Steam, Valve's big money maker. There's been many reasons why it has been so successful, but this latest weekend deal has made me realise the importance of one of them - gifting games. Its not just any gifting either, but mainly their famous 5-in-1 package The Orange Box.
One of my friends bought Half-Life 2 soon after it came out. He also bought Episode 1 when that too came out. The Orange Box entered his collection, and that left him with a spare copy of Half-Life 2 and Episode 1, letting him gift them to someone. He gave Half-Life 2 to one friend, not sure what he did with Episode 1.
Over this last weekend I have bought 2 copies of the Orange Box - neither of them for myself, I already owned it. Me and my friends are all 17 and none of us had a credit card. Last night I came to the rescue and bought the two copies (little did I know that they could still be bought now at the discounted price) with my brother's credit card to buy the copies, as "gifts" of course. They're both going to pay me back, and I myself will pay my brother back.
Now for the interesting part. One of the people I gifted The Orange Box to already had Half-Life 2. It was a gift from my first friend. He's now got a spare copy to gift to another friend, who in turn might buy The Orange Box and give Half-Life 2 to someone else.
This gifting - its viral. And with the $10 Orange Box weekend (which is still available), Valve are probably significantly richer than they were on Friday.
One of my friends bought Half-Life 2 soon after it came out. He also bought Episode 1 when that too came out. The Orange Box entered his collection, and that left him with a spare copy of Half-Life 2 and Episode 1, letting him gift them to someone. He gave Half-Life 2 to one friend, not sure what he did with Episode 1.
Over this last weekend I have bought 2 copies of the Orange Box - neither of them for myself, I already owned it. Me and my friends are all 17 and none of us had a credit card. Last night I came to the rescue and bought the two copies (little did I know that they could still be bought now at the discounted price) with my brother's credit card to buy the copies, as "gifts" of course. They're both going to pay me back, and I myself will pay my brother back.
Now for the interesting part. One of the people I gifted The Orange Box to already had Half-Life 2. It was a gift from my first friend. He's now got a spare copy to gift to another friend, who in turn might buy The Orange Box and give Half-Life 2 to someone else.
This gifting - its viral. And with the $10 Orange Box weekend (which is still available), Valve are probably significantly richer than they were on Friday.
