Black Ops PC and Steam - Can I sell the game?

Forums › Gaming › Black Ops PC and Steam - Can I sell the game?

Aaryn015

104 posts

Master Geek

#83039 9-May-2011 17:57

Hey, I'm a steam noob so I'm just a bit confused looking at trademe.

I bought a copy of Call of Duty - Black Ops for PC from Harvey Normans (not downloaded from steam - I didn't know you could do that).

Anyway, the game installed steam, and got me to create a steam account and register the game with it. This was a week ago and I've finshed the game.

My question is, can I just go sell it? I see in trademe that some users are talking about "handing over the steam account at the end of the auction". Would I need to do this?

Or is there just a way of releasing the game from my library and selling the media.

Cheers
Aaron

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
80646 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41030

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#467211 9-May-2011 18:04

The game is now associated with your account... You can't transfer.

Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

jonofan

52 posts

Master Geek

#467601 10-May-2011 15:16

It is the pitfall, and also the point of steam I guess. Stops people from selling games once they buy them.

If you are planning on selling a steam game when you buy it...create a brand new account, then when you sell the game you can give the person you sell to the account details.

Aaryn015

104 posts

Master Geek

#467671 10-May-2011 17:39

Ah OK. Sounds like a pretty bad business model, although I'm sure it helps alot with piracy. But I will just pass on Steam games in future. Thanks for the heads up. Paying $100 for a physical product that the vendor won't let you resell is rather rich. Seems to me that it's punishing the people who actually pay for their software.

But I guess I should have done my homework on what Steam actually was.

Thanks guys
Aaron

eXDee

4033 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1070

Trusted

#467689 10-May-2011 18:00

I really like steam and buy all my games through it, becausee they are roughly half the price of what i'd pay retail the majority of the time.

I suppose I don't mind because i never sell my games. The advantages of steam outweigh the disadvantages for me.

I can see what you mean for COD though, due to it being a stupidly overpriced game no matter where you buy it from, not being able to sell it is a major downfall. Activision have put regional pricing on it on Steam too so people in NZ/Aus pay $90USD vs $60USD in the US, which is plain stupid. I can't believe people pay $140 for this game on some platforms...

kyhwana2

2572 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 233

#467703 10-May-2011 18:39

No, you can't.

NzKaizer

130 posts

Master Geek

#467750 10-May-2011 21:12

Aaryn015: Ah OK. Sounds like a pretty bad business model, although I'm sure it helps alot with piracy. But I will just pass on Steam games in future. Thanks for the heads up. Paying $100 for a physical product that the vendor won't let you resell is rather rich. Seems to me that it's punishing the people who actually pay for their software.

But I guess I should have done my homework on what Steam actually was.

Thanks guys
Aaron

If you actually looked around, you could have gotten black ops for less than half what harvey norman charged you

As others have said you can't resell the game (unless you're selling to a moron). However what they failed to mention is you can sell your steam account. You basicly sell the username and password to the steam account, thus selling whatever games are associated on that account.

Lego

Shop now for Lego sets and other gifts (affiliate link).

kyhwana2

2572 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 233

#467752 10-May-2011 21:22

You can't sell/transfer your account:
http://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/
When you complete Steam's registration process, you create a Steam account ("Account"). Your Account may also include billing information you provide to us for the purchase of Subscriptions. You are solely responsible for all activity on your Account and for the security of your computer system. You may not reveal, share or otherwise allow others to use your password or Account. You agree that you are personally responsible for the use of your password and Account and for all of the communication and activity on Steam that results from use of your login name and password. You may not sell or charge others for the right to use your Account, or otherwise transfer your Account.

Aaryn015

104 posts

Master Geek

#467753 10-May-2011 21:22

NzKaizer:

If you actually looked around, you could have gotten black ops for less than half what harvey norman charged you

As others have said you can't resell the game (unless you're selling to a moron). However what they failed to mention is you can sell your steam account. You basicly sell the username and password to the steam account, thus selling whatever games are associated on that account.

I'm sure I could have got it cheaper. It was one of those "bored and I deserve a timeout" impulse purchases while I was in store. The price was never mentioned as an issue.

As per the original post, I saw a few people on TM selling the game and obviously the steam account with it. I did do a Google before coming here and it seems that doing so can also get the account closed if they ever found out. Not sure if it's illegal or just a rule. Most people in those posts seemed to be talking about games bought through Steam itself, as they are cheaper. Not sure.

No matter. I'll just hang onto the game and look for the Steam requirement in future.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Aaron

Ragnor

8279 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 585

Trusted

#468212 12-May-2011 10:59

Aaryn015: Ah OK. Sounds like a pretty bad business model, although I'm sure it helps alot with piracy. But I will just pass on Steam games in future. Thanks for the heads up. Paying $100 for a physical product that the vendor won't let you resell is rather rich. Seems to me that it's punishing the people who actually pay for their software.

But I guess I should have done my homework on what Steam actually was.

Thanks guys
Aaron

Steam has a great business model!

Great community, digital distribution so no need to deal with dvd's/cd's, massive savings on older titles (Steam sales), great pre sale pricing, 4 pack group buys etc.

If you want to resell games after you play them once then Steam probably isn't for you.

You'll going to find a lot of people replay older games not just once and just consider the cost of a game is a sunk cost for entertainment, it compares very favourably vs other forms of entertainment.

I think I paided $20 USD for Mass Effect 2 in the last sale where it was cheap, played about 70 hrs.. that works out as $0.29 per hour of entertainment.. compare a new movie at the cinema $16 for 2 hrs of entertainment!

Oubadah

676 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 12

#468481 12-May-2011 20:59

Do game developers still make as much when their titles are being sold dirt cheap on steam?

Ragnor

8279 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 585

Trusted

#468545 13-May-2011 00:46

Discount offers over short periods have a huge impact too, apparently. That recent half-price weekend on Left 4 Dead? That caused a 3000 percent increase in sales, plus a 1600 percent increase in Steam registrations.
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2009/02/20/valve-steam-is-making-us-rich/1

Steam sales are the stuff of legends and they work. According to Steam’s own numbers, a 10% sale on a game increases the sales of the game (in real dollars) by 35%. Likewise, a 75% sale increases game sales by a whopping 1470%
http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2010/06/28/5-lessons-from-steam-for-all-content-creators/

Gamersgate saw an increase of 5500% in sales when they reduced the prices 75%
http://www.thedrmnews.com/games/lower-prices-increase-revenue/

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

Natux

27 posts

Geek

#474737 27-May-2011 12:10

Hmm.. very interesting I must say. I was actually one who brought Left 4 Dead on that weekend that they had that soaring price. It must have moved alot!

b0untypure1

1427 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 18

#476084 31-May-2011 09:08

steam is looking at creating a marketplace where you can sell the games back to steam themselves. so look out for that in the future !

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1528

#476091 31-May-2011 09:27

Oubadah: Do game developers still make as much when their titles are being sold dirt cheap on steam?

Don’t know, but my guess is that yes they do. Consider how expensive it is to sell a game in a bricks and mortar store. You have the packaging, warehousing, shipping and freight costs, commission to the dealer (EB games, HN DSe etc).

My guess is that if you took a game that was $100 RRP you could account for maybe $30 of that with the above

Compare that to the cost of selling on steam. You have the commission to steam and presumably some server related costs. And I’m not sure, but maybe GST doesn’t apply if you are technically buying it from overseas. Even with a $20 discount on the retail price I reckon that the dev probably gets just as much money. And they have the ability to only sell exactly as many as they need. No wasted packaging on unsold games that end up in the bargain bin, returned items, etc