"One of Gabe Newell's theoretical Steam payment methods would charge more for players that are awful people.

There are a few standard payment models for videogames today that include retail, monthly fees, and microtransactions. Valve boss Gabe Newell recently called these models "broken," revealing that the company is looking into new ways of charging customers based on the customers themselves.

In a lengthy interview with Develop, Newell said: "The industry has this broken model, which is one price for everyone. That's actually a bug, and it's something that we want to solve through our philosophy of how we create entertainment products."

Rather than pricing a product based purely on what that product is worth, Newell talks about pricing a product based on what the customer is worth as well. "Some people, when they join a server, a ton of people will run with them," Newell continued. "Other people, when they join a server, will cause others to leave."

"So, in practice, a really likable person in our community should get DotA 2 for free, because of past behavior in Team Fortress 2," Newell added. "Now, a real jerk that annoys everyone, they can still play, but a game is full price and they have to pay an extra hundred dollars if they want voice."

Newell also went over how Valve is already charging high-value customers "negative" amounts, such as those that were paid royalties for creating Team Fortress 2 items. "Their cost for Team Fortress 2 is negative $20,000 per week," he said. "You're never going to see that in a retail store ... It's people who make hats get paid. People who are really popular play for less, or free."

Could this be a method that actually reduces the number of people whose internet anonymity causes them to spout an endless number of obscenities and racially motivated comments just because they were gunned down by a sniper? It seems like it might. Not that internet jerks would disappear overnight, but money could be a strong motivator to make someone pat a fellow player on the back instead of tea-bagging him."

He already has a lawyer.

His idea of varying prices isn't based on race, religion, gender, etc... so I don't think discrimination can be accused.

Just came in because the thread title was retarded, and no, basing pricing off of whether or not you're an asshole isn't a form of discrimination, or when's the last time you've filled out an official form and had to check a yes/no box for asshole? There's a local restaurant that does the same thing, only they charge you based on how wealthy you look. I actually kind of like the idea, don't be an asshole and get rewarded.

Oh Godwind you delightful scamp.

@Daveyo520: I'd say he's probably got quite a few of them.

He already has a lawyer.

@Daveyo520 said:

He already has a lawyer.

...but does he have a laywer?

This has already been posted, and the idea would never actually work, so no.

I don't think this will ever happen.  Anytime you single people out it is never good.

It isn't discrimination because it is based on the player current actions and not passed actions, race or religion. Anyway you are going to clic accept on EULA witch means you agreed to their terms and you won't be able to sue them because of that and if you were able you would sue Steam as a company and not Gabe Newell.   

You guys are taking a Godwind thread seriously.

Just FYI.

I think people are underestimating how smart of a business man Gabe is when they say it "won't work".

How would they even know whos an asshole? If theres some kind of thing people can review you on similar to the thing on Xbox 360, it would easily be abused, and you could be marked as an asshole who everybody hates because you're good at a game.

Not discrimination. You don't have a right to everything, you know.

@AuthenticM said:

@Daveyo520: I'd say he's probably got quite a few of them.

And a lot of knives. And employess who know how to use and make them.

Can we also charge extra money from people with names that have "xx" before and after them, use numbers for letters and spell dog with a W?

I thought Godwind was dead.

If he did this then like 75% of online gam-

Do it.

It's a private corporation, they're free from regulations and whatnot.

Don't like it?  Don't use Steam, you can get a digital download service elsewhere on PC.

@DystopiaX said:

@AuthenticM said:

@Daveyo520: I'd say he's probably got quite a few of them.

And a lot of knives. And employess who know how to use and make them.

It would be awesome if all his employees had a requirement to learn to be professional knife fighters/knife throwers to work there.  He would have a small knife using army.

Gabe's said a lot of stuff about Steam over the years, does anyone remember when he said they'd sell video and music on Steam? That was over five years ago.

First of all, I'm pretty sure he's joking.

Lawyer? No, in fact, I think this is awesome. I doubt it will apply to the average consumer, and prices will never be raised above the usual. But I think it's cool that big members of the community would be able to get a discount or something.

PS They can't be sued for something that they haven't done.

I think more than litigations it will bring more problems than it is worth. People will start exchanging virtual affection just for the sake of lowering prices. It would create a parallel business.

It's discrimination based on behaviour, and bad behaviour is subject to punishment. They aren't even suggesting punishment though, it's just incentive for good behaviour.

I think what he may have been hinting at is a rewards sort of thing for nicer customers. Maybe giving free games for someone that pays for a TF2 server for example. All server owners get free hats. or whatever.
Think about how cheap stuff gets or how often they offer free weekends of something? Valve has done a good job spoiling customers and rewarding them for shopping with them.
I mean, we can even give away extras that we somehow end up with because of their random sales.

Then again maybe Gabe's just a jerk and wants to knife people he dislikes.

How would they even know whos an asshole? If theres some kind of thing people can review you on similar to the thing on Xbox 360, it would easily be abused, and you could be marked as an asshole who everybody hates because you're good at a game.

@xobballox said:

@DystopiaX said:

@AuthenticM said:

@Daveyo520: I'd say he's probably got quite a few of them.

And a lot of knives. And employess who know how to use and make them.

It would be awesome if all his employees had a requirement to learn to be professional knife fighters/knife throwers to work there.  He would have a small knife using army.

Don't sue Gabe. He'll cut you.

Basically what Gaben is referring to is the new "coaching" system for DotA 2. I'm guessing if you are an awesome and popular coach, you will get free shit from VALVe.

Everything is juts Gaben having a laugh,

I don't think he could be sued for that. Businesses reserve the right to sell to who they want and how they want to sell to them. It's part of being a free market.

That being said (and potentially flawed because I don't know anything about business law beyond what I have learned in my life- which is not much) I think its an interesting approach but it doesn't seem like it would work out all that well. I do suspect it may be more like "discounted" for good players rather then free but it's all theory right now anyway. It's cool their willing to look into new payment schemes, although I think it would be hard to implement one that's based on player "attitude" as how does one prove a persons worth? Even more so, should we?

It's all speculation but ramifications of such a practice are indeed one that makes me pause for thought- on one hand it's cool to think being a jerk could have negative reactions to your steam account (ala making things more expensive for you), on the other hand I suspect this would just lose you more money or even imply you somehow have the right to put a value on a person.
I don't know- the moral implications here are difficult for me to condone although I like the intent behind it.

If he ends up needing a lawyer I will gladly chip in some cash. Im PRO punishment to internet assholes.

If you're not an asshole nothing will change and you'll pay the same price.

As a matter of fact you might get the game at discount.

But if you're gonna be an internet douche they're gonna charge you extra? Sounds like a plan for me.

Gabe Newell is usually hopped up on pure Columbian Cheetoh dust so I take everything he says as the fevered dreams of a mad man.

On a serious note, if this happens I'm all for it, but only if it's not based on some dumb rating system that players use, because immature people will rate you badly for simply beating them in a game, as evidenced by the 360s rating system. 

His idea of varying prices isn't based on race, religion, gender, etc... so I don't think discrimination can be accused.

And let's say one only plays single player games. What happens then? Does that person (re: me) get charged extra for being antisocial?

 @LordAndrew said: 

I thought Godwind was dead.

@Andorski said:

His idea of varying prices isn't based on race, religion, gender, etc... so I don't think discrimination can be accused.

Of course it can, while this process isn't racist, theist or sexist it certainly is discriminatory.  Discrimination just means that you prefer X over Y or A before B via any delineation you see fit. What he's saying is that purchase price is determined via popularity.  Selling products IS NOT a popularity contest and he's trying to model the process as if it will be in the future.  In other words he's commercialising discrimination.  Fuck that.  Gabe, stop trolling.

Positive reinforcement! I'd be down. 

Regardless of how that might positively affect gaming communities, who's gonna pay the game devs? Sounds silly.

Finally, a good reason to NOT be a dick!

I don't mind. It sucks that you'd have to be "popular" .. instead of hold good recommendations.. (but then again I can see jerks ruining that too) I'd like to see a discounted system for those who make regular purchases though. (I don't, but think those who spend way more than I do on the service should be entitled to better discounts)

@SeriouslyNow said:

@Andorski said:

His idea of varying prices isn't based on race, religion, gender, etc... so I don't think discrimination can be accused.

Of course it can, while this process isn't racist, theist or sexist it certainly is discriminatory.  Discrimination just means that you prefer X over Y or A before B via any delineation you see fit. What he's saying is that purchase price is determined via popularity.  Selling products IS NOT a popularity contest and he's trying to model the process as if it will be in the future.  In other words he's commercialising discrimination.  Fuck that.  Gabe, stop trolling.

:\

Yeah, when banks check a person's credit history, they're discriminating against people who are bad at repaying loans. Fuck them.

Before you say that analogy doesn't work, let me make it clearer. There are people who, when they play online, exhibit negative externalities (griefing, being a dick, etc). That person is causing the company a loss by creating a worse online environment. When a person has a history of not repaying loans, they get a higher interest rate to make up for the risk the bank takes on when giving the person that loan. When a person is a dick all the time online, that company would ideally like to recuperate those losses.

Discrimination against dickheads seems okay with me.