And I don't even play TF2.
So for those of you who don't know (I don't know how you wouldn't but regardless), within the game Team Fortress 2 there is an intricate hat and item trading system. It was deployed several updates ago, it was called the "Mann-conomy" update.
What this allowed players to do was trade items that they had gained while playing TF2, or items they had crafted, or items that they had gained via special means. I'm told that hats are a big deal in TF2, and I believe it. Rarely, it seems, these days that a major game is released on Steam without some sort of TF2 items tied into its preorder. Homefront, Rift, Poker Night...
and Shogun 2.
With a preorder of Shogun 2 came 4 hats and 4 items. And some sort of noise maker thing. The game itself cost 50 dollars.
However, in reality, it only cost 30 dollars.
Yes, you are reading that correctly, 30 dollars. For a game that released yesterday.
How is this possible?
Team Fortress 2, my friends. The Team Fortress 2 community pretty much actively subsidizes pc gamers and their developers.
Yes, if you've done the math already, I sold those hats. I sold them for 20 dollars.
It wasn't hard either! It wasn't sleazy. I literally just launched tf2 and put my items up for sale. I don't play TF2, so what the fuck do I care? I sold all of it. I sold it for 20 dollars.
The developer gets 50 dollars, the consumer pays 30, and the TF2 community foots the rest of the bill. Supply Demand. TF2 hats are some of the most mystical, incomprehensible objects known to man.
In fairness, the game was bought as a gift, and if you're reading this brevman, thank you again! I was sure to send that 20 bucks to him, so really he's the one that benefited from this. But still, this revelation is pretty shocking to me. I play a lot of games that others don't. Games like Shogun 2. And now, as long as the fish are biting, I have a pretty fair chance of paying a lot less for them. Thank you, Team Fortress 2, truly, you are the greatest hat trading simulator known to man.
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