Before I first came into contact with the Steam platform, I actually had contact with PSN, Battle.net, and many other game platforms. In fact, I am not surprised by the dazzling array of high-quality stand-alone games on Steam, and I even think that this is what a qualified gaming platform should look like. What really surprised me was the Steam community trading market and the mechanism by which players can trade items. This is what I think is the most interesting part of the Steam platform.

My entry into Steam is different from a large number of players. As far as I know, most players enter Steam mainly because of the two games "Dota 2" or "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds". I was different. The game I entered on Steam was "CSGO", and it was not the bloody thugs who were keen on RUSH B, nor the e-sports god who was keen on mid-lane opponents, but a bunch of trades. Businessman with game accessories.

In less than three days, I couldn't even distinguish point A from point B on most maps. But I know what is the purchase price, what is alchemy, what is priceless jewelry, what is wear and metaphysics, and what is Steam Level Up. I even know about the 15% transaction fee of the Steam community market.

Players on Steam can not only make money by playing accessories, in a certain sense, but Steam is also even a game financial software! However, as Steam continues to change its platform mechanism in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult for players to find more sands from the Steam gold mine, and the early gift-hoarding merchants have disappeared.

In the early days of Steam, it was possible to package the game as a gift when purchasing the game, and then store the packaged game as a gift in the personal inventory like the skin of "CSGO", instead of directly entering the game library! Although this gift cannot be put on the Steam community market, players can give it to other players at any time, and one account can purchase hundreds of the same games and package them as gifts.

This gave birth to a group of merchants who hoard gifts. They usually buy a large amount of discounted games during Steam specials and turn them into gift hoardings, such as summer and winter specials. When the special offers are over, the game will be sold to players in need in the form of gifts, usually at a higher price than the original price of the game, but much lower than the original price of the game.

Steam's weekly sales rankings are the hoarding guide for merchants. Merchants like to hoard games that are more popular. The most typical one is "GTA5".

This approach will greatly harm the interests of game manufacturers because as long as you have a discount on Steam, it is difficult to sell the game at the original price. This also greatly harms the interests of Steam. After all, selling games on Steam requires paying a 30% protection fee for G Fat, isn't it?

In May 2017, Steam changed the platform mechanism. Players can no longer pack the game and store it in their personal inventory. Although the gift mechanism is still available, players can only send instant gifts directly on the store page. Players who receive gifts can directly enter the game library without hoarding!

These merchants were ruthlessly bankrupted by Steam's mechanism, and many games could not be sold again. Having accumulated a lot of inventory, some merchants began to transform, selling game accessories or providing Buy Steam Level Up service.