Home Gaming 36% of all games bought on Steam are never played

36% of all games bought on Steam are never played

1 min read
48

THE-SHAME!

The gaming backlog. We all have it, that pile of shame and neglect. Hell, I’ve got one that I’ve barely made a dent in since I started using Steam heavily a few years ago. In fact, I’ve only just started playing Company of Heroes, and I’ve had that game since THQ was alive. And it looks like I’m not the only person with some catching up to do.

According to a report on Ars Technica , using a random sample of around 172 million publicly accessible Steam profile pages, with data from 90 000 profiles per day over a two month period, 36% of registered games remain in an un-played state.

Charts (2)

Games such as Half-Life 2: lost Coast have a sales figure of 12.77 million, but 10.7 million of those buyers have yet to play the game. Throw in Half-life 2: Death match, and you’d get a homeopathic result of 2.8 million actual players to 11.02 million owners.

There’s plenty more info though, according to that research. The biggest game on Steam is the free to play DOTA 2, clocking in at 25 million owners. Team Fortress 2 isn’t far behind, as that F2P title has 20 million players. In terms of actual hours played, Counter-Strike: Source and the original Counter-Strike reign supreme, while DOTA 2 has too many hours invested in it for any one chart to handle.

Charts (1)

On an average though, Football Manager 2014 is number one in the league with at least 100 hours invested per player, with Skyrim and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hot on its trail. Ars Technica has plenty more charts, so hit the link above and check them out. It makes for some interesting numbers.

Last Updated: April 16, 2014

48 Comments

  1. I think most people have already played most of the older games the have on steam as kids as Pirated games, and when they became adults they now have credit cards to buy them on steam sales

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      April 16, 2014 at 11:21

      That’s what I do.

      Reply

      • loftie

        April 16, 2014 at 11:37

        yip, slowly over the years my illegal collection has dwindled to be replaced by steam copies.

        Reply

        • Rags

          April 16, 2014 at 11:38

          Same here.

          Reply

    • Admiral Chief in Space

      April 16, 2014 at 11:47

      *raises hand*

      Reply

    • UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

      April 16, 2014 at 12:09

      I have bought MANY old games I pirated when I was young and broke.

      Not even to mention all the games I got from bundles.

      Reply

    • MakeItLegal

      April 16, 2014 at 12:54

      something like that (going on 25 here and last time i pirated a game was PS 2 days )

      i dont always pay full price for a game , but i also dont resort to pirating , i have learned to wait

      having said all that , i wish i pirated BF 4, just to say F U to Ea …

      Reply

    • Jedi JJ

      April 16, 2014 at 13:32

      Quite true

      Reply

  2. hairyknees

    April 16, 2014 at 11:07

    FALSE! I have not played like 80% of my Steam games 😛 I slowly started getting through them but DIABLO + DOTA!

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief in Space

      April 16, 2014 at 11:47

      Started D3 last night, and I can see what you are on about

      Reply

    • Jedi JJ

      April 16, 2014 at 13:32

      I’ve played 73% of my games. (yes I keep a list)

      Reply

  3. Hammersteyn

    April 16, 2014 at 11:13

    Maybe it’s time for another Steam sale?

    Reply

  4. Norm the Horrible

    April 16, 2014 at 11:13

    Good old Counter-strike!

    Reply

  5. Rince the Unhuggable

    April 16, 2014 at 11:13

    ONLY 36%? Someone fiddling numbers there! http://replygif.net/i/1126.gif

    Reply

    • Unavengedavo

      April 16, 2014 at 11:24

      WAIT!!! 3+6 = 9 and 6-3 = 3 SO 9/3 = 3
      HALF LIFE 3 CONFIRMED!!!!1

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        April 16, 2014 at 11:26

        By THREE different maths problems!
        THREE-CEPTION!

        Reply

        • Unavengedavo

          April 16, 2014 at 11:27

          • Sophia Patel

            April 16, 2014 at 11:35

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            April 16, 2014 at 11:49

            So that’s how the bot works. It analyses the image & comments based on that. Interesting.

          • HvR

            April 16, 2014 at 12:02

            That bot is freaking me out, I think it is toddler Skynet .

            It is even following me……

          • Admiral Chief in Space

            April 16, 2014 at 12:04

            Yeah, followed me since yesterday, how doth I block the following???

    • Sophia Patel

      April 16, 2014 at 11:33

  6. Alien Emperor Trevor

    April 16, 2014 at 11:20

    36%? Amateurs.

    Actually I have played HL2 Lost Coast – I got it for free with my Radeon 4850.
    Company of Heroes I played years ago, the only reason Steam says I haven’t is because I obtained it via other means, like quite a few of the others. *cough*

    I don’t mind my backlog anymore, it’s without VAT.

    Reply

  7. Skuifspeld

    April 16, 2014 at 11:25

    And I just bought some of the Lego games that are going for 75% off… to add to the backlog.

    Reply

  8. CAE9872

    April 16, 2014 at 11:29

    OK I don’t have Steam but I have a backlog – a MASSIVE HUMONGOUS one to be exact…I will never play all the games I own yet I buy more and more and more…

    Isn’t there a saying about stupidity being the act of repeating oneself in the hope it changes the outcome…

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      April 16, 2014 at 11:37

      It took me forever to get control of that addiction. Steam makes it more difficult with their specials, and then GOG tries to get in on the action, next thing you know the 7/8 indie bundle sites are all clamouring for attention…

      Reply

      • CAE9872

        April 16, 2014 at 11:39

        I kinda stopped trying – I know I don’t have to buy another game as long as I live and will play to kingdom come. But the temptation…its so pretty and shiny and lovely…

        By the way the use of the word “forever” implies you don’t have it under control right!

        I thank my stars I don’t play PC games as then there would be no end.

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          April 16, 2014 at 11:44

          Only if you want to define “forever” literally & not figuratively heh.

          I’ll still buy games, but I’ve cut out impulse buys completely. Only buying ones I know I’ll definitely play… someday. *cough*

          Reply

  9. Ryanza

    April 16, 2014 at 11:38

    Because you 1st have to download the games before you can play Steam special.
    ain’t nobody got time for that.

    http://i.imgur.com/TONDq.gif

    Reply

  10. Rags

    April 16, 2014 at 11:39

    Just in time for Easter to add even more :<

    Reply

  11. Mossel

    April 16, 2014 at 11:44

    I have 67 games on Steam and haven’t played 19. That makes mine 28%. In my defence, a lot of those are games like Civ4, Civ3 and a whole bunch of other Sid Meier games that I got on a humble bundle. The only game I wanted was Civ5.
    EDIT: Games I’ve finished… now that is another story.

    Reply

  12. HvR

    April 16, 2014 at 11:49

    Steam sales and bundles are the extreme couponing of the gaming world.

    “Why are you buying 38 20 lb bags of dog food, you have a cat”
    “Because it is only costing me $5 muhahahahaha”

    “Why are buying every strategy game made since 1985, you never going to play them, you don;t even like strategy games”
    “Because it is only costing me $5 muhahahaha”

    Reply

  13. ElimiNathan

    April 16, 2014 at 12:04

    So its not just me

    Reply

  14. Sageville

    April 16, 2014 at 12:31

    IT’S CALLED A BACKLOG!

    We will get around to playing those games, I promise! STOP JUDGING ME!!!

    Reply

  15. Matthew Holliday

    April 16, 2014 at 12:40

    for more accurate stats on played times for games and your steam library value, check out steamdb:
    http://steamdb.info/calculator
    my one: http://steamdb.info/calculator/?player=devianceza&currency=us

    Reply

  16. Kensei Seraph

    April 16, 2014 at 12:50

    Apparently I haven’t played 61% of my Steam games.
    Although there’s a few that I played through other means (Dead Space through Origin) and others that aren’t really games (Portal 2 Publishing Tool).

    Reply

  17. MakeItLegal

    April 16, 2014 at 12:52

    yoh…to be honest tho , not that surprised from the 36% figure…was expecting 45% or more…
    thing is this , as long as the developers are getting paid and getting there name out there then all is well…(if it was 36% piracy then it would be a problem for all of us
    i suppose that the biggest constraint for most people is time now and not really money…
    LONG LIVE STEAM – Long live Lazygamer and it’s “staff” / “Groupies”…..

    Reply

  18. b1nd3r

    April 16, 2014 at 12:54

    I am beyond guilty of this but i blame this 8-8 crap i call a job (although they say 8-5 we all no the damn truth) >.<

    Reply

  19. b1nd3r

    April 16, 2014 at 12:57

    At the same token ive had steam since its early constant dc and slow bandwidth days, I had the orange box and played all the games none stop but steam didnt record even a third of the hours played due to its bugginess in SA

    Reply

  20. DrKiller

    April 16, 2014 at 12:57

    But we still support charity!

    Reply

  21. Jedi JJ

    April 16, 2014 at 13:31

    Look at that. Portal. Nice

    Reply

  22. $iCK-BOy

    April 16, 2014 at 13:35

    I have to agree that I’m totally a sucker for Steam sales 🙁
    I’ve aquired most of my games on Humble Bundle or Steam sales. Games like the Legacy of Kain were mind blowing back when they came out and I feel happier knowing they are now on my games list…. but I find it a bit hard to pick them up (especially Soul Reaver 1….).

    I suffer a lot from “So many games, nothing to play”

    Behold my calculated mass of SHAME:
    http://steamdb.info/calculator/?player=76561197979661646&currency=us

    ._.

    Reply

    • Alex Hicks

      April 17, 2014 at 13:22

      Nice calculator. I note that my account value is very wrong – as it takes current price; not paid price – would be interesting to see how much I’ve saved, but impossible considering the different purchase methods (eg Humble Bundle). I reckon I’ve paid under $500 for my account value of $1k … (I did buy some games before my 75% or lower rule.).

      Also I only have 21% unplayed. Admittedly, I’m small fry compared to most of you with only 70 games in total.

      Reply

  23. Chip

    April 16, 2014 at 15:32

    Saddos collecting digital rights.. pfft.

    Reply

  24. Peet Luckhoff

    April 16, 2014 at 15:55

    Dat Valve Games…

    Reply

  25. Capivaroto - Jacaré do Change

    April 16, 2014 at 18:38

    This is how I roll

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

Tormented Souls Back on for PS4 and Xbox One

Well, it would seem that fans are being listened to, after all. Who would’ve thunk? Back i…