Plus, having more than one of these clients is exactly the kind of problem Steam came on the scene to solve in the first place (i.e. inconvenient distribution).

Plus, having more than one of these clients is exactly the kind of problem Steam came on the scene to solve in the first place (i.e. inconvenient distribution). Steam has won this for the time being, and shows no signs of slowing down. It's foolish to fight it over NIH syndrome. Steam has been a godsend to indie developers. It can be a great partner for AAA ones as well.