Best of Steam 2023: The Year's Top Games measured by Gross Revenue
Best of Steam - 2023
I'm really surprised Remnant 2 is platinum. I knew it was popular, but to be up there with the best selling AAA games is impressive.
What is sad is that 6 of the 12 platinum games rated by top revenue are free to play games - so must be making money on micro transactions. Sad that model works so well for extracting cash out of players.
I really wish it wasn't so bloody effective. I absolutely HATE micro-transaction games. At least for the moment there are still good choices on PC or the consoles where you can just buy a game and play it. Mobile gaming has turned into an absolute cesspool.
Sadly customization and individualization are a huge content driver for most of these games. And regardless of them being “free2play” it all costs money to produce.
Most of your pay 2 play games don’t offer this huge amount of revolving customization. Even when they do offer a large amount of customization it sees an influx of individuality until the majority of the system has been attempted and then it just disappears.
Live service games end up costing loads to maintain simply in server costs so to keep up with a massive player base I can’t imagine the monthly cost that goes along with it. And that’s not even including extra content for the game itself. Itsuwari No Alice opened up about maintenance costs back in August in a bid to stay alive. It’s been eye opening when you consider the niche size of Itsuwari no Alice. https://automaton-media.com/en/news/20230803-20472/
so must be making money on micro transactions. Sad that model works so well for extracting cash out of players.
Personally, I'm fine with a free game + buying cosmetics but it should be "see a skin, buy that skin" and not loot boxes or other gotcha mechanics.
I'm obviously not the majority but I play Fortnite and halo infinite with my kids. We haven't bought anything but enjoyed hundreds of hours playing. There is people who like to spend and people who don't, and at least in these two tittles there are no predatory issues as long as an adult is supervising.
You are the majority though. Every time stats on free to play products are released it's revealed that 90% of people spend no money and the vast majority of revenue is from whales that spend absurd amounts
Yeah the most egregious problems with a lot of these microtransaction games are because of parents who just don’t parent at all. I work with a guy who his kid calls him constantly while he’s at work so he can get more robux. And he just gives in no questions asked. If my kids would have done something like that I would have just taken their game away. Even when my children were growing up and they wanted to buy games or spend money on their phones there were ways you could track it and pay attention to it. Lots of parents just don’t care, and that’s probably the most sad aspect of it all.
Dad/Mom shouldn’t be an open bank account and respect should be the currency exchange. My kids had to do chores for the things they wanted to do and they had limitations to what that could go to. Because they don’t need to vegetate on the couch for the entire summer playing a game on their console only to get in trouble and lose it and continue playing on their cell phone. It blows my mind how many kids just basically parent themselves. And i was a latchkey kid! I was parented by respect and love for my parents and the fear of what could happen if I did stupid things. Not fear of punishment but fear of consequences in general. I accidentally shot out a neighbors window with my friends BB gun when my parents were at work. Parents found out and I worked mowing lawns and etc to get up enough money to replace it. Because I broke it, it was my responsibility to fix it. Too often kids don’t have consequences.
Man what a dumb rant. Sorry about that. Sore subject I guess.
Yup.
I'm surprised to see Destiny up there, considering how good Bungie are at playing the small violin of "We are but a humble small studio, ye cannot expect us to keep up with the big boys! 'tis why we have not been able to ship new pvp maps for so long! The paaaaain! We are forced fire a bushel if employees if ye will not spendeth more!"
The thing about live service is that it's also a money-vacuum, they need to be making loads of money to keep themselves going.
Most are very fair though. dota2, cs2, pubg, apex (I think) only sell cosmetics.
I don't understand people who spend money on these games. Even if I enjoy it spending money just feels like some scam that I don't find it enticing with how the whole game feels like an advertisement.
Kids. It's kids spending their allowance. Source: had to clamp down and say no more robux.
And probably also streamers who aren't spending their own money (donations and referrals probably) who make the problem worse by making it seem like everyone else has these pointless cosmetics.
Good to see Remnant doing so well, it's by far one of the best games this year.
Seeing TF2 at silver feels so bittersweet.
Vampire survivors in the platinum level under the steam deck category makes me happy. I love that game. Big ups poncle!
Remnant 2 looks to be silver
It's platinum in comparison to all games released in 2023 (new releases)
There is a decent mix of genres on the list which is reassuring.
Hmm. Data is only for 1/1/23 though 12/15/23. The last 15 days of the year aren't significant enough to change the outcome? Somehow, I'd think otherwise. For example, I spent $120 at the start of the winter sale, but nothing in Oct-Nov.
So 6 of the 12 are free to play. Thanks kids, your wasting your parents money makes games free for me, ya morons.
