Used Games on Steam

[BlindedHunter]

Just testing the waters here I suppose, but I wonder how many people would appreciate this feature: the trading of your right to download and play a game on Steam for other people's licenses, or for "store" credit of some variety, or perhaps even gifting the rights.
I have a lot of games listed on Steam that I don't really use anymore. I have several friends who would like to try these games for one reason or another (like one who would like to play my copy of Dragon Age since hers won't authenticate or something like that). There are also a lot of games that I can't get because I don't have the money for it. In the present, these are the prices I paid for the convenience of Steam, but I think I, at least, would appreciate a game-trading addition.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Hats For Games is sorta like that, except only for "unopened gifts"...All they have to do is add in that and we're all set, I suppose.

 

[ResonanceSD]

This would ruin Steam's billion dollar business model. #justsaying.

 

[MajorTomServo]

That would be awesome, but would lead to less money. So we'll probably never see it.

 

[BlindedHunter]

This would ruin Steam's billion dollar business model. #justsaying.

This would have been my first thought, but particularly after watching through the Jimquisition episodes on the subject I've been wondering if this line of thought is actually folly. There are a lot of elements to consider here and, while I don't doubt a company may make a hasty decision on it without considering them, to leave them unconsidered and just go with the obvious answer may do harm in the long run of things. Economics aren't simple, after all.

 

[thiosk]

If theres no physical product, theres nothing to trade. Steam will continue to provide downloads and access for games you bought this week in ten years.

If theres a physical product, there should be nothing to stop trading. When that disc is scratched beyond repair, the companies are not required to send you anything ten years from now.

In my eyes, these are the tradeoffs. I'll take the steam system any day (but im messy and lose my physical copies all the time)

 

[Epona]

If theres no physical product, theres nothing to trade. Steam will continue to provide downloads and access for games you bought this week in ten years.

If theres a physical product, there should be nothing to stop trading. When that disc is scratched beyond repair, the companies are not required to send you anything ten years from now.

In my eyes, these are the tradeoffs. I'll take the steam system any day (but im messy and lose my physical copies all the time)

Well, a physical disc doesn't mean it can be traded, because of activation codes it doesn't matter if your new PC game is a physical copy or a digital download, you can't resell it.

There's a double standard at play here where physical discs are concerned. This is why digital downloads are no cheaper than physical copies and sometime are more expensive. Without the packaging, shipping costs and retailer cuts the digital copy should be cheaper but publishers insist that you are buying a license and that the physical disc is merely a delivery system and is no different than a download. Don't talk of Steam sales, we are talking MSRP here. So, why then, if the physical copy and the digital copy are really no different and you are buying a license, not a disc won't they give you a replacement (minus shipping costs) disc if yours is damaged? Why do they expect you to pay another $50 for a new disc if the disc isn't really what you are paying for?

 

[GrandmaFunk]

If theres no physical product, theres nothing to trade.

What would lead you to that conclusion?

Designing a system to trade games between libraries would be extremely simple, tech-wise.

 

[Smooth Operator]

If they had that I would start buying real games on it, as it is I will never go past $15.
Even just having a trading feature where you can trade one game for another with your mates would be an immense improvement.

But ofcourse the question is why would they add that when it makes them no extra money?