Buy Hats, Help Japan

[DigiQ8]

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[br]In a nice gesture, Valve has released three limited edition hats and two special noisemakers to the Mann Co. store, and all proceeds from these items will go directly towards the Japanese disaster relief fund that the American Red Cross has set up.

The "Humanitarian's Hachimaki" ($7.99), the "Benefactor's Kanmuri" ($19.99) and the most prestigious "Magnanimous Monarch" ($99.99) will be available from now through April 6.

After April 6, none of these items will be available in any form. We encourage you to spend as much as you are comfortable with contributing to this good cause.

 

[kineaesth]

How moderately insulting. I recommend donating directly to a good quality charity. http://www.redcross.org/portal/site...toid=af4f8ddf76cce210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

 

[ríomhaire]

I find myself wondering if I can afford to give money to charity. Then I realised I spent nearly twenty bucks last night in a pub quiz. Stupid commercialism.

 

[Warped]

sounds like a fun and good cause. ALL DLC should be like this. think of how amazing the world would be

 

[Barnz]

hatlife2.net

 

[Sheepo]

How moderately insulting.

How so?

 

[Vegeta897]

I don't really agree. If they're going to make hats to sell for charity, why not something that is representative of their culture?

 

[kineaesth]

I don't think charity should ever be rewarded, and I don't think it should ever be done for any gain or by any company or corporation.

 

[Sheepo]

I can't really see any way this won't benefit Japan more, whether it's specifically targeted to dumb selfish jerks or not, so I have hard time being upset. Sure, Valve benefits in a way, and hat fetishists benefit, but the important thing is that more money goes to the relief.

 

[Vegeta897]

I don't think charity should ever be rewarded, and I don't think it should ever be done for any gain or by any company or corporation.

Jesus god this is the most holier-than-thou thing I have ever read.

Do you know what the word 'incentive' means? Sad truth, most people don't like to donate without getting something in return. That doesn't mean things like this shouldn't exist. And I REALLY don't think that the people in need who get the money give a **** whether the money was given in exchange for something.

 

[morgs]

Whether someone is doing it for themselves or because they want to donate to japan, Japan is getting money = result.

 

[Acepilotf14]

Can I buy these hats without the money going to Japan?

 

[Kisze]

whether it's specifically targeted to dumb selfish jerks or not

I don't get it. "He's such a dumb and selfish jerk, he bought a $100 hat in TF2 where all money went to helping the people in Japan!"? Doesn't seem very selfish to me just because you get a hat in return...

 

[BakonGuy]

Doesn't seem very selfish to me just because you get a hat in return...

It being a virtual hat and all, I agree, it isn't selfish at all.

 

[Sheepo]

I don't get it. "He's such a dumb and selfish jerk, he bought a $100 hat in TF2 where all money went to helping the people in Japan!"? Doesn't seem very selfish to me just because you get a hat in return...

Yeah, I don't really think so either. I was merely using the extreme idea, rather than the much more likely one, to point out that his argument doesn't really matter even if people buy the hats for the wrong reasons. Not that what you're describing necessarily precludes selfishness. Motive is what matters. You're still a selfish person if you do something just to get a hat, even though money may incidentally go to a selfless cause.

 

[morgs]

Valve are turning selfishness into charity, basically.

 

[bencanfield]

I don't think charity should ever be rewarded, and I don't think it should ever be done for any gain or by any company or corporation.

Ever heard of a bake sale?

 

[yoyo]

Ever heard of a bake sale?

Yea no shit, how in the hell can anyone be against a business taking the profits that they would be making off a product and donating it to charity?? How is this selfish? Companies do it all the ****in time, and more games should be doing this. Hell why not make a steam sale of all the valve products and donate those proceeds too...

 

[Destructo-Bot]

How moderately insulting. I recommend donating directly to a good quality charity. http://www.redcross.org/portal/site...toid=af4f8ddf76cce210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

I don't think charity should ever be rewarded, and I don't think it should ever be done for any gain or by any company or corporation.

Just so we're clear; ALL PROCEEDS go to the RED CROSS, minus taxes if applicable (yell at the government for that one, Valve is legally required to pay any applicable taxes). The hat is basically a receipt you can show to your friends online, or not show... the choice is your own.

 

[kineaesth]

Yea no shit, how in the hell can anyone be against a business taking the profits that they would be making off a product and donating it to charity?

utterly unobjectionable, right?

Likewise, it's not about whether or not a business gives profits to a charity, it's about the fact that they use charity as a guise to promote their own product.

The hat is basically a receipt you can show to your friends online, or not show... the choice is your own.

So you can "not show" it without any consequence? Well then

 

[Vegeta897]

they use charity as a guise to promote their own product.

I think it's the other way around.

 

[kineaesth]

I'm glad we agree to leave it at that.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Also think about it like this. It gives gamers the means to donate when they perhaps wouldn't have done so. Sure gamers could donate directly but sometimes people require an incentive via a means which they usually spend their money. I imagine that it could be slightly wrong that someone buys at hat because they want a hat rather than caring where the money goes to. Even so the money goes to the right place.

Valve are very aware of how much money the store makes, as am I from speaking to contributors and believe me it will make a significant contribution to the cause. Also there may have been some pressure from the community after the Japanese themed shogun pack proceeds were not going to charity (agreement wasn't set upbefore obviously), so this is a really impressive reaction.

 

[ríomhaire]

ka, I'd also like to point out that the TF2 section on SPUF was constantly begging to have a charity for Japan, either new items or donating the proceeds of the shogun pack. There was a lot of demand from the fanbase for this.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

The only thing I'm disappointed with is the timeframe in which to do this.

 

[yoyo]

utterly unobjectionable, right?

Likewise, it's not about whether or not a business gives profits to a charity, it's about the fact that they use charity as a guise to promote their own product.

Well whatever I guess it just depends on your prespective then...for me its valve helping by finding a new way they can get people to donate...for you its shameless self promotion.

 

[Vegeta897]

The only thing I'm disappointed with is the timeframe in which to do this.

I thought the same thing, but then someone in the Steamchat pointed out that adding a limited timeframe increases the exclusivity of it, and encourages people to donate before it's too late, instead of giving them the option of putting it off, 'maybe I'll donate later'. If someone didn't donate during the time it was available, they probably wouldn't donate later. And besides, there are still other charities to donate to.

 

[Sheepo]

I actually agree, the image, and the general comic and deadly nature of TF2, makes this seem to point a tiny bit in the bad taste spectrum, but how it benefits the victims makes that concern completely overruled for me. But oh my god you can't actually believe this:

Likewise, it's not about whether or not a business gives profits to a charity, it's about the fact that they use charity as a guise to promote their own product.

Because Valve definitely wouldn't benefit more from just selling these sorts of hats? It's called mutual benefit. Yeah, businesses may be thinking more of their own image than the charity they're benefiting. They may just be trying to look nice, but they're doing so by being nice.

 

[Rizzo]

Jesus KA, it's just some ****ing hats for donating. Organisations and businesses usually get diplomas for donating to different charities anyways, this is just Valves way of doing it. Helping Japan and their image.

Seeing your moral high ground on this though, I wonder, how much have you donated anyway? Or maybe you don't want to tell becouse it whould improve your image or something?

 

[Parky]

I'm really failing to see as to why there should be a debate here, I mean, seriously?

Some of you guys are LESS whiny when Valve release hats that they profit from.

 

[Acepilotf14]

I stopped playing because of those ****ing hats man.
That ****ing hat store.
Ruined the game.
Slippery slope, etc.

 

[alchemistlord]

Just hats? Why the hell.

 

[JUL3]

I don't see a problem here at all, its win win win:
Consumers get hats.
Japan gets relief money.
Valve gets an even better reputation as being caring, etc.

 

[ríomhaire]

I stopped playing because of those ****ing hats man.
That ****ing hat store.
Ruined the game.
Slippery slope, etc.

Possibly the dumbest reason to stop playing a game ever.

 

[Overwatch Sector]

I stopped playing because of those ****ing hats man.
That ****ing hat store.
Ruined the game.
Slippery slope, etc.

You can play without hats. Unless your somewhat weird if you can't stand other players with hats on.

 

[Sheepo]

I stopped playing because of those ****ing hats man.
That ****ing hat store.
Ruined the game.
Slippery slope, etc.

I really vaguely agree with this post. I stopped playing because I think the game went too far away from it's beginning play style and visual style that made it enjoyable, seeing as all the classes lost all worthwhile distinction between each other and balance was all over the place. However, I'm not dumb and am aware slippery slope is a fallacy and don't feel the need to constantly reiterate my opinion with "durrr hats" posts.

 

[Acepilotf14]

I really vaguely agree with this post. I stopped playing because I think the game went too far away from it's beginning play style and visual style that made it enjoyable, seeing as all the classes lost all worthwhile distinction between each other and balance was all over the place. However, I'm not dumb and am aware slippery slope is a fallacy and don't feel the need to constantly reiterate my opinion with "durrr hats" posts.

Call me when Dota 2 comes out.

 

[Sheepo]

Personally not interested in the game, so I guess that means it's terrible garbage that Valve shouldn't touch. That's how things work, right? The connection between hats and Dota is so obvious that I'm surprised I missed it. Damn that slope is so slippery.

 

[bam23]

Got me teh headband

 

[Ennui]

I don't think charity should ever be rewarded, and I don't think it should ever be done for any gain or by any company or corporation.

I bet the hungry and homeless in Japan totally give a shit whether some gamer got a completely non-beneficial virtual clothing accessory for donating the $100 that bought them dinner for a week.

Seriously, what kind of opinion is this? I really hope you're trolling, even if that's in rather poor taste for a staff member. Are you against canned food drives too? Those usually have some kind of benefit for the charity-giver as well... for example I got into the state fair for free this year because I donated four cans of food.