Hohoho and Merry Christmas everyone! As fate would have it, the most festive day this year falls on a Wednesday, and that is of course absolutely no reason to spare you from my weekly complaints. So what Christmas topic has drawn my displeasure this time? Steam! Déjà-vu? A little, but let’s get to the point…
The Steam “Winter Sale”
As every year, our beloved game platform is holding a special event this Christmas (though I slowly start to wonder when there will be a year without a promotion…) and is reducing the prices of many games. Among them, you can find some real gems, such as the relatively new “Saints Row 4” for just €5. If only there were such offers all the time, then I would absolutely have nothing to complain about!
However, in recent years the ratio between the costs and the value of the respective games on Steam has completely gone out of whack. How can it be that the now 11 (!) years old “Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines” still has a “normal price” of €20 today? The answer is relatively easy to find: It just looks a lot better when you can “generously” reduce the game by 75%, even though it only costs €5 in the rest of the world.
Many percentages that could all be bigger
What particularly annoys me is the whole “Community Vote” nonsense that happens every few hours. There, all Steam users can vote on which of three games will subsequently be particularly cheap to acquire.
But if you are bitterly angry (and I am, I know no mercy even at Christmas), you could also argue that the users decide which games are NOT being reduced. No one would deny that the manufacturers of all three games have already agreed to offer a game at a low price. But from Steam’s perspective, this decision is simply reversed and gives users a sense of choice, in which Steam is both the greatest benefactor, the Christkind, and Santa Claus at the same time.
Transparency? Honesty? Not in business!
I know, I know. Of course, such an approach is common practice in an area where any product is to be sold, whether in the real or virtual environment. When you present a customer with a choice or some form of participation, they immediately feel included and may want to learn more about a product or service (for precisely this reason, you can also submit a rating for games on our site *cough*).
Just don’t let yourselves be too much deceived and compare prices a bit, even if Steam entices you with gigantic percentages. By the way, I don’t want to completely condemn it – some offers really make me weak.
Now, I can only wish you a wonderful Christmas, many gifts, and even more games. Have a great time during the holidays and don’t complain too much, I’ll take care of that for you!
