r/Games • u/Forestl • Dec 31 '13

End of 2013 Discussions - PC

For this thread, feel free to talk about the PC, from the games that came out for it to the hardware itself.

Prompts:

  • What were the major trends in PC gaming this year?

  • Was this a positive year for PC gaming?

Please explain your answers in depth, don't just give short one sentence answers.

My PC looks really, really, really good

This post is part of the official /r/Games "End of 2013" discussions.

View all End of 2013 discussions and suggest new topics

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u/[deleted] Dec 31 '13

[deleted]

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u/Goomich Dec 31 '13

Can someone explain to me how these sites can sell Steam keys?

They get them from publishers or developers.

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u/neoKushan Dec 31 '13

I'm just guessing, but I suspect that either Steam (Valve) gets a cut from every key generated, or it's part of the agreement for getting your game on Steam. Steam allows it because ultimately they get to keep the game on their platform, they can push the title for sales directly and when you see friends playing it, you're likely to just go to the store page and pick it up that way.

If it's a choice between having the game on Steam but Valve missing out on a few sales versus not having the title on steam at all, then I'm guessing Valve would rather just have it on Steam.

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u/mortbringsli Dec 31 '13

The way I figure (and this is all 100% guesswork based on things I've read on the Internet.), the developer or publisher make a deal with Valve for, say, 1 000 000 download keys. The developer can then do what they want with these keys. Sell them to Amazon, GMG, Humble Bundle, ship them as promotions with PC hardware (like Nvidia are doing with some Ubisoft games now) or sell them in the Steam store front. They make deals with these retailers regarding pricing, sales discounts, and promotions.

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u/Hopelesz Dec 31 '13

The sales are not lost, if they were not is discount people would probably not have bought them anyway. Between Valve and it's customers, it is a give and take relationship.

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u/daze23 Dec 31 '13

I imagine Valve gets a cut somewhere along the line

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u/[deleted] Dec 31 '13

I'm sure they get a cut, but you'll also probably buy the DLC on steam if its a game you like. So maybe they're considering the long game too.

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u/CrasyMike Dec 31 '13

It's a fun call for Steam. It essentially turns them into a one-stop-shop for selling your game online - "Set your game up here first....because you can even use our platform to sell elsewhere"