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[alexandros]

If he can spend that kind of money and he enjoys it, good for him. In a way guys like him are subsidizing games for the rest of us, as they buy our cards and we buy games with that money.

 

[scitek]

You increase your steam level by crafting badges from those cards, which makes you more likely to get more cards as booster packs I believe. You also get a larger friends list capacity, which is probably attractive to the hard core TF2/DOTA/LFD2 players.

During these sales you also get snow globe cards which give you a minuscule shot at getting a worthwhile F2P item in Dota 2 or Path of Exile.

EDIT: Some of it is just the same Epeen stuff that goes on with achievements/trophies.

Well, whatever, they've given me enough that I'll be able to get X-Com: Enemy Unknown for $4. So thanks to them.

EDIT: ^^ yup

 

[Perkel]

Heh sold my 20 cards and i got 4€ now i have cash for daily deals from which i will again get at least 8 cards then i will sell them and i will get 1€ game daily deal and again i will get 4 cards...

 

[MarkDacascos]

I knew it was that Japanese guy before I even clicked on this thread. He's hardcore, that palmdesert.

 

[Durante]

These people are sustaining the card economy, which gives free money to all of us. I salute him.

 

[Deleted member 80556]

So this is how Valve can do these sales!

 

[Zakkath]

I don't see why people want to complete those badges, but thanks to them I make money while playing games.

 

[dorkimoe]

If he can spend that kind of money and he enjoys it, good for him. In a way guys like him are subsidizing games for the rest of us, as they buy our cards and we buy games with that money.

yup

if thats what he enjoys good for him

long as hes not a family man neglecting his family haha

 

[xelios]

This isn't the stock market, it's a hobby. People spend inexplicable amounts on their hobbies all the time, only for the return of whatever enjoyment they get out of it. How silly to expect someone to make a monetary return from their hobby else not participate in it. People with more money spend more money on their hobbies, and often things that simply seem foolish to us because we have to value the dollar more; as long as he's not barely scraping by and putting it on a credit card due to a spending addiction then good for him. Odds are he is spending a smaller percentage of his income on this than most here spend on their choice of hobby/entertainment. Everything is relative.

 

[Hellsing321]

Between spending $10,000 for the next im@s mobile ultra rare + and spending $1500 for a level 1000 steam foil snow globe, the latter is probably the cheaper way to get loads of internet cred. People do as people pleases, don't go calling people mentally ill just because their definition of a fun time isn't the same as yours.

Thats true but there are enough stories out there about people ruining themselves financially with F2P games that it is a concern. We don't know this guys financial situation so we can't really comment on his mental well being.

 

[opticalmace]

Argument being that Valve is exploiting various people's addictions and personality issues to gain money.

The maximum level should be significantly lower to stifle this kind of response.



Food keeps you alive, these have no tangible benefit.

Though both expenses will produce some endorphins.

They're encouraging people to exchange money for amusement and/or goods. I'm not seeing the exploitation. We don't limit chocolate bars, alcohol, or hell even tobacco. What are the tangible benefits there?

 

[ShinobiFist]

I sold my second wave of cards and bought Teslagrad. All that on card money. Thanks to gamers like him.

 

[Grief.exe]

They're encouraging people to exchange money for amusement and/or goods. I'm not seeing the exploitation. We don't limit chocolate bars, alcohol, or hell even tobacco. What are the tangible benefits there?

You just missed my edit, posted that I was playing Devil's Advocate.

I really have no desire to defend either position right now, just reading through the thread.

 

[massoluk]

Sold 4 of my badges from some shitty jrpg on steam for total of whoping $2. It won't be long until I can afford a budgeting program. Thank you, people like him.

 

[ComputerMKII]

Why

 

[Owlowiscious]

So other than a few characters on you screen saying you are LEVEL 1000, what else did this guy achieve by doing this?

Every time you craft this winter sale badge, you recieve 1 item (and other stuff). Five items for a foil badge (and other stuff).

these items are items in games. they have common, uncommon, rare, and legendary rare type of rarities for these random items.

you can sell these items (and the other stuff) for money.

having made 1000 regular + 100x5 foil = 1,500 items, he has a good chance of having rare items he can sell to make his money back and more.

 

[xelios]

Argument being that Valve is exploiting various people's addictions and personality issues to gain money.

The maximum level should be significantly lower to stifle this kind of response.

I know this isn't your position but just one you're pointing out, so I'll respond to that. As someone who has spent stupid amounts on F2P games and products I could live without, we should work from the position that adults can make their own decisions and if they have a problem can seek help. The kink is making sure that help is accessible to everyone, but that's a separate issue.

It's not private companies' or the government's job to babysit adults who overindulge and restrict those who don't in the process. It would be like banning large soft drinks, then the overindulgent customer just orders five medium soft drinks instead; someone with destructive spending habits will spend somewhere else so you're just shifting things around. What's important is public awareness and getting them the help they need, but currently we can't force retailers to put up billboards and helpline numbers for this particular problem.

 

[ChiliManiac]

Come on, I thought we were supposed to be proving that Micro Transactions are a failed thing and here this guy spends over 3000 dollars on them proving us wrong

 

[Orayn]

Come on, I thought we were supposed to be proving that Micro Transactions are a failed thing and here this guy spends over 3000 dollars on them proving us wrong

They're never going away as a concept, and neither are whales. As long as the option exists, some fraction of people will spend crazy amounts of money on them.

 

[Grief.exe]

As someone who has spent stupid amounts on F2P games and products I could live without, we should work from the position that adults can make their own decisions and if they have a problem can seek help. The kink is making sure that help is accessible to everyone, but that's a separate issue.

It's not private companies' or the government's job to babysit adults who overindulge and restrict those who don't in the process. It would be like banning large soft drinks, then the overindulgent customer just orders five medium soft drinks instead; someone with destructive spending habits will spend somewhere else so you're just shifting things around. What's important is public awareness and getting them the help they need, but currently we can't force retailers to put up billboards and helpline numbers for this particular problem.

I totally agree. I found myself nodding my head to your, Durante, and Alexandros thoughts on this page.

Just playing Devil's Advocate for fun.

 

[Tesseract]

They're never going away as a concept, and neither are whales. As long as the option exists, some fraction of people will spend crazy amounts of money on them.

why you hate whales?

 

[PastorOfMuppets]

It's very unlikely that people who are at this level of the Steam metagame have spent their own cash on their items.

Note his TF2 inventory - it's huge. It's very likely that he buys a lot of this stuff via selling TF2 items and keys. Steam money cannot directly be converted into real cash so most people end up spending it on games and/or items like this guy. There's a whole bunch of dudes on Steam who basically exist to play the Steam metagame and nothing else and they generally don't spend that much money on things.

 

[Grief.exe]

It's very unlikely that people who are at this level of the Steam metagame have spent their own cash on their items.

Note his TF2 inventory - it's huge. It's very likely that he buys a lot of this stuff via selling TF2 items and keys. Steam money cannot directly be converted into real cash so most people end up spending it on games and/or items like this guy. There's a whole bunch of dudes on Steam who basically exist to play the Steam metagame and nothing else and they generally don't spend that much money on things.

Actually, it is quite common to see people convert their items or wallet into cash.

People trade their Wallet for various items that aren't currently marketable, then you sell those items to people for real money.

 

[Owlowiscious]

Actually, it is quite common to see people convert their items or wallet into cash.

People trade their Wallet for various items that aren't currently marketable, then you sell those items to people for real money.

on the side

 

[Corronchilejano]

I envy people that can spend thousands of dollars on badges.

If I ever have a few thousands to spare every month, you betcha this is what I'd spend it in.

 

[Crimsonlink]

Can you gift cards to people? If so, I have about 20 useless cards from voting on the community sales. If you want them then just PM.

If non giftable then no dice I guess.

 

[DunderHassan]

Can you gift cards to people? If so, I have about 20 useless cards from voting on the community sales. If you want them then just PM.

If non giftable then no dice I guess.

Edit: nm, I see that you already traded them away, thanks for the kind gesture though.

 

[Visualante2]

Used card sales are ruining the card industry.

 

[Kaleinc]

I wonder how many original winter sales badges Valve actually prepared.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I wonder if they'll ever have physical cards. I mean how extremely relevant is that?

I wonder who makes the cards. The developer or Valve?

 

[Grief.exe]

I wonder how many original winter sales badges Valve actually prepared.

http://www.steamcardexchange.net/index.php?gamepage-appid-267420

I wonder if they'll ever have physical cards. I mean how extremely relevant is that?

I wonder who makes the cards. The developer or Valve?

Developer makes the cards and the assets.

Both Valve and the developers share the revenue.

 

[Kaleinc]

http://www.steamcardexchange.net/index.php?gamepage-appid-267420

Lazy bastards, recycling in a nutshell.

 

[Mr. Poolman]

Ok, what is the higher Steam GAF got their badge?
I got it to level 3.

 

[Mr.Green]

Bring that poor thing to the vet already.

 

[Wok]

Money doesn't buy you happiness, but steam badges do.

I expect him to be really sad: he has not gotten any of the "precious" items. The best he has for Dota 2 is one scythe of ice. He has gambled (1000 + 5*100 = 1500 items received) and he has lost.

 

[Blinck]

Why do people give a shit about these card and badge things?
Do they do anything special?

I just sell them or give them away all the time

 

[Nokterian]

I sold a dota 2 item that was worth 40 euro's and got a new game for that. I love the market and you can earn good from it.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

A fool and his money are soon departed

 

[Rickenslacker]

Why do people give a shit about these card and badge things?
Do they do anything special?

I just sell them or give them away all the time

Special? No, they're just kind of there. Use it as a means to express your fandom for certain games, collect them, just sell the cards, they don't have much of an impact either way. Gaining levels increases your friend list capacity and at each 10 level interval you gain another showcase for your profile (to show off game items, achievements, trade offers, info boxes, screenshots, etc), and an increased chance to randomly get a booster, which only serves to give you more cards to craft or sell.

 

[Jacobi]

What is so crazy about that? If he got the cash for that,why not? There are people spending 1 million on cars but 3000 on games is crazy?

 

[Lumination]

I guess $3k is a small price to pay to be the best at something.

 

[longlivegaming]

1000? This guy has a Level 1700 Snow Globe badge: http://steamcommunity.com/id/bUm805/gamecards/267420

 

[FyreWulff]

You also get a larger friends list capacity, which is probably attractive to the hard core TF2/DOTA/LFD2 players.

Valve has microtransactioned the LIMIT parameter of SQL queries? Amazing.

 

[papercamm]

I remember seeing this guy's profile a few months ago when it was around 200 I think. Damn, that is dedication.

 

[rudieboy77]

I have over 140 games and am stuck at level 4. To be honest though I have no clue how this badge shit works. I just want to play video games, not get caught up in some meta bullshit.

 

[alr1ght]

1000? This guy has a Level 1700 Snow Globe badge: http://steamcommunity.com/id/bUm805/gamecards/267420

good lord

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

I sold all my cards and bought a few indie games lulz

 

[nacimento]

He's a japanese guy who knows the glory of Drakensang...Amazing.

 

[TouchMyBox]

I don't feel so bad about spending a few bucks getting my badge up to level 10 now.

 

[Fattony12000]

The only thing old school about this person is that they are as ruthless as Genghis Khan. This person is the Citizen Kane of being the Genghis Khan of video games.