Steam has introduced a new meta-currency for users to earn, called Points. Whenever a user buys a game, DLC, Valve hardware, application, soundtrack, or in-game items, they will earn 100 Points per U.S. dollar spent.
Users can spend Points on a variety of things through Steam, including animated avatars, backgrounds for their shop, and animated chat emoticons. They can also reward other users for useful Workshop items or well-written Steam reviewers by donating their Points.
Valve says that the Points Shop is here to stay, and any bonuses unlocked through Points are permanent additions to a users profile. However, items purchased via Points cannot be sold via the marketplace or traded.
Some of these awards are quite handsome, like Portal-themed borders for a players avatar, or an animated emoticon of cartoon Geralt hopping and scrubbing in his bubble bath. There are lines of rewards associated with popular games, ranging from emotional platformer Gris to demon-slaying FPS Doom Eternal. There are indie titles like Disco Elysium represented with their own emoticons, side-by-side with Valves biggest hits like Dota 2 and CS:GO.
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