Hi guys, I wanted to point out a big flaw in the system.
I gifted Alan Wake through this site because I wanted to increase my CV, and I knew that it was a game a lot of people would be wanting because of the impending removal from the store. I logged in today to find that Alan Wake now contributes $0.00 to my CV. Let's be real, gifting one copy of Alan Wake is worth more than gifting 10 or even 20 small bundle games that nobody even wants anyway.
I don't have the money to gift $100's in games, but I want to prove that I'm a contributor by reaching at least level 2.
Please help me recover my lost CV, and help me get the word out!

7 years ago

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https://www.steamgifts.com/go/comment/8Uo6l1u

Note MasterJunior's and my reply specifically.

Let's be real, gifting one copy of Alan Wake is worth more than gifting 10 or even 20 small bundle games that nobody even wants anyway.

Alan Wake is a bundle game (has been since 2013), so I'm not sure what distinction you're trying to make, even past the foundationless elitism.

7 years ago*
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Alan Wake is a great game with great reviews; people would be thrilled to receive it, bundled game or not.
Wooden Floor is not a great game, with poor reviews. Nobody wants it except for the cards, bundled game or not.

7 years ago
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7 years ago
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While I do know a small number of people that were interested in Wooden Floor, I can appreciate that distinction between the two games, rather than the broader contrast you seemed to be indicating initially. While I can't argue that perspective (at the very least, as it relates to overall game popularity and ease of acquisition between your specific examples), it doesn't seem to be especially relevant to your CV-based topic, unless you're trying to imply a need for a full CV system overhaul. Even if that's the case, there's no helping this specific matter, given that SG has no control over how Steam reports game values.

7 years ago
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This happens to purchase disabled games because the Steam Store reports them as costing $0. There are a number of games like this ("Bioshock", "Alice: Madness Returns", and "Fate Tectonics" come to mind).

On a similar note, games that have been given away for free before in large quantities can't be given away at all ("Dark Souls: Prepair to Die Edition" and "Hover: Revolt of Gamers" come to mind immediately as good ones).

7 years ago
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7 years ago
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7 years ago
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They do.

7 years ago
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CV is calculated from the game's base USD price that is received from the Steam API. If a game is purchase-disabled or removed, Steam returns 0 dollars as a price, so CV is calculated from that.
It is not exactly a special case, nor an unknown one. It has been like that for years for all removed games. You can submit a ticket to give the game a special value in the database.

7 years ago
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You can submit a ticket to give the game a special value in the database.

MasterJunior and I elaborate on when that is and isn't possible (and why), here.

7 years ago
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Meaning it has to be removed, not purchase-disabled.
And this one so far is just purchase-disabled.
So, everyone who bought it will have 0 CV awarded for it, period.
*shrugs* Not like CV is that important in the first place.

7 years ago
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shrugs Not like CV is that important in the first place.

I'll agree to that- though in fairness, it's been a while since you or I have been down at any level low enough where the CV from any single batch of giveaways was of any large-scale consideration. I imagine that- personal perspectives toward CV in general aside- level perspective may play some part in how big a consideration CV is, as well; low level users presumably are a lot more invested in making giveaways for CV's sake than long-standing GA-creators tend to be (especially level 10 users such as yourself :P).
I'm just finding the OP's perspective a bit unclear, given that they weren't going to get any meaningful CV from the game to begin with.

Well, in any case, the developer did say they were working on trying to relicence the music (though they indicated they didn't have a timeframe for how long that'd take), so eventually the game'll pop back up. Perhaps even alongside Alan Wake 3, as Mafia 2 did with its third game. :P

7 years ago
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Sorry for my ignorance. As a new user, I'm still learning how things work around here, you know?
I just feel a little bummed is all.

7 years ago*
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I'm just not used to people caring about CV without expressing min-max considerations, I suppose. :P
And trust me, a lot of the highest level users on SG may be poorer than you are, no matter how poor you may currently be. Bringing up resources is never a good idea on SG, as it tends to be an argument that all too easily backfires on the person bringing it up.

In any case, two important tips for the future, then:

  1. Whenever considering taking up any deal listed on SG, always glance down in the thread comments for more details. They usually (as they did this time) cover any special considerations in detail.
  2. Whenever trying something you haven't done before (in this case, posting a game which is about to be deactivated), take the time to ask around. SGers are a mixed bag on some things, but providing assistance and clarifications (especially as they relate to the site) tends to be something we're rather reliable on, across the board.
7 years ago
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My salary is around 630 USD. Half of the minimum wage in Utah. ALl my giveaways were paid by me with no free or developer keys in them.
Just sayin'.

7 years ago
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I have a good feeling you will reach Level 2 anyways in next to no time ;P

Edit: Also welcome to Steamgifts, btw! ☺

7 years ago*
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Huh, I was under the impression that removed games worked the same as bundled games, ie. if you gave it away before it was removed, you would keep the CV (as you do if you give a game away before it is ever bundled (but not if it's after being bundled but before it's added to the bundled list)). Didn't know it would be lifted retroactively. Good to have that cleared up.

7 years ago
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Due to differences in purchasing locations, sales glitches, steam bugs, free weekends, and other issues, it's functionally impossible to implement a more accurate system. Moreso, implementing such would be somewhat hypocritical, given how users are already spending significantly different amounts for the games they put up, and yet only receiving one of full or 15% credit. As a system which determines CV based off of exact purchase price is impossible to implement, this is the best system we've got available to us.

As such, the site pulls retail value from Steam, which reports as $0 when a game is deactivated (or can be set by staff to report its last recorded retail value, if it is completely unlisted from Steam). If the game returns to being available for purchase, it'll return to reporting a CV value. The real quirk is retail price drops- while I believe they are given retroactive bundle list removal considerations if they drop far enough, there's no helping a game that goes F2P.
Then again, everyone that invested in the game beforehand can be said to have lost out, not just those investing their purchases toward SG CV. (Of course, if previous owners received a Steam-activatable premium package for their subscription, then the original copies of the game posted on SG can just be changed to that package, so in some instances workarounds are possible.) In the end, price drops are something to take up with the developers in question, the same if you'd purchased the games as gifts for friends or for personal use.

Of course, those drops tend to not be of much note if the game you gave away was pretty low in retail value to begin with. Much like with retroactive bundling considerations, there's simply a risk of a higher degree of CV loss when giving away higher value games and packages. Something to keep in mind when you're expressing appreciation for an AAA giveaway win. :)

7 years ago*
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It's because they way SG works, it gets the prices of the games via Steam API.

It would be nice if for removed games the site retained the last available price, instead of counting as 0.

7 years ago
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+1

7 years ago
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It would be nice if for removed games the site retained the last available price, instead of counting as 0.

https://www.steamgifts.com/go/comment/SAtiYKJ

7 years ago
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Closed 7 years ago by Twigleg2.