Gimmick or Fun?

I always tell myself that I'm not going to fall for stupid gimmicky stuff that seems to be a ploy to make more money.  I'm smarter than that!  Unfortunately this is not always the case.  I am an avid Steam user and have been for quite awhile,  If you're at all familiar with Steam then you know that besides being a platform for digital distribution there is also an extensive community feature.  Within this community there is a marketplace to trade and sell virtual items.  I was astounded when I first learned that people were bartering virtual items for real cash.  It seems crazy...right?  I would never do that.....

Nope.  I totally fell for it.  For many games Steam has added in collectible trading cards.  These trading cards feature different artwork from a specific game.  For buying and playing a game you earn three or four "card drops" that are rewarded for spending time playing that game.  Once you have collected all of the cards to make a set for a certain game you can craft a "badge" for that game.  Badges award experience points that are used to "level up" your Steam profile.  Crafting a badge also awards special items like profile backgrounds or emoticons that are themed to the game for which you crafted a badge.  You are awarded a little set of numbers next to your name to indicate your current level.  This system is really brilliant.  A digital distribution platform that sells games that is totally using gamification to make cash.  Do these Steam levels actually mean anything?  Not really.  For earning experience you can unlock different features on your profile page like the ability to have a showcase of your favorite games or greatest achievements.

The trading card part of this system is what has sucked me in.  The completionist that I am hates having unfinished sets of trading cards in my inventory.  Typically they give you just enough that you have completed half of a set so it doesn't feel like you're very far from finishing it.  Cards are usually pretty cheap ranging in price from a few cents up to a few dollars for rare cards.  There is also a trade forum dedicated specifically to trading cards and other items.  I am too leery to trade and generally just list my cards on the marketplace--even paying a small "transaction" fee of two cents.  I can put $5 in my Steam wallet and not get anywhere close to spending it all.  Microtransactions are totally the way to go.  I don't feel bad about spending a few cents as compared to a few dollars.  It's really quite brilliant.

The recent addition of the ability to turn your unwanted cards, profile backgrounds, and emoticons into gems that can be used to buy booster packs is a great idea.  I've been happily disposing of all the silly backgrounds and emoticons I have acquired from creating badges.  With enough of these gems I have been able to create a few booster packs to help me finish off a few card sets.

So am I a sucker for falling for the trading card trick?  I can't help but think that I am but there's something about watching that meaningless Steam level number increase that's addicting.  I have to hand it to Steam for coming up with a system that totally buys into the inferiority complex.  I want to be a higher level because I can...and because I'm a higher level than you are.  /sigh....here just take my money.