For example, Evil within is now in a bundled list. But it has never been in a bundle or had 95% off. It used to be that games that had 95% of became bundled automatically. When I browsed bundled list, I saw that almost every single game that has gone on sale this autumn has been added to bundle list.

Could someone please clarify this?

Here are some examples:
a game that hasn't been bundled, currently has 90% off, counts as a bundle game God Game : The Odyssey
85% off counts as bundle game Wolfenstein: The New Order

EDIT: I now understand the reason, but why are we even converting RUB to USD when calculating value? Most of Russian games are region locked anyway.

EDIT2: Thank you everyone, for answering my question. Sad...

8 years ago*

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It had 95% off in Russia and that's why it's bundled.

8 years ago
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Yes. Stupid.

8 years ago
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Which unfortunately:

A) is not fair to people not in Russia
B) deters some people from making giveaways for said games

8 years ago*
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I know, I don't like it either. I think it should be applied only to Russian Region or something.

8 years ago
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no, its not 95% in RUS+CIS, its, 95% there compared to US price, which is stupid, but this is the system, terrible system but still. Its sad if you buy a game for 8EUR you dont get CV because of russian prices. well, we can still enjoy bundlegifts.com:-)

8 years ago
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like hustlayo mentioned 95% off or more anywhere in the world and its bundled, check https://steamdb.info for price information and im sure there is some chrome extension to check the prices on real time in the steam store, might be enhanced steam, not sure about it tho

8 years ago
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When a game anywhere in the world it gets a 95% discount compared to the US base price, it gets bundled.
So, for example, it does not have to go on 95% off in the Russian store, because it starts at a discounted price (compared to US store) already.

8 years ago
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Yes, but it seems that it's 85% instead of the usual 95%, check my next post :)

8 years ago
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The Odyssey is $0.18, when you convert the currency. That is over 95% off $4.99.

8 years ago*
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Convert what currency? It's 0.49 EUR, which is quite more than $0.18.

8 years ago
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Russian ruble to US dollar.

8 years ago
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Why should we even do this? So just because games in Russia are much cheaper most games are now considered bundles just because they go on sale?

8 years ago
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Unfortunately, yes. It's to prevent cheap CV farming by users in countries with weak currency against the US dollar.

8 years ago
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But most people can't buy games at Russian prices, only Russians can.

8 years ago
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But they can then use that CV to enter ROW giveaways

8 years ago
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But we could have regional CV then, just like regional GA.

8 years ago
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Yes. To prevent people from CV farming.

Edit: Ninja'd. Once again.

8 years ago
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How would one farm it if I can't buy games at Russian prices? Unleass you're Russian yourself

8 years ago
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You answered your question with last sentence :) Also, not only Russians - CIS has many other countries which have the same region lock with Russia and games can be traded between all these countries.

8 years ago
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^ that and you could also trade with Russians and give away region locked copies that way.

8 years ago
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It's already in my edit. Congratulation with not being ninjaed again, anyway :)

8 years ago
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Yay, haha! That's what I do usually; edit stuff in afterwards :')

8 years ago
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Did I? Only a fraction of users of SG are Russian, therefore majority of the users wouldn't even be able to do so even if they wanted.

8 years ago
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Yes. But it's necessary to prevent those few people of exploiting the system. Yes, it's just a few people but it still has to be done.
Believe me, I understand that you're upset.

8 years ago
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I don't get your last sentence. I'm from Ukraine. I can trade with Russian friends for their cheaper copy and giveaway it here as region-locked. Everyone from CIS can do it. I don't like that it adds games to bundle-list for the rest of the world, but it's how the system works, sorry.

EDIT: Actually, everyone can trade and make a GA. Just in my case I can add it to my library

8 years ago*
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Yes, I get it now :(

8 years ago
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And if you check the stats - countries from CIS form a big fraction (a bit less than 20% of all users). For many people getting games from Steam is the only/main option.

8 years ago
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Users from RU/CIS region are 15%-20% of all accounts on SG. Add to that SA and soon India...

8 years ago
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You can always trade for copies and give them away or Russians would just give away these games. It's to prevent that they make use of the incredible price to easily farm CV to get to higher levels.

Also, I get that you're upset, I was too but since here's nothing we can do about it, there isn't really a use in being mad..

8 years ago
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Not mad, just sad.

8 years ago
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But the Russians can. They could buy lots of copies of a very cheap game and give it here. They would raise their level up to 10 and enter lvl 10 GA's. So they would have an advantage.

8 years ago
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Something definitely can be done. If there are region restricted GA's then there could be region restricted CV.

8 years ago
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..which could be exploited by giving away "regionlock free" copies of these games in groups with only Russian members - the only people who can activate Russian copies. It's really not that easy, unfortunately. :/

8 years ago
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Sad :(

8 years ago
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I'm right there with you, it is very sad :/

8 years ago
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Haven't thought about that, but you are right.
Someone would surely do that.

8 years ago
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Unfortunately, yes.

8 years ago
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It wasn't me this time. :3

8 years ago
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Pfff.

8 years ago
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That was just the one example, you can check any game that has 85% or more off, and you will probably find it in bundle list, with 25th November as added date. Even if it hasn't been bundled before or had more than 95% off.

8 years ago
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85% is the nominal discount. However if you check the SteamDB page, you will see, that it is discounted everywhere by 85%, and you will see that RUS price (the discounted one) is 75% less than US price (again, the discounted one)
And if you discount something by 85%, and again by 75%, 0.15*0.25=0.0375 remains of the original price, and 1-0.0375=0.9625, so the current discount of RUS store, compared to US original, non-discounted price is 96.25%, which is indeed more than 95%

8 years ago
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Thank you for the clarification, but I just don't understand why Russian prices are used as an example? Only Russians can buy games at those prices.

8 years ago
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Is it feasible to make an exclusively Russian CV system to keep the entire planet from getting burned by this?

8 years ago
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this

8 years ago
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Unfortunately, that would lead to people trying to cheat the system with private / group stuff not labelled as region locked just to get the full value.

8 years ago
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8 years ago
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That wouldn't work. Any region can gift region locked stuff. I could. I could go chat to Sleepy or some other Russian, offer a key or two, get some cheap games and do Russian giveaways right now.

8 years ago
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Yeah, hence why it would make sense if there was a Russian CV system. These kind of cheats wouldn't work either.

8 years ago
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No, because as I explained, 'Russian' CV would lead to 'non locked' Russian giveaways to cheat the system.

8 years ago
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Okay, a few people would cheat the system. Now we're having it the other way round. ROW users buying RU/CIS gifts and gifting them to get full CV. But all ROW users (the majorty) have to suffer from everything discounted landing on the bundle list. No idea why this is supposed to be the better way.

8 years ago
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This way is chosen because no matter how much some complain about it, there at least isn't anything to cheat. Complaints at least are less work.

8 years ago
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it was explained in other threads like 1000 times xD

make a group, invite only RU users, make row GAs, send RU gift, get CV for row.

8 years ago
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Okay, a few people would cheat the system. Now we're having it the other way round. ROW users buying RU/CIS gifts and gifting them to get full CV. But all ROW users (the majorty) have to suffer from everything discounted landing on the bundle list. No idea why this is supposed to be the better way.

8 years ago
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Permaban for giving games away?

8 years ago
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Why not simply treat all region, group and private giveaways as bundled?

8 years ago
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Or just make a giveaway for something else and not fret about such silly things~ :3

8 years ago
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best reply in the whole thread. :3

View attached image.
8 years ago
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Oh Bambi, I cried so hard when those hunters shot your mami.

8 years ago
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eh?

8 years ago
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I only know that actress from the GIF you used from what little I've seen from Glee and I've always found she has remarkably big brown eyes so when a character on the show runs into her hopped up on painkillers it cracked me up good when he says that line to her ;)

8 years ago
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ah i had no idea about glee, never watched it :3

i only saw her in a few episodes from heroes (that old show about people with powers).

8 years ago
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Oh yea I totally forgot that's her. She plays the most adorable waitress ever with the identic memory :D

8 years ago
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since there's no rule about bundle, some users care, some others don't
sometimes seems like they don't accept each other idea very well.
that way I don't think anything will change in the near future.

8 years ago*
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The Russian ruble is the reason. The currency tanked.

8 years ago
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Soon enough Brasil will be on the same boat! :/

8 years ago
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Blame Putin

8 years ago
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Odds on Putin invading Turkey?

8 years ago
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Yeah just go for it, I say

8 years ago
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will we get russian prices on steam if this happens? also i wouldn't mind some russian grills around.

8 years ago
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People say that when you compare a game between US's price and RU's price, if the price is over 95%, it would become bundle game.
BUT, if you check the link below, you will see what happen nowadays.....
http://www.steamgifts.com/discussion/DpKJw/the-evil-within-bundle-now-in-bundle-list-why
This is making an issue and it makes me confuse....

8 years ago
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Awww, the first 2 Witcher games are in there now as well. They're usually popular games to give away around every sale time, guess they'll be given away less now. I'll still try, especially as the first one doesn't really cost much at all when it's on sale but the numbers might well drop.

8 years ago
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This is getting annoying. Make a giveaway (game is not bundled), check a day after giveaway starts (game is still not bundled), check when giveaway ends (game appears on giveaway list) and I get 5% of the CP I was expecting...

This is without a doubt making me less likely to do giveaways (and I'm sure many others feel the same way). IF you're going to add stuff to the bundle list please keep it current, instead of updating it days later and retroactively "bundling" games.

8 years ago
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Yeah, same here ^^" I mean, I will still do giveaways, because I enjoy sharing games that I like, but I would also like to gain a little level, since many groups or giveaways require it to enter.

8 years ago
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8 years ago
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What an interesting link! I was always wondering about these numbers. Hell, do we have many russians here!

8 years ago
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Apart from all the CV drama, did anyone think about, how hard it will be for new users to register on SG in a few months? Almost 1/3 of all Steam games are on the bundle list, some of them are even critically acclaimed AAA titles, and much more will get there too, mostly thanks to the current and the winter sale.
Yeah, Russians or any other nation exploiting CV is a thing that's far from fair, but we have to think about other downsides of such a system.

8 years ago
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True to that, as a new user I can fully agree, especially since I dropped from level 3 to 1 again during one night two times in a row ^^". It's really confusing. There are plenty of great games that will be given very rarely just because they're marked as bundled (and weren't truly in any bundle).

8 years ago
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So true, my sister can't signup because of that and it's getting harder the whole time, even after I gave her games like Payday 2 this was bundled, yes, but that's not the point :D and Talos Principle :(

8 years ago
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View attached image.
8 years ago
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lol

8 years ago
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i had a poll back when talos were bundled, surprisingly, allmost everyone from noncheap region was for region CVs, everyone from Russia+Brasil found the idea offensive. I wish i would be russian, salaries not much lower there than here but prices much-much lower. And the main issue, what has nothing to do with salaries: MARKET. i make monthly like 20-30EUR on market, russian can easily sell market stuffs aswell for US-West eu citizens whose can waste lots of eur on those, while i cant buy much for these in steamstore, as a russian i could own now allmost full steam libraby.

i want region lock for my country and cheaper games, and i want the same for east EU countries because game prices unfair here. i wouldnt care if i cant gift here ROW, with a few exceptions, because of the system, i gift only my bundle surplus, soon i need do that again because have again like 20.

8 years ago
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I feel your pain. I live right next to Russia, literally, our borders cross, yet we get exactly the same prices as old Europe, and I wouldn't say that 60 EUR for a game is no big deal for most people here. It even may be that Russian average salary is bigger than in our country.

8 years ago
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I've seen on one of the threads about this regional thing someone trying to compare Russian steam prices not with ROW prices but, like. With the purchasing power of Russian gamers. So yes, compared to ROW, games are cheaper. But regional pricing exists for a reason.
And for now, it seems there's no way to set a system on Steamgifts that would deal with this regional issue without people exploiting the system more than they are doing already.

8 years ago
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Sure there is. Apply a blanked modifier to CV for anyone from cheaper regions. India is on average 50% cheaper than RoW? Evey SG user from India gets his CV multiplied by 0.5. Etc, for all the locked regions. Note that this shouldn't be tied to giveaways, but to the user, since SG auto detects our Steam store region anyway.

Pros:
No more ridiculous bundle additions.
Clearer rules as to what gets on the bundle list.
No more negativity towards lower priced regions.
No way to exploit regional pricing.

Cons:
Less CV to users from a locked region who manage to get and giveaway a RoW game. But, according to SG region stats, 65% of userbase is from non locked regions anyway, so this isn't that big of an issue.

8 years ago
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But what if a user from ROW region makes a giveaway for non-ROW region, purchasing the non-ROW game for non-ROW price? They would get full CV for their giveaway with this system.
I think of the points value of the game as, exactly, points, not the value in US dollars. Like, 20 points for ROW region is 20 points for non-ROW region, too, because of the difference in purchasing power and salaries. So it's not that non-ROW users have bought this 20 points game for 1 point, it's that they bought it for 20 points, too.
20 "ROW" points =/= 20 "non-ROW" points if you compare them like you compare US dollar to any weaker currency, but for Steamgifts they are =, like $20 for US citizens are like 20 in weaker currency for the citizens of the country with weaker currency, which makes it, arguably, fair on steamgifts.

I hope my wording makes any sense, it's still too early for me =\

EDIT: Your suggestion is one of the most sound so far, I think.

8 years ago
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+1 for tying CV to the user's region!

8 years ago
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please read more about it here

8 years ago
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Yep, it discourages a lot of potential giving on my end since I am on a budget (lots of medical expenses). I end up giving a lot more bundle games as a result, since my dollar stretches further per CV gained. I still give because I enjoy doing so, and it's not about CV, and I still give "bundled" stuff that wasn't really bundled, but it's sad to see these things getting bundled when it isn't even close to being at bundled cost many times, and even if it is at 90% USD, the penalization over a single game to 15% is a lot more harsh than it is after buying an entire set of games in a true bundle. There should probably be another category for the "not really bundled games", since it doesn't fit the definition of the word "bundle" by any stretch of the imagination, since a lot of them are in fact by themselves.

On the other hand, you can still get away with buying RU/CIS games worth 60P for like $9 or $10 USD, creating your own gigantic price cut discounts all day long and get FULL CV credit, so why not penalize this as well? One could hit level 10 relatively easy doing this... It creates a double standard from what I can see. The games that were not actually in real legitimate bundles should be categorized differently, or there should be no CV penalty. That's what I think. You cannot call a game that's not in a bundle a bundle game! Look up the defniition of the word bundle if you disagree. Okay, that's semantics, but it's still laughable for me to think about it in a literal sense...

Too bad there is no way they can integrate more with Steam and be able to have a true paper trail if somebody wanted to prove they bought something that was given away at under this 95% worldwide kind of do-your-own-math-because-it-always-changes to find out if it's really 95% or not, since 95% for me is not 95% for somebody else, yet somebody else's 95% has to become my 95% whether I am aware of it or not, since it's not actually 95% for me when I buy it.

8 years ago*
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you can still get away with buying RU/CIS games worth 60P for like $9 or $10 USD

That is under the rules, unless it gets more than 95% discount ($3) you will always get full CV if you pay $9 for a $60 game.

8 years ago
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Yes, but it is still quite an extreme exploit, since the games themselves are not even near that discount. Only pointing it out. At least one can check profiles and see if they are doing this on a regular basis to boost CV, but it is still not cool. I get what you mean, though. The system is the best we can do probably at the current time and state of things. Far from perfect, but at least there are some hard rules. Would be nice to have an easy way to find out when, say, 90% is really that across the board, without pulling out calculators. Just way too difficult, then there's the possibility that it was over 95% some other time, and will be retroactively added to a 'bundle list'. No way to check since the currency fluctuated, and you only get a number or percentage at a time in history, at least with enhanced steam for instance, or isthereanydeal.

I'd love a way to integrate my account with steam so it could be checked, but that's not ever going to happen. I'll just have to be very frugal and try to hit up the 70% discounts since my health comes first right now, and that's a whole different issue where health is extremely overpriced! Talk about profiting off of other peoples' misery and misfortune! You make a valid point, and I totally get what you mean though, since it's just maybe 1/6 the price... At least there are places like bundlestars/indiegala/humble where if it's only been 90% there, and never on steam, you can still get a real 90% since they don't deal with currencies other than euro/pound/dollar, that I'm aware of.

8 years ago
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