Steam Joke Game's 1.4 Million Dollar Sales Collapse to 2,000 After Refunds
The near-total refund rate shows Steam's refund policy can turn a viral sales spike into a false alarm, leaving a joke game's developer with almost nothing.
Reporting from 1 source: Automaton.
Stolen Valor Studios' joke game 'This Game Costs 200 Dollars' sold about 6,700 copies, earning roughly 1.4 million dollars, but 99.9 percent of purchases were refunded, leaving developer Michael Major with about 2,000 dollars. Nearly all buyers were in China, and Major suspects a promotion or scheme drove the surge.
Developer Michael Major priced 'This Game Costs 200 Dollars' at the maximum Steam allows for a single game, 200 dollars, because he thought nobody would buy it. Instead, about 6,700 copies sold in a few months, mostly to Chinese users. But 6,707 of 6,717 purchases were refunded, and some were returned without ever being played.
Major told New Hampshire outlet WMUR-TV that he kept only about 2,000 dollars. He speculates some kind of promotion or scheme in China triggered the purchases. Steam's refund policy allows returns within 14 days if playtime is under two hours, and refunds are possible regardless of play status.
Major says he will never discount the game, because doing so would ruin the joke. 'This Game Costs 200 Dollars' is available on PC via Steam.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.