Developers side with Valve on Steam sales – Video Games Update
Various video game developers have sided with Valve on the debate if massive sales ‘cheapen the intellectual property’ which was claimed by Electronic Arts who stated that Origin would not be getting discounts similar to those on Steam.
One of the reasons why Steam continues to stay popular despite the increasing amount of digital distributors entering the market is Steam seasonal discounts. Many popular games are available for up to 75 percent off the retail price and there are many game
bundles and collection packs which allow gamers to save over a $100 at times.
Electronic Arts (EA) has claimed that large discounts discourage gamers from buying the game at launch since they know that they could just wait a few months and pick up the title for half the price. The giant publisher also claims that it cheapens the IP
but many developers have disagreed with the statement and have praised Steam’s strategy.
Max Schaefer, the CEO of Runic Games has revealed that Steam sales kept the game Torchlight alive three years after release and states that Steam deals boost the game sales even after they end. This makes sense as Gamers might try out a new game they didn’t
have any interest in before because of the discounted price but if they end up liking it they might recommend it to their friends which would lead to further sales.
"We find that we get several thousand percent increases in units and revenue on the days of the Steam sales, and unit sales are usually about double the normal for a few weeks after the sales are over," stated Schaefer who seems very happy with what Steam
is doing.
"A lot of times we judge the success of a game -- and predict its sales -- by looking at its launch day numbers. Steam sales have made that delightfully impossible. Our launch day, which we viewed as very strong, is only our fifth best day of sales ever
on Steam...," stated Amir Rao, the CEO of SuperGiant Games which is the developer behind the indie hit Bastion.
Developer also replied to the criticism of gamers not buying at launch by saying that they don’t see a lost sale instead they assume that they are reaching out to a new customer who would never have bought the game otherwise.
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