Originally posted by Dwolfy:

PS: Here is one of the many articles about this:
https://sensorstechforum.com/crossout-net-game-ads-solved-remove-block/

Sorry, but that article looks a bit sketchy to me, especially the part about "Manually delete Crossout net Adware from Windows and your browser" It's said that we are removing "Crossout net Adware" yet on a screenshot he's uninstalling something different ("SolveigMM AVI Trimmer").

I think even if there is a Crossout-related malware, I don't think its coming from the game files.

Yet Crossout launcher do have some auto updater that stays in your system tray even after you restart your PC, I didn't liked that at first, but I found out that it can easily be turned off in the launcher settings, so nothing too scary here.

Originally posted by Dwolfy:

Btw, is there any real point in "collecting" those games? I mean, their cards can't be sold anymore, and it's not like they were know for their great gameplay... So I genuinely don't get it... :spazdunno:

Btw, you did (kinda) state a valid reason to collect such games - the cards!
Let me clarify: like you said their cards can't be sold anymore, but if it happens that you would want to have an emoji or a background from a game that was removed (which is not that unlikely, most of the removed assetflips does include memes), then you better to own the game, owning the game will grant you ability to craft booster packs for that game, which you can later use to craft a badge that would give you emoji (like this one for example) and a background that would be difficult to obtain by other means (such as trading). Yet trading is possible option too, I once traded a non-marketable emoji (from the removed game) for 5 euros to a guy who makes pixel art with Steam emojis.

Originally posted by Dwolfy:

Originally posted by Hibachi:

He's talking about the "Removed Game Collectors" group...

I MAY be mistaken, but I think groups like that USED to be something VERY different before asset flips flooded Steam. I myself would go after some removed games, just because they were games I liked and wanted to have on Steam but could no longer buy them on the store - like GTA 1 and 2, Deadpool (for a while) and Prey (2006). But after the rise of asset flips, "collecting" games just because they were removed has basically become collecting trash :/ (It's a good thing Valve now blocks those game's cards from being sold on the market).

Btw, is there any real point in "collecting" those games? I mean, their cards can't be sold anymore, and it's not like they were know for their great gameplay... So I genuinely don't get it... :spazdunno:

Well there was a rule in that community that would require you to have at least 60/80/100+ removed games before they would accept you. It doesn't matter anymore due to some changes on Steam, but some of us were pretty desperate in search of keys for removed games back then, I did purchase a few games myself (FUR FUN and Space Trucker), just because I knew that they infringe some copyright and they probably will be removed from the Store (It's kinda funny that these 2 games weren't removed, but it's another story). Many members of that community kept hunting for years before that rule lost its purpose, yet I think that behaviour might stuck with some collectors or maybe they started to collect removed assetflip just for the sake of collecting (some people still consider them as removed games). Personally, I stoped collecting removed games, because it became too costly for me (there's too many games getting removed now), but if I had a better financial situation I would still keep doing that, and I wouldn't disregard assetflips either.

Originally posted by Mellow_Online1:

Still seems a pretty stupid tactic though.

I think it's done to drive up the price of 1 dollar game to 16 dollars! See, these type of bundles (Must Purchase Together) can't be bought if you already have the base game... So, if you are one of these people who can't stand the thought of getting incomplete experience due to part of the game being hidden behind the paywall (DLC), then you'll be forced to choose between two options:

Option A) is to get a full bundle with all DLCs for 16 dollars (We'll use the Lock Parsing game as an example).

or

Option B) is to get it for 1 dollar, but then you'll be stuck with the base game only, and if you ever feel the need to get the rest - then you'll be forced to purchase 4 DLC packs for 200 dollars each ($800)!

I kinda hate when the same method is used by normal game publishers, 'cause I always feel forced to pay more for option A, just not to be screwed later if I do decide to get the game' soundtrack or etc. But I guess that's the point, and it does work on people like me... The only thing why this situation is different is because this game itself is probably an asset flip or even if its not, it's still some poor ass game that ain't worth a dollar, and I'm not even talking about these so-called DLC packs that just changes the lock's skin...

That's why I chose option C) I won't be paying 16 dollars for a full bundle, these DLCs is truly bad even by my low standards... And I also won't be paying 1 dollar, because I do not like incomplete games! I'll just stay the f away from this game instead (and from other two games too).

TL/DR: That tactic works if it's done right, but if you are too greedy - you'll get the opposite result!

Originally posted by Awesome Enterprises:

Wow, that's an insane amount of spam.

Have you emailed your research to any game news sites? Now's a great time to do it, because Steam Direct is a recent story, and this clearly shows the difference in game spam from Greenlight to Direct. And it shows the $100 fee is no deterrent at all to re-skinning games and filling the store with them.

I think you just need to get one or two of them to cover it, then the others will copy the story, then the news will make its way back to Valve and the listing fee will go up to $500 or $1000 or something more reasonable than $100.

I don't think that Valve should raise the listing fee, yes $100 wasn't enough to shield from scammers, but need I remind you that Silicon Echo (aka Zonitron Productions) did collect a $10.000 via Kickstarter and allegedly used that money to release hundreds of asset flips! So even if you make the listing fee at $1000, scammers still find a way how to get that sum, while the real indie devs probably will get hurt from that change.

In my opinion Valve should leave the listing fee as it is, yet they should raise the threshold when $100 will be returned, after the game got sold for $1000, I think that $1000 might be to small sum for some meme-like asset flips, I mean that people even knowing that they see a "fake" game in front of their eyes, they still may purchase it if it have low cost and it's about pepe the frog or some other trending stuff like spinners... We need to understand how Zonitron was able to make profit from all their 173 games that they added to Steam (they did spent $17300+ just on fees alone and it didn't stopped them!), I mean they couldn't profit from trading cards, right? Because Valve chandged the rules for adding the trading cards, yet they somehow was able to earn money with these asset flips, and I don't think that changing the listing fee would solve this problem.

Originally posted by Hibachi:

As in, what. 5 people maybe?

If this game will be at risk of removing from the store, then more like 500+

Originally posted by Hibachi:

Originally posted by ReptilianWorldOrder:

Following the Steam change which requires games reach a certain volume of activity (I'm uncertain of the specifics whether sales, activations, players etc)

It's sales.

So the whole thing makes no sense.

Back to the "that dev is an idiot" theory.

Some people did bought the game after their key has been revoked, some people did it just to leave a bad review, others might do it for other reasons.

Originally posted by Aly_C:

Sony limits the amount of trophies a game can give on the PSN based on how many level points they sum up so it's usually a tops of 40-50 trophies per game. Steam really needs to fix this issue and not allow devs to put as many achievements as they want in their games.

Good point!

Today I was looking for Steam Summer 2017 cards on Steam Market and I found this - https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/market/listings/614910/Summer%202017%20Sticker%20Pack ( http://archive.is/yfum8 )

It was very confusing and misleading, 'cause it looked like Valve started to sell sticker packs from the summer event, at first I took it for the Steam stickers, not #monstercakes stickers/items.

I'm not sure if it can be called a fraud or smth, if that item was available for some time, I would say it's okay, but it was added on June 22! The same time when Steam Summer Sale had started, so it looks very sketchy to me...

What do you think guys?