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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

There’s a meta market wrapped up in the Counter-Strike ecosystem that’s worth billions of dollars – and it’s entirely virtual.

It’s the CS skins market, and it sees tens of thousands of dollars change hands every day, with players buying, selling, trading, and unlocking weapon skins, cosmetics, and ‘cases’. It was recently claimed in a data-driven report that in 2023 alone, the skins market (led by ‘case openings’) made Valve – Counter-Strike’s developer – almost $1 billion.

CSGOCaseTracker.com claimed that more than 400 million cases were unboxed in 2023, with CS players spending a whopping $980 million on case keys.

That’s a staggering sum and is indicative of the leading power of Counter-Strike, which after more than ten years on the market remains one of the world’s most popular and wildly lucrative games.

The report divulged more information, such as a claim that case prices have increased by 178% through 2023.

In 2023, the Dreams and Nightmares case sat at the top of the table, earning Valve a whopping $126.3 million alone.

In the granular breakdown, it was shown that the release of Counter-Strike 2 in September caused a massive boom in case openings.

Valve Made $1 Billion From CS Cases Last Year, Data Claims - Insider Gaming

It has been claimed in a report that Valve earned almost $1 billion from Counter-Strike case openings in 2023.

insider-gaming.com

 

[Skifi28]

Why make games when you can make a few skins and earn 10 time the amount.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

 

[twilo99]

Evil Valve for making GaaS games

 

[BennyBlanco]

Why make games when you can make a few skins and earn 10 time the amount.

 

[ManaByte]

 

[ReBurn]

Evil Valve for making GaaS games

Shame on them for giving the people what they want.

 

[Hudo]

Not a single cent of this has been invested into Half-Life, I can guarantee.

 

[twilo99]

Shame on them for giving the people what they want.

absolutely horrible

 

[mitch1971]

Valve - the wolf in sheeps clothing.

 

[phant0m]

Jesus fuck. We complain but gamers really do get what they deserve

 

[Shake Your Rump]

Yeah, casinos tend to make money. This is literally gambling.

 

[twilo99]

Not a single cent of this has been invested into Half-Life, I can guarantee.

Who cares about single player waste of time..

 

[Hudo]

Who cares about single player waste of time..

I care very much.

 

[Kenpachii]

Isn't this shit banned in netherlands.

 

[Bernoulli]

Isn't this shit banned in netherlands.

They banned every loot boxes games with another country

 

[winjer]

Why would Valve make games, when they can scam consumers with an online casino.
Micro-transactions and loot-boxes really fucked up the gaming industry.

 

[twilo99]

I care very much.

Valve don't care about u.

 

[Xtib81]

Gamers are the worst.

 

[RJMacready73]

I honestly can't wrap my head around this shit

 

[Midn1ght]

They banned every loot boxes games with another country

Belgium as well. We can't open cases here even when we get a free one.
We can resell them on the Steam Market tho.

 

[twilo99]

Why would Valve make games, when they can scam consumers with an online casino.
Micro-transactions and loot-boxes really fucked up the gaming industry.

Actually, they made it better... it just depends on your perspective

 

[LiquidMetal14]

That is awesome. Love Valvoline

 

[winjer]

Actually, they made it better... it just depends on your perspective

You really think micro-transactions and loot-boxes improved gaming?

 

[ReBurn]

You really think micro-transactions and loot-boxes improved gaming?

Seems to have for some people.

 

[winjer]

Seems to have for some people.

Sure wasn't for us, the gamers.

 

[lughnasadh123]

Sweet buttery Jesus, between this, Fortnite, Genshin Impact and I guess Star Citizen, that's a shit ton of money just casually being tossed around. Should be stickied when people wonder why people chase that gaas cash.

 

[reinking]

Seems to have for some people.

Even if people are spending money on it, it doesn't mean it improved anything. Gambling ads have to have a disclaimer for a reason. Gambling addiction is a real thing.

 

[Raven117]

If people want it, why not give it to them?

 

[GHG]

Actually, they made it better... it just depends on your perspective

Seems to have for some people.

 

[Topher]

Yeah, casinos tend to make money. This is literally gambling.

Is there the possibility that you buy a case and get absolutely nothing in return? If so, then yeah, this is gambling. If not, then no, it isn't.

 

[ReBurn]

Even if people are spending money on it, it doesn't mean it improved anything. Gambling ads have to have a disclaimer for a reason. Gambling addiction is a real thing.

I don't know that I would necessarily attribute the success of free to play games with mtx to gambling addiction any more than I would attribute it to regular old gaming addiction. It's reasonable to assume that people also like them just because they enjoy the type of game and that they spend as much, or even less than, people who have shelves full of $70 plastic discs.

 

[Big Baller]

 

[reinking]

I don't know that I would necessarily attribute the success of free to play games with mtx to gambling addiction any more than I would attribute it to regular old gaming addiction. It's reasonable to assume that people also like them just because they enjoy the type of game and that they spend as much, or even less than, people who have shelves full of $70 plastic discs.

It is the mechanics of loot boxes that I am attributing to gambling. People like gambling too. Some people can't control it. That is why they have warnings for gambling apps and ads these days.

 

[twilo99]

Sure wasn't for us, the gamers.

Today is the day you realize that what you consider a "gamer" is not universal law..

 

[winjer]

Today is the day you realize that what you consider a "gamer" is not universal law..

But all these MTX and Loot-boxes, didn't benefit anyone, except companies that sell them.
Because of these things we have less innovation in gaming and fewer quality games, as companies are focusing a lot of effort in trying to make a game that succeeded in the live service scheme.

It used to be that companies would focus on making good games, to sell a ton of copies and make a lot of money.
But now companies focus on making skins, to sell at inflated prices.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Shame on them for giving the people what they want.

Gambling is a serious issue and should not be downplayed. Valve knows exactly what they are doing. IIRC Epic is working with psychologists to learn how to get players most effectively addicted. I’m sure Valve does too. This is not a joke man. Especially when kids are involved.

 

[Bry0]

This isn’t even factoring in the cut they get from the market of every item, case and skin being sold after the opening. Incredible

 

[Spyxos]

I thought lootboxes were banned in many countries?

 

[Rawbutt Jellybean]

Jesus fuck. We complain but gamers really do get what they deserve

Anyone who falls for this should know better but this shit is designed to get people hooked. From the lights and sounds to scrolling past high value skins making you think you "almost got one" so you'll keep opening. Similar to the tricks that other tech companies use to get people hooked to social media and the like.

Even if it's hard to get anything from big tech banned, they should at least put safeguards that prevent kids from getting hooked on this trash.

 

[newtypepilot]

Shame on them for giving the people what they want.

yes, players want to be constantly manipulated with FOMO and exploited into getting hooked, especially children.


Next you are gonna tell me that it's the addicts' fault for having drug problems, not the cartel.

 

[willothedog]

Why would Valve make games, when they can scam consumers with an online casino.
Micro-transactions and loot-boxes really fucked up the gaming industry.

They also get a bit of revenue from the percentage cut of every game sold from Steam.

 

[twilo99]

But all these MTX and Loot-boxes, didn't benefit anyone, except companies that sell them.
Because of these things we have less innovation in gaming and fewer quality games, as companies are focusing a lot of effort in trying to make a game that succeeded in the live service scheme.

It used to be that companies would focus on making good games, to sell a ton of copies and make a lot of money.
But now companies focus on making skins, to sell at inflated prices.

The game needs to be good in order for people to care about loot boxes.. does that make sense?

You have to make a VERY good game so that gamers are enjoying it to the point where they are spending money on all these things, if the game is shit, no one will care and it will die.

Counter Strike is an incredible game, probably one of the best games to ever exist, otherwise no one would care.

So Valved focused on making an incredible game, which we can all enjoy for free, and then they decided to monetize it.. nothing wrong with that.

 

[ReBurn]

Gambling is a serious issue and should not be downplayed. Valve knows exactly what they are doing. IIRC Epic is working with psychologists to learn how to get players most effectively addicted. I’m sure Valve does too. This is not a joke man. Especially when kids are involved.

I didn't downplay gambling addiction. I just don't buy into the notion that the primary reason a game like this would be popular and make money is because of exploiting gambling addiction. That's a claim people tend to pretty loosely throw around when they can't accept that other people actually enjoy free to play games with microtransactions despite them not wanting other people to enjoy them.

 

[mitch1971]

Probalem is this is how the man is portrayed.

When he is infact a man as fat as his wallet.

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

 

[Dr. Acid Avatar]

I'm guilty of dropping a $20 here and there. I would just like a nice pair of gloves, that's all.