Needless to say that the evolution of technologies is responsible for opening up new opportunities, which were almost impossible in the past.
Working from your own home’s comfort zone is now possible because of innovation like the internet and the evolution of gadgets.
Admit it or not, many people have overcome the lockdown period due to the coronavirus pandemic by surfing the internet or by playing online games like PUBG.
What if you get to know that playing games online can help you in making some money? Cool, right?
No matter which type of game genre you are into, you can earn a fair amount of money by playing your favorite online games on a gaming platform called Steam.
On the other hand, you don’t always have to be a player; if you are a software developer or designer, or a coder, you get to earn extra money from Steam.
This article is all about how to make money on Steam.
What is Steam?
Steam is a distribution service of digital video games made by Valve. Steam offers features like digital rights management (DRM), server hosting, video streaming, and social networking services. It also provides useful services like an automatic update of games, community features such as friends lists and groups and promotes in-game voice and chat features.
Steam is undoubtedly the largest digital distribution platform for PC gaming. Currently, it has over 34,000 games, with over 95 million monthly active users.
Steam has provided some top-rated games like CSGO, Dota2, PUBG, etc.
How Steam Works?
Using Steam isn’t that difficult. As you keep playing games available on Steam, you get rewarded with some drops like cards and cases. These are nothing but some digital gifts which can be sold for money.
If you sell these items, the money will get deposited into your Steam wallet. However, the money on your Steam wallet can only be used to buy other games or things related to it. If you wish to earn your payment in real cash, then follow the instructions given above.
Other than earning money, Steam is also an excellent place for PC gamers. Here you can find legendary games like CSGO, Dota 2, PUBG, and many more. You can again trade your items with your friends.
Suppose you want a gun skin that your friend has and wants one of yours; both of you can exchange your gun skins through trade offers. You can also chat with your friends through Steam. Overall, Steam is a fun place for all PC gamers.
How to Make Money on Steam
Developing and selling games on Steam takes a long time. Clearly, it is not a fast way to make money.
If you want to earn fast money on the Steam market place, keep playing your favorite games and get drops. Sell those drops and make money.
There is another way of earning money fast. Suppose you are playing a Steam game for quite a long time and have made a lot of progress, a player who hasn’t progressed much would love to buy your account in exchange for money.
Though this will ruin all of your progress if you haven’t invested a single penny on the game and sold the account for a good amount of money, this can be a good deal for you.
Let’s find out how to make money on steam.
1. Getting free Drops
One of the ways of earning money on Steam is getting free drops while playing your favorite games.
You can play games like CSGO and Dota 2, where you can find free drops. These drops can be sold in exchange for money. However, you need loads of luck to get the rare drops that can give a fair amount of money into your pocket.
One needs to check on the steam market place regularly. Prices of rare items can drop anytime due to excess amounts. Find the ideal time and buy those items at a low price.
Later on, these items can be sold at a higher price when their value increases.
Many gamers out there are ready to pay a bunch of money for rare items. It is like a treasure hunt; you can hit the jackpot anytime.
2. Selling Items on high-price
In the case of cards, foil cards are way more valuable than regular cards.
Always remember the rarer an item, the more valuable it is in the steam market place. Timing plays a huge role! Sometimes regular items can also be sold at a high price.
When a game launches new cards, those can be sold for a huge amount as the items are new, and not many people own them. Secondly, suppose a particular item is not available in the market anymore. In that case, collectors will pay a ton of money to buy that item.
3. Saving Trading Cards
There are many games available that will provide you with trading cards as a reward for playing them.
Most of the cards aren’t that valuable, but sometimes you can get cards that are worth a few dollars.
It all depends upon your luck; there is not any particular way that can give you good card drops.
Don’t try too hard on getting cards. You will get cards while playing games. So enjoy your game, and you will get rewarded with cards. The more you play, the more cards you can get, so focus on your gameplay.
4. Holding Pre-released Items
The developers release exclusive pre-order drops or early access crates before fully launching any game.
These exclusive items can be sold for hundreds of dollars when the game is fully launched.
One such example would be the cosmetic set of PUBG. This set was given to all the players who pre-ordered the game. The price of the game was $30, and it came free with it.
Now the cosmetic set can be sold for around $1400 on the steam market.
5. Original Game distribution directly on Steam
Another way of earning money on Steam is to sell your own games. You can develop your own games and give them some developers and sell those games on Steam Direct. In this way, you can earn real money, which you can later withdraw.
Though this method needs loads of hard work, time, and investment because developing a game on your own isn’t a simple task, it can cost you some big amount of money.
The game you’ll develop should be really interesting, and it should be made according to the steam guidelines.
However, if you are confident that the game you are planning to make would be fun to play, make sure to give it a try.
You can earn real cash if your game goes successful.
Also, keep in mind that Steam keeps 30% of the amount that you earn from selling a game.
At the start of your journey of selling games at Steam, you have to make a security deposit of $100. This $100 will get refunded once you make $1000 in your pay-out.
In order to make a successful game, you have to keep in mind some important tips.
The game you are making should be entertaining to play. It should not match any old game; otherwise, people will call your game a copy.
You should provide attractive screenshots and a trailer of the gameplay. This would attract gamers and make them curious about your game.
- You should also remain active on Steam Community after your game is released so that you can interact with your customers who have bought the game.
6. Staying Focused on your Game to look out for free Drops.
The games available on Steam not only drop cards. There are many other exciting and valuable drops that you can make money while playing games like Golf with Your Friends and CSGO.
Talking about CSGO, the game is totally free to play. Here you can get items worth some pennies every week, but if you are lucky enough, you can get drops worth $20. Imagine getting $20 without investing a single penny!
Other Ways to make money on Steam
Other than all these, there are two more ways through which you can earn money from Steam.
Sometimes developers employ good designers to finish a great deal of work. You can look for these opportunities by participating in chats and attend steam gatherings.
There are also people out there who are happy to invest in fine art. These people can pay you for making unique craftsmanship for their steam profile and in-game content.
Final Thoughts! How to Make Money on Steam
Remember, making money on Steam isn’t very profitable, and it requires a lot of hard work.
The most disappointing thing about the steam market is that the money you earn from selling items goes into your Steam Wallet and not on your bank account. In many circumstances, you cannot transfer it to your bank account. The money you earn can only be used to buy games or other items from the market.
The only way to earn real cash is to develop your own game and sell it on Steam Direct. This is impossible unless you are a game developer or have the money to hire one.
How Much Money can you Earn from Steam?
It all depends upon the item you sell on Steam. Suppose you are a free-to-play gamer and want to earn through Steam. In that case, you can make about a dollar each week, though if you are lucky enough to get a valuable drop, you can sell it for hundreds of dollars.
In case if you are a game developer, you will get 70% of the money sold from each game. 30% will be kept by Steam. This means the more game you can sell, the more you will earn. There isn’t any fixed income on Steam.
The more you spend your time on Steam, the more you can earn.
Conclusion
Enjoyment and getting addicted are both different things. One can enjoy playing online games in their leisure time and still be productive in their daily life. This type of gaming platform can be pretty addictive, and thus you can lose your precious time.
On the other hand, scammers are looking for chances to rob you, so never provide any confidential details to anyone in the steam market place. Be concerned and happy gaming.