Valve: Steam boosts boxed sales too

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 6th July 2009
Comments (9) Stumble
Valve: Steam boosts boxed sales too

Valve's Doug Lombardi has revealed that Steam sales promotions also boost retail sales, as well as Steam ones.

Valve's Doug Lombardi has said that Steam may not be as big a threat to conventional retail outlets as gamers might expect, claiming that a lot of the Steam vs. Stores arguments are sensationalised. In fact, Lombardi says sales data shows that Steam sales promotions boost sales at retail stores as well as online.

"When we do our free weekends on Steam for our products we see an increase in player numbers, obviously, and then we'll see a spike in sales at the end of the weekend on Steam and at retail," Lombardi told GI.biz. "Recently we've seen data that shows Left 4 Dead free weekends increase the sales of Left 4 Dead on Steam, at retail and on the Xbox 360, which we would never have guessed could have happened, but it's just that word of mouth."

"A lot of the 'Steam is there to compete with retail' stuff is sort of sensationalised," Lombardi said in response to the rumour that US retail chain GameStop is now reluctant to stock Valve games because of Steam. "We spent more money at GameStop in the US promoting Left For Dead than we did at any other chain. We sold more copies of Left 4 Dead at Gamestop than we did at any other chain."

"Steam is about making the games better. It's currently a great marketing and promotions channel, and yeah we sell games over it and that's great, but whether people buy games at GameStop, or GAME UK, or on Steam, we get paid. So for us, whichever cash register you want to pay at, that's fine."

Lombardi also dismissed the effect of the much-publicised Left 4 Dead 2 boycott which has been organised by fans, pointing out that the numbers of pre-orders for the co-operative zombie killing sequel have already doubled those of the original game.

Check out our own chat with Valve's Chet Faliszek about Left 4 Dead 2 and then let us know your thoughts about the upcoming game and Steam in general, in the forums.
Quote Veles 6th July 2009, 12:58
Well that's not really surprising, a lot of the time I can get a game cheaper in an online store such as play than I can on steam, pop the code in, and then I get all the benefits of steam. For instance, many people bought L4D from amazon because it was a lot cheaper than the steam price, I bought Empire: Total War from game. The only ones I buy from steam are hard to find classics such as Deus Ex or games which are only available via digital distribution like Darwinia.
Quote Paradigm Shifter 6th July 2009, 15:04
Quote:
Originally Posted by Veles
Well that's not really surprising, a lot of the time I can get a game cheaper in an online store such as play than I can on steam, pop the code in, and then I get all the benefits of steam. For instance, many people bought L4D from amazon because it was a lot cheaper than the steam price, I bought Empire: Total War from game. The only ones I buy from steam are hard to find classics such as Deus Ex or games which are only available via digital distribution like Darwinia.

More or less this. I've not bought any games through Steam - always picked up the retail copies and done it that way.

However, I'm sure I've got Darwinia on PCCD - it was on sale on Amazon about a year back with DEFCON and I think Uplink in a pack.
Quote ssj12 6th July 2009, 15:12
I usually wait till a sale on Steam to grab games other than massive titles like games from Half-Life franchise. Those are day 1 purchases.
Quote Lepermessiah 6th July 2009, 15:48
When sales go on steam, that is the time to buy, I got Empire total war for 25, it was 50 everywhere else at the time.
Quote B1GBUD 6th July 2009, 18:33
I'm still finding non-Steam games cheaper in-store, Arma 2 was only £25.00 in Game but £30.00 on Steam..... but as everyone else says, the Steam Sale Weekends are great!
Quote Mcmonopoly 6th July 2009, 23:10
Quote:
Originally Posted by Veles
Well that's not really surprising, a lot of the time I can get a game cheaper in an online store such as play than I can on steam, pop the code in, and then I get all the benefits of steam. For instance, many people bought L4D from amazon because it was a lot cheaper than the steam price, I bought Empire: Total War from game. The only ones I buy from steam are hard to find classics such as Deus Ex or games which are only available via digital distribution like Darwinia.

Funny, I picked up my copy of Darwinia in a no name drugstore, in the old software bin, for 8.99$CND, brand new in box with the key chain extra thingy and Poster..!!

But I prefer Steam, Because where I am the games are generally the same exact price than retail, without the hassle of going to the store...

I signed the petition for the boycott, but I'm starting to regret it, seeing how L4D2 is shaping up.:(
Quote cyrilthefish 6th July 2009, 23:28
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mcmonopoly
I signed the petition for the boycott, but I'm starting to regret it, seeing how L4D2 is shaping up.:(
It is indeed looking very nice

i STILL think it should have been an expansion pack rather than a sequel though :)
Quote rjkoneill 7th July 2009, 00:08
boycotting a game because people are developing new content for the pc?

seems a bit backwards to me

bring it on valve - you have my full support
Quote impar 7th July 2009, 10:19
Greetings!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Veles
For instance, many people bought L4D from amazon because it was a lot cheaper than the steam price, I bought Empire: Total War from game.
Yep. Steam is way too expensive.
Bought the Special Forces Edition of ETW 5€ cheaper from a retail than the regular edition would have cost me at Steam.

Steam does help to generate some buzz around a game. That might help the game sales.
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