How to give games in you're library away?

[Pizmo]

I have had friends gift me games by sending me product keys to activate. Can someone tell me how to do this because I have a couple games I want to give to a friend?

[Cathulhu]

Games that are in your library can not be given away. You need to buy a separate gift copy.

[Pizmo]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

Games that are in your library can not be given away. You need to buy a separate gift copy.

That is kind of stupid! Why doesn't steam let us give the games we bought away? So what do you do with the games in your library that you don't play anymore?

[Ogami]

Your friends bought those keys from other sites that sell steam games in the form of keys to activate.
Steam itself does not do that. You can only buy the game for your account, in which case its forever bound to that account or buy it as a steam gift. Then its placed in you inventory and you can gift it away to friends. But you need tu buy it as a gift for that to work.

Originally posted by Pizmo:

That is kind of stupid! Why doesn't steam let us give the games we bought away? So what do you do with the games in your library that you don't play anymore?

Because Steam does not allow used game trade. You technically dont own the games you have on Steam, you own a liscence to play them. Those are not transferable.

[Pizmo]

Originally posted by Ogami:

Your friends bought those keys from other sites that sell steam games in the form of keys to activate.
Steam itself does not do that. You can only buy the game for your account, in which case its forever bound to that account or buy it as a steam gift. Then its placed in you inventory and you can gift it away to friends. But you neet tu buy it as a gift for that to work.

Seems pretty dumb that I can't give away my games

[Pizmo]

Originally posted by Ogami:

Because Steam does not allow used game trade. You technically dont own the games you have on Steam, you own a liscence to play them. Those are not transferable.

I guess that is the one downside to not owning a physical copy of a game.

[Johari]

Originally posted by Pizmo:

Originally posted by Ogami:

Because Steam does not allow used game trade. You technically dont own the games you have on Steam, you own a liscence to play them. Those are not transferable.

I guess that is the one downside to not owning a physical copy of a game.

Some CDs are literally just steam installers and a steam key.

[Pizmo]

There are lots of people on steam that have hundreds of games in their library that they no longer play. Steam should either let you sell them back to steam, trade them in for other games, or gift them to friends

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by Pizmo:

I guess that is the one downside to not owning a physical copy of a game.

Even a physical copy can't be re-sold or givenaway anymore as most games require you to link it to an account.

I suggest reading the SSA when you get a chance. It is a good idea to read an agreement before agreeing to it.

The Content and Services are licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Content and Services. To make use of the Content and Services, you must have a Steam Account and you may be required to be running the Steam client and maintaining a connection to the Internet.

As with any software, even console games, you still don't ever own the software, just the media it is on. That media can be transfered, but in the case of most PC games, the license may not (the license in this case is represented by the game's key/CD-key).

Originally posted by Pizmo:

There are lots of people on steam that have hundreds of games in their library that they no longer play. Steam should either let you sell them back to steam, trade them in for other games, or gift them to friends

And that would cut sales for the developers. Aside from that, each game added to your account has it's own key. Even by removing it from your account, it will forever be associated with your account and a new key given to the other account, just as a new copy would, though with out any money going to the developer/publisher or even Steam.

[Johari]

Originally posted by Pizmo:

There are lots of people on steam that have hundreds of games in their library that they no longer play. Steam should either let you sell them back to steam, trade them in for other games, or gift them to friends

Their revenues would plummet.

[Pizmo]

Originally posted by Dragovich:

Originally posted by Pizmo:

There are lots of people on steam that have hundreds of games in their library that they no longer play. Steam should either let you sell them back to steam, trade them in for other games, or gift them to friends

Their revenues would plummet.

Not really... If anything it gives you incentive to buy more games. If it was something like steam pays you 5% of the games value or something. If you buy 20 games at full price and they buy them back at 5% of their value how would they lose money?

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by Pizmo:

Not really... If anything it gives you incentive to buy more games. If it was something like steam pays you 5% of the games value or something. If you buy 20 games at full price and they buy them back at 5% of their value how would they lose money?

Because developer/publisher only make money on new sales, not used sales. That money would all go into Steam's pockets.

Valve/Steam did not make the game or invest any money into making it. Steam is just the storefront that developers tend to use.

Just like the billions that Gamestop makes on used sales. All that gets goes to Gamestop, not the developer/publisher.

[Pizmo]

Originally posted by Spawn of Totoro:

Originally posted by Pizmo:

Not really... If anything it gives you incentive to buy more games. If it was something like steam pays you 5% of the games value or something. If you buy 20 games at full price and they buy them back at 5% of their value how would they lose money?

Because developer/publisher only make money on new sales, not used sales. That money would all go into Steam's pockets.

Valve/Steam did not make the game or invest any money into making it. Steam is just the storefront that developers tend to use.

Video game store franchises like Gamestop have trade in/buy back programs. They don't make the games either. So why couldn't steam do something similar?

[Pizmo]

Originally posted by Spawk:

Originally posted by Pizmo:

Not really... If anything it gives you incentive to buy more games. If it was something like steam pays you 5% of the games value or something. If you buy 20 games at full price and they buy them back at 5% of their value how would they lose money?

How... how old are you? Why would a publisher buy back their own game? What is their motivation here? You realize you're paying for a license to play the game, not the actual game, right? They can just poop out a billion CD keys for free.

Giving customers incentive to buy more products isn't exactly anything new Mr. Spawk. Haven't you ever cashed in on a buy one get one free promotion or anything?

[Pizmo]

Originally posted by Fusion:

Originally posted by Spawk:

It's not even that long, plus you'd think you'd have found the time in three years of using the service. You clicking 'accept' without reading is on you, not Valve.

Indeed.

Yes, yes I get the whole we don't own the game we only own a license to use it.

[Pizmo]

Originally posted by Spawk:

Originally posted by Pizmo:

Giving customers incentive to buy more products isn't exactly anything new Mr. Spawk. Haven't you have cashed in on a buy one get one free promotion or anything?

Please answer the question without sidestepping it: how does buying back a license to their own game benefit the publisher, seeing as they can create infinite CD keys for free?

Depends on if the publisher gets a percentage for each copy of the game that is sold on steam. If this is the way it is structured then the more copies steam sells then the more money the publisher makes