To earn money on Steam, it takes more than just a good title. An expert has now explained how every developer can build their own “money cheat” into their title.
Who is it about? Steam expert and consultant Chris Zukowski explained at the Game Developers Conference how Steam works behind the scenes. The focus of his presentation was on the so-called “Golden Goose” games that are particularly important for the platform.
According to Zukowski, these are games that earn about $150,000 in the first six months after launch and receive around 500 reviews from players. If a game reaches these numbers, it has made the leap into the “real Steam”, according to him.
This is also the point where developers can resort to a “money cheat” that can easily bring in thousands of dollars.
Little work for a lot of money
What is this “money cheat”? The trick that the expert presented at the conference is likely familiar to many gamers. It involves so-called supporter packs. These are DLCs that serve only to support the developers.
Unlike regular add-ons or expansions, players get only a small goodie like a golden crown, a skin, or another background. For three to five euros, you sort of treat the developers to a coffee and receive an attention in return.
“This is purely cosmetic, worthless, but definitely worth it,” he says about the supporter packs. “I do not recommend any DLC expansion packs because people complain about them on Steam, but supporter packs and soundtracks are an excellent thing.”
The trick behind the supporter packs seems to be that only real fans would buy them and they do not expect to receive high-quality content in return. It’s different with actual expansion packs, as players always hope for a lot from them.
How well does it work? According to Zukowski, such a DLC had a purchase rate of 2.59%, which is correspondingly low. Nevertheless, the DLC generated $11,531 (about €9,950) without generating major complaints about it.
Moreover, the expert noted that another developer earned $60,980 (about €52,550) with the digital soundtrack of their game, which had a similar purchase rate of 2.8%.
Despite the low purchase rates, developers see significant additional revenue from their supporter packs without having to deal with complaints from their community regarding unmet expectations. The community, in turn, feels good about supporting a developer they like. A win-win situation.
The “money cheat” on Steam is universally applicable to any title and helps developers generate additional revenue from their most loyal fans without much effort, as packaging game music or drawing a golden little crown is quick and easy. The expert knows exactly how Steam works: Steam expert pleads with developers: “Gabe Newell cannot buy yachts with wishlists”
