Valve has introduced a new system called Steam Trading Cards with which gamers can earn Steam DLC, coupons, profile backgrounds, emoticons and more for playing titles through Steam.
The system was first revealed in a Steam database entry earlier and Valve has finally confirmed the service is currently in beta. Steam Trading Cards offers players game-specific trading cards that can be collected to earn rewards like coupons, badges, profile backgrounds and more.
"Steam Trading Cards are virtual cards earned by playing games on Steam. Sets of cards can be turned into game badges and tradable Steam community items," Steam says on its website. Of all the cards, half of them are dropped through game play while gamers can earn the rest through collecting prowess. The games listed currently as part of the Steam Trading Cards Beta are Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, Dota 2, Team Fortress 2 Portal 2, Half-Life 2 and Don't Starve. Steam says that the service will expand in the coming months to include many more titles.
Upon collection of a set of cards, players can craft them into a badge. The badges are tied to the user's account and are shown on their profile. Players will be awarded with tradable random rewards for game-related items including DLC, coupons, emoticons, and profile backgrounds.
"From your Badges page, the "Badges in Progress" tab shows you which Steam Trading Cards you already have, how many more you can get by playing the game, and how many more you need to complete a set. Clicking on a badge in progress will show you a list of all your friends who have the cards you need to complete the set, and has a link to sending them a message to start a trade," is how Valve explains the system.
Steam Trading Cards drops are currently tied to playtime within a game, independent of achievements the gamers may receive. Valve said it is looking to add more rules concerning how cards are dropped.
Head over to the FAQ page at the Steam Trading Cards website to learn more about the new system.
