A game titled This Game Costs 200 Dollars, developed by 18-year-old Michael Major, nearly generated $1.3 million in revenue before a vast majority of sales were refunded. The game, along with its predecessor This Game Costs 10 Dollars, are described as simple, asset-flipping titles with minimal gameplay and unclear objectives, seemingly designed to test the market's reaction to extreme pricing.
Major discovered the significant earnings approximately months after releasing the $200 title on Steam. He explained that $200 is the maximum price point allowed on the platform. The reported earnings of $1.3 million stemmed from 6,717 sales. However, the situation took a peculiar turn as 6,707 of these copies were subsequently refunded. A significant portion of these refunds, 6,705 in total, originated from China, with many buyers initiating returns without even launching the game.
Major speculated that this behavior might be an attempt to acquire platform-specific rewards or points associated with purchases and returns, rather than a genuine intent to pay the full price. He acknowledged hearing of other high-priced games being used for potential money laundering schemes but stated he has no definitive answers regarding the specific circumstances of his game's sales. Ultimately, after accounting for the refunds, Major is left with a fraction of the initial revenue, estimated to be just over $2,000, assuming no further refunds occur.