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Valve "played capitalism so well they broke it" and now Steam can never be replaced, former Epic dev says: "I don't think this is fixable" (www.gamesradar.com)
submitted 3 days ago by to c/pcgaming@lemmy.ca
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[–] 1 point 3 days ago (3 children)

Steam launched years before the others and had a lot of friction as well. I didn't actually buy into it until like 2010/2011. Epic, Uplay, and origin were too late to the game to break in and pull the anti-competitive shit they did. Steam gives it's customers what they want, the others just try to put themselves in the way to enrich their shareholders, then cry when no one wants to use their shitty product.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 days ago (2 children)

    anti-competitive shit they did.

    Again. The exact same thing Steam did.

    enrich their shareholders

    Because Valve has never done anything like that cough microtransactions, loot boxes, child gambling, selling unfinished games, gutting quality control to collect money from allowing companies to simply pay to get on Steam cough

    Whereas the other platforms did?

    Anti-competitive stuff.

    Like Uplay and Origin moving their games off the third party service onto a first party service (As we've established the same thing Steam did)

    Or Epic's timed exclusives.

    Unlike Steam's actual exclusive deals they stuck with publishers to force Steam as DRM. Also preventing it being sold on other online distribution services (because there was a lot back in the day, even IGN had one).

    Or their current practice of not allowing publishers to sell a game cheaper on another platform.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 days ago

    Unlike Steam's actual exclusive deals they stuck with publishers to force Steam as DRM. Also preventing it being sold on other online distribution services (because there was a lot back in the day, even IGN had one).

    This didn't happen.

    Or their current practice of not allowing publishers to sell a game cheaper on another platform.

    Standard retail policy, and this only applies if they're distributing Steam keys from those other storefronts.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 days ago

    Again. The exact same thing Steam did.

    But steam got in on the ground floor, by the time the others got into the game it was too late because steam offered enough QOL stuff to blow them out of the water. There was no competition. No one wants to install 15 fucking launchers just because every company wants to take on steam. If anyone wants to get in now with a launcher and compete with steam they have to fill a niche that steam isn't. Like GOGs DRM free games. Or just sell from their own site without the launcher BS. Sure they won't get the massive advertising bonus or other QOL benefits that comes with being on steams storefront but it's an option if they're so worried that they won't get their money's worth being on there.

    Unlike Steam’s actual exclusive deals they stuck with publishers to force Steam as DRM. Also preventing it being sold on other online distribution services (because there was a lot back in the day, even IGN had one).

    You can buy steam keys for games elsewhere. I've gotten tons of games off Humble bundles for example.

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