Your thoughts on if a gift from a friend is considered "free" for the Steam Review?

[arsenicBumpnip]

Just wondering if I could get some opinions on this. If I had a friend offer to buy me any $20 game on Steam I wanted as a birthday gift, do you think I'm inclined to check the "You Received this product for free" box when writing a review for it because I technically chose what game to buy myself?

I can see both sides of the argument, since on the one hand it was free by definition of the word, but on the other you can look at it as like being given a gift card and choosing to spend that gift card on something yourself, wherin you wouldn't be obligated to check the box, so any thoughts would be most dope, my dudes.

[Ogami]

The "got it for free" mark is for when you got a free copy of the game from developers for review purposes. Thats it.
In your case it was bought by someone , so it was not "free". Even if was gifted to you.

[Gus the Crocodile]

Well you aren't "obligated" to check the box in either case.

But of course you got it for free. Even the "other side of the argument" you describe involves getting it for free.

Ursprungligen skrivet av Ogami:

In your case it was bought by someone , so it was not "free". Even if was gifted to you.

It says "if you received this product for free", not "if this product was not paid for by anyone". Those aren't the same thing.

[~KeNnEtH~]

I think the idea is that getting it for free has no effect on your finances so even if the game sucked, you may be less harsh and if it was given by developers, chances are you might be less harsh or even more forgiving than if you spent your own money on it.

So, having it ticked, more or less says your review may be possibly more lenient.

[arsenicBumpnip]

Ursprungligen skrivet av ~KeNnEtH~:

I think the idea is that getting it for free has no effect on your finances so even if the game sucked, you may be less harsh and if it was given by developers, chances are you might be less harsh or even more forgiving than if you spent your own money on it.

So, having it ticked, more or less says your review may be possibly more lenient.

Right, I feel in this case it wouldn't really affect my leniency given that, in a way, I had "$20" and spent that "money" on this game, could've potentially spent it on a different choice or even refunded it and then had the friend then buy me another game, etc.

[Gallifrey - CSSC Gaming Founder]

I tend to go with Ogami on this one. What about games you got "free" with PC Gamer magazine.? Personally I think the games are a major price component of the magazine. I put a narrative note on my review.

S.x.

[arsenicBumpnip]

Ursprungligen skrivet av gallifrey:

I tend to go with Ogami on this one. What about games you got "free" with PC Gamer magazine.? Personally I think the games are a major price component of the magazine. I put a narrative note on my review.

S.x.

True, if I got a free game from PC Gamer I'd probably check the box, though I have to ask, does PC Gamer actively advertise the free game on the cover/is one guaranteed every issue, or is it randomly received without you knowing about it ahead of time?

If it was the former I'd actually probably look at it as akin to a Humble Bundle/Monthly or similar, since you know your cash is going at least partially going into getting a game.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Ever since controversies started arising with sources of games that people have written reviews for, I've included a disclosure line saying how I got the game. Promotional freebie? Bought in the store, and for how much discount? Gotten from a friend? Gotten from a friend in exchange for getting them something? I actually bother to differentiate between these.

Games I received for free as gifts count as "received for free" for the purpose of checking that box, for me.

But I go above and beyond with disclosing this. Not everyone does this I guess.

[Dooks]

i see it literally and had not given it thought before .....did I myself pay ? no = got for free ....but i do see your viewpoint I suppose this is really an individual thing but i don't think it should be detremental either way as if the game sucks it sucks even if it came from your favorite uncle/aunt!

[僕の名前 (仮)]

Yes, you recieved it for free.

[TheStoryteller01]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Ogami:

The "got it for free" mark is for when you got a free copy of the game from developers for review purposes. Thats it.
In your case it was bought by someone , so it was not "free". Even if was gifted to you.

I see it the same way.

[Ztarman]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Ogami:

The "got it for free" mark is for when you got a free copy of the game from developers for review purposes. Thats it.
In your case it was bought by someone , so it was not "free". Even if was gifted to you.

No it's not. Plenty of users get free keys that weren't straight from the developer for "reviewing purposes".

I don't think a developer is going to give someone a free key to write a review that consists of getting trading cards in the process or a sentence that doesn't explain anything at all which is usally the case on this site.

His buddy is also gifting him the game which qualifies as free since he didn't have to spend any of his own money in the first place.

[Radene]

It's a voluntary checkmark, but yes. If you didn't pay for it, you "got it for free".

I mean, if the dev gives you a key, that key is no more "free" than anyone else giving you one. The dev just took a hit to their revenue by giving you one without payment, thus effectivelly paying for it.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Radene:

It's a voluntary checkmark, but yes. If you didn't pay for it, you "got it for free".

I mean, if the dev gives you a key, that key is no more "free" than anyone else giving you one. The dev just took a hit to their revenue by giving you one without payment, thus effectivelly paying for it.

Well whether or not it's a hit to their revenue depends on whether you would have bought it had they not given it to you, but that's not really relevant to the question of whether it's free in monetary cost to you.

[Gallifrey - CSSC Gaming Founder]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Punished Bump:

Ursprungligen skrivet av gallifrey:

I tend to go with Ogami on this one. What about games you got "free" with PC Gamer magazine.? Personally I think the games are a major price component of the magazine. I put a narrative note on my review.

S.x.

True, if I got a free game from PC Gamer I'd probably check the box, though I have to ask, does PC Gamer actively advertise the free game on the cover/is one guaranteed every issue, or is it randomly received without you knowing about it ahead of time?

If it was the former I'd actually probably look at it as akin to a Humble Bundle/Monthly or similar, since you know your cash is going at least partially going into getting a game.

Thr game(s) is/are advertised on the cover. All purchasers of the magazine get the same game (or DLC sometimes).

S.x.

[Radene]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Quint the PSY Duck:

Ursprungligen skrivet av Radene:

It's a voluntary checkmark, but yes. If you didn't pay for it, you "got it for free".

I mean, if the dev gives you a key, that key is no more "free" than anyone else giving you one. The dev just took a hit to their revenue by giving you one without payment, thus effectivelly paying for it.

Well whether or not it's a hit to their revenue depends on whether you would have bought it had they not given it to you, but that's not really relevant to the question of whether it's free in monetary cost to you.

"They"? Who's that? The developer, or your friend? It's still an equal situation. So yes, as long as you didn't pay for it, you've received it "for free".