

(probably for a large yet reasonable sum of points)

who will pay the shipping? let me guess the Company who made the Game or VALVE? i doubt you offer the 30 Bucks for shipping across this World?

[@R+5]

Publicado originalmente por kitt:

who will pay the shipping? let me guess the Company who made the Game or VALVE? i doubt you offer the 30 Bucks for shipping across this World?

That idea could work if money and points were used, but only both. This way, special and even limited physical goods could have collectible value: only with n points + $ you can buy x, meaning you have to save points to be able to buy those goods.

Valve could handle the shipping with help of specialized companies (dhl, etc), and the companies that own the games could get money from a new source.

This could also open the possibility of later selling internationally the new generation of steam controllers and vr related hardware, which is harder to find and more expensive outside usa. This could actually help valve ans steam to try luck again with steam machines, since now many games work in linux and valve could try the portable console approach before figuring out how to sell gaming pcs.

[Start_Running]

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

Publicado originalmente por kitt:

who will pay the shipping? let me guess the Company who made the Game or VALVE? i doubt you offer the 30 Bucks for shipping across this World?

That idea could work if money and points were used, but only both. This way, special and even limited physical goods could have collectible value: only with n points + $ you can buy x, meaning you have to save points to be able to buy those goods.

Valve could handle the shipping with help of specialized companies (dhl, etc), and the companies that own the games could get money from a new source.

So why not just use money. because thats whats actually valuable to valve.

I get the feeling many people have the idea of points a little backwards.

[@R+5]

Publicado originalmente por Start_Running:

So why not just use money. because thats whats actually valuable to valve.

I get the feeling many people have the idea of points a little backwards.

Because that way you can limit the amount of goods and make them worthy as collectibles: harder to get, and exclusive for fans = more valuable. Then points become actually valuable, rather than just toy money for non-tradable digital items.

[Start_Running]

Publicado originalmente por @R+5:

Publicado originalmente por Start_Running:

So why not just use money. because thats whats actually valuable to valve.

I get the feeling many people have the idea of points a little backwards.

Because that way you can limit the amount of goods and make them worthy as collectibles:

You canm limit the number of goods by...wait for it...limiting production.

harder to get, and exclusive for fans = more valuable.

Not always the case.

Then points become actually valuable, rather than just toy money for non-tradable digital items.

And again. Same can be achieveed by just limiting production runs.