Okay, guys, here's the deal; I have a friend that's (primarily) a console gamer, and I've been trying to move him over the Steam way for some time. He, however, has very few games (most of which were given by me). They are perfectly valid and legit games on a perfectly valid and legit account (http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198043556447/), yet he's being told that his account doesn't value at least $100 (which, based on the games listed, he totally does).

How am I supposed to tell everyone that I know to come check this awesome place out (and hopefully enter to win some of my games) if they can't even get in?

I can't very well say "oh, wow! look at this cool site that let's me have my friends get gifted games fairly for a change... oh, except you, guy who doesn't have a ton of games." Doesn't do much in the way of helping me make things fair for my gaming group, really.

Are there any bypasses we can look into, or some way I can know how far off of the $100 he is so I can just gift him some stuff to nudge him over (even though that wouldn't be fair at all)?

Thanks for any and all assistance in helping us figure this out. I really would love to keep making giveaways here. ;(

12 years ago*

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Buy some indie bundles

12 years ago
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SteamCalculator lists my uncle's account at $135, but SteamGifts says it's less than $100. Since his account consists of bundles I've bought him and 4-packs we've shared, my assumption is that bundles are valued at bundle price rather than retail price.

Maybe it was a glitch, dunno.

12 years ago
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I don't know for sure but I don't think they go by bundle price. Some games have been manually lowered in value too like the ironclads collection.

Edit: Looks like it's been changed with that indie game update. What Yatterman said is right.

12 years ago
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I notice he owns mostly indie bundle games. I can't say much about the rest of it, but I'm sure that's your problem right there: games that were in indie bundles have their value reduced when figuring out if you've reached the $100 mark.

12 years ago
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Just like each account's contributor value, then.

12 years ago
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Yeah, except in a different way and has been around for a lot longer.

12 years ago
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Could be a glitch. Also, the $100 for new accounts is mostly to prevent users from using alt accounts.

12 years ago
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Right, but some good old fashioned human eyes should be able to do something about that. I just don't know how to get us over an invisible hurdle. There's some magic number floating in the cosmos that he must reach, but he's got to go spend random amounts of money in order to have a chance to win free games? Seems a bit backwards to me. Don't get me wrong, I see the need to prevent fraud, but I also see that this way is leaving something to be desired.

12 years ago
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No random amount. $10-20 will get him here. If he doesn't have that value on his account he doesn't need any other free games. (There are free games on Steam)

12 years ago
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According to steam calculator, his value is 0.00...hmmm not sure why.

12 years ago
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I may have copy-pasta'd from the Steam window or something, but according to http://www.steamcalculator.com/id/mikeler he's $240.83. Not sure. ;(

12 years ago
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1) Steam calculator =/= steamgift's account value

2) He has mostly indie games. Indie games don't count towards your owned games.

The only non-bundle games are Torchlight and Dota 2.

12 years ago
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Wait, what? "Indie games don't count towards your owned games"?! What in the hell should the publisher have to do with your account's worth? That doesn't even remotely make sense. So a random $20 game from EA is somehow worth something when The Ball is not? I must be misreading this or something.

12 years ago
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What Yatterman meant are bundle games, where you can easily get over $100 of account value with under $10.

12 years ago
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Ah! Thank you for the clarification. I was very confused. While you're hear, Jade, is there any way I can find out how much he "really" has left to go? He has a few things that should help (TL, TL2, Dota, DoD, BTDT/TGP, but I think that may be it for non-bundle sadly), but I don't know what the magic numbers are to get him there. Any assistance you may be able to give on that front?

12 years ago
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Unfortunately, I don't actually know any of the specifics of how the calculation works, just that we use our own. You'll have to ask cg if you can. My advice would be to skip bundle. Overall, you are best off just watching the dail deals and buying anything that's about 75% off. You'll probably get in in about ten days at most, for about $20.

12 years ago
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He means that they come from Indie Bundles. The bundles themselves could be bought for less than a dollar.

12 years ago
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Thanks. I get the "less than a dollar"-thing. Just didn't know what he meant.

12 years ago
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12 years ago
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I'm not sure that I know what you mean, but I had him create an alias URL for easier access, and now http://www.steamcalculator.com/id/mikeler show's him correctly. How can he "clean up [his] profile", by chance?

12 years ago
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Either he's serious about playing games on Steam, or he isn't.

If so, he should take advantage of a few daily deals. Crysis for $3.75, for example. He could probably attain a sufficient value by spending little more than a few dollars - certainly A FRACTION OF THE PRICE OF A CONSOLE GAME...

If not, any games he wins on here are likely to go to waste anyway, and he and Steamgifts are better off without each other...

12 years ago
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Just... wow.

12 years ago
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What an awesome way to promote the community! Your pretentious attitude is what's wrong with gaming in general. How well would SteamGifts grow if everyone thought like you did? It would eventually end up with the same small group of people swapping games like high school kids swap mononucleosis. I came here to join what I thought was a good idea, but if the community mirrors your "better off without..." attitude, than i might want to rethink things.

12 years ago
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perfectly put.

12 years ago
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Try re-reading my post:

If the guy is only using Steam under duress, and can't be convinced to shell out a fraction of the price of one of his console games to meet the minimum requirements for Steamgifts, how committed is he going to be to playing any games he wins? Frankly, it sounds as though he only signed up for Steam in the first place to get the OP off his back...

Also, anyone who judges a community by a single poster needs to step away from the internet...

12 years ago
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While you're perfectly entitled to your opinion, you're not obligated to be a dick about it. I asked for some help on the matter, you gave none. Don't get sour when people call you out for your piss poor attitude; just don't post, maybe?

Facts of life are that not all budgets are created equal, and while a new console game may cost more than a PC game (though I payed $60 for Skyrim?), your aunt Jane doesn't have to have a Steam account to walk up into Wal-Mart on Christmas and walk out with a game for you that you've been posting your drool all over failbook for. Nor does your uncle John have to buy you an entirely new digital copy of a console game he beat a year ago.

Oh, and we've been gaming (Steam's not the only non-console publisher, by the way) for many years now, so I'm pretty sure how it sounds to you is both inaccurate, and simply more of your asshole shining through.

12 years ago
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Hahaha!

Who's getting sour, amigo? Sure, maybe my post was a little confrontational, but there is plenty of truth in it... In your fervour to label me a "dick" and an "asshole", you seem to have missed the fairly obvious fix I suggested.

While I appreciate we all have different incomes and personal situations, I'm not talking telephone number sized sums of money here. My helpful suggestion, which you appear to have gaily overlooked, was to buy a game such as Crysis, ludicrously cheap on Steam at present, and problem solved.

Nobody is talking about rich aunts here. Just scraping together a couple of spare dollars, mowing a neighbour's lawn, trading in a console game that's gathering dust, etc...

Ease it down a notch, cowboy... While you may not have liked the tone of my post, the logic still stands...

12 years ago
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Atomic is right, your friend can't buy the crysis pack? :-/ That's like $70 worth right there.

12 years ago
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Except Crysis sucks according to what I've researched and is used mostly as a benchmark for PC performance.

12 years ago
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Research again.

12 years ago
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looks like someone didnt realy research at all.
Crysis is awesome great story and awesome multiplayer. its good for benchmark but lots of games are.

12 years ago
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12 years ago
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Yes it is. Research IS playing a game! ;)

12 years ago
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12 years ago
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Anyone who considers Crysis as a benchmark focused game clearly hasn't played it. The guy doesn't know what he's talking about. We'll leave it at that.

12 years ago
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I guess his point is more likely there are games on 75%-90% sales, that leaves you to pay $10 for $100 value.

12 years ago
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This was indeed my main point, which apparently makes me a "dick", and "asshole" and a "shithead"...

Most people, if they have a computer capable of playing modern games, can muster a couple of dollars for one or other deal of the day, but hey...

Now's as good a time as any, too, with Crysis on sale, and a massive Amazon sale on, including the Paradox pack containing Crusader Kings, the two Majesty games and Magicka also going for less than a tenner.

Not only will either of these get the OP's buddy over the line in terms of value, but there's every chance they'll give him plenty of gaming enjoyment too :)

12 years ago
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Just get some games. Either you, him or someone else can get the games for him.

12 years ago
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And while that is quite honestly a shitty solution, if it's what's required, I can figure something out I'm sure. I'm really just unsure as to how much money it's going to cost us all in order to give him a fair shot at games. I mean, I was planning on setting up a few private giveaways in the spirit of what Matt did earlier today (non-winners only) and post them up on the SG Steam group, here, twit, and a few other spots. Just seems like it isn't quite fair to say it's a fair giveaway when real people can't get in. ;(

12 years ago
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Real people can't get in? Stop crying, please. $100 on Steam is nothing. It is to prevent fake/alt accounts. $100 value of games on sale? C'mon, there are 75% or even 90% sales. That's like $10-20 dollars to get here.

12 years ago
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I went to the Steam Calculator to check my account value and subtracted the games that appeared in bundles. I still got $329.81, majority of which I got on sales.

12 years ago
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12 years ago
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Does steamgifts consider Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Deleted Scenes to be $99 like steamcalculator does?

12 years ago
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Nope.

12 years ago
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For his birthday and other holidays buy him games but bundles really screw with your total

12 years ago
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Don't like it? Get the hell out. Who the hell are you to ask for special attention just because you or your friend do not meet the criteria to join.

The rules are there because of damn abusers and leechers.

It's impossible to for anyone to check each and every account.

12 years ago
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You sir, are a dick for that comment. That is just a ridiculous thing to say in-regards to the "Get the hell out". Community's are not built with aggression such as this. Yes the rule's are there for a reason, but so is decency to fellow user's. You may need to acquire some of that. The OP asked a simple question which has been answered now, there's no need for comment's like that aimed at him/her. It just drag's down the whole community, which is unfair to the rest of us, nicer, forum user folks.

12 years ago
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I do not care much what you or anyone else thinks.

The sense of self entitlement in this forum is disgusting to say the least. "Hey, this rule is not to my liking. CHANGE IT NOW!" Get the drift?

I've so many of people with such attitude for the 1 year that I've been here, I've grown pretty sick of some people here.

12 years ago
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Don't get me wrong, I agree with the annoyance behind the 'self-entitlement' of some users, but I don't see how the OP brought that across, or deserved the 'Get the hell out' comment. Also not caring what anyone think's is just a selfish thing, and something I really hate seeing more and more on the net. If you truly din't care, you would not of actually replied to my comment. So at least you do on some level =)

12 years ago
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Nope, don't like it; am, however, considering how best to deal with that. Your suggestion is duly noted, as well. Thanks!

Who the hell am I? Well, I'm a new guy (couple of days, in fact) who just recently found this really awesome site of a Steam community built up around the concept of sharing and giving. Nice bunch of folks so far from what I can tell, save for a few self-righteous, obnoxiously opinionated shitheads.

I understand why the rules are there, friend. Most of this thread has been about me attempting to demystify the numbers, not challenge the rules; a thing which your infinite wealth of information provided still lacks.

And while inconvenient and most assuredly absurd, having someone check each and every account is by no means impossible. It is also, however, not what I was suggesting. I was merely asking if there was a "manual override" of sorts for potential edge cases.

12 years ago
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Well I'm sorry, he needs to be active on Steam before he can start winning free games. That's a tiny requirement for an account but completely necessary to stop leechers and alternate accounts. If someone gives your friend a break, everyone else will want one as well.

12 years ago
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I completely understand. I had to find out as much as I could in order to determine what I should do to rectify the situation though, so I appreciate your time and contribution.

12 years ago
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Whatever it is your friend needs games. Pick up discounted games. Keep an eye on Giveaways of game on Steam outside this site(publishers give away steam keys at many places)
The Indie Bundle values are reduced.

12 years ago
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as you said, your friend is primarily a console gamer (technical term is "contard") and the few steam games he has he mostly got from you. if he doesn't have much interest in the free games he got from you then why would he have much interest in potentially winning free games from this site?

12 years ago
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I don't understand how his interest in the games he has is coming into play. I was merely asking about how I could use SG to create fair giveaways for my gaming group.

12 years ago
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As sad as that sounds, the 100$ hurdle is to prevent alt accounts.

You know WHY people would make alt accounts?
Because they only want to leech. Without contributing anything.

Frankly, if your friend will not even spend a few dollars on daily deals/weekend deals/midweek deals to get HIMSELF to 100$'s, i see basically no chance he will EVER contribute a game or two to steamgifts. Now, i know not everybody has the kind of money needed, and i gladly took my IGN-subscription-game key, my bundle game key, and my freely-given-away-DLC key as won items opposed to REAL bought games(more) that i have given away as items.

But there needs to be a hurdle to joining for how "cheap" someone can be. If all you needed was a few 1$ indie game bundles for chances to win full 50-60$ games, this place would go downhill fast. Now, it seems YOU are a decent guy, but i hope you understand what i'm trying to say. In my opinion, the requirements are already too low, but oh-well.

12 years ago
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Yes, I do understand why it is there, and while I appreciate everyone feeling the need to remind me about alt accounts, I think your "cheap" reference resounds the real point. I also appreciate that you see me as a decent guy, but also understand what you're saying. As I previously mentioned (somewhere in a distant post in this thread; far, far away), I'm at the point now where I need to figure out how best to proceed with my giveaways.

12 years ago
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For clarity's sake I would like to hopefully close out this thread by reiterating a few things found in previous posts. It seems like so many people feel the need to repost the same concepts over and over again.

Yes, I understand the reason for the $100 rule.
Yes, I understand that you may feel that I may have cheap friends.
Yes, I understand that neither I nor my friends should be any exception to anyone's rules.
Yes, I understand that a wealth of percieved account value can come from a few targeted deals.
Yes, I understand that the onus is on me to determine whether I should leave the community or not.

I was simply trying to figure out what options were available to me for being able to host fair (reads: fairly distributed odds amongst those with group or private giveaway links) giveaways. That has since deevolved to a typical forum flame fest that serves no purpose.

Thanks to all who attempted to help.

12 years ago
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Closed 12 years ago by Nekoyoubi.