3 ms·

I think the argument is that Steam is sufficiently dominant in the PC-games marketplace that small publishers like this feel that they absolutely have to list t

by kemayo 3y ago

I think the argument is that Steam is sufficiently dominant in the PC-games marketplace that small publishers like this feel that they absolutely have to list their games there, and so have no option other than to accept Valve's terms. (With Valve's apparent "you can't sell your game cheaper anywhere else" term serving to lock in this state of affairs for Steam, by making it really hard for another store to compete on price.)

Fire-Dragon-DoL 3y ago
Well, people want to be on the Steam store because many eyes look at it. That's what Valve built over time, their store has a lot of value even without selling the games.
- paulryanrogers 3y ago
  > their store has a lot of value even without selling the game. Wait, what? If Steam doesn't sell games it has little value. So while Steam doesn't need some random indie game, singular. It does need games, plural. (Especially since being drunk on easy money, they haven't even managed to finish their founding game franchise.) Indies need Steam far more than Steam needs any one game. It's that power imbalance combined with Steam's terms (designed to entrench their market position) which are on trial.
  - Fire-Dragon-DoL 3y ago
    Sorry I used confusing terminology. Steam provides a lot of value without selling the game, but just listing the game: their are extremely well known, have amazing systems for game discovery. That's why game devs feel compelled to list games on Steam.
happymellon 3y ago
> With Valve's apparent "you can't sell your game cheaper anywhere else" term serving to lock in this state of affairs for Steam It is "you can't sell Steam keys elsewhere for less", not that you can't sell the game elsewhere for less. However I have bought Humble Bundles back in the day, and they gave me a steam key so there must be workarounds.

3 ms·

I think the argument is that Steam is sufficiently dominant in the PC-games marketplace that small publishers like this feel that they absolutely have to list t

by kemayo 3y ago

Fire-Dragon-DoL 3y ago
Well, people want to be on the Steam store because many eyes look at it. That's what Valve built over time, their store has a lot of value even without selling the games.
- paulryanrogers 3y ago
  > their store has a lot of value even without selling the game. Wait, what? If Steam doesn't sell games it has little value. So while Steam doesn't need some random indie game, singular. It does need games, plural. (Especially since being drunk on easy money, they haven't even managed to finish their founding game franchise.) Indies need Steam far more than Steam needs any one game. It's that power imbalance combined with Steam's terms (designed to entrench their market position) which are on trial.
  - Fire-Dragon-DoL 3y ago
    Sorry I used confusing terminology. Steam provides a lot of value without selling the game, but just listing the game: their are extremely well known, have amazing systems for game discovery. That's why game devs feel compelled to list games on Steam.
happymellon 3y ago
> With Valve's apparent "you can't sell your game cheaper anywhere else" term serving to lock in this state of affairs for Steam It is "you can't sell Steam keys elsewhere for less", not that you can't sell the game elsewhere for less. However I have bought Humble Bundles back in the day, and they gave me a steam key so there must be workarounds.