Scalpers are already selling the Steam Machine for over $3000 on eBay despite Valve's efforts

Scalpers are low lifes who don't necessarily know much about the products they scalp. They must have thought it was going to be the same as the last few generations of gaming console releases.

I also believe that the typical potential customer for a Steam Machine will know better.

you can build a better one for $1050...

Could also be people who just like the form factor but valve refuse to sell it to them directly because international shipping is too complicated for a small startup like valve. /s

full of protein? tell me where! I would switch to eat brains of tofu in a blink

I didn't actually see any that sold for that price. Highest I'm seeing currently is 2000. Your comment is still valid at $2000 though.

For some people, there is no difference between $1000 and $3000. Both are amounts they won’t miss, and availability of the SteamBox is low right now so they’re happy to pay it to get faster access. Tell them they can get a more powerful gaming PC for $3000 and they don’t care. They want to try the Steambox and money is no object.

Basically, don’t necessarily attribute to stupidity what can also be explained by wealth.

The people that bought spacex stock.

Fanboys and ", but I want something official" kind of people.

I don't get it, either.

“If you pirate games, you're part of the problem.”

Scalpers exists because Valve's supply chains is weak and their commerce channel is poor. If you can buy from a scalper and get the machine on launch day, or pay Valve and get it in 9 months, then the value proposition is clear and obvious. I won't defend scalpers, just like I won't defend scene pirates like FitGirl. I'm sure most of them are scammers, but scalping is a service problem as well. People are paying for convenience and access*. Similarly to stuff like ticket scalping, they are all scumbags, but they exist as a failure of marketing, not because of the moral failure of the buyers. They are just using their only means of access and convenience left, once the real seller abandoned them as customers.

EDIT: I know a lot of people will downvote due to the piracy comparison. But remember that Valve ships hardware to only 10% of the world. Specifically the global North and the westernized world. Everyone else can't even get to the lottery. On the other hand, there's no problem for most of the planet on acquiring any current console or pre-build PC. While at the same time they have publicly said they have issues acquiring their necessary OEM parts to manufacture their hardware. Valve has a supply chain problem, and scalpers are abusing that. These scalpers are not artificially creating scarcity by buying all existing stock to charge higher prices, they are abusing the already existing scarcity and extremely high demand. Scalping is a service problem, get to terms with that.

*: even if they are rich fucks with FOMO and more money than sense. They are still buying convenience that Valve can't offer right now.

FOMO is strong with a lot of people. A lot of these guys just feel the need to be in the first batch and will buy at any price to be included.

I know it's not the intended audience of scalpers. They aim for the people with too much money and fomo. But just remember that scalpers are the only way that the global south will ever get access to this hardware. Valve won't sell me this computer, I get zero access to the lottery, they won't ship to my country. But a random scalper on eBay will, without hesitation.

I don't like consoles, but for contrast, I could go to my nearest mall and buy any current console in a brick and mortar store for a reasonable price, just a bit over the us dollar cost.

I know there's probably a lot of price fixating cartels for a bunch of hardware stuff. Valve is fighting a losing battle in a space the have zero reputation. But at the same time, scalping, much like piracy, is a service problem. It's the result of a poor and fragile supply chain and not enough marketing and commerce channels available.

Despite all the measures to deter scalping used on the steam controller, for example, which I think are fine. The fact that 80% of the planet can't buy it directly from valve means that there will always be a scalping market. Even today the original LCD steam deck with the small ssd sells on eBay for absurd prices. It's not a healthy second hand market or a bunch of people with desperate FOMO, the original deck is old news already. It's people using the only purchase means available.

Well, looking at the completed auctions on eBay there are enough people wo are desperate enough.

There's enough rich people. If you're a millionaire, 3k is the equivalent of like $50 for a normal person.

It worked for the last generation of Xboxes. Personally I was prepared to buy an x series for each of my kids two christmases in a row. However I refused to pay scalper prices and was never able to find them in stock.

I hope scalpers rot in hell for ruining things for the rest of us, but it directly lead to my kids building their own gaming rigs, so that’s cool. More quality time with my kids plus they learned that I actually know something about computers

people with stupid amounts of money

Especially considering that is makes zero sense to pay extra, since you can literally go out and buy any other computer instead.

Just need to install Steam OS after

Dude scalper are a symptom too. I people weren't wired for imefiat access to thing they wouldn't exist. But hey you can get stuff in 24h, who wait a month or more for things in this society ?

I think I played with that last week

Rich FOMO gamers

That would require having enough inventory to meet total demand at the set price.

IMO the best they can do is cut the scalpers out by starting the price off high themselves and lowering it as supply increases. Low supply and high demand will always lead to increased prices and trying to avoid that by keeping prices low will result in others taking advantage of that market inefficiency.

And the best we can do is just not buy the higher priced options and wait for supply to come up.

if you seen the pokemon scalpers, pretty much. people who dont even play it try to cash in on it.

Correct. They're not even selling you a physical machine at that price. They're just allegedly selling you their place in the preorder lottery for the opportunity to buy one.

I can't imagine how anyone could possibly be that desperate.

They are being sold for that (or close)...Ebay Germany

Or install Steam OS if you want the closest approximation of a steam machine.

(Like them or not) LTT already showed how to do that last week.

It will be sold out in hours.

I mean it's not out yet. The raffle for who can buy one hasn't started. This is just like scammers selling a PS6.

There's always a bigger flop. Apple Vision Pro is 3 times the price and less use than Steam Machine. Most people reportedly just leave it as a dust gatherer after the honeymoon period is over.

And then we have the OG Steam Machine. It's a weird product that no one wanted, it isn't different like a console is, and it isn't better than a PC can be. It's a product that isn't build by themselves, but a joint venture with hardware maker.

Then we have NFT. You can't top that.

I was always more interested in the Steam Frame. That will be my first VR-device ever, and i'm hyped for that.

The Machine has one advantage: Valve will probably keep it on the market for quite a while. When prices get a bit more "normal" again, i'm sure they will reduce the price to match the new reality. The Machine is really more like a PC for people who don't have the tech skills to setup a DIY PC, and that's what people are paying for.