Steam is on a path to become a monopoly. Is that a good thing for the gamer? Support my work: https://www.patreon.com/thehatedone If it's not on Steam, it might as well not exist. Even console exclusives made for PlayStation and Xbox will find themselves listed on Steam. And that's saying something. It's saying that even giant studios like Microsoft or Sony just can't pass on that cash-grab potential. That is power. Power that belongs to Steam's maker Valve, which also has some of the most popular PC games, and makes Linux-based console SteamDeck that challenges Windows' gaming monopoly. For that, everyone loves Valve. But there is a problem. Valve's power is too great and Valve will use that power to the detriment of the whole gaming community. I am going to prove that to you by showing you Valve's historical record and by looking at its future path. Both of which should convince you that it doesn't matter how much you may love Steam right now, Valve is not your friend. Valve has this image of an infallible good guy, standing up to the big tech. Any criticism of Valve or Steam is met with dismissal and ridicule. Valve's fans will defend any corporate decision they make, even if it's the same they would scorch other gaming companies for making. When you purchase games from Steam, you have to accept the terms that you will never own your games. Your purchase only grants you a temporary limited license. What's the difference and why does it matter? Well, if you own something, like a book, or a DVD with a game, the contents still belong to the copyright holder, but you get to decide what to do with the material. Like for instance, you can lend it, gift it or trade it for something else. A Steam license gives you none of that. It's just a subscription. SOURCES [references available in the transcript] [0] https://web.archive.org/web/20141024081126/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-04/valve-lines-up-console-partners-in-challenge-to-microsoft-sony.html [1] https://usesignhouse.com/blog/valve-stats/ [2] https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/gaming/gaming-giant-valve-hit-with-another-antitrust-lawsuit-alleging-anticompetitive-practices/ar-AA1oF5qi [3] https://www.polygon.com/2017/5/16/15622366/valve-gabe-newell-sales-origin-destructive [4] https://old.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/t3glbx/its_okay_to_acknowledge_that_valve_is_not [5] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21208138[6] https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/ [7] https://www.extremetech.com/archive/73674-halflife-2-will-require-internet-activation [8] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4019095.stm [9] https://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-restricts-14-day-eu-refund-law/1100-6425990/[10] https://www.bbb.org/us/wa/yarrow-point/profile/online-gaming/valve-corporation-1296-27030704/ [11] https://www.vg247.com/steam-customer-support-not-where-it-needs-to-be-says-valve [12] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005374/en/Game-Developers-Conference%E2%80%99s-2021-State-of-the-Industry-Survey-Shows-Pandemic-Brought-Delays---But-Also-Growth-Reflects-Rising-Interest-in-the-PlayStation-5-and-Strong-Disapproval-of-30-Digital-Storefront-Revenue-Shares [13] https://www.polygon.com/22409511/microsoft-store-pc-revenue-share-steam-epic-games [14] https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/11111747095181-Creator-fees-overview [15] https://kotaku.com/valve-isnt-evil-they-just-dont-understand-people-1704090932 [16] https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/05/why-lower-platform-fees-dont-lead-to-lower-prices-on-the-epic-games-store/ [17] https://www.pcgamer.com/lawsuit-claims-valve-is-abusing-its-market-dominance-to-keep-prices-high/ [18] https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/popular-gaming-platform-accused-of-abusing-market-power-through-contracts-4124057/ [19] https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/04/humble-bundle-creator-brings-antitrust-lawsuit-against-valve-over-steam/ [20] https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/05/judge-brings-dismissed-steam-antitrust-lawsuit-back-from-the-dead/ [21] https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/25/23975695/valve-ceo-gabe-newell-has-to-appear-in-person-to-defend-steam-store-fees [22] https://www.gamesindustry.biz/gabe-newell-ordered-to-make-in-person-deposition-for-valve-v-wolfire-games-lawsuit [23] https://www.polygon.com/2017/4/1/15129600/valve-has-cut-dota-2-royalties-and-workshop-creators-are-crying-foul [24] https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/08/valve-says-turning-away-researcher-reporting-steam-vulnerability-was-a-mistake/ [25] https://store.steampowered.com/privacy_agreement/ [26] https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/gaming/gaming-giant-valve-hit-with-another-antitrust-lawsuit-alleging-anticompetitive-practices/ar-AA1oF5qi CREDITS Music by CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/@co.agmusic Follow me: https://twitter.com/The_HatedOne_ https://www.reddit.com/r/thehatedone/ All of this protected under the Fair Use laws of the United States Copyright act of 1976.
  • doublepepperoni [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
    401·
    2 months ago

    The problem is that every time someone comes out and tries to make a Steam alternative, it’s always a company that’s slimier and more annoying than Valve: Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, Epic, etc. You can’t blame people for not wanting to jump on board with any of those bozos

    The one exception is GOG, but their main selling point, being DRM-free, also means they’ll forever be relegated to indie titles and select older games outside of CD Projekt Red’s own productions

  • neo [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    26·
    2 months ago

    i would trust valve more if the steam client were not an overbloated chromium embedded framework mess maddened

  • RyanGosling [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
    261·
    2 months ago

    I still don’t understand how they’re a monopoly. It’s weird that so much attention is given to Steam and Valve while Microsoft and Sony don’t get any for owning the platform, store, multiplayer infrastructure, and development studios like Valve.

    Maybe I just have a superficial understanding of “monopoly,” but Valve isn’t acquiring competing storefronts and studios nor is it prohibiting others with frivolous legal challenges. Valve hasn’t done anything for decades besides sell games; it’s not their fault Sony and Microsoft fail at making their consoled attractive enough for devs to make exclusives. Many good games are on GOG and have zero DRM.

    And FWIW, I hate games and Valve. I just think it’s difficult to make a winning case compared to Amazon with its hostile pricing policies, and it allowing counterfeits to push sellers into joining its retail programs.

    • LanyrdSkynrd [comrade/them, any]@hexbear.netEnglish
      15·
      2 months ago

      You can be a monopoly without being an illegal monopoly. Monopoly is when one company has an outsized market share, an illegal monopoly is when they use that market share to stifle competition.

      • Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
        15·
        2 months ago

        u/Extreme_Succotash333 has the most actions by far at 1300 this week. Followed by Grizzly, followed by me but my numbers are trifling compared. My big numbers occur when a really problem thread happens and I go PURGE mode for like a full week. Modqueue is getting cleared fully each day so it’s generally healthy as it is.

        the one tankie mod

        The entire team is communist. There isn’t a person on the team that would disagree with anyone on hexbear.

        • RyanGosling [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
          7·
          2 months ago

          Oh damn. I don’t know if it was you, but a while back there was drama on the sub because a mod (who happened to be a hexbear user) deleted some anti-communism posts and there were multiple threads on the sub about it. The mod mentioned here how the other mods were passive and had no idea what was going on lol

          • Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
            9·
            2 months ago

            Probably me at the time? Maybe? I don’t remember tbh. Mod team activity stats change fairly regularly depending on availability and whoever is no-lifing it most at the time.

            Like, whoever is more online and decides to do the modqueue clearance will always end up having more stats. Even if another person comes in once a day to check it, if there’s no modqueue they’re getting no stats.

            Usually what tends to happen is one person ends up being the main mod for a while then they get busy with offline stuff, modqueue piles up, then someone notices and ends up taking on the role of main mod. Then that repeats again when they eventually get sidetracked by something else.

            I see this pattern play out a lot.

            Oh and there’ll be big bursts of activity when a lot of mods get temporary high-interest in the space if some huge drama kicks off.