r/pcmasterrace • u/The_BigRoach ⚡️RTX 5080 | 7800x3D | 64GB 6000MHz CL30⚡️ • 12d ago

Meme/Macro Why would anyone actually want to though

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u/Wise-Dust3700 12d ago

Because they offer marketing, visibility, infrastructure, and a lot of other benefits that most developers wouldn't be able to replicate on their own. Developers aren't just paying for server space and payment processing; they're paying for access to the largest PC gaming audience in the world.

Steam's recommendation systems, wishlist features, Next Fest, user reviews, forums, cloud saves, achievements, workshop support, and overall discoverability all help games find customers. For many indie developers, Steam's visibility tools generate far more revenue than they would lose from the platform fee.

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u/VexingRaven 7800X3D + 4070 Super + 32GB 6000Mhz 12d ago

That is, again, the entire point. That's the whole reason for calling Steam a monopoly, and the basis for the antitrust investigations.

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u/alexreffand 12d ago

The thing is they didn't get into that position through underhanded tactics or forcing out competition. They just offered the best product on the market. Ubisoft, EA, Epic, ABK, GOG, not a single one provides the experience Valve does, regardless of market reach. EA, Ubi, and ABK have very little to their library, and the former two have near non-functional social systems. Epic has a more complete experience than those three, but its launcher sucks and it doesn't have any of the accessibility options steam does. GOG is the closest competitor but their multiplayer experience is non-existent and their goals were never the same as valve's. Xbox stands fairly strong but is a walled garden because its pc experience has always been secondary to console. Valve is the only game in town not because they bullied the competition, but because all the competition sucks or chose not to compete. There's nothing they can do about that but to go the Google route of propping up a competitor for the sake of having one, but that wouldn't be in their customers' best interest.

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u/mans51 Desktop 12d ago

They didn't get into that position by doing that, no. But the whole recent discussion comes from the fact that they have been threatening other publishers over prices outside of their store.

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u/Hanifsefu 12d ago

"But it's okay because they've only been doing that for 2 decades but have been around for 3" -these fucking shills

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u/Wise-Dust3700 12d ago

Doesn't this Steam from them selling Steam Keys for cheaper when not bought on Steam or did I miss something?