Being able to trade/ games you don't play anymore

[VoltageArt]

something I miss about having physical copies of games is that once you have played through it or just got tired of it and no longer want it , you could just sell it or trade it with a friend . I wish steam did something similar I have a lot of games I do not play anymore and think it would be useful to be able to trade them or sell them (possibly for a points system that can be used to purchases new games ). and once traded or sold the game is no longer in your library and can not be accessed unless re-bought or something like that. Just something that I think would be useful .

[Meatloaf Cocktail]

This would heavily reduce sales. Online platforms haven’t adopted a Gamestop business model for a reason.

[Mad Scientist]

This has been suggested a decent number of times, very recently.

The gist is licenses are not transferable, and that it would harm the income for developers.

[Jaunitta 🌸]

I believe this is one of the main reasons developers went digital.
Digital copies also prevent pirating.

[SpunkyJones]

It would be useful for you, but what about the developers and publishers?

[Crazy Tiger]

Publishers don't want you to do that, though. It's why they killed the secondhand market on PC and they're slowly trying to do that to consoles.

Unless laws regarding digital ownership change, don't expect a change in it.

[Gwarsbane]

Its as likely to happen as people using the search feature BEFORE posting their suggestions to see if its been suggested 100+ times before. AND as likely those who do search actually read and understand why their suggestion is not good.

The only reason why physical copies were able to be traded and sold is because they had no way to lock it to an account.

Today, even physical copies are being locked to accounts because its possible. Legally in most places there is no legal requirement to allow people to disconnect a game from their account and sell it off/trade it/give it away. If you want to force companies, then get your government to change their laws.

But be careful what you wish for, for you just might get it.

If people are able to do this, it means Developers get less sales which means they are less likely to put their games on sale.

It also means they are more likely to move to a "freemium" or a subscription based model where if you stop paying for it, you lose it. Or you have to buy everything in the game, and you can't trade or sell inventory items.


Lots of other reasons why what you want is a bad idea, use the search feature and read all those threads about why this is a BAD idea.

[LowJack_VA1]

This is requested a lot, did the search function stop working?

[VoltageArt]

I tried searching but all I got as trading ♥♥♥♥ form the stupid icon or points store not for games

[Gwarsbane]

Originally posted by Jaunitta 🌸:

I believe this is one of the main reasons developers went digital.
Digital copies also prevent pirating.

While yes, it is the main reason why they went digital, it does not prevent pirating, DRM doesn't even prevent it and in some cases may actually fuel piracy.

They also went mostly digital only because of all the costs with making physical copies and the fact that they get far less money with a physical copy. (Box printing, disc printing, box and disc storage, cost to put it all together, shipping costs, storage costs, store cut and more things I'm more then likely forgetting) They were lucky if they got 20% to 30% of what the price was in the store. Now they are getting 70% or more of what the game sells for.

[Gwarsbane]

Originally posted by VoltageArt:

I tried searching but all I got as trading ♥♥♥♥ form the stupid icon or points store not for games

While the search feature does suck and needs a major update, its not hard to find stuff. Sometimes it will take looking past the first page.

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/search/?gidforum=882959061469928464&include_deleted=1&q=trading+games+library

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/search/?gidforum=882959061469928464&include_deleted=1&q=sell+games+library


We seriously get this suggestion all the time. Steam has been around for nearly 20 years and you would think that someone in all that time would suggest... which many have. Which is why you are getting the replies you are getting, because we see it so much.

[LowJack_VA1]

Originally posted by Gwarsbane:

Originally posted by VoltageArt:

I tried searching but all I got as trading ♥♥♥♥ form the stupid icon or points store not for games

While the search feature does suck and needs a major update, its not hard to find stuff. Sometimes it will take looking past the first page.

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/search/?gidforum=882959061469928464&include_deleted=1&q=trading+games+library

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/search/?gidforum=882959061469928464&include_deleted=1&q=sell+games+library


We seriously get this suggestion all the time. Steam has been around for nearly 20 years and you would think that someone in all that time would suggest... which many have. Which is why you are getting the replies you are getting, because we see it so much.

^^^
They beat me to it!!

Do a freaking search before posting!

[76561198407601200]

Originally posted by VoltageArt:

I tried searching but all I got as trading ♥♥♥♥ form the stupid icon or points store not for games

Oh?

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/10/3105768154688828992/
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/10/2976275080111760768/
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/10/2270319347573044741/
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/10/1747893074679897201/

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by VoltageArt:

And honestly with OLD games the 2nd hand market was all that was keeping some games alive , people still play a crap ton of old games that physical copies from the 2nd hand market are the only ways to get them with out pirating them, and there are several games that even steam them selves threw off the platform and no longer sell and yet there are some people who still have those games yet never play them anymore .

None of that actually matters, though.

Originally posted by VoltageArt:

and I don't think game companies care about sales of the old version of a game as much when they care more about the sequel or new game that's out and putting there time and effort into .

Old games still get sold on Steam, so those publishers do care about the sales numbers otherwise they wouldn't sell them anymore.

But even if they're not sold anymore, that doesn't mean publishers like you to sell your copy without them gaining something from it.

As said before, without laws regarding digital ownership changing you won't actually see a change in this.

[nullable]

Originally posted by VoltageArt:

something I miss about having physical copies of games is that once you have played through it or just got tired of it and no longer want it , you could just sell it or trade it with a friend . I wish steam did something similar I have a lot of games I do not play anymore and think it would be useful to be able to trade them or sell them (possibly for a points system that can be used to purchases new games ). and once traded or sold the game is no longer in your library and can not be accessed unless re-bought or something like that. Just something that I think would be useful .

You see this a lot. "I liked this facet of some media type and wish some other different format has that same feature."

I mean I like cartridges because load times were much faster and save games could be stored right on the cartridge. I wish CD's would load faster and store save games too. Now you might be tempted to argue against that analogy because you're keen to focus on the differences, or argue "Valve could do this". Yeah they could technically. But they're not going to.

There is zero reason they're going to cannibalize store sales for a secondary market where they and developers make less.

There may just not be a lot of value for all the parties involved to emulate aspects of physical media for the convenience of not having to buy games at retail. Especially when you're asking a retail store to undermine their own sales for that convenience.

[Sazzouu]

Originally posted by Jaunitta 🌸:

I believe this is one of the main reasons developers went digital.
Digital copies also prevent pirating.

So you compare reselling with piracy here?