Last week, the store announced that it now accepts only Bitcoin payment for CD keys for PC downloadable games. The keys they sell for games are redeemable on Steam and Origin.
Steam was originally a service for multiplayer juggernaut “Counter-Strike.” Later it became a huge online gaming platform for various games and multiplayer, as well as game news portal powered by Valve Corporation. Origin is a similar platform created by EA.
Unfortunately, Steam and Origin do not accept digital currency at the moment.
For now, prices at Cheaper Than Steam store are displayed in USD, but only Bitcoin is accepted.
In order to buy a chosen product users must complete a checkout page with should already be familiar to most Bitcoin community members. They are then redirected to Bitpay.com to complete the transaction.
To celebrate Cheaper Than Steam’s transformation into a Bitcoin-only enterprise, the store is now having a “Buy One Get One Free” promotion for all bitcoiners. For every game a user buys in their store, they give away a random Steam game for free.
Today, Cheaper Than Steam is not the only game store that accepts Bitcoin.
CJS CD Keys.com is said to be a world leader in game key distribution since its launch in November 2009.
The website belongs to Corey J Smith, a self-taught computer programmer from Grays in Essex. Back in the day, Smith decided to delay graduation in favor of his own start-up his company that offers the latest PC games authorization keys downloads.
At the moment the store sells Steam Keys, Origin Keys, Ultraviolet Movie Codes, Battle.net Keys, and many other digital download keys.
The company describes its distribution system thus: “We have become well known for providing instant delivery, thanks to our in-house developed Autokey system, which automatically distributes the unique activation codes to our customers instantly after their payment.”
Moreover, Smith’s site accepts Dogecoins and Litecoins payments in addition to Bitcoins.
Whether the Steam gaming platform would ever deal in digital currency is still a question – but this may ultimately depend on when cryptocurrencies begin to stabilize.
As Valve co-founder and managing director Gabe Newell once said: "There are two related issues: one is treating a cryptocurrency as another currency type that we support and the broader issue is monetary behaviors of game economies. The first issue is more about cryptocurrencies stabilizing as mediums of account."
Talking about popular games, Bitcoin fans ask Battle.net and Blizzard Entertainment games developers to add Bitcoin as the Payment Method. They have already started to collect letters and statements from gamers telling why company should accept digital currency for such a games like famous “World of Warcraft” (commonly called WoW by gamers).
Today, while playing the online game like WoW users may buy goods and equipment using game Gold that could be bought for fiat currency. But again - it is so obvious that buying online games and services would be easier if you pay with digital currency!
So if you are a gamer and a Bitcoin fan visit /r/Bitcoin - Lets ask Battle.net to Support Bitcoin Payments and share your ideas about the topic.