Valve is changing the rules for its Steam PC game sales and discounts
Change is coming on March 28.
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What you need to know
Valve’s big Steam store is getting some changes for its famed sales, the retailer revealed on itsofficial partner site. The previously-announced changes will come into force on March 28, and will change the ways in which retailers can engage with sales and create discount promotions for their games.
Valve has become somewhat of a legend for its famed store discounts, which often see games discounted from anywhere between 10% and 90% off. However, in recent years, some developers and publishers have attempted to “game” the system, offering small discounts of 1% for a couple of days or so just to manipulate Valve’s store algorithm and potentially get featured during sales periods. Valve’s new rules should circumvent manipulations of the system, with discounts now mandated to start at 10%, with new restrictions on the length of time discounts can run to stave off “fake” discounts.
For example, one of the more annoying things with Amazon’s Black Friday sales in recent years is the rise of false discounts, where outlets increase the price of an item, then discount it during “sales” to make it appear to customers like they’re getting some kind of deal.
Microsoft Edge and browser extensions like Honeyhelp you track whether a discount on a web retail page is genuine, but within Steam’s app, it can be a little less obvious. Valve’s new rule changes should lead to a healthier and more transparent market for Steam and its upcomingSteam Deck, and probably represent things other retailers like Amazon should look into adopting.
The full list of updates, set to go live on March 28, are as follows (via Valve):
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Jez Corden is the Executive Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow onTwitter (X)andThreads, and listen to hisXB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!
