Question Out of stock on PC keys?!?

[paperfist]

I never ran into a situation where you go to pay for your game/key and are greeted by ‘currently out of stock”. WTF how is that possible?

I was trying to per-order the next Civilization VI expansion Gathering Storm from Fanatical.com (Steam key) when that happened. Guess no $10 saving for me.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Fanatical has a little meter when they have limited # of keys. I'm sure you don't have to worry - just wait a few weeks it will be on sale somewhere else. put an alert on Cheapshark.

 

[paperfist]

Fanatical has a little meter when they have limited # of keys. I'm sure you don't have to worry - just wait a few weeks it will be on sale somewhere else. put an alert on Cheapshark.

I didn’t even notice that meter, it would be the 2nd time I used the site. I can’t wait 2 weeks it’ll be released by then!

How do these places sell Steam keys for less than Steam does anyway?

 

[Newbian]

How do these places sell Steam keys for less than Steam does anyway?

Depends on if they are legit sites or not.

Legit ones get them directly from the devs or are the devs themselves selling it and they have limited keys for certain sites.

The other types are stolen credit cards purchases or different region reseller sites usually.

 

[paperfist]

Depends on if they are legit sites or not.

Legit ones get them directly from the devs or are the devs themselves selling it and they have limited keys for certain sites.

The other types are stolen credit cards purchases or different region reseller sites usually.

I didn’t know there was a Steam key gen floating around.

I would think the devs would want to get top dollar and just keep it on Steam, but I don’t know what the splits are.

 

[Newbian]

I didn’t know there was a Steam key gen floating around.

I would think the devs would want to get top dollar and just keep it on Steam, but I don’t know what the splits are.

It depends on the type of games as some benefit from being on steam for their services such as for multiplayer games and steam mods or in order to play together with others as some games can have separate player bases otherwise.

Plus when they do sell on other sites often times you still need to use steam to play it and you have to assume steam will limit those keys since they don't get any money that way.

Some sites like humble bundle are more for a donation type deal and the devs probably get less.

Plus if I recall steam enforces the rule that if you sell on other legit sites directly you have to sell for similar prices as you would list it on steam.

Some game devs abused the keys they got and gave them out for free to get a player base and positive reviews when the games themselves were usually horrible and steam cracked down on it.

 

[paperfist]

It depends on the type of games as some benefit from being on steam for their services such as for multiplayer games and steam mods or in order to play together with others as some games can have separate player bases otherwise.

Plus when they do sell on other sites often times you still need to use steam to play it and you have to assume steam will limit those keys since they don't get any money that way.

Some sites like humble bundle are more for a donation type deal and the devs probably get less.

Plus if I recall steam enforces the rule that if you sell on other legit sites directly you have to sell for similar prices as you would list it on steam.

Some game devs abused the keys they got and gave them out for free to get a player base and positive reviews when the games themselves were usually horrible and steam cracked down on it.

All great points

I was reading about this upcoming combat game set in medieval times called Mordhau that got caught in a bit of a Steam key snare. I forgot all the details, but they didn't want to go early access and yet still needed a way to test their game. So I guess they've been sneaking keys behind Steams back to play testers and some of them have been selling the keys.