Digital charts won't pick up Steam

PC kingpin Valve has insisted it is not interested in handing over data for a digital games chart.

The Bellevue-based studio is thought to control in excess of half the PC download market. The man in charge of its Steam platform told MCV charting such content is "less useful in the digital space".

Steam distributes over 1,700 games, from blockbusters like Call of Duty: Black Ops to indie titles such as Super Meat Boy and Braid.

Owners of these games are given comprehensive sales data measured to the hour – the immediate impact of a promotional ad campaign can be studied from the moment it launches.MCV UK

The above is only an excerpt. You will find the full article here.

I see what Valve is doing, but it won't give us much to talk about, will it?

Gamers these days allow themselves to be swept up by sales data instead of just focusing on the end product. When that happens, dissapointment arises.

Are the numbers that bad?

Gabe is a true nerd.

I'm actually glad they won't. Let people look at the quality of games rather than the number of salesx game has.

My Steam account:

I've also bought many games from other DD websites like gog.com, D2D, Gamersgate, or directly from the developers website.

This is the list of all the retail games I've purchased:

Starcraft 2

Morrowind

These charts sure are accurate, PC gaming is dead hurr hurr

God damnit Valve

whats the point of NPD counting Digital sales if Valve wont hand them over?

Gamers these days allow themselves to be swept up by sales data instead of just focusing on the end product. When that happens, dissapointment arises.

PC_Otter

because console gamers go around saying PC gaming is dead and PC gamers are all pirates that never buy games

It's smart they are protecting the developers that support steam. i5750at4Ghz

[QUOTE="PC_Otter"]

Gamers these days allow themselves to be swept up by sales data instead of just focusing on the end product. When that happens, dissapointment arises.

HaloinventedFPS

because console gamers go around saying PC gaming is dead and PC gamers are all pirates that never buy games

[QUOTE="PC_Otter"]

Gamers these days allow themselves to be swept up by sales data instead of just focusing on the end product. When that happens, dissapointment arises.

HaloinventedFPS

because console gamers go around saying PC gaming is dead and PC gamers are all pirates that never buy games

Only a few people say that, and most console players disagree with them...

[QUOTE="i5750at4Ghz"]It's smart they are protecting the developers that support steam. vadicta

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

[QUOTE="i5750at4Ghz"]It's smart they are protecting the developers that support steam. i5750at4Ghz

[QUOTE="i5750at4Ghz"]

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

How exactly?

vadicta

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

[QUOTE="i5750at4Ghz"] By giving them and only them the ability to release sales data. What if a game really tanks hard? If this information is readily available stocks would fall.

i5750at4Ghz

This way the developers won't jump on what's popular(sales) and try to copy the formula.

In that sense it's good for the gaming industry.

[QUOTE="i5750at4Ghz"]

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

But indie devs rarely have stock holders I feel. And, if they did, their holders would find out pretty quickly how well the game sold. I don't think sales numbers really affect sales, or future success of any game.

vadicta

[QUOTE="i5750at4Ghz"]

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

How exactly?

vadicta

What do we get from the sales numbers? Satisfaction? More fuel for the SW metagame? All of that stuff is pointless, the only reason we get sales numbers in the first place is because the NPD tracks retail, they have nothing from any DD distributor. Those indie developers get hourly sales updates, if they want to talk about their Steam sales they are free to do so (see: Super Meat Boy). Wouldn't it be wrong for Valve, a third party, to release sales information of another developers product? Besides, Valve seems to want to stop the mindset of "That game is selling more than us, let's imitate them!" and replace it with "Let's see what we can do to increase the sales of our game".

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

[QUOTE="i5750at4Ghz"] Then you're completely clueless. Only way the stock holder would find out would be from there yearly sales number releases. Indie devs may not have stock holders, but alot have investers which is pretty much the same thing.

i5750at4Ghz

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

[QUOTE="i5750at4Ghz"] By giving them and only them the ability to release sales data. What if a game really tanks hard? If this information is readily available stocks would fall.

hypoty

What do we get from the sales numbers? Satisfaction? More fuel for the SW metagame? All of that stuff is pointless, the only reason we get sales numbers in the first place is because the NPD tracks retail, they have nothing from any DD distributor. Those indie developers get hourly sales updates, if they want to talk about their Steam sales they are free to do so (see: Super Meat Boy). Wouldn't it be wrong for Valve, a third party, to release sales information of another developers product? Besides, Valve seems to want to stop the mindset of "That game is selling more than us, let's imitate them!" and replace it with "Let's see what we can do to increase the sales of our game".

[QUOTE="hypoty"]

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

But indie devs rarely have stock holders I feel. And, if they did, their holders would find out pretty quickly how well the game sold. I don't think sales numbers really affect sales, or future success of any game.

vadicta

What do we get from the sales numbers? Satisfaction? More fuel for the SW metagame? All of that stuff is pointless, the only reason we get sales numbers in the first place is because the NPD tracks retail, they have nothing from any DD distributor. Those indie developers get hourly sales updates, if they want to talk about their Steam sales they are free to do so (see: Super Meat Boy). Wouldn't it be wrong for Valve, a third party, to release sales information of another developers product? Besides, Valve seems to want to stop the mindset of "That game is selling more than us, let's imitate them!" and replace it with "Let's see what we can do to increase the sales of our game".

Well, the way I interpreted your stance on releasing Steam sales, it did. Feel free to respond to it, there's some good stuff in there.

[QUOTE="i5750at4Ghz"]

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

I think you're clueless if you think that investors are going to put capital into a game and not know how well it sells after it's released.

vadicta

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

[QUOTE="hypoty"]

What do we get from the sales numbers? Satisfaction? More fuel for the SW metagame? All of that stuff is pointless, the only reason we get sales numbers in the first place is because the NPD tracks retail, they have nothing from any DD distributor. Those indie developers get hourly sales updates, if they want to talk about their Steam sales they are free to do so (see: Super Meat Boy). Wouldn't it be wrong for Valve, a third party, to release sales information of another developers product? Besides, Valve seems to want to stop the mindset of "That game is selling more than us, let's imitate them!" and replace it with "Let's see what we can do to increase the sales of our game".

hypoty

Well, the way I interpreted your stance on releasing Steam sales, it did. Feel free to respond to it, there's some good stuff in there.

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

[QUOTE="i5750at4Ghz"] They aren't privileged to the information. Most Americans own MS and Nike stock. Yet the vast majority have no clue about the sale of individual products as they aren't released publicly.

i5750at4Ghz

[QUOTE="hypoty"]

[QUOTE="vadicta"]

This has nothing to do with the conversation at hand as far as I can tell...

vadicta

Well, the way I interpreted your stance on releasing Steam sales, it did. Feel free to respond to it, there's some good stuff in there.

I see where you're coming from, and I can't disagree with that. Also, the bolded part is something I never considered before, definitely a new perspective for me.

If the info was released, this would end all the "pc gaming is dying" threads.

If the info was released, this would end all the "pc gaming is dying" threads.

supdotcom

It really doesn't matter anymore whether Steam releases sales data or not. Publishers have those numbers for their games and it's pretty clear that they finally know that PC gaming is thriving. Just look at all the love that PC gets lately: More and more former console-only games are released on PC, even in genres that usually flopped on PC like fighting games. Publisher and developers state their love for the platform left and right, indies love digital distribution on PC because they get paid much better and Sony saw Steamworks implementation in Portal 2 as a huge advantage over the 360. Even Microsoft wants to get back into PC gaming now. The trend is clear for all to see,we don't really need sales data to state the obvious.

[QUOTE="supdotcom"]

If the info was released, this would end all the "pc gaming is dying" threads.

XenogearsMaster

Anything to back up that claim? I'm genuinely curious.

It's a matter of professional secrecy. If they were to release all their numbers other companies could start copying their deals.

I guess they don't want to embarrass all the indie game developers who only got 10 to 1000 downloads of their games which is probably 99% of Steam's collection.XenogearsMaster

You're the one embarassing yourself here.

The reason why Valve won't disclose sales numbers is because they are a private company. Unlike EA, Microsoft, Square Enix etc, they have no need to publicly show information to shareholders. They don't even have any shareholders.

[QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"]I guess they don't want to embarrass all the indie game developers who only got 10 to 1000 downloads of their games which is probably 99% of Steam's collection.Mograine

You're the one embarassing yourself here.

[QUOTE="Mograine"]

[QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"]I guess they don't want to embarrass all the indie game developers who only got 10 to 1000 downloads of their games which is probably 99% of Steam's collection.XenogearsMaster

You're the one embarassing yourself here.

Then you're completely clueless. Only way the stock holder would find out would be from there yearly sales number releases. Indie devs may not have stock holders, but alot have investers which is pretty much the same thing.

i5750at4Ghz

That's stuff that publishers have to release every quarted or they would be in a in a lof of legal trouble.

Well, the way I interpreted your stance on releasing Steam sales, it did. Feel free to respond to it, there's some good stuff in there.

hypoty

What's so wrong with being interested in the business side of gaming?

[QUOTE="hypoty"]

Well, the way I interpreted your stance on releasing Steam sales, it did. Feel free to respond to it, there's some good stuff in there.

JLF1

What's so wrong with being interested in the business side of gaming?

That's a thing the developer can divulge with the fans when they deem appropriate (See Team Meat for example). Valve, a third party, shouldn't give out other developers' information like that.

[QUOTE="Mograine"]

[QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"]I guess they don't want to embarrass all the indie game developers who only got 10 to 1000 downloads of their games which is probably 99% of Steam's collection.XenogearsMaster

You're the one embarassing yourself here.

Prove it.

[QUOTE="HaloinventedFPS"]

[QUOTE="PC_Otter"]

Gamers these days allow themselves to be swept up by sales data instead of just focusing on the end product. When that happens, dissapointment arises.

PC_Otter

because console gamers go around saying PC gaming is dead and PC gamers are all pirates that never buy games