Coupon Drops: Kind Of Disappointing

[satyreyes]

I'm enjoying the beta as a whole, but I have a "low" to share. One hates to kvetch about free stuff, but I felt disappointed when my chance at a game coupon procced and the game was Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army. The game's Metascore is 61, and most everyone seems to agree it's a stinker. No one else wants it either; I can't even trade it away. So I got a lucky drop, which ought to make me happy, but instead it's going to expire unused in a week or so.

I'm sure you all at Valve are doing your best to balance how awesome coupons are against how much they cost you to give us. Maybe you're counting on some fraction of coupons not to be redeemed. But I would rather get no coupon than a really bad coupon, especially if the bad coupon is going to expire and leave me with no coupon anyway.

Would it be affordable for you to give the player a choice between three random coupons? Or give a smaller discount on a game drawn from the player's wish list, or their friends' wish lists? Or a smaller discount on any game under $20?

[Sh4rkill3r]

yeah the coupon are ♥♥♥♥, cant even give it for free. noone want it. the discounts are bad and the games worst.
look: http://i.imgur.com/pyv4jeM.jpg

[Iron Monkey]

Not a big deal since it doesn't really take away from anything. If they shared a drop with the emoticon or background then yea that would be pretty bad.

[Dendrobates Tinctorius]

I personally like how it'll give some people terrible discounts and others better discounts on the same games. Why would anyone want a -33% when there are -50%s in circulation?

*Based on a true story: I have both a -33 and a -50% for the same game right now.

[satyreyes]

@SG: We may have different opinions on what games are the worst :) I would be very happy to get a coupon for Sanctum, Defense Grid, The Walking Dead, or Psychonauts -- all games I've played and enjoyed and would love to give to friends. (25% does seem a bit low.) I guess that just underscores the point that a "bad game" is in the eye of the beholder, right? It would be nice to have a choice among coupons.

@Iron Monkey: It's true that it doesn't take away from anything. Mathematically, there's no reason I should prefer not to have this coupon. But psychologically, it feels like such a waste to get so lucky as to get 50% off a game, but have it be a bad game.

@DT: Hey, I'll take a 33% coupon on a good game anytime, even if 50% coupons are in circulation! Just because I didn't get as lucky as possible doesn't mean I wasn't lucky. I just want to have some use for the lucky thing I get.

[Sh4rkill3r]

@satyreyes maybe i said it wrong. the games with good discount (50%) are ♥♥♥♥ to me. and some other that are better have a very ♥♥♥♥♥♥ discount.
if you want any coupon add me.

[Dellicious]

Agreed all my coupons suck and I'd rather let them all expire then buy the games. I did get 50% off Trine which I guess is good if I had not already played it on PS3.

[Dendrobates Tinctorius]

Messaggio originale di satyreyes:

@DT: Hey, I'll take a 33% coupon on a good game anytime, even if 50% coupons are in circulation! Just because I didn't get as lucky as possible doesn't mean I wasn't lucky. I just want to have some use for the lucky thing I get.

Then why wait for a coupon? Why not just buy it?

The rapid expiration suggests they're really trying to capitalize on your attitude of getting something so might as well use it before it goes away. But what if you're kinda interested in a game but not interested enough to spend $10? Maybe you'd buy it at $5 -- that's what they try to take advantage of with sales, obvously -- but then you get a 25% coupon. Now who would want such a thing? The game isn't good enough to you to warrant buying it at that price, and nobody will trade for it because what sane person would give up a discount that might let them grow their steam library by so many games for so little money?

And so you get a coupon that's just not worth it. And it feels bad, even if valve is fiddling with numbers to try to see how many coupons they can give away to drive so many sales with such and such profits etc etc etc

ps you can't use my coupons anyway because the game is currently on sale for 75% off.

[ShouldNotBe (Deceased)]

And I got a 25% off anything in the store after my second badge. Trollolol win .

[satyreyes]

@SG: Thanks for your generosity! I will make sure these games get good homes. :)

@DT: Hmm... it sounds like you're not so much unhappy because some people got better coupons on the same game; it's more that your discount is too small to be worth it. I think there's something to this. 25% off a $10 game is a little underwhelming, and it does feel a little manipulative, which I'm sure is not how Valve wants to be perceived. On the other hand, 25% off a pricey new release -- or a storewide 25% off coupon -- might be meaningful in the right hands!

@ShouldNotBe: Envy.

[LoneWolf - Imposto é roubo.]

Nice

[Sh4rkill3r]

Messaggio originale di ShouldNotBe ♋:

And I got a 25% off anything in the store after my second badge. Trollolol win .

there is no coupon for everything ;)

[ShouldNotBe (Deceased)]

Messaggio originale di #SG# Sharkiller:

there is no coupon for everything ;) :csgostar:

Feel free to check my inventory. I have a 25% coupon that is associated with the "all" tag in applicable games.

[Sh4rkill3r]

Messaggio originale di ShouldNotBe ♋:

Messaggio originale di #SG# Sharkiller:

there is no coupon for everything ;)

Feel free to check my inventory. I have a 25% coupon that is associated with the "all" tag in applicable games.

no you dont. stop lying

[Sion]

yeah i realy agree with u
the coupon drop is not nice

[Iron Monkey]

Messaggio originale di #SG# Sharkiller:

Messaggio originale di ShouldNotBe ♋:

Feel free to check my inventory. I have a 25% coupon that is associated with the "all" tag in applicable games.

no you dont. stop lying :spycon:

I have seen people with coupons with no game name. Don't know if it's a glitch or it works for anything, but they are out there and they have all been 25% off from what I have seen.