Blog Update 9/30

[TheCarpe]

I don't have any money for keys until Tuesday

If you get a Fez, I'll trade you a Skullcutter. =P

It's not one of the possible items, and I already have a Skullcutter

[Boss Llama]

It might not be that bad if keys could also be found in random drops. Hopefully they will add keys to random drops soon.

They can be. Have been since the patch released.

[Flobee]

Are you sure, Alizee? The TF2 Wiki says they can only be bought, with no plans so far for having them obtainable through the drop system.

I got a crate today. I sincerely hope they DO add keys to the drop system, because I'm not particularly excited to PAY for a CHANCE at a cool item, especially since there's also the chance I'll get a crappy duplicate item I really didn't need nor want to pay for.

[Boss Llama]

Well, I've heard people talking about receiving keys as drops to believe it. I haven't received one that way myself, so I can't swear it or anything, but lotta folks kept bringing it up.

[Ihmhi]

Robin Walker said in an interview that there were a few "purely cosmetic" items available only in the store. The only things in the store that you can't get in-game are the keys and the gifts. I imagine he was talking about the crate-only black and white paints as well as the "Unusual" hats (with a purple particle effect) that can only be found in them.

Honestly not letting keys drop, that is a bit of a dick move.

Also here's some YouTube vids of "Unusual" hats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBGYR41M3gI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u41hJKciLZs

Edit: Youtube links apparently don't want to embed for me. 8|

[Kaladran]

I found my first crate today, if they don't allow random drops of keys then I may just trade it. I have no interest in paying for items.

[Flash]

Here is my perspective on the store:

I honestly can't blame Valve for it's creation. TF2 was released three years ago and they've been consistently pumping out quality free updates and additions to the game ever since. And while I'm sure they still pick up new purchasers, with a surge earlier this year from Mac users, can we really fault them for wanting to see a little money back for their efforts?

My wife and I both purchased the Vale Complete Pack last Christmas (it was on sale) even though it gave us duplicates of several older games we already owned. We both wanted some of the newer games (TF2, L4D and L4D2) and didn't mind supporting the company. My rationale was this: Half-Life spoiled me. Back in 1999 I picked up Half-LIfe: Game of the Year Edition for $9.99 at a local store. (She bought it a year or so later for a similar price.) That was the only money we spent on video games for 10 years. Seriously. Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat (which were both free mods) kept us entertained and occupied for almost 10 years and that was the last game we purchased before the Complete Pack last Christmas. This is also the reason I could never switch to console gaming or play World of Warcraft...

So I have no problem with Valve trying to make a little extra money from a proven and entertaining title. As long as they continue to allow items to be crafted and found/dropped without making things purchase only I think we'll be fine. Now I do admit we're on a slippery slope with the keys and paint buckets but so far they are things that don't affect the game play. I've just gotta hold out hope that Valve will stick to the principles of being a company I think we all generally respect.

That said, I originally had no plans to spend any money in the store. This is mainly because all the items there aren't tradable (if nothing else I'd like to be able to share them with my wife). However, I've got a couple ideas for painted hats and I'm really tempted to spend at least the minimum $5 to get that Mann Co. baseball cap (I wear a ball cap everyday to the point where people don't recognize me without one.) Look at it this way. For $10 I can skip a single six-pack and get a hat and paint can. Assuming I don't lose interest in TF2 (which I don't anticipate) that fun new hat will keep me entertained for a lot longer then that one sixer.

This is also a wonderful addition for the casual player. I'm sure there are some out there who only get a few hours each week to play. For them, being able to simply buy the new Croc-o-style kit instead of hoping to accumulate it over the span of several months is probably very welcome. For $20 they can have the new tricked out kit and just enjoy those few hours they have instead of stressing about trying to craft or trade for them.

But no mater how you look at this, from a marketing/business angle it is genius. Sure you'll have some players like Stevo who will delete a crate without blinking an eye. However I'd bet a large portion of users won't be able to resist buying a key for that "2.63% chance of getting an unusual hat" or "7.89% chance of getting a polycount weapon." And they'll be able to keep this going for a while as evidenced by the "Series #1" label which points to them being incremented with different items every few months.

Personally, I just got my first crate drop tonight. Chances are I'll drop the $2.49, at least on this first crate, just this once...

.

[Plinko]

stuff .

Well said.

[trunicated]

...

I rationalize it as "I'm no longer spending $30/mo on WoW thanks to TF2, so I'm okay with throwing a little money their way."

[Tungsten]

@flash

I admit I bought a key the first time I found a crate out of pure curiosity. Of course, if I knew the crates were distributed by demomen, I probably wouldn't have bought a key.

[TheCarpe]

Out of the four crates I've opened, two have been rare paints and two have been normal items. I got a fifth crate which I gifted to Buzzy, from which she received a Vita-Saw. So I've had marginal luck, but still came out of it with some neat stuff and, if nothing else, scrap fodder. And if what Plinko says about Mann Co. Crates being a separate drop from the normal drops, that means I can smelt things rapidly. I'm willing to drop a paltry two bucks to have a chance at something nifty.