According to a recent article on PCGamesN, the value of never-ever-played games on Steam accounts reaches 19 billion dollars. Of course, a big chunk of this sum stems from the fact that our gaming hearts often beat the brain in a race for our wallet. However, buying games we’re not going to play right away is not always a waste of money. Here are seven reasons perfectly justifying our piles of shame.
Bundles
Collections of games that add to our account more than one title are pretty popular. Also, services like Humble Bundle let us get multiple releases bundled together. Typically, players are interested only in one or two games from such a package. As a result, we’re buying something we really want to play and accidentally acquiring titles that presumably will never be launched. It’s one of the reasons our Steam libraries are filled with unplayed games and piles of shame are growing. However, we encourage you to give everything you have a shot. Who knows, maybe one of those unwanted games will turn out to be a hidden gem?
Outstanding deals
Maybe digital distribution doesn’t decrease video game prices, but it allows for unprecedented promotions. It’s hard to resist when you see a game you desire at an 80% discount. Obviously, there’s a fair chance that such a fantastic promotion will return, but what if it’s a one-in-a-lifetime chance? Therefore, we buy games we can’t play right now due to a lack of time or too high system requirements. However, we will play them as soon as we start our vacation or collect the money for the craved RTX. At least, this is the plan.
The end of the distribution
Some games, usually due to license reasons, are removed from stores. This was why the classic Fallout installments and Alan Wake vanished from all digital stores for some time. Typically, the disappearance is preceded by a decent discount. As a result, we buy the game because we want to have a chance to play it if one day we would wake up with such a desire. The latest example is Forza Horizon 4. Many players have been buying it since the announcement that the distribution of one of the best racing games would be terminated in December 2024.
Early Access
Thanks to Early Access releases, video game creators can start earning profits during the development process and get valuable feedback that helps them shape the final shape of their titles. In return, players may buy the game cheaper. For example, gamers who bought Baldur’s Gate 3 or Dune: Spice Wars paid for them much less than they would have to spend now, even at sales. However, some players want to pay cheaper but don’t like playing unfinished games. As a result, they may have untouched early-access games on their accounts.
Buying old games
There are a few good reasons to buy digital versions of video games you already have on CD, DVD, or even diskettes. Physical storage mediums may be easily damaged; thus, digital copies, that seem to be piles of shape, serve as a backup. Besides, nowadays, you can more easily find floppy disk drives in museums than in electronics stores. Even computers often come without an optical drive. Digital copy comes in handy also if you have an original disc in perfect condition and a drive you can run it on. Games on Steam or GOG are usually already patched and ready to run on modern PCs, while original releases may use patching, fixing, and other efforts nobody likes.
Repayment of debt
Back in the day, computer piracy thrived. In some countries, primarily Eastern and Central Europe, there was no official distribution, so legal video game copies were horrendously expensive, if obtainable at all. As a result, young gamers had to sail under the Jolly Roger or play only Minesweeper. Years passed, and the market changed past all recognition. Today, video games are only a few clicks away, regardless of your location. Many players buy digital copies of their favorite old games not to play them but to pay for titles they played illegally years ago.
Free games
One of the principal reasons why our piles of shame are turning into peaks of embarrassment is free games. We may have on our account unplayed games worth hundreds of dollars even though we haven’t paid for them a dime. Many giveaways and promotions allow us to get free video games. Some players carefully select those they want to add to their accounts, but most of us are not fussy. Sometimes, there’s not much choice. For instance, when The Astronauts released The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Redux, the Unreal Engine 4 remaster of the game, all players who had the original version were given the new one automatically. It was a very pleasing gift, but I can bet that a majority of people who have already completed The Vanishing of Ethan Carter haven’t launched the Redux edition.
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