Posted May 15, 2013
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
Collect cards
Play any of the participating Trading Cards Beta games to get trading cards. Up to half the card set is dropped through game play, the other half is earned through your collecting prowess.
Craft game badges
Once you’ve collected a set of cards you can craft them into a game badge. Like the current badges, they are tied to your account and are shown on your profile. Unlike the current badges, crafting games badges earns you marketable items like emoticons, profile backgrounds, and coupons. Level up your badge by collecting the set again and earning more items.
Level Up
All badges now have XP which contributes to your Steam Level, a summary of your badge collection. You can view someone’s Steam Level by hovering over their avatar. Leveling up earns you non-tradable items like profile showcases, extra friends list slots, and more
Get rewards for crafting badges
During badge crafting you'll receive random rewards from a set of game related items. They are tradable and can only be used while you possess them.
Profile backgrounds
Customize your profile with a background image.
Coupons
You might earn DLC or game coupons.
Emoticons
Steam emoticons can be used anywhere on Steam where you can type, like chat, discussions, and profiles.
It's still in beta by the way. You need to get an invite after joining the group or from the Steam Community Market
I guess this is Steam's answer to an achievement system? I get the impression this is like handing out crack to a bunch of drug addicts ... I guess this may lead to a new form of preorder bonus on Steam as well.
Post edited May 15, 2013 by Pheace
