• Valve Discusses Charging Customers Based on Popularity
    198 replies, posted
[url]http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110056-Valve-Discusses-Charging-Customers-Based-on-Popularity[/url] [quote=Article] [img]http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/56/56329.jpg[/img] [b]One of Gabe Newell's theoretical Steam payment methods would charge more for players that are awful people.[/b] There are a few standard payment models for videogames today that include retail, monthly fees, and microtransactions. Valve boss Gabe Newell recently called these models "broken," revealing that the company is looking into new ways of charging customers based on the customers themselves. In a lengthy interview with Develop, Newell said: "The industry has this broken model, which is one price for everyone. That's actually a bug, and it's something that we want to solve through our philosophy of how we create entertainment products." Rather than pricing a product based purely on what that product is worth, Newell talks about pricing a product based on what the customer is worth as well. "Some people, when they join a server, a ton of people will run with them," Newell continued. "Other people, when they join a server, will cause others to leave." [b]"So, in practice, a really likable person in our community should get DotA 2 for free, because of past behavior in Team Fortress 2," Newell added. "Now, a real jerk that annoys everyone, they can still play, but a game is full price and they have to pay an extra hundred dollars if they want voice."[/b] Newell also went over how Valve is already charging high-value customers "negative" amounts, such as those that were paid royalties for creating Team Fortress 2 items. "Their cost for Team Fortress 2 is negative $20,000 per week," he said. "You're never going to see that in a retail store ... It's people who make hats get paid. People who are really popular play for less, or free." Could this be a method that actually reduces the number of people whose internet anonymity causes them to spout an endless number of obscenities and racially motivated comments just because they were gunned down by a sniper? It seems like it might. Not that internet jerks would disappear overnight, but money could be a strong motivator to make someone pat a fellow player on the back instead of tea-bagging him.[/quote] An extra hundred dollars if they want voice, hmm.
That's incredibly stupid. There's no way this will work in theory or in practice.
Somehow, I see this as possibly,horribly backfiring if it were implemented...
So if something is less popular it costs more? I can see the implementation costs of this idea bankrupting Valve then.
What a fucking terrible idea. I reserve the right to be a dick to 12 year olds and idiots on Steam and I shouldn't have to pay higher prices for games because of that.
And would would Valve know who's a dick? By reports? There's dumb kids that probably report you if they keep killing you and I doubt they'll actually look through the >100000 reports a day. Overall I think that's kinda odd though.
Already a thread on this in the valve games and mods section. [url]http://www.facepunch.com/threads/1088842-Valve-discusses-charging-customers-based-on-popularity[/url] And yes I also think this is a horrible idea.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;29857764]So if something is less popular it costs more? I can see the implementation costs of this idea bankrupting Valve then.[/QUOTE] Nope, if a person is less popular it costs more. I guess it's one way to make it so there are less angry 12 year olds screaming in microphones but it's probably not the best solution.
Then someone innocent gets griefed and has to spend an extra $100 just because the internet is full of dicks.
Fuck that Games should just be like any other product where you pay and get what you paid for.
I love how Gabe assumes that people are so die-hard about valve games that they'll be willing to pay that extra $100 for voice, and not just go play something else.
[QUOTE=FuckaNinja;29857789]Already a thread on this in the valve games and mods section. [url]http://www.facepunch.com/threads/1088842-Valve-discusses-charging-customers-based-on-popularity[/url] And yes I also think this is a horrible idea.[/QUOTE] I never, ever go to that section. Even if I had known that was posted there, I still wouldn't regret putting it in the news section where [i][b]everyone[/i][/b] can see it.
[quote]One of Gabe Newell's theoretical Steam payment methods would charge more for players that are awful people.[/quote] this means it's an idea. everything is considered at these types of brainstorming meetings. he happened to be asked about this specific one, so he elaborated.
Valve, don't you dare. [quote]Newell also went over how Valve is already charging high-value customers "negative" amounts, such as those that were paid royalties for creating Team Fortress 2 items. "Their cost for Team Fortress 2 is negative $20,000 per week," he said. "You're never going to see that in a retail store ... It's people who make hats get paid. [b]People who are really popular play for less, or free."[/b][/quote] Gabe, I can't believe these words are coming out of your mouth, you big logical fallacy.
I've heard him talk about this before. It's an interesting idea to say the least, I don't think it would work at all though.
I can just see little kids going "lol eye report u to valve huehuehue".
And with that anyone not on the free or cheap list would move onto another service like D2D. The reason Steam's such a dominant force in the market is because it's competitors don't have anything to offer that's better, so if Valve basically cuts off Steam's leg just to silence griefers they're going to start hemorrhaging money. Plus if anything it'd just give birth to a new breed of annoying people who are overly nice all the time in hopes of getting cheap games. Not to mention all the amounts of inevitable exploiting the system by groups or clans to get everyone cheaper games. Aren't there also laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination with customers? Because in making your service a popularity contest, you're discriminating on both new customers and old customers who not everyone likes. So in short, how the fuck is this going to make money?
[QUOTE=teh pirate;29857861]this means it's an idea. everything is considered at these types of brainstorming meetings. he happened to be asked about this specific one, so he elaborated.[/QUOTE] It could mean anything. Gabe more than likely brought the idea up himself. I doubt this Escapist writer actually flew over to Valve HQ and sat in on one of their company meetings.
This is such an atrocious idea oh my god
It's a joke.
[QUOTE=Armyis1337;29857875]Valve, don't you dare. Gabe, I can't believe these words are coming out of your mouth, you big logical fallacy.[/QUOTE] Its not logically wrong, until the internet is involved.
what the fuck? this is dumb
[QUOTE=Zycoses;29857791]Nope, if a person is less popular it costs more. I guess it's one way to make it so there are less angry 12 year olds screaming in microphones but it's probably not the best solution.[/QUOTE] I was making a joke about how this idea is unpopular and should therefore cost valve a lot of money.
Guys, it's a joke. Satire.
Valve don't do something stupid PLEASE [editline]16th May 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Lick;29857959]Guys, it's a joke. Satire.[/QUOTE] oh ok kewl!!! xD
It's not a joke.
[QUOTE=Lick;29857959]Guys, it's a joke. Satire.[/QUOTE] No, no it's not. Citation needed, too.
People on private profile (or who don't want to be famous) are so screwed then
Gabe can you just take all your money and go into retirement or something
Even if they DID implement this, the amount of protesters and people boycotting valve games would be so huge they would have go to back to normal or be ruined.
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