Yes, it *is* possible for Steam to run out of stock!

[qubit]

We've all heard the April Fool's joke of Steam running out of stock of games and had a bit of a laugh. Well, guess what, it really can!

I was just browsing around for yet another game to buy (as if I don't have enough already that I haven't got round to playing lol) when I came across Rainbow Six Vegas 2, which is indeed out of stock - of licence keys. Check it out! Thankfully, for anyone with a burning desire to play this 2008 game, this is only temporary. Phew!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/15120/Tom_Clancys_Rainbow_Six_Vegas_2

 

[Fizban]

I'm guessing that's because the game has some form of secondary DRM that steam can't just create keys for?

 

[Flogger23m]

It happened to me to with Ubisoft's HAWX 2. Although it was odd because I bought one, it ran out of stock, then purchased another 2 minutes later which worked fine. Took Steam 3-5 days if I recall to send the first key.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Well keys are not an endless supply. The publisher allocates so many of a series to a distributor like Steam. On an older game like this that 90% who would own it already do, they may not allocate a large number of unique number combinations. A higher than normal number of buyers in a given period would exhaust the supply quickly, I imagine.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Yup, it's publishers that hold the keys. Steam (at least in regards to Ubisoft titles) is a distributor and can only distribute what they've been authorized to distribute. Something likely caused a surge of sales for that title that Ubisoft wasn't expecting so Steam ran out. As it indicates, orders are still accepted because Ubisoft isn't going to turn away a sale because of a technicality. Steam/Ubisoft is good on their word that you'll get your key when more are released to Steam. Publishers shield themselves from distributors by transferring keys to them in blocks.

 

[claylomax]

We've all heard the April Fool's joke of Steam running out of stock of games and had a bit of a laugh. Well, guess what, it really can!

I was just browsing around for yet another game to buy (as if I don't have enough already that I haven't got round to playing lol) when I came across Rainbow Six Vegas 2, which is indeed out of stock - of licence keys. Check it out! Thankfully, for anyone with a burning desire to play this 2008 game, this is only temporary. Phew!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/15120/Tom_Clancys_Rainbow_Six_Vegas_2

Hi Qubit, I have a retail copy of that game; do you still want it?
I don't think you need Steam for this one; I bought it in 2008 if I remember well.

 

[notb]

Of course it is possible. I don't understand what is so surprising.
A game is a still a product. Producer controls the supply and chooses how many will be available via particular distributor.

Even if it's fully digital, there is still a known number of samples - Valve is not spawning copies.
And don't bother discussing license keys and so on. Even if this game didn't have a license key, there would still be a finite number of copies available through Steam.

Also, it's not that difficult to imagine a situation, where game studio might want to limit how many copies are sold to customers (and where). It's not as easy as "the more the better".

 

[Fizban]

Not sure why there'd be a finite number of copies without license keys.

I do see why a developer might provide a not so reputable (or just a seller with a less proven track record) reseller with finite copies to protect themselves, but Steam is reputable enough that any developer should know that Steam will pay them for however many copies are sold even if Steam is allowed to sell an infinite #.

 

[Vayra86]

We've all heard the April Fool's joke of Steam running out of stock of games and had a bit of a laugh. Well, guess what, it really can!

I was just browsing around for yet another game to buy (as if I don't have enough already that I haven't got round to playing lol) when I came across Rainbow Six Vegas 2, which is indeed out of stock - of licence keys. Check it out! Thankfully, for anyone with a burning desire to play this 2008 game, this is only temporary. Phew!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/15120/Tom_Clancys_Rainbow_Six_Vegas_2

You do realize this is a Ubisoft game we're talking about yes?

Ubisoft. The company that hasn't managed to put a single good release on Steam without having it fail between Uplay and Steam's DRM layers. It sucks, consistently, in literally every title.

 

[notb]

Not sure why there'd be a finite number of copies without license keys.

I do see why a developer might provide a not so reputable (or just a seller with a less proven track record) reseller with finite copies to protect themselves, but Steam is reputable enough that any developer should know that Steam will pay them for however many copies are sold even if Steam is allowed to sell an infinite #.

The most obvious reason? Sales commission.
Large game studios are better of selling a copy directly or though smaller distributors. But the demand is limited, so a copy sold via Steam is a copy not sold directly.
That's why Steam is full of indie games, but a few large studios (with great own distribution systems) more or less ignore it (e.g. EA, Blizzard).

 

[qubit]

Hi Qubit, I have a retail copy of that game; do you still want it?
I don't think you need Steam for this one; I bought it in 2008 if I remember well.

Thanks for the offer, but I'm not looking to play this game. I just clicked on it because it was there on the front page of the store. It doesn't look bad though.

And don't bother discussing license keys and so on. Even if this game didn't have a license key, there would still be a finite number of copies available through Steam.

How is it finite? The physical distribution limit is the number of Steam accounts that exist. Since they can keep on increasing effectively without limit, there's effectively no limit on distribution. You can't make a statement like that and not expect someone to challenge you on it. C'mon.

 

[Vya Domus]

I think the publishers might simply retract the license from Steam that allows them to sell their games based on whatever reason. I suppose it's easier to say it is out of stock even though it sounds dumb.

 

[Fizban]

According to people on the steam discussion forum that game actually is working fine and keys are being given out. Someone claimed there was a shortage of keys months ago, and that the problem was since resolved but the warning wasn't removed when it was.

 

[qubit]

I think the publishers might simply retract the license from Steam that allows them to sell their games based on whatever reason. I suppose it's easier to say it is out of stock even though it sounds dumb.

That actually sounds plausible, lol.

According to people on the steam discussion forum that game actually is working fine and keys are being given out. Someone claimed there was a shortage of keys months ago, and that the problem was since resolved but the warning wasn't removed when it was.

So it's just a friggin' admin error? Worthy of a facepalm if true, lol.