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GreenDamsel: You mean Demos basically.
I'd assume that we all want good old Demos back for games. Just the first 1- 2 levels of a game to test if someone likes it. If someone plays a Demo then tries to play the game and it fails technically and crashes you can still refund it as you can already do it on GoG. Aside that you actually don't need a refund system if you have Demos.
On the other hand building extra demos is probably much more work than just letting the game run for a certain amount of time. That way the developer does only need to create the game and the customer can continue playing the real game after the demo time. It seems that DRM can be helpful in efficiently creating a demo.
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ET3D: You're actively avoiding the actual point and are just playing with words, so I assume that you agree with what I said. Since your argument that giving publishers control is user friendly hinges on the assumption that users are in the wrong, I feel that it doesn't have legs to stand on.
I may have been confusing. If so I apologize. The only point I always wanted to make is that this new Steam policy is good in general (thanks to DRM) but actually bad in case of short games and that it should be changed for these games (for the best of the devs and the consumers) - in particular the time should be shortened and the best would be to actually leave the decision with the developers.

That's all. I don't want to say anything more about anything else.
Post edited June 10, 2015 by Trilarion
Didn't really expect to be posting this, but: update!

So after contacting Steam (re: mistakenly bought Sleeping Dogs 64-bit for my 32-bit system) and getting what seemed to be a pre-generated, generic response that really didn't address anything I brought up, I wrote back and said, basically, "Forget it. I can't use the game, you can't actually read my message and understand my issue, so I give up. It'll just sit there in my library and I'll continue to do nothing with it." I had resigned myself to chalking it up as a loss - especially since I bought it on February 5. Yes, over three months ago.

So today I get a message that I got my refund. And not within the two-week period, but over three months. Of course, I'm sure it helped that I couldn't do anything with it and hadn't even downloaded it. So anyway, to the person who told me to "suck it up" because I made a mistake: glad I didn't listen. :-)
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DieRuhe: Didn't really expect to be posting this, but: update!

So after contacting Steam (re: mistakenly bought Sleeping Dogs 64-bit for my 32-bit system) and getting what seemed to be a pre-generated, generic response that really didn't address anything I brought up, I wrote back and said, basically, "Forget it. I can't use the game, you can't actually read my message and understand my issue, so I give up. It'll just sit there in my library and I'll continue to do nothing with it." I had resigned myself to chalking it up as a loss - especially since I bought it on February 5. Yes, over three months ago.

So today I get a message that I got my refund. And not within the two-week period, but over three months. Of course, I'm sure it helped that I couldn't do anything with it and hadn't even downloaded it. So anyway, to the person who told me to "suck it up" because I made a mistake: glad I didn't listen. :-)
You can actually get refunds up to 6 months. Not sure if this is limited time only to give people a chance to get back some money. But On Monday I put in for 4 refunds dating back to December and they all come through and my account got credited today so I bought Duck Game. Initially I tried to get a refund on Dieselstromers since the Devs are useless and not really supporting their game in a timely manner and blaming peoples PC for the terrible optimisation but that was from last September but steam told me I cannot get a refund on that because it is older than 6 months. After that I went though every steam purchase I made of games I played for less than 2 hours for 62 2 months back and got full refunds, so yes, 6 months is the limit at the moment at least.
Post edited June 11, 2015 by legopig
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DieRuhe: Didn't really expect to be posting this, but: update!

So after contacting Steam (re: mistakenly bought Sleeping Dogs 64-bit for my 32-bit system) and getting what seemed to be a pre-generated, generic response that really didn't address anything I brought up, I wrote back and said, basically, "Forget it. I can't use the game, you can't actually read my message and understand my issue, so I give up. It'll just sit there in my library and I'll continue to do nothing with it." I had resigned myself to chalking it up as a loss - especially since I bought it on February 5. Yes, over three months ago.

So today I get a message that I got my refund. And not within the two-week period, but over three months. Of course, I'm sure it helped that I couldn't do anything with it and hadn't even downloaded it. So anyway, to the person who told me to "suck it up" because I made a mistake: glad I didn't listen. :-)
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legopig: You can actually get refunds up to 6 months. Not sure if this is limited time only to give people a chance to get back some money. But On Monday I put in for 4 refunds dating back to December and they all come through and my account got credited today so I bought Duck Game. Initially I tried to get a refund on Dieselstromers since the Devs are useless and not really supporting their game in a timely manner and blaming peoples PC for the terrible optimisation but that was from last September but steam told me I cannot get a refund on that because it is older than 6 months. After that I went though every steam purchase I made of games I played for less than 2 hours for 62 2 months back and got full refunds, so yes, 6 months is the limit at the moment at least.
I think the 6 months thing is limited to special circumstances (such as this transition to the new system). And I can confirm 6 months is the hard limit. I have a game from November, played it for 91 minutes (had issues and never bothered with support cause of previous experiences), and not elligible for a refund at all (sadly).
Hmm, maybe I ought to get refunds on these games I've never played...
Hehe, the last game I bought directly from Steam was in Dec 2013. I guess my refund eligibility is looooong gone :P
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Aningan: Hehe, the last game I bought directly from Steam was in Dec 2013. I guess my refund eligibility is looooong gone :P
Same, haven't bought anything there for over a year. :( If there wasn't a 6 month limit I'd be rich now.
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legopig: You can actually get refunds up to 6 months. Not sure if this is limited time only to give people a chance to get back some money. But On Monday I put in for 4 refunds dating back to December and they all come through and my account got credited today so I bought Duck Game. Initially I tried to get a refund on Dieselstromers since the Devs are useless and not really supporting their game in a timely manner and blaming peoples PC for the terrible optimisation but that was from last September but steam told me I cannot get a refund on that because it is older than 6 months. After that I went though every steam purchase I made of games I played for less than 2 hours for 62 2 months back and got full refunds, so yes, 6 months is the limit at the moment at least.
Really? Dieselstormers' Devs that bad? Thought they're good guys.
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DieRuhe: Didn't really expect to be posting this, but: update!

So after contacting Steam (re: mistakenly bought Sleeping Dogs 64-bit for my 32-bit system) and getting what seemed to be a pre-generated, generic response that really didn't address anything I brought up, I wrote back and said, basically, "Forget it. I can't use the game, you can't actually read my message and understand my issue, so I give up. It'll just sit there in my library and I'll continue to do nothing with it." I had resigned myself to chalking it up as a loss - especially since I bought it on February 5. Yes, over three months ago.

So today I get a message that I got my refund. And not within the two-week period, but over three months. Of course, I'm sure it helped that I couldn't do anything with it and hadn't even downloaded it. So anyway, to the person who told me to "suck it up" because I made a mistake: glad I didn't listen. :-)
Steam's first response is always like that - automated message. Keep bitching (politely) and you will be able to get your one time refund (before the system).
Post edited June 11, 2015 by zeroxxx
They may be good guys. I have no problems with them on that level, but Dieselstormers is a horrible game, with horrible optimisation and when people bring it up they blame peoples PC.

I only bought it on the strength of Gianna Sisters which was stunning and such a cool game. And I gave them the benefit of the doubt when they admitted it was unoptimised, but almost a year later and they still haven't fixed it, and the game is no nearer completion than when it was launched. Updates are few and far between and too many excuses as to why things are not done. A shame, because I know what they are capable of, I just think they got lazy and did a grab n run with this title taking advantage of Early Access.
For those that are interested, this channel asked me to do an interview about the Steam refunds policy.

PART 1
https://youtu.be/s5DY9ityc3I

PART 2
https://youtu.be/jQNWMQhHLOI


Part 1 has some audio issues, and some of the content is a bit dated since some things have been answered as of now. But some of you might be interested. You get to hear my muppet-esque voice, at least!
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jefequeso: You get to hear my muppet-esque voice, at least!
And me here without earphones. Damn!
high rated
Steam finally added a good way for devs to view refunds. So here's how my games are doing. *drum roll*

The Moon Sliver:
23k copies sold
169 copies refunded
0.7% refund rate

The Music Machine
861 copies sold
14 copies refunded
1.6% refund rate

So I think it's safe to say I was freaking out over nothing.
Thanks a lot for the update.
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jefequeso: The Moon Sliver:
23k copies sold
I still can't get over the 23k - that's more copies than most novel authors will ever sell of their books! Hats off for that! :)

I'd probably still freak out about the 169 who returned the game. Why?! How could they!?! :D
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jefequeso: Steam finally added a good way for devs to view refunds. So here's how my games are doing. *drum roll*

The Moon Sliver:
23k copies sold
169 copies refunded
0.7% refund rate

The Music Machine
861 copies sold
14 copies refunded
1.6% refund rate

So I think it's safe to say I was freaking out over nothing.
Well that's good news =)