Coupons from crafting badges are all for terrible games

[Genghis Pawn]

Has anybody ever crafted a badge, got a x%-off coupon, and found that it was for a game that actually had good reviews? Seriously, has Steam got some formula that assigns the %-off in inverse proportion to the game's ratings?

Offering coupons for crafting badges is a fine idea and sounds like a great incentive.
Offering them exclusively for games that are at the bottom of everyone's barrel is insulting.

I'd rather not be given coupons at all if this is how they're going to be implemented.

[sfnhltb]

As I understand it the coupons are made available by the developers, so presumably it means developers of such games find it a way to increase the exposure/attention of their games and grant Steam lots of coupons to give out, whereas better known games get lots of front page exposure and other ways of people finding their games and don't see enough value to allow steam to give away coupons for their games.

So I think it is more an issue with the design/incentives of the way the system was made than the intentional process you seem to think it is.

[Genghis Pawn]

@Seretti & @sfnhltb,

Thanks for clarifying, didn't know publishers decide.

I still stand by the spirit of my complaint: the way things are set up now, it's no reward for players to get most of the coupons available, and it doesn't seem helpful as a last-ditch effort for smaller publishers to gain exposure. Currently it sounds like its a broken mechanic for everyone involved.

My wish would be that Steam should either try to incentivize coupons for publishers, or should at least let badge-hunters ditch coupons for gems or something.

[Microsoft227sam]

I once got a 90% off coupon for serious Sam 2.

[Genghis Pawn]

Originally posted by microsoft227sam:

I once got a 90% off coupon for serious Sam 2.

This gives me hope.

[Falsus Te Deum]

Got 75% off portal. But mostly it is small indie titels

[dXAHGzxFGmrKNPGfuJgkpWNmJYVygi]

well dont be expecting 90% of games like PUBG lmao dont forget its to do with DEVs

[999999999]

Originally posted by HDz:

well dont be expecting 90% of games like PUBG lmao dont forget its to do with DEVs

The PUBG developers have stated many times that their game will NOT receive a discount at all for the PC until it comes out of Early Access.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by 999999999:

Originally posted by HDz:

well dont be expecting 90% of games like PUBG lmao dont forget its to do with DEVs

The PUBG developers have stated many times that their game will NOT receive a discount at all for the PC until it comes out of Early Access.

If you do want PUBG with a slight discount, GMG is probably your best bet. I managed to snag a 20% off there. You just need to be signed up for their VIP emails. Note that this isn't really the game on 'sale' but mor ethat GMG cuts into their 30% margin to give you the discount. Thus from the publishers perspective they never put the game 'on sale'.

Apple has a similar policy. If stores want access to APple's in store Point of Sale kiosks/branding/etc in store, they cant put an apple product on sale. They way most get around this is to offer gift cards instead. Thus you get a 'perceived discount' but they don't violate Apples policy on sales.

But beyond that, as far as the devs have indicated the game itself will not go on sale while in Early Access.

[Genghis Pawn]

OK, this is apparently now a thread about PUBG (which I didn't bring up and don't play and don't care about) so y'all have fun and I'm unsubscribing and a mod could feel free to lock this thread at this point.

[wuddih]

there is nothing to complain about.

devs can opt out if coupons and we have over 16500 games on Steam. the chance that you get a coupon you want is really low.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/coupondumpster
make someone else happy.

[☆ƧQυiяяєL♫]

I've come across a few good coupons for games I had on my wishlist, so its not too bad.

I use to let these coupons sit in my inventory until they expired but I've found a group that accepts coupon donations and many Steam users join that group and thrift shop.
For discounts, I usually watch the various weekly Steam sales and of course the big ones, like Summer, Winter and whatnot.

..And I visit Humble and a few other gaming sites for bargains too.

[Genghis Pawn]

@wuddih
"Coupon Dumpster" sort of sums it up. I'd already been posting in the discussions for various games that I have coupons to offer. This is a shortcut to getting rid of them, which is nice, so thank you for that. But really, is your suggestion that:
(a) there's no way for Steam to make an attempt to reward badges with coupons a user might actually want? (Surely they could at least not award me a coupon for a game in a genre if I own no games in that genre, that would be a start).
or
(b) it's not fair to complain about exactly what you just said, that a randomly-generated coupon isn't likely to be very rewarding given the size of Steam's library? (My complaint is that this system is unrewarding. The statistics you've cited, plus the fact that the coupons are randomly awarded, simply explain why that's true. I choose to complain about that.)

@☆Ƨqυiяяєl🌠
It's not that I don't have strategies in place for finding discounts on games. My complaint is that the coupon system is frustrating because coupons are offered as a reward for crafting badges, but (a) aren't typically very rewarding, and (b) can't readily be swapped for something that is useful.

[☆ƧQυiяяєL♫]

I know what you mean, I wouldn't mind if I could "gem" coupons, then I'm all for it but Steam should rename "rewards" to what they are "you'll unlock coupons you don't want, but that's okay, these coupons promote the indie underdogs to stick it to the man"

It depends too, if you're Rockstar Games and your game is selling full price on Steam, why on Earth would you put out discount coupons for GTA V, Rockstar games are shaking their heads and laughing all the way to the bank.

Steam coupons are analogous to those cotton balls I fish out of a store bought aspirin bottle. Am I supposed to put it back in? Do I throw it away? Or, chipmunk it in my medicine cabinet for some other later use?
I've asked myself that question; What do I do with 15-"50% off on Shower with your Dad" coupons?

[Wednesday]

can i have your free coupons?