Steam Community Market beta now live, supports Team Fortress 2

The Steam Community Market has opened in beta today, allowing Steam users to buy and sell in-game items, Valve announced.

Players can now use Steam Wallet funds in the purchase and sale of in-game items. Sale items can be listed on the Community Market page or on players' personal inventories.

Currently only Team Fortress 2 consumables and tools, such as keys and crates, are available for use with the Community Market. Titles beyond Team Fortress 2 will be made compatible with the service starting early next year.

All buyers are subject to a Steam Transaction Fee totaling 15 percent of the purchase. The fee is collected to protect against payment fraud and cover Market development costs. Team Fortress 2 also employs a game-specific fee to be determined by Valve.

The Community Market is part of Valve's efforts to expand the Steam Economy beyond simple item trading.

"With over a half million trades made every week, the trading system has been very successful," said Valve software engineer Tony Paloma in a press release. "Extending game economies beyond trades and giving players a way to turn gameplay into funds for new items and games is a key component for moving that success forward."