Steam users have spent $19 billion on games they’ve never played

Draugoth

Draugoth

Gold Member
steam-pile-of-shame-580x334.jpeg
Out of all the registered Steam accounts in the world, only 10%, or about 73 million in SteamIDFinder's database, are public. Based on data from those accounts, we calculate that collectively there's around $1.9 billion / £1.4 billion worth of games that have been purchased and then never played even a single time. Times that by ten, to roughly account for all the Steam profiles that are not public, and you arrive at $19 billion, more than the gross national product of Nicaragua, Niger, Chad, or Mauritius.
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via PCGamesN
 
Checked SteamDB's calculator. I have 3,624 unplayed games. I'm part of the problem, if it's a problem at all? Someone gotta keep the indies fed.

steamdb.info

Steam Calculator and SteamID Finder

This page will calculate the approximate value of your Steam account by looking up your games on your Steam community profile, using the current prices for each game on the Steam store.
steamdb.info steamdb.info
 
That's not really true, though. They're adding up the full retail value of everything and multiplying it by unicorns and rainbows, when the main reason people have giant piles of unplayed Steam games is because they got them for pennies in bundles or sales.

I have precisely zero full-price unplayed games in my Steam library, but according to that site all the unwanted dross from bundles and 95% sales probably means I've "spent" thousands on unplayed games.
 
It's an interesting tidbit, if accurate (I have doubts), but not much more than that. At least it keeps the game economy going.

I have more issues with my family constantly throwing untouched/unopened food in the trash.
 
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calistan said:
That's not really true, though. They're adding up the full retail value of everything and multiplying it by unicorns and rainbows, when the main reason people have giant piles of unplayed Steam games is because they got them for pennies in bundles or sales.

I have precisely zero full-price unplayed games in my Steam library, but according to that site all the unwanted dross from bundles and 95% sales probably means I've "spent" thousands on unplayed games.
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Yeah, a lot of games are going to come from Fanatical, Humble Bundle and so on. Plus a lot of games are being purchased for cheaper on 3rd party sites.
 
Humble Bundles did a number on my Steam account back when.

Also, too many cool games going on sale! How could I pass on them? If only I could also buy some extra time on sale...
 
yeah, as mentioned probably a pretty big overestimation as most of these games are from bundles and deep discounts.

But i'll play them one day, i swear!
 
feynoob said:
Yup. I am part to blame too. Too many good sales, not enough time to play them.
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It's not a good sale if you won't play them.

2 years ago I had a 100+ game backlog now it's less then 15. I stopped buying games on sale unless I'll actually play them close to that time. Saves a lot of money and I no longer have a huge backlog hanging over me.

It also helps the fact games release less often now making it easier to catch up.
 
Those of us with older accounts got massive amounts of games for next to nothing. Like, "we're going out of business so buy our entire catalog for $10" kind of sales.
 
ssringo said:
Those of us with older accounts got massive amounts of games for next to nothing. Like, "we're going out of business so buy our entire catalog for $10" kind of sales.
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I bought one of these packages for Daedalic games. Almost everything they ever made for cheap. Took me years to go through the games. Then they made the Golum game and now they make nothing.
 
I'm not on Steam, but can't cast any stones here. I've got so many games that I've never played, but plan to get to 'one day'. :messenger_expressionless:
 
PC gaming was losing so much money from pirates who downloaded pirate games just to collect them and never played them. Now those digital collectors have been converted into steam users who buy games and don't even feel the need to download them.
 
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There are certain genres/devs I always buy full price knowing it might be years before I play it. I just am into some niche genres and if you want certain things translated or ported you have to support it.
 
i went through a phase where i bought a bunch of older games like the old sierra point and clicks, half life's, dooms of course and others but eventually i had everything i wanted in my steam library, i don't really care about new games.
 
And yet most of my steam library was either free or dirt cheap. These kinds of analysis seem to assume "full value" for every entry in a persons library. Absolute nonsense imo.
 
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