It became a running gag among PC gamers for years, especially during sales periods: many games are purchased on Steam without ever being launched. We all have at least one title in our library, purchased on sale and waiting to be launched. But PCGamesN And SteamIDFinder looked into the subject, revealing a terrifying figure.
19 billion dollars. This is the value of video games purchased on Steam which were never launched, according to SteamIDFinder, which is the equivalent of the GDP of Nicaragua, Niger, Chad or Mauritius. A huge number, named Pile of Shame (Pile of Shame) which raises a lot of questions about the video game market, where the purchase becomes more important than the game itself, but the methodology of SteamIDFinder problematic. The site is based on data from 73 million profiles Steam public, i.e. only 10% of accounts. By multiplying the Pile of Shame by 10, he obtains the figure of 19 billion dollars, too imprecise.
Moreover, the database is based on the current selling price of games on Steamwithout taking into account the purchase price during sales or in bundles, completely distorting the calculation. In our case, the most expensive game ever released is Dead or Alive 6, valued at $59.99. We have no memory of purchasing the game, either SteamIDFinder takes into account the version Core free-to-playor the copy comes from a bundle bought for a pittance. Finally, as recalled Ars Technica, for a game to be considered to have been launched, it must have been played after March 2009, via the client and not the executable (used for mods notably). Our account Steam was created in 2006, some old titles like Condemned: Criminal Origins have in fact not been launched since 2009, appearing in the Pile of Shame (at $19.99, although we bought the game in a box for less than €5 at the time). In any case, we have never purchased these securities at the prices indicated:
Our library Steam is thus valued at $5,623, for $1,741 of games never launched, this is totally false. You can take the test with your account directly on the site. The tool is interesting, it is true that too many games are purchased then gather dust in virtual libraries, but the figure of 19 billion dollars is certainly overestimated.
You can find games Steam on promotion, whether you plan to launch them or not, on Gamesplanet.
| Clint008 Editor – Tester |
