Not really an oversight, since there are plenty of games around that last less than that. They can track the frequency and rate you ask for refunds and the games you are doing them for. If they determine you are abusing the system for "free trials" they can blacklist you.
You now can get Refunds on Steam
- Thread starter dex3108
- Start date
Not really an oversight, since there are plenty of games around that last less than that. They can track the frequency and rate you ask for refunds and the games you are doing them for. If they determine you are abusing the system for "free trials" they can blacklist you.
sleepwalkcapsules
Member
If people want to abuse the system with small games couldn't they just pirate it? Any game less than 2 hours will be single player.
I'm more afraid of people abusing the refund system with random accounts to use hacks on CS:GO (or anything alike).
I'm more afraid of people abusing the refund system with random accounts to use hacks on CS:GO (or anything alike).
72 hours vs. 14 days
This is utterly absurd in like nineteen different ways.
baphomet
Member
Can't refund for a game they trigger VAC on.
Compsiox
Banned
I could name more ways than that.
Nemesis121
Member
I wanted this after purchasing Ultra SF4, game was unplayable at launch, they told me no refund, about fucking time Steam, Devs release trash and people shouldn't be stuck with lemons..
SonyToo!;166203536 said:
Again: why the hell wouldnt they just pirate it instead? Its essentially the game thing but in this case they are putting their money on the line and risking their account...
I do miss the game demos of yore, but it definitely shouldn't be forced.
How big of an audience do you think this segment of "Imma play all the short games and refund them!" do you weirdos really think exists? You're either gullible that they won't obviously watch this sort of stuff or concern trolling. This is like the people in that recent "Why don't console games let me download updates before the game if I want" that dismissed it by saying there'd be a lot of people downloading the updates but never playing the game. This cross section of people is going to be incredibly small. It's not going to affect how people develop their games.
Those days are not coming back, sadly. There are very few cases where a demo helps sell more copies of a game.
Mithos
Member
So how am I suppose to benefit from this new feature? I'm not allowed to gamble, because if I do to many gambles they will blacklist me from doing it again.
No, this "new you can get a refund" is useless, I will ONLY buy the games I'm 100% sure about still, no gambles, no trying out game I'm not sure about, not when there is a hidden limit, tell me exactly how many games I can gamble on getting first and I might think about it.
Yes but better still, is that even when you don't fit into the 14 day / 2 hrs period, you can still ask and get considered
Visualante2
Member
This feels like the first bit of good news coming out of the Steam side of Valve in years. The tides are turning.
I think the 2 hour thing is just about fair enough, but my concern is that game breaking bugs could be discovered after that point. Still a positive step and I applaud it.
I think the 2 hour thing is just about fair enough, but my concern is that game breaking bugs could be discovered after that point. Still a positive step and I applaud it.
Playing for more than two hours doesn't automatically disqualify you from getting a refund. It just means that you have to have a good reason.
Not really, XBLA was a huge success on 360 due in no small part to the mandatory demos. Though I guess if you were trying to sell a crappy game, the forced demo program might not have been to your advantage.
You make a good point, however I was thinking of average mainstream gamer who is locked in that 1 playthough = beaten mentality who buys an arcade game to try them out beats in it 30-60 minutes and doesn't understand they're supposed to master it through replay.
But then again many newer indie arcade games do have measures in place to stop ppl from beating them so quickly (eg limited continues) it's more of a problem for pure arcade conversions but those are mostly limited to console.
Please watch the Extra Credits video on why demos are bad for the industry.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7QM6LoaqEnY
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
There's one big flaw I can see from this. Like a BIG flaw.
Doesn't this mean you could just buy a game, idle for cards from said game, and then get a refund? And just gain net profit from it? Or do cards and card transactions get refunded too if you refund the game?
Doesn't this mean you could just buy a game, idle for cards from said game, and then get a refund? And just gain net profit from it? Or do cards and card transactions get refunded too if you refund the game?
In that case, this is really awesome. I hold off on buying so many PC games because there's no way to see if they'll run right and this fixes that right up. Thanks Valve!
This and DRM free games are a big concern
The arguments presented in that video are beyond moronic. Demos are a powerful marketing tool and good demos lead to increased sales. This is an indisputable fact.
Why would they be? If you're going to just basically steal the DRM free game, it would be far less risky to just pirate the game instead of having to wait for a the refund to process and possibly get your account blocked from legit refunds.
I would love for that to be true because I loved playing demos growing up, but it's not. In fact, there's information and statistics in that very video that points to how little demos contribute to sales.
Games cost more than ever to develop and the businessmen fronting the money aren't idiots. Demos not being a thing any more was a cost-effective business decision.
So why are demos so rare these days in the face of this indisputable fact?
*facepalm*
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
I also personally would say the time limit may be better at 75-90 minutes than two hours, but that's just me. If a game is broken or something, you can probably tell in that amount of time or not worth playing in your opinion, I would think.
That's true. I guess I was thinking of less savvy individuals who may find it easier to try to game the system than dive into pirating...
dragonyeuw
Member
Hmmmm.... Wonder if I should refund the Spelunky i bought last week( haven't installed yet) and pick up the Vita version on sale right now?
Edit: actually looks like the vita version sale ended today. Guess that settles that....
Edit: actually looks like the vita version sale ended today. Guess that settles that....
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
Up to you, but Steam version is the only version that has online multiplayer capabilities, if that interests you.
Also my main concern. It's a nice thought that most people will keep the game if it's compelling enough and they enjoy it but I think that's a little naïve to assume. I wonder if they'll put a cap or limit on the frequency of refunds, etc.
Same reason that 3D platformers are rare these days even though the Yooka Laylee Kickstarter proved that they're still in huge demand -- because publishers aren't very bright.
Leafhopper
Banned
If you know you aren't ever going to play it at home and only on the go then maybe.
You only play your Vita "on the go"?
CountAntonius
Member
I wonder if this applies to Early Access games because my stupid ass has been burned pretty bad last few months with some of these.
The Cowboy
Member
People who would do this would just pirate the game instead, anyone wanting to get the game for free (basically steal it) wouldn't spend cash and then wait up to a week to get their money back when they can just pirate the game without all the hassle.
This sort of situation is basically a non issue due to piracy.
human onion
Banned
Well it's about time. I probably won't use it though.
It seems to be working well for GOG, who offer refunds.
It seems to be working well for GOG, who offer refunds.
It wouldn't work well anyway. Games can alter their card drops, and even then you would need more than 2 hours to drop most of them. If you repeatedly do it, you will fall into the abuse clause, where your refund ability is revoked. There is no info if cards / trading of cards will be allowed checked / revoked on refund etc, but they can certainly track that info easily, at which point, if they see it as something abusive and proliferating, could add such cases via their trends and user frequency to the abuse clause again and blacklist such users. Valve haven't made it clear how they determine abuse specifically so it will be harder to game the system.
I refunded a pair of (5min and 45min) purchases made in April, btw.
Lightning fast.
I actually accidentally blanked the "Other information" section of the second one, but the "Cancel refund request" wasn't working, and they accepted the refund before it did.
Lightning fast.
I actually accidentally blanked the "Other information" section of the second one, but the "Cancel refund request" wasn't working, and they accepted the refund before it did.