Good news for Steam lovers out of the GameStop camp this week. Partnering with Valve, the makers of Steam, GameStop will begin selling Steam Wallet at all US locations.
Steam Wallet is Valve’s version of prepaid cards. Essentially, they are like all the other prepaid gift cards we’ve come to recognize, used exclusively for Steam purchases. The cards are initially available in $20 and $50 increments, though success of the program could mean additional values.
The program provides a payment option other than that of the traditional credit card or Paypal payment. By using Steam Wallet, customers avoid sending their credit card information into the ether as well as provide alternate means for others looking to gift credits to gamers.
While not an entirely unique concept, it is one that Valve is hoping boosts their overall sales and exposure. With rumors of a Steam console set to possibly debut at E3 2012, Valve is no doubt positioning itself to deal with early sales. Expect more news on a Steam console and Steam Wallet as we head into E3. Be sure to check back for our coverage of the huge June event.