This is propoganda. Valve is a privately-owned company, and therefore not a lackey of the olgiarcs, that’s why they are being attacked. Valve is good at business and listens to it’s customers, and Microsoft can go fuck itself sideways.
Valve’s policy is not anti-competitive. If you want to offer your game somewhere other than steam for whatever price you like, you are free to do so. If you use the steam platform to offer the game, then Steam requires you to not offer it for a lower price elsewhere AT THE SAME TIME.
That is not a monopoly, that is a clause of business contract. If a company doesn’t want to do business with valve, then they don’t have to. The 30% fee is large, but the value that comes with is massive.
I agree with most of this, and I vastly prefer Valve over anything else, and as long as there’s competition Valve will probably keep being the best of the bunch. I have a massive appreciation for their work on Linux gaming as well.
That said, Steam requiring that you don’t sell elsewhere for cheaper can definitely be considered anticompetitive, just not anticonsumer, which isn’t always the same thing. Anticompetitive behavior becomes a problem when markets consolidate and then the consumers have to pay whatever the dominant players say. Until then, consumers usually benefit (like buying stuff for much cheaper in Amazon until they make their competition go broke).
The love for steam will ultimately bites us in the arse in the future. Wenn gaben signs off and some not like minded fellow takes over and they IPO. Then the hobby called gaming will go south with light speed.
I dread this day, despite me boycotting steam so hard when it went live for that (and other) reason(s). I only caved in with L4D2 and hence put like a quarter mil into a virtual library that can vanish any day. Hopefully I’m already dead then 😁
He might’ve had a vision and happened to get rich with it, I doubt any heir/successor will remain a private company.
Hope yes, realistic optimism? Nah.
They have the strongest, uncontestable monopoly right now. The immeasurable profits a public listing would rake in, would have to stand against a vision of being in total control, alone, forever.
I don’t know many people who wouldn’t take the quick and immensely road of gold over the long-run tight grip over the industry.
But maybe I’m wrong. I hope I am. It’s steam alone that made linux-gaming an actual thing.
This is propoganda. Valve is a privately-owned company, and therefore not a lackey of the olgiarcs, that’s why they are being attacked. Valve is good at business and listens to it’s customers, and Microsoft can go fuck itself sideways.
Valve’s policy is not anti-competitive. If you want to offer your game somewhere other than steam for whatever price you like, you are free to do so. If you use the steam platform to offer the game, then Steam requires you to not offer it for a lower price elsewhere AT THE SAME TIME.
That is not a monopoly, that is a clause of business contract. If a company doesn’t want to do business with valve, then they don’t have to. The 30% fee is large, but the value that comes with is massive.
I agree with most of this, and I vastly prefer Valve over anything else, and as long as there’s competition Valve will probably keep being the best of the bunch. I have a massive appreciation for their work on Linux gaming as well.
That said, Steam requiring that you don’t sell elsewhere for cheaper can definitely be considered anticompetitive, just not anticonsumer, which isn’t always the same thing. Anticompetitive behavior becomes a problem when markets consolidate and then the consumers have to pay whatever the dominant players say. Until then, consumers usually benefit (like buying stuff for much cheaper in Amazon until they make their competition go broke).
The love for steam will ultimately bites us in the arse in the future. Wenn gaben signs off and some not like minded fellow takes over and they IPO. Then the hobby called gaming will go south with light speed.
I dread this day, despite me boycotting steam so hard when it went live for that (and other) reason(s). I only caved in with L4D2 and hence put like a quarter mil into a virtual library that can vanish any day. Hopefully I’m already dead then 😁
Yeah, I agree it’s not ideal. But under capitalism I think Gabe is about the best we could hope for.
Maybe he will find a worthy hier, or perhaps everything will go to shit. We will see.
He might’ve had a vision and happened to get rich with it, I doubt any heir/successor will remain a private company. Hope yes, realistic optimism? Nah.
They have the strongest, uncontestable monopoly right now. The immeasurable profits a public listing would rake in, would have to stand against a vision of being in total control, alone, forever. I don’t know many people who wouldn’t take the quick and immensely road of gold over the long-run tight grip over the industry.
But maybe I’m wrong. I hope I am. It’s steam alone that made linux-gaming an actual thing.