this post was submitted on 27 Dec 2023
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Steam keeps on winning (www.pcgamer.com)
submitted 6 months ago by Carighan to c/games
341 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

From the opinion piece:

Last year, I pointed out how many big publishers came crawlin' back to Steam after trying their own things: EA, Activision, Microsoft. This year, for the first time ever, two Blizzard games released on Steam: Overwatch and Diablo 4.

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[–] echo64 292 points 6 months ago (110 children)

I know everyone loves Valve, but it feels super weird to be celebrating a monopoly so much and so ferociously. (I know Steam isn't a technical monopoly. We don't need to have that discussion)

Gaben is old, and he's gonna retire. It'll likely be a lot sooner than anyone here is comfortable with. When Valve gets sold, or even when gaben isn't in total control anymore, things are going to start changing, and there isn't going to be a healthy, diverse marketplace to soften that.

There is a very good chance that the PC platform will be a really horrible place because of the lack of consumer choice in which they can purchase and play games.

[–] beefsack 8 points 6 months ago (2 children)

One day, Valve will be under different ownership, and we will regret the time we fought for their monopoly.

[–] TwilightVulpine 2 points 6 months ago

That will be a shame for already purchased Steam libraries, but because the PC is an open platform and their "monopoly" is drastically overstated, it might just be the opportunity for GOG to rise up. Or maybe even Epic, if it actually bothers doing better. Valve can't, and won't ever be able to completely control where people buy PC games.

You know, as opposed to consoles like Playstation, which, if you don't like how they are doing business, you just gotta deal with it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

I wouldn't call it fighting for a monopoly. It's just that for the last decade people have been doing exactly what everyone keeps saying to do, voting with their wallet. Steam isn't a clear market leader because people wanted it to be, it's one because every competitor has not put in the effort to compete but rather chosen to be shitty towards the customer rather than be beneficial to the customer.

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