this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2025
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Yes I don't know why they don't get more hate over this.
From my perspective its because they're still somehow not even among the worst. Their only way of advertising their gambling is by giving the player a crate. This crate can be opened for $2.50, or sold on the marketplace to someone else who wants to open it. This money can be spent on buying real games.
In cod, you get full screen advertisements on the regular for $10+ skin bundles. In almost every game as a service you get progress in a battle pass that ALWAYS directly contrasts your usually untradeable rewards with what you could be getting if you paid this month's subscription fee.
Valve does have a scummy system, but they make it less annoying and if you choose to not participate you usually benefit with real funds to use on steam. Its hard to hate that over the aggressive advertising of its competitors.
All IMO, though. I'm no psychologist.
I agree.
But it's important to note that just because it flies under the radar of most people, doesn't mean it isn't an absolutely deplorable system that exploits the difficult to control tendencies of vulnerable people.
It's evil, and while it's "only a little bit of evil" compared to most similar system, there is no amount of evil that is ok.
Being ‘least shitty’ isn’t really a worthwhile acolade.
Yes. That's what I said.
Oh, sorry, I guess I’ll shut the fuck up now.
I don't want to defend them too much but honestly out of all the loot boxes out there theirs is the least bad. You can even just sell the boxes you get for free by playing and buy shit (on Steam) with the money.
This, I bought a Triple A title once with money from drops without never interacting with this shit. I would play anyway but I got "paid" while playing. It's a marketing tactic and we need to be aware of this, some people will see the opportunity to "make money" playing and will invest a shit ton of cash to maybe drop a rare item but if you don't do that you just getting a little bit of money to buy games with.
Selling is the problem, it makes it actual gambling.
No, being able to find items for free and sell them is not the problem or what makes it gambling
“First one’s free”
As in you get infinitely more by buying than you are given for free (hence why people buy them) is always the sign of a well intentioned business.
I never put money into the game for many years until I could afford to support the creators because I was happy with the items I could find for free
Not really, you need to spend money to open a crate but you can sell a crate for free. So any rational person would sell their crates for guaranteed money instead of buying a key to probably lose money.
Rationality is rare.
Keep trying.
What do you think they’re buying it for?
Selling is not gambling. It's kind of the opposite of gambling.
Is valve buying the boxes and destroying them?
That doesn't make any sense.
If valve isn't buying them and destroying them, then where are they going and why?
You're trying too hard.
I'm not the one promoting gambling on a gaming platform.
Yes. Show me where I promoted gambling.
Cause Gaben. He's your cool buddy uncle guy that's into video games, hunting and sous dive and not another billionaire. He's a cool good billionaire! His yacht is a cool yacht!
This is half true at least. It's not just insane nonsense.
For most people it's harder to hate Valve with the positive things they do. Obviously they shouldn't get a pass for this, but forming a conflicted opinion seems to be against human nature.
There's bigger things to worry about than Valve
Brand and billionaire loyalty.
They do.
Advertising and marketing, and a lot of it. There's always a few puff pieces per week.
Steam makes so much fucking money and Gaben is enjoying the soft monopoly he has just as much as Microsoft and Nintendo. Gabens mega yatchs cost an estimated 100 to 150 million just in yearly maintenance. He has 8 of them (worth 1 billion in total).