Steam item/game trading beta now underway

[HoboMincer]

This doesn't sound like a fair trade?! A virtual hat for a game? Lol. I am disappointed. I thought maybe we could swap games for other games when we are done with them. Or if we didn't like them. as is the case with me and ARMAII I would love to swap it for a copy of something I'd enjoy :/ like that indie game that i'd get the name of but my internet is too slow for steam and I can't even start up the program in 15 minutes or less.... > I think the game i'm thinking of is called Limbo or Purgatory or something...

[HoboMincer]

Lol. I timed Steams boot up. It just finished... 16min 32seconds :P Jesus I hate Steam with my connection. Anyway, The game is called Limbo

[MOnk]

The hat for a game trade was just an example. Obviously if the system catches on and more developers build it into their games you'll be able to trade an item in one game for an item in another game. Or if you purchased a pack of games that included one you already had you might be able to trade if for another game that you want with someone who is in the same situation.

It'll be interesting to see how this works out.

[Ichigo]

The hat for a game trade was just an example. Obviously if the system catches on and more developers build it into their games you'll be able to trade an item in one game for an item in another game. Or if you purchased a pack of games that included one you already had you might be able to trade if for another game that you want with someone who is in the same situation.

It'll be interesting to see how this works out.

Sounds good would like to see it in action

[Prometheus]

Really ridiculous. Sorry Valve but unless I can trade and sell used games I will rather use cracks and emulators before I use your steam.

[Toxin]

While I think it's pretty stupid to trade TF2 items for games, this could be the first step in seeing a trading system on Steam....... well, probably not but a guy can dream.......

[Kiruna]

got tons of old cheap games never play so would be great if they could implement a trading set up for those as well down the line. I hope they do. They can even take a % cut of the trade of the value so they keep making money.

I like the concept so far though, it's something a bit different which is cool.

[czc]

Lol. I timed Steams boot up. It just finished... 16min 32seconds :P Jesus I hate Steam with my connection. Anyway, The game is called Limbo

Steam is a bit weird, sometimes mine loads up in 10seconds on my 384k line.

I'm not really into hats so, whatever, but interesting concept. It at least moves the idea of digital trading forward. I just can't see publishers liking the idea of people trading digital games any less than they like people doing it IRL.

[MOnk]

Really ridiculous. Sorry Valve but unless I can trade and sell used games I will rather use cracks and emulators before I use your steam.

I don't really understand this fascination with used games, I have never sold any game that I have bought and I don't believe it's some basic right for us to be able to do so.

On a more practical front however are you saying you would prefer the console scenario where you buy a game for R600 and sell it for R350-400 instead of just buying it for R50-150 that is often the case with Steam.

For me buying a game is like purchasing a movie ticket, it's your passport to experience the world of the game for as long as you want and as many times as you want. Like it or not second hand games screw over the developers who make these games that we all love so much. So if I can't afford a game I would rather wait until it gets cheaper and pay R150 that actually goes to the people who made the game rather than paying R400 which at best gets circulated between gamers and at worst goes to pawn shops and second hand retailers.

[Prometheus]

I don't really understand this fascination with used games, I have never sold any game that I have bought and I don't believe it's some basic right for us to be able to do so.

This has never been tested frankly. We are in new territory here. Rather than seeing it as a fascination I view it as self explanatory that if I can sell anything else I own I can also sell any game I own. Game studios are in an unfair position here where their product can actually allow you to use it or not.

On a more practical front however are you saying you would prefer the console scenario where you buy a game for R600 and sell it for R350-400 instead of just buying it for R50-150 that is often the case with Steam.

For me buying a game is like purchasing a movie ticket, it's your passport to experience the world of the game for as long as you want and as many times as you want. Like it or not second hand games screw over the developers who make these games that we all love so much. So if I can't afford a game I would rather wait until it gets cheaper and pay R150 that actually goes to the people who made the game rather than paying R400 which at best gets circulated between gamers and at worst goes to pawn shops and second hand retailers.

Except that you are not buying a movie ticket but an actual physical product. I am sure second hand book sales "screw over" writers but none of them are whining about this. Really if developers can't come up with a way to make enough money that is not my problem either and this "support the developers" rhetoric is just a cop-out to me when there has never been a successful argument put forth why games should work differently.

I have never sold a game but I have traded them and given some away while also being given some. I cherish this freedom I have which to put it bluntly nobody has a right to try and take away from me. I am not going to go on the whole price issue because that is something different, and don't see where the whole console price thing comes in, but most of my games were bought for <R100 from 3rd party studios. So I haven't supported any developers as much as I would like to all because they don't seem to have a way of making money unless they charge >R300 for something.