Overview

• Over half of the median Steam player’s library goes unplayed, according to data cited by Zukowski, underscoring a habitual buy-but-don’t-play pattern.
• Steam’s legendary sales events and bundle deals, including Humble Bundle partnerships, intensify hoarding by rewarding the act of collecting titles.
• Developers continue to accept Valve’s 30 percent revenue share because this hoarder-driven market sustains high purchase volumes even without actual gameplay.
• By focusing on hobbyist collectors rather than active players, Steam avoids direct competition for limited leisure hours from streaming services and social media.
• Experts liken the ‘pile of shame’ to other collecting hobbies—books, models, yarn—highlighting how Steam’s platform features exploit broad collector psychology.