News Valve: Steam boosts boxed sales too

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2009/07/06/valve-steam-boosts-boxed-sales-too/1

Valve has revealed that digital distribution systems like Steam can actually boost sales in conventional retail outlets too.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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!

 

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.

 

It is indeed looking very nice

i STILL think it should have been an expansion pack rather than a sequel though

 

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

 

Greetings!

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.