They could be planning on giving it to a friend or something. As long as they activate the one they win, I see no huge issue with it.
Comment has been collapsed.
Please forgive me for being the black sheep of this thread, and I do realize that the FAQ is in sore need of updating, but where is it written that it must be in the library? Currently the rule states: "Don't enter for games you already own." Unless it's been specified further somewhere that I have missed, I assume ownership to mean anywhere on your account. If I'm wrong then that's fine but I don't see anything specifically stating library. I realize that private inventories pose a problem, but to the same extent a person can hide their library too by keeping their profile private. A little clarification from staff would help here.
Comment has been collapsed.
You paid for it, therefore you own it until it leaves your possession. The problem with the analogy, and steam inventory alike, is that you can't prove intent without carrying through with it. I could just as easily go buy a computer and claim it was a gift for someone, and then hook it up at home and enjoy it myself. Perhaps I'm getting a bit technical here, and it may be as well that we're just waiting for a FAQ update that further clarifies this and other matters with some better wording. The real problem I guess, is that people will do anything to circumvent the system, though I do recognize that there may be fair reasons to hold an item.
Comment has been collapsed.
unless you give it away as a gift or present which in that case it becomes a gift for someone else. This means you don't really own the gift anymore because you have given away the possession.
Comment has been collapsed.
What if Your friend pays you cash, you purchase the game to gift to him, having used his money. Regardless of it being in your inventory, contractually, it's not yours. He paid for it, it will be his. But until he redeems it, it shows up in your inventory. My friends and I do this all the time.
Comment has been collapsed.
That's a bit difficult, because at that point, either of you can activate it. It's a bit like you're holding an item out to hand to a friend, but your friend hasn't noticed you yet. I'd say it would belong more to you than to your friend at that particular moment.
Comment has been collapsed.
Because it's common sens. Plus no one gets banned for this.
Comment has been collapsed.
Because every time this questions pops up here everyone says it's allright.
Wait, we're talking about this:
"However, what if they win a game that's just in their steam inventory?"
Right?
If so, I repeat - common sense. There's not a rule that says it's forbidden to have a game in your inventory while entering a GA for the same game. If this was the case you wouldn't be able to have "keys" to games you enter giveaways for. Same thing. Keys and gifts = both potential library items.
Comment has been collapsed.
Actually, many people are saying it's not alright. Therefore, not everyone says it's alright.
The rule actually does say it's forbidden to have a game in your inventory while entering a GA for the same game, because the rule says you can't enter for a game you already own. Keys are a sneaky way to get around this rule, but inventories are sometimes visible. Of course, SteamGifts mods might not actually care about the inventory and might say it's fine, which is why this thread exists - to find out what the intent behind the rule is.
In case you didn't know, an inventory is a list of items that someone owns.
Comment has been collapsed.
Inventory is not a library. That's the difference. If someone has it in the inventory then it's very probable one don't want to activate the game on one's account but would rather trade/give it away.
Comment has been collapsed.
The difference between the inventory and the library is the whole reason for this thread - I think everyone here knows the difference.
Anyway, for an official answer (one I think you'll like - I like it too) is on this page. Look for Bobofatt's comment.
Comment has been collapsed.
They could be yes, but they could be using it for trading. In which case, if they want it so badly they should redeem the one they have rather than taking someone else's copy which they paid for so you can trade to get something else you want as well. I see no harm in asking the person what the copy is for, not that I expect anyone who actually is a big enough asshole to enter for giveaways for a game they own for trade to tell the truth
Comment has been collapsed.
I won a game that I wanted but was giving away while I had it in my inventory.
Comment has been collapsed.
What does that have to do with anything? My entire point is that we don't know what it could be, and that some people (some people = not all people) could be holding the game for trading purposes (but NOT all people), so I'm saying it's alright to ask the winner what they're holding it for, if they are holding it for a legitimate reason (for a giveaway, for a friend's birthday, whatever) then everything is fine and they can still get the gift, but if they're not (i.e. holding it for trade) then problems will ensue. If I just made the assumption that all people were holding a copy for trade then why would I bother suggesting the gifter to ask the winner what it's for if I've already made the assumption it's for trading...
Comment has been collapsed.
Oops, didn't mean to reply to you! Sorry bout that lol.
Comment has been collapsed.
I'm not sure what protocol would be for that, but what I suggest is this:
Contact the user on Steam and ask them to either activate or get rid of the copy in their inventory. If they refuse by the seven day mark, then take a screenshot of their inventory and write a support ticket asking for a re-roll. A copy of the conversation might help if they openly refuse to handle the copy they own.
Comment has been collapsed.
Why should this matter? As long as they activate the one they won from you, who cares about the inventory?
Comment has been collapsed.
Because they still own a copy. It's not if someone has a copy in their library, you're not meant to enter if you simply 'own' a copy, and the contents of a viewable inventory seem like ownership to me.
Comment has been collapsed.
I'd like some proof of your claim before you try to flag me as an idiot, thank you.
Comment has been collapsed.
I supplied a suggestion based on what I infer from the rules as they are currently written. I do not know if it is right or wrong, but if it is in fact wrong then I would like to know for certain what the alternative is and where it is stated. Given that no further official clarification has been supplied by anyone, we are at a standstill with nothing to go on but opinion. My opinion is that if it's in your inventory you shouldn't get another copy. And if that is wrong, then I will concede the point.
Comment has been collapsed.
Going by that logic, people shouldn't have unused CD keys and still win giveaways of that same game, the difference being no one would know in that case.
The point is that they don't have it in their library and they're supposed to activate the copy they win.
Comment has been collapsed.
Let's see how far the useless train is going to chug along, shall we? This thread was created because the answer was unclear, and the rule in question is written too vaguely within the FAQ. A staff member has already posted to this thread with their take on the matter, and we are now taking that statement as rule going forward.
Comment has been collapsed.
How can I repeat him when I was disagreeing with his suggestion? If you're talking about the irrelevant thing, what I meant was that then there is no point in this thread and no point in you replying to me, because everything is irrelevant. You're trying to make a valid point, but it's just not adding up.
Comment has been collapsed.
No, I didn't say you repeated him. You're repeating the official answer, slightly changed to your own words. That's the part that's irrelevant. We already have the answer. You and I are discussing something else, which makes our conversation not irrelevant, though it's becoming clear that it's not very purposeful either, since you don't seem to be understanding anything I say. This forces each of us into a monologue inspired by the other person's monologue, rather than a conversation.
Comment has been collapsed.
won't work. he can happy have 2 steam accounts and just move it on the second steam account, get the one from here, then move it back. he happy got the one from the giveaway and then he just moved back the one he/she already had.
the answer to this question is hard. do you actually own the games or only the right to use them?
Comment has been collapsed.
There could be a number of reason why someone already has a game in their inventory. I've held on to a game for a friend after making a trade for him while he had internet problems. Was something I wanted too so I could very well have won it in the meantime.
There are also games like Fortix, SotMC, Bad Rats that people intend to win but might have in their inventory in the meantime to make giveaways for it themselves.
So, as long as the person doesn't have the game in their library, I believe it should be gifted. However, there will always be jerks that will enter for a game they had for themselves and just trade the extra copy away.
Comment has been collapsed.
You still give them the game. some people would rather give away game then go buy it for themselves if they have it in their inventory They may be either intending to give it away or give it to a friend.
Comment has been collapsed.
Ask the mods, get a definitive answer. > http://www.steamgifts.com/support
Comment has been collapsed.
I trade a lot, and often buy for others via trade/steam wallet and hold the titles for them in inventory until we catch each other online again. Many traders do this. Just because an item is in inventory does not mean they own the title for themselves or have the right to activate it.
If it's not in their library, they don't "own" it - period. You should gift whatever they won (and then make sure they activate it).
Comment has been collapsed.
Technically according to Steam you can trade games on Steam you don't yet OWN. Ownership for Steam themselves means having something in your account, everything else is potentially for you or for the millions of other people on Steam for whatever reasons.
Comment has been collapsed.
They could be like me, or it could be the running joke with certain games.
Me personally, I bought 2 games recently that are sitting in my inventory. I only had money to get the games, so instead of buying them for myself, I bought them to giveaway.
Other situations could be like Fortix, Bad Rats, or Secret of the Magic Crystals where the community goes by rule that you can't buy those games for yourself, you have to win them. But you are allowed to give them away.
Comment has been collapsed.
Punishment only comes into play when it can be forced upon people.
We already 'punish' people by requiring that they sync their libraries.
We already 'punish' people by forcing them to prove they have a steam account by logging in with steam.
Comment has been collapsed.
As someone who does a lot of trading, I've run into this dilemma a few times where I'd have a copy of a game I wanted but was trying to trade for a game I wanted more (or had recently completed such a trade) when a giveaway for the first game popped up. I've always refrained from entering because it feels pretty scummy, but I don't think there should be a mandatory rule against it. Others have already pointed out that there are valid reasons to have a copy in your inventory, and beyond that, with the various inventory privacy options (Steam gifts are hidden from public view by default) it would be next to impossible to enforce.
Comment has been collapsed.
I tend to agree that unless a user adds a title in his/her inventory to his/her library s/he does not yet "own" that title. Generally if I find myself wanting a title badly I just buy and activate it right away. It would be perfectly understandable to change/broaden the definition of ownership but as many have pointed out it'd be real tough to keep track...
Comment has been collapsed.
Why to contest for a game he/she already owns although in the inventory?
Comment has been collapsed.
Really? Some people would rather win a game in a contest and give away the games they buy. There is nothing wrong with entering contests for games you have in your inventory.
Comment has been collapsed.
What I do with my trade fodder is my business. If people started creating a fuss, I'd just hide my inventory, then what?
I might start refusing to give gifts to people who list computer specs better than mine and who have more games than I do, since they clearly could just buy the game rather than enter giveaways.
Comment has been collapsed.
If your second paragraph is sarcasm, then I completely agree. Based on the comments in this thread, the entitlement that some gifters have is ridiculous. This isn't government welfare. They're games, for fucks sake. If you want bank statements and background checks done before giving a game away, create a group and only give to those you deem worthy.
Comment has been collapsed.
What Shobo said is accurate. There are no rules against it, but it can be considered a dick move.
Just recently, I bought Evoland for a group giveaway event. The game is on my wishlist, but I don't have much money and wanted to give away a cool new for the group so I bought it for them instead. Created the two week long giveaway. Did I still enter in Evoland giveaways in the meantime? Hell yeah I did. I want the game too! But the copy I had was specifically set aside for someone in the group to win.
Does that make me an asshole? Should I be punished?
Now, who's to judge why a certain game is in someone's inventory? We don't know what that person's intentions are. Are there traders with huge inventories winning games they already own? Probably. Are they dicks? Good chance. But there's really nothing to be done about it.
Comment has been collapsed.
Thanks for the official answer! It's the one I was hoping for, though I assumed it wasn't true, due to the FAQ. To prevent more threads like this (and other confusion), it might be nice to amend the FAQ. Currently, it says "Don't enter for games you already own." It could be changed to, for example, "Don't enter for games which are in your library."
Comment has been collapsed.
I will now stop adding purchases to my library, and begin exploiting the system to underline the weakness in the system that is likely abused by those who wish for people like me to keep their flashlights off of them.
Kidding, of course. Or am I? Doesn't matter, because the rules state that I can't be banned for it.
Please, amend the rules so fewer people can exploit this little piece.
Comment has been collapsed.
You assume that it is a weakness, an exploit, and and abuse when neither the rules nor popular opinion bear it out.
Just because you WISH something was against the rules doesn't mean it has the essential quality of being an exploit or an abuse. Until it is labelled abuse under the rules, or until it is philosophically proven to have the essence of abuse, it is not so, no matter how much you personally may wish it to be.
Comment has been collapsed.
+1
I really like this explanation and was just about to write something along those lines before I saw the post. My opinion is that this site has been created in good faith and the intentions of all the people here should be treated as such, until proven otherwise.
Comment has been collapsed.
Thank you for your thoughts on the matter. It does come off as a grey area with positives and negatives mixed in, and you are indeed the newer member of staff. However, I do trust in what you say and should there be further issue on the matter I would think that other members of staff may step up or just amend the FAQ as needed. While I do not take back my opinion on what is considered ownership, I do accept what is written as rule. I also appreciate you taking the moment to stop in when I'm sure you could be doing other things.
Comment has been collapsed.
that's funny because i was banned 3 times for this reason (the last time you banned me).
in the first time i opened a ticket and said they were in my inventoy, the answer was "You know what to do to get unbanned" (activate the game, i guess)
in the last time i din't even complained..
3 times wrongly banned?
well, i don't care too much but in my next ban you guys should give me a days discount
just kidding.
(sorry for my bad english).
..the games still in my inventory, all of them
Comment has been collapsed.
No, that's a different situation. They games you won weren't activated on your account.
And THAT rule falls in line with what I mentioned above. A game isn't considered "owned" by a user until it's in their library. "Winnings must be redeemed on the winning account."
Comment has been collapsed.
I often keep stuff that I buy on sale in my inventory when I am not sure if I will play it in the next time,even when they are on my wishlist. Backlog is just too huge. When I get the moment I want to play it I just activate it,but I could always needs it for a trade or for a giveaway or birthday present,so meanwhile while it is in the inventory I enter giveaways for it.
Example: Binary Domain. Was on wishlist since it came out,had 2 copies from a sale,ended giving away both of them. Karma was good to me,I got it as a birthday present after that.
Also I think one should leave the "If you can afford it you dont need to enter..." aspect. The cases of people really not being able to afford anything are very rare on SG and you could always ask them "Why can you afford the hardware to play these games,why can you afford cigarettes,alcohol,party..." its a witch hunt.
Comment has been collapsed.
1,388 Comments - Last post 6 minutes ago by CalamityUP
18 Comments - Last post 3 hours ago by Sardaukar
1 Comments - Last post 3 hours ago by devotee
53 Comments - Last post 5 hours ago by AwesomePossum50
37 Comments - Last post 6 hours ago by Ezel
111 Comments - Last post 8 hours ago by CRAZY463708
5 Comments - Last post 8 hours ago by VahidSlayerOfAll
406 Comments - Last post 5 minutes ago by BattleChaing
30 Comments - Last post 44 minutes ago by Axelflox
100 Comments - Last post 2 hours ago by Kappaking
196 Comments - Last post 2 hours ago by ProV1
128 Comments - Last post 3 hours ago by ceeexo
26,463 Comments - Last post 3 hours ago by marilynhanson
347 Comments - Last post 5 hours ago by Furty
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned in the FAQ but I was curious enough to ask.
Not that I've encountered any winners of that situation, it's just a what-if question.
I'm aware that it's against the rules for someone to win a game they already have in their library.
However, what if they win a game that's just in their steam inventory?
Comment has been collapsed.