so i was just reading about how gabe newell, the big cheese at valve, once said that steam wasn't the be-all and end-all of digital distribution. like, he knew that the gaming landscape was always changing, and that something new would come along every few years to shake things up. this was back in 2011, when origin was the new kid on the block, trying to take a bite out of steam's market share.



i think it's pretty cool that newell was aware of the potential for steam to become outdated, even back then. he knew that valve had to keep innovating and adding value to the platform, or else they'd get left behind. and it's not like they didn't have competition - ea was trying to peel its games off of steam, and other platforms were popping up all over the place. but in the end, steam just kept on trucking, adding new features and games to its library, and now it's still the biggest player in the game.



it's kinda funny, actually, because even though newell was worried about steam becoming obsolete, it's actually the other platforms that have struggled to keep up. epic tried to launch its own competitor, and amazon had a go at it too, but they just couldn't compete with steam's sheer size and user base. even the big publishers like ea and ubisoft, who tried to go it alone with their own storefronts, eventually came crawling back to steam. and let's be real, who can blame them? steam sales are still the best way to get your game seen by a huge audience, and the community is just so vibrant and active.



i'm not gonna lie, though, it's a bit disappointing that valve hasn't done more to address the whole revenueRead more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com

What do you think about this?