The gaming world witnessed a bizarre phenomenon when a 18-year-old developer’s joke game, titled ‘This Game Costs $200,’ almost made over $1 million before thousands of players refunded it.
Michael Major, the teenage developer behind the viral game, created it as a simple joke. He thought no one would actually buy it due to its exorbitant price, which is the maximum amount of money that developers can charge on the Steam platform.
The Steam page’s ‘About This Game’ section describes it as ‘the swindle to end all swindles,’ with Major writing, ‘I know some people will buy this game out of sheer curiosity, and I highly recommend you do, too.’
Thousands of Players Take Him Up on His Offer
However, little did Major expect that thousands of players would actually take him up on his offer. As reported by local New Hampshire news outlet WMUR-TV, Major’s simplistic, top-down game raked in $1,345,650, but with a twist.
A total of 6,717 units were sold, with 6,705 of those purchases originating in China. Four were sold within the United States, three in Hong Kong, two in Spain, and one each in Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and Singapore. Most of these buyers returned the game without even playing it, getting refunds that whittled the impressive $1.3 million figure down to a measly $2,045.
‘They might be buying it to return it instantly so they can get some kind of points for the highest amount possible without actually paying $200,’ Major speculated, referencing Steam Points, which are rewards that players accrue with each purchase that can be used to snag profile swag and other customization goodies.
Major theorized that his prank game could have been used to launder funds, saying, ‘I’m not joking, I have heard of expensive games on Steam being used for money laundering. I have no idea. I could be on a ‘hit list’ right now.’
Speaking to WMUR-TV, Major joked that he ‘almost died’ when he saw the $1.3 million figure in his Steam Report, saying he would have ‘quit his job’ if he’d actually made that much.
On the opposite end of that spectrum, another indie game developer and Twitch streamer broke down in tears after learning that his tower defense game Tangy TD raked in $31,942 just thirty hours after launch, sparking a viral moment that made the game even more popular.
