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Steam seemed unassailable by competition until now - is this the solution to competing with platforms that have a monopoly from community lock in (Facebook and

Steam seemed unassailable by competition until now - is this the solution to competing with platforms that have a monopoly from community lock in (Facebook and Youtube being good examples)? Build a tangentially related service, build up your own community and then slowly pivot into their space once you've got your userbase. Anecdotally everyone I know who uses Steam is also on Discord for chat now because it works so well.

zaarn 8y ago
The only downside is the total lack of Linux support despite Discord having a Linux client. I'll def. stay on Steam until they support Linux as well as Valve does. I doubt continuing to be a game store on Windows will be profitable indefinitely, considering Microsoft is trying to push their own store and close down Windows gaming for themselves.
- Starz0r 8y ago
  Love how people are claiming they are going to close down Windows for gaming back in the GFWL days and it never happened. Now we have the Microsoft Store, whille substantially better, Windows hasn't even attempted to close down the system and yet again everyone is claiming they will. They aren't, and they won't, the Microsoft Store still hasn't urserped Azure or regular Windows keys in sales or profit. So why would any company close off their system potentially losing more sales on Windows keys, it just makes no sense. Can we please stop touting this bullshit?
  - zaarn 8y ago
    No I won't. Valve has been pushing for Linux support in case they need it as fallback (see: Proton, Steam Machines, etc.) Atleast at Valve there is a certain amount of fear this might happen.
    - PhasmaFelis 8y ago
      It's certainly something they might do. It wouldn't be totally out of character for MS. But there's no evidence that they're "trying to push their own store and close down Windows gaming for themselves".
  - de_watcher 8y ago
    Well, maybe there was some cause and effect relation here? "Someone opposed the thing and it never happened." We don't have an alternative reality to actually verify why it never happened.
beerlord 8y ago
At this point the only competition I could forsee is Epic launching their own storefront. They have a giant audience thanks to Fortnite, and could heavily integrate the store into the engine.

zaarn 8y ago

The only downside is the total lack of Linux support despite Discord having a Linux client. I'll def. stay on Steam until they support Linux as well as Valve does. I doubt continuing to be a game store on Windows will be profitable indefinitely, considering Microsoft is trying to push their own store and close down Windows gaming for themselves.

Starz0r 8y ago
Love how people are claiming they are going to close down Windows for gaming back in the GFWL days and it never happened. Now we have the Microsoft Store, whille substantially better, Windows hasn't even attempted to close down the system and yet again everyone is claiming they will. They aren't, and they won't, the Microsoft Store still hasn't urserped Azure or regular Windows keys in sales or profit. So why would any company close off their system potentially losing more sales on Windows keys, it just makes no sense. Can we please stop touting this bullshit?
- zaarn 8y ago
  No I won't. Valve has been pushing for Linux support in case they need it as fallback (see: Proton, Steam Machines, etc.) Atleast at Valve there is a certain amount of fear this might happen.
  - PhasmaFelis 8y ago
    It's certainly something they might do. It wouldn't be totally out of character for MS. But there's no evidence that they're "trying to push their own store and close down Windows gaming for themselves".
- de_watcher 8y ago
  Well, maybe there was some cause and effect relation here? "Someone opposed the thing and it never happened." We don't have an alternative reality to actually verify why it never happened.

beerlord 8y ago

At this point the only competition I could forsee is Epic launching their own storefront. They have a giant audience thanks to Fortnite, and could heavily integrate the store into the engine.